The Hidell ID: what is the current timeline and did anyone else use it?

[Gil Jesus]

On 9/4/2024 at 5:01 AM, Martin Nee said:

Hi everyone I’m trying to get a some better information on the current state of the evidence around the Hidell ID and it’s use.

Given how central it is to the case against Oswald and that it was allegedly used to order the weapons I’d really appreciate if experts in the field like @Larry Hancock etc could weigh in with info/links to the following:

- when does the Hidell ID first appear and what are it’s believed origins?

- Marinas testimony has issues, but is she more consistent/believable on the Hidell ID and Oswald’s use of it and her having to write it?

- who else knew about the Hidell ID in 1963? I know there was apparently a military intelligence file on Hidell and Oswald that was destroyed. I’ve also seen a flight plan I believe from David Ferrie discovered by the HSCA that has the name on it. Is this legitimate and what is the source? 

- Is there any credible evidence or leads of anyone besides Oswald using the Hidell ID? 

- what is the current accepted timeline of when the Dallas Police, Secret Service, and FBI became aware of the Hidell ID? 
 

- what confirmed statements of Oswald do we have about the Hidell alias and what are the current most credible theories of what Oswald himself thought of and was doing with the alias?

One thing I find interesting about the fake Hidell ID is that it contains the exact same photo as Oswald's military ID.

[Ron Ege]

7 hours ago, Gil Jesus said:

One thing I find interesting about the fake Hidell ID is that it contains the exact same photo as Oswald's military ID.

Gil, cheers and thank you for all your contributions to the forum.

If memory serves, I believe there was a lengthy discussion here (perhaps, more than one) of "Oswald's military I.D." and "fake Hidell I.D.", somewhere "back in time".

If Oswald was on active duty, his military I.D. would've looked similar to this:

 

Of course, the service would be USMC, vice USA.

When discharged, LHO would've been issued a USMC reserve I.D. card, similar to this:

Again, the service would be USMC, vice USN.

Naturally, the "fake Hidell I.D." is the Selective Service Card (SSC).

The "Oswald's Military I.D." was one that was issued to military dependents, allowing them medical, commissary, and base/post exchange benefits.  That, I can vouch for, as my spouse had the exact I.D. card, specifically in 1962, and many years after, as I was career military.

If I'm recalling correctly, the "Oswald's Military I.D." was also issued to U.S. Government civilians, working overseas.

If I'm wrong on that, apology herewith.

Above said, I've always found it interesting that "Oswald's Military I.D." appears to bear the nearly the same image of LHO that we see in the photograph of Marine and him on that bridge in Russia (Minsk?).

Notably, "Oswald's Military I.D.'s" "Service & Status" block reads "USMCR/INACT", which would've been accurate, if legitimately issued (or fake, for that matter).  From memory, the I.D. effective (issue) date would've been on the back of the card.  Can anyone here provide an issue date for it? 

With no military "Pass & I.D" experience, I cannot comment on how tightly controlled were any of the various I.D. card types.  One would think that there'd be some security involved for obvious reasons.

All above said, my memory is too dim, trying to remember if "Oswald's Military I.D." has ever been established as definitely fake or legitimate.   Most troublesome for me, is that I am unable to make out the stamp.  Additionally, I do not remember any stamp on my active duty I.D. card, my retired military I.D. card, or my spouse's dependent I.D. card.  If anyone is asking for my vote, I'd say that that I.D. is fake.

Relative to the fake option, given what I recall, LHO was pretty good with a camera and stamps, as well as displaying suitable craftiness ; I would imagine that it wouldn't have been an impossible stretch for him to somehow to gain access to a blank I.D. card form or to produce a facsimile - then adding his photo and personal information.

If anyone here can confirm that "Oswald's Military I.D." is legitimate, then we have "a different ball game".  Perhaps, more speculation would then be in order; comments most welcome.

The Hidell SSC I.D. cannot be legitimate.  The form when Oswald registered for his, as was everyone else's in that era - was exactly the same one in use when I registered in 1961 and none ever had a photograph on it.  Notwithstanding the obvious fact that the same "Minsk era photograph" on the Hidell SSC I.D. "matches "Oswald's Military I.D." photograph!

How does the work, "Kemosahbes"? 

Anyway, I'm doubting that the military, DOD, or even any intel agency would issue a SSC ("fake Hidell ID") with a photograph on it; if so, beyond amateurish.  It does seems more likely an Oswald concoction, serving whatever purpose.

It is interesting that the "Oswald's Military I.D." has a 07/12/62 expiration date and he returned to the USA on 06/14/62. Prescience, coincidence, or ??

We recall that Oswald's mother informed him of the change to his USMC discharge to undesirable; one would think that that would've then obviated requiring him to serve out his Inactive Reserve time.  That said, his appeal thereto began on 01/30/61 but was not officially settled until about four months before the assassination. 

Any elucidation/correction on any of the above would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Ron

 

 

 

Edited September 5 by Ron Ege
Misidentified Hidell SSC as Oswald SSC

[David Josephs]

@Martin Nee

 

CE1986 and CE1990 are the 2 FBI reports pn the contents of the wallet. 

CLEMMENTS lists items which includes a PHOTO of the SSS card Notice of Classification with HIDELL on it... this is the 22nd
BOOKOUT'S list on the 24th (coming from a batch of photos FRITZ gives him) now includes an item not listed by CLEMMENTS - The HIDELL  Certificate of Service  

In fact there are a few things different about the 2 lists.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=39. CLEMENTS 11/22 CE1990

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=35. BOOKOUT 11/24 CE1986

===

The HIDEEL certificate was used to allow the story to have OSWALD bypass the vaccination inspection/shots when reentering the country from Mexico.
Since he was not seen at any of these locations for a shot, the story goes he was able to show that HIDEEL Vacc card and n ot have to.  FWIW, the Stamp kit was not in the list of inventory taken to FBI on the 22nd but was returned to the DPD