Parkland Hospital Nurse Phyllis Hall Claims She Saw A Bullet Next To JFK's Neck On The Cart.

[Pat Speer]

12 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

OK. I am not well versed in Hall, or hospital procedures. 

But why would Hall specifically mention a pointy-head bullet? I guess you could say she read some literature, and then worked from that. 

I will be the first to concede human behavior is often inexplicable. Hall may have internal demons at play, as many of us do. 

Anybody who even briefly worked around courts knows that witness statements are not reliable, even when earnest. 

Still...why did Hall mention a pointy-headed bullet? 

And I wish someone would ask Landis if the bullet he says he found was a pointy-head bullet. 

The pointy-headed bullet comes from Thompson's book, and has been repeated many times in many places. Thompson got it from one of the guys who handled the bullet at Parkland. If you were someone who'd worked at Parkland and you were trying to ingratiate yourself with the "research" community, a quick mention of a pointy-tipped bullet would do the trick. 

As for Landis, my impression is that he thinks the bullet he picked up was CE 399. 

[Joe Bauer]

 

[K K Lane]

The Tuohy testimony was useful.   i can see why Pat considers her much more credible than nurse Hall.

Does anyone have a link to the Parkland layout in 1963?   Multiple floors, multiple rooms, halls, gurneys and an elevator need to be visualized to understand the various claims.

Some points on Tuohy:

• She describes the brain wound as big enough for two clenched fists.   It's amazing JFK was still alive
• Tuohy does not assert beyond her direct observation.   She acknowledges that the bullet could be unrelated to JFK and she doesn't make claims about potential back injuries that she wasn't in a position to see.
• She gives a credible explanation for why she didn't report the bullet before 1976.   In short, she simply didn't think it was her place to do so.

 

[Joe Bauer]

16 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

Nurse Phyliss Hall didn't have to find corroborating witnesses to her presence in the ER area or actually in the Trauma Room 1 where she helped take JFK's stretcher into.

Since she never went public with her story, she wasn't confronted by critics and doubters who demanded she provide such.

When she did allow herself to be interviewed decades later, I would think she might have provided the name of her friend who worked at the Triage station.

Then again, maybe her Triage friend passed away years ago?

Or maybe her friend asked not to be identified?

I wouldn't expect any of the doctors in that room to have identified "any" of the nurses present.

They were 100% mentally engaged ( and in at least some level of shock) in trying to save the life of the savagely injured President of the United States!

So, in that frame of reference you wouldn't expect any of the doctors and other specialists in that packed and harried ER room to be able to say who was or "was not" in that room as far as nurses go.

And when the JFK security entourage team arrived at the ER parking space they were all in super hyped-up anxiety mode. They still didn't know how threatening the situation was or could be.

And when they burst onto the scene and through the doors of the ER department, they were surely just yelling for any personnel they could find to help them get JFK and Connally into treatment. 

Nurse Hall was standing right there in front of them (in uniform ) when they barged in.

Of course they demanded she help them in their frantic efforts.

Nurse Hall described how sorry she felt for Jackie K. And she even described the coldness of Dr. Kemp Clark ( she knew him from her years of employment at Parkland ) and how it was upsetting for her to witness Jackie Kennedy being so coldly treated by Clark upon his declaration of her husband's death unless she witnessed it herself...in the room.

I don't see how Nurse Hall could describe that scene as detailed as she did without others who were there countering her story if it wasn't true.

Others proven to be in the Trauma Room 1 during the JFK treatment could easily have debunked Hall's observation of both Dr. Kemp Clark, his final words to Jackie K. and Jackie K.'s stunned silence response.

I wonder if any Warren Commission witnesses described the scene in Trauma Room 1 with a very different take versus Hall's?

# - three Parkland nurses did testify to the Warren Commission.

Nurse Diana Bowron was in Trauma Room 1 assisting the doctors and did testify to the Warren Commission. Only 22 years of age she had just been hired 3 months previously.

Nurse Ruth Jeanette Standridge ( head ER nurse on the floor ) was always in Trauma Room 2 with Governor Connally the entire treatment time until he was taken upstairs to the OR.

Nurse Standridge was never in Trauma Room 1.

Does anyone believe that 22 year old, 3 month experience Diana Bowron was the only nurse to go into Trauma Room 1 during JFK's presence there?

ER Nurse supervisor Doris Nelson was in both Trauma rooms to help set them up for the arrivals of JC and JFK.

She was outside Trauma Room 1 and related Jackie Kennedy's sitting in the hall but then walking into the Trauma room to stand at her husband's foot.

Doris Nelson gave a written statement for the record regards her actions and observations that day and the following two days.

Some interesting points:

She revealed there were other nurses and orderlies present in the ER area and even in Trauma Room 1 as she mentioned she ordered them to clean up the room after JFK was removed from it.

She also states she instructed the entire ER nursing staff to not discuss the doings of that day in any way to the press.

Hence, Phyllis Hall would have certainly known about this order as well.

Doris Nelson statement:

ACTIVITIES OF DORIS NELSON, R.N., BEGINNING 12:00 NOON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1963.

