Charles "Boots" Askins, Harlon B. Carter and the Dallas INS

[Evan Marshall]

14 minutes ago, Leslie Sharp said:

no, I wasDid you cover the Canadian border in your career?

No, I was a member of the Detroit Police Dept.

[Ron Bulman]

So, Harlan Carter, head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Texas in 1963, killed a Mexican at 16, served 2 of a 3 year sentence.  Then developed the NRA into what it is today.  While in 1963 he oversaw the records of visits and expulsions any foreign visitors.  From France, Spain, Canada or elsewhere.  

[Evan Marshall]

A lot of assumptions there. I do not belong to the NRA so such a comment is meaningless.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Here is a snapshot of Askins' biography per Wikipedia, "

US Army and later life[edit]

Askins served in the US Army during World War II as a battlefield recovery officer, making landings in North Africa, Italy, and on D-day.^[6] After World War II, he spent several years in Spain as an attache to the American embassy there, helping Franco rebuild Spain's munition plants.^[6] After his assignment in Spain, he was reassigned to Vietnam, where he trained South Vietnamese soldiers in shooting and airborne operations. Throughout his military career, he indulged in big game hunting at every opportunity, and continued to do so after his retirement.^[1] He held several big game hunting records in his lifetime, as well as two national pistol championships, an American Handgunner of the Year award, and innumerable smaller titles in competitive shooting.^[5] Askins retired to San Antonio, Texas after his final years in the military at Fort Sam Houston.^[6]

Askins, like his father, was a prolific writer, writing books and over 1,000 magazine articles on subjects related to hunting and shooting.^[6] His writing career spanned 70 years, from 1929 until his death in 1999.^[1]

Legacy[edit]

Askins was controversial for the relish with which he described the numerous fatal shootings in his law enforcement and military careers, stating he had killed 27 men.^[1][4] Because he was involved in numerous shootouts along the US/Mexico border, and due to his stated practice of not keeping track of African-Americans and Hispanics, the actual number of killings he committed was potentially much higher.^[1] Askins once remarked that he thought he was a psychopathic killer, and that he hunted animals so avidly because he was not allowed to hunt men anymore.^[1]

[Evan Marshall]

As I said earlier I knew him and did not like or respect him. He wrote a book titled, "Unrepentant Sinner" and that should give you all the clues you should need.

[Leslie Sharp]

On 4/18/2023 at 10:13 PM, Ron Bulman said:

So, Harlan Carter, head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Texas in 1963, killed a Mexican at 16, served 2 of a 3 year sentence.  Then developed the NRA into what it is today.  While in 1963 he oversaw the records of visits and expulsions any foreign visitors.  From France, Spain, Canada or elsewhere.  

I'm trying to confirm that he covered all US borders. Something suggests to me he didn't.  Plus, under what conditions would the BP be privy to or control private flights in and out?  

[Leslie Sharp]

4 hours ago, Chuck Schwartz said:

Here is a snapshot of Askins' biography per Wikipedia, "

US Army and later life[edit]

Askins served in the US Army during World War II as a battlefield recovery officer, making landings in North Africa, Italy, and on D-day.^[6] After World War II, he spent several years in Spain as an attache to the American embassy there, helping Franco rebuild Spain's munition plants.^[6] After his assignment in Spain, he was reassigned to Vietnam, where he trained South Vietnamese soldiers in shooting and airborne operations. Throughout his military career, he indulged in big game hunting at every opportunity, and continued to do so after his retirement.^[1] He held several big game hunting records in his lifetime, as well as two national pistol championships, an American Handgunner of the Year award, and innumerable smaller titles in competitive shooting.^[5] Askins retired to San Antonio, Texas after his final years in the military at Fort Sam Houston.^[6]

Askins, like his father, was a prolific writer, writing books and over 1,000 magazine articles on subjects related to hunting and shooting.^[6] His writing career spanned 70 years, from 1929 until his death in 1999.^[1]