"At approximately 12 ;00 Noon I returned from lunch, and proceeded to check the various areas in the Emergency Room, At approximately 12:33 P.M.  I answered the phone which was ringing in the Major Surgery Nurses' Station. Mrs. Bartlett, the telephone operator, informed me that the President had been shot, and was being brought to the hospital. I told her to "stop kidding me". She said "I am not . I have the police dispatcher on the line ."  I thanked her and immediately hung up the phone. I asked Dr . Dulaney, the Surgery Resident, to come to Trauma Room # 1, and that I wished to talk with him because I did not wish to alert everyone which might have caused general pandemonium in the Emergency Room. I informed Mrs. ( head nurse ) Standridge, and she told me that Room # 1 was set up so I proceeded into Room # 2, and had opened one bottle of Ringer's Lactate when I heard someone call for carriages . Seconds later, Governor Connally was brought into Room # 2. I opened his shirt and saw that he had received a gunshot wound of the chest. Mrs. Standridge was in the room assisting the doctor so as I walked out of the room to check on the President, he was wheeled into Trauma Room # 1.

I checked in the room to determine what type of injury he had sustained and was asked by the Secret Service to screen all personnel at the doorway leading to the trauma rooms. In the meantime, I answered the phone in the Surgery Nurses' Station and Dr . Baxter was on the line . He asked what we wanted. I told him that the President had been shot, and he said "Yes - what else is new?" I said ; "Get down here", and he said ; "I'm on my way." I stood at the doorway with a city policeman and secret service agent, and screened each doctor that went into the area . I offered to get Mrs. Kennedy, who was sitting outside of Trauma Room # 1, a towel, and asked her if she would like to remove her gloves which were saturated with blood. She said  "No thank you, I'm alright."

On one occasion she got up, and went into the room the President was in. I went in and asked her if she had rather wait outside and she said "no." 

One of the Secret Service men said to let her stay in the room. She came out shortly thereafter. Several White House aides and secretaries came in and embraced Mrs. Kennedy, and I believe Mrs. Lyndon Johnson was among them. Dr. Kemp Clark arrived. The cardio-verter was carried into the room, and Dr . Jenkins from Anesthesia came with an anesthesia cart . Shortly after Dr . Clark arrived, two priests arrived, and gave the President last rites.

Dr. Clark came out of the room and talked briefly with Mrs. Kennedy . Then the priest came out, and I talked with the First Lady also. I was informed by Dr . Clark of the President's expiration.

Part 2.

"The President's doctor informed me that arrangements had been made to obtain a casket for the body . Shortly afterwards Mr. O'Neal of the O'Neal Ambulance Company arrived with a bronze casket. Miss Hinchliffe came out, and asked for some plastic to put inside the casket . I sent Mrs. Hutton to the 2nd floor to obtain a plastic mattress cover. I went in Trauma Room # 1 to determine that all was in order while Mrs. Ellis stood in the doorway. I asked David Sanders to assist "the nurses" in preparing the President's body before placing it in the casket. I instructed "the nurses and attendants" to clean up the room and mop the floor .

After Mr. O'Neal, and some of the boys who work with him, (only one of whose name I knew - Audrey Riker) placed the President in the casket and closed it.

Mrs. Kennedy went in and sat in a chair beside it leaning her head on the casket.

At approximately 2 :10 P.M the President's body was taken out of the Emergency Room. Mrs. Kennedy was walking beside it . All of the secret service agents left the area.

Shortly after they left, Nurse Miss Bowron informed me that she took the President's watch off so the doctor could start an intravenous and that she placed the watch in her pocket and did not think of it until everyone had left.

She went out front to find someone and saw Mr. Wright so she gave the watch to him.

I gave a blue coat containing a white envelope labeled "cash" found, and a card with the name "Clint Hill" to one of the secret service men. ( Clint Hill's coat? )

When the presidential staff left Mr. Price obtained coffee for us, and we went into my office, drank about two sips, smoked about two puffs from a cigarette. Then I made rounds and informed the registration desk that we were seeing all patients. Mrs. Wright came down shortly after that and I reviewed with her briefly the past experience.

I went to coffee with Mrs. Berger. Then I went to the Nursing Service Office and was told that all supervisors were to attend a meeting in Miss Beck's office at 3:30 P.M.

I returned to the Emergency Room and asked all personnel on the 7-3 :30 shift to report to my office.  Mr. Geilich came in my office while I was talking to them "I asked them not to discuss the past events with anyone" and if any of the nurses were approached by a member of the press that they were to obtain administrative approval before saying anything. I went back upstairs to the Nursing Service Office to attend the meeting. After the meeting, I returned to the Emergency Room, made rounds, and left at approximately 5 :00 P.M . 5 :30 - 10 :00 P.M. ...

Certainly there were more nurses in the ER Trauma Room area than just Nelson, Standridge and Bowron. Even if they were just there in case they were needed.

 

 

 

I cannot not rule out Nurse Phyliss Hall being "in the hallway" outside of Trauma Room 1 versus her staying in that room once JFK was wheeled in.

I do believe though that she did help steer the cart carrying JFK into Trauma Room 1. 

While doing so she quite probably saw JFK's head wound, thus being able to describe it.

Did she also see a bullet on the cart as she was helping steer it into Trauma Room 1?

That is a rational question.

And I could imagine Nurse Hall staying around in the outer hallway instead of immediately running back to her outpatient post.

There must have been a common feeling of "maybe I can be of help here" since so many anxious security people and employees were running around and obviously in a state of hyper-concerned anxiety and maybe even some confused shock to boot.

And Nurse Hall had more hands-on ER nurse experience ( 6 years! ) than all three of the nurses who were in the actual Trauma Rooms and who testified to the Warren Commission.