Legacy[edit]

Askins was controversial for the relish with which he described the numerous fatal shootings in his law enforcement and military careers, stating he had killed 27 men.^[1][4] Because he was involved in numerous shootouts along the US/Mexico border, and due to his stated practice of not keeping track of African-Americans and Hispanics, the actual number of killings he committed was potentially much higher.^[1] Askins once remarked that he thought he was a psychopathic killer, and that he hunted animals so avidly because he was not allowed to hunt men anymore.^[1]

Chuck, wiki fails to capture the implications of "Boots" Askins in Madrid. He was there to coordinate with Franco as he rebuilt his military which means he would have interacted with N-azi Johannes Bernhardt — close associate of Otto Skorzeny — who contributed significantly to Franco's project to  via his South American conglomerate, SOFINDUS.  This also means that Askins was at the Madrid embassy at the same time as Al Ulmer who as you probably know was in Tyler, Texas on November 22, visiting his brother and the Joe Zeppas (Delta Drilling) who that afternoon allegedly flew Barbara and GHWBush to Dallas in order for them to catch a flight back to Houston. Ulmer was scheduled to go into business with Win Scott along with a group of former intelligence officers.

Zeppa and Delta Drilling were instrumental in the Meadows-Skorzeny Spanish oil scheme of 1952 — at the same time Askins was posted in the Spanish capitol — which had the imprimatur of Franco.

Which brings us full circle to Askins who appears twice in the 1963 Lafitte datebook. Who but someone (Pierre Lafitte) working closely with Skorzeny stateside could have known the name Askins? What are the odds that the head of the SW Region of INS in 1963 and former chief of US Border Patrol Harlon B. Carter was a long-time friend of "Boots"?

We have no reason (yet) to argue that Askins and Canon left the U.S. immediately following the assassination; but certainly Harlon Carter would have been in a position to provide smooth sailing as it were.  Perhaps more significantly: if Askins had known Skorzeny stemming from their early days in Madrid, as well as Carter stemming from the Border Patrol, might he have served as a conduit to INS for Skorzeny's other teams — including Souetre —  for instance those arriving from Europe, Canada, or Mexico?

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Leslie Sharp

[Paul Brancato]

When did Atkins leave Madrid, or go to VN? Where was he in 1963? Sure seems like a good candidate for shooter.

[Leslie Sharp]

59 minutes ago, Paul Brancato said:

When did Atkins leave Madrid, or go to VN? Where was he in 1963? Sure seems like a good candidate for shooter.

 Paul, I've not yet identified specific dates/years other than Madrid in early 1950s, then Vietnam under the Eisenhower administration.  We know he was in Dallas in November 1963. The following might help flesh out a general timeline: 

 

            After several years in Madrid, enjoying the company of his family and bird hunting in the Spanish countryside, Askins was sent to Vietnam to join the select number of Eisenhower “advisors” training South Vietnamese soldiers in shooting and paratrooping. During those years, the colonel managed to earn his airborne qualification with both countries, amassing 132 jumps before calling it quits. While posted on the Vietnamese front, Askins would have encountered Jack Canon and Lucien Conein, among a number of other legends in that ill-fated endeavor. 

            Throughout his military career, Askins also indulged in big game hunting at every chance, and continued to do so the remainder of his life. He retired to San Antonio, Texas having been stationed at Fort Sam Houston when he returned stateside. He died there in March 1999. In a carefully worded statement, repeated by all who write about the legendary “Boots” Askins, “He retired from government service in 1963.”

    Author and expert on the topic of the use of lethal force, Massad Ayoob has been editor of GUNS magazine and the law enforcement columnist for American Handgunner since the 1970s. In a Nov-Dec 1999 article directed to rifle aficionados, particularly those fans of Remington Model 911, Ayoob draws the reader’s attention to the legendary Charles Askins, Jr., summarizing him as “A controversial modern legend.” During his career, as lawman and in the military, the colonel had aggressively sought out maximum action. The writer suggests that Askins’ lack of hesitation to kill had also led to questionable shootings.

Ayoob, who knew Col. Askins personally, explained that for those who knew him, there was no other way to describe him other than a “stone-cold killer,” indicating that facets of “Boots” Askins were not suited to law enforcement, including racism and a killer instinct that could sometimes “slip its leash.” By the colonel’s own count, he had killed twenty-seven, not including [racial slur] and Mexicans. In a separate account by an avid gun historian, we learned that Askins did not hesitate to shoot opponents regardless of race or nationality but didn’t consider those of minority status worth counting in his tally. Askins himself said that he hunted animals so avidly because he wasn't allowed to hunt men anymore.

***

Thus are the profiles of at least two men selected by Charles Willoughby, with likely approval of Edwin Walker, to show up in Dealey Plaza. Whether the men considered themselves “hired killers” or just anxious and willing participants, we can suspect they had personal reasons that prompted them to be “in on the kill” in Dallas—a shared hatred of Kennedy and the policies he was advancing. It is clear from the datebook that by mid-September, both Askins and Canon were on the mind of the project manager for the assassination plot. Lafitte later writes that by Dec. 4, Canon had “gone home.” 

[Leslie Sharp]

2 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

When did Atkins leave Madrid, or go to VN? Where was he in 1963? Sure seems like a good candidate for shooter.

With thanks to someone who is following this thread from a distance.

Looking for Southwest Firearms Field Testing Laboratories.

A likely candidate in San Antonio. Tom Slick (1916 - 1962) was on the board of Dresser Industries.
https://www.swri.org/who-we-are/history

Boot_Askins_1963.pdf

Edited April 20, 2023 by Leslie Sharp

[Evan Marshall]

I like Mas Ayoob but he's never been in gunfight. I was involved in 11 fatal shootings. THAT DOES NOT MEAN I SHOT 11 PEOPLE IT MEANS I WAS PRESENT WHEN THE BULLETS WERE FLYING AND I WOULD NEVER CONSIDER MYSELF ON SUCH EVENTS!

[Ron Bulman]

2 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

When did Atkins leave Madrid, or go to VN? Where was he in 1963? Sure seems like a good candidate for shooter.

Paul, to me this infers he was sent to VN as an advisor while Eisenhower was still in office.

 After several years in Madrid, enjoying the company of his family and bird hunting in the Spanish countryside, Askins was sent to Vietnam to join the select number of Eisenhower “advisors” training South Vietnamese soldiers in shooting and paratrooping.   

This makes me wonder if he might have possibly been a shooter or maybe at least a ground level facilitator as a native Texan.

In a carefully worded statement, repeated by all who write about the legendary “Boots” Askins, “He retired from government service in 1963.”  

He lived 36 years after that.  I wonder what prompted him to retire from government service specifically at that point in time?

[Evan Marshall]

He probably got "encouraged" to retire and all the decades I  knew Charley I never heard him referred to as "Boots". JM Wave shot Kennedy.

[Paul Brancato]

3 hours ago, Leslie Sharp said:

With thanks to someone who is following this thread from a distance.

Looking for Southwest Firearms Field Testing Laboratories.

A likely candidate in San Antonio. Tom Slick (1916 - 1962) was on the board of Dresser Industries.
https://www.swri.org/who-we-are/history

Boot_Askins_1963.pdf 117.62 kB · 1 download

Dresser - Bush family connection. Could you summarize the SWRI connection?

[Chuck Schwartz]

Evan, JM Wave is the CIA code name for the project set up to kill / overthrow Castro.  It is argued, in some circles, that at some point in time a decision was made to kill JFK instead of Castro, using personnel trained in the JMWave project..  And, this would have to been approved by someone very high up in the CIA and the JCS.   People who are looking for proof of this have not been successful to my knowledge.   That does not mean it is wrong- just no  proof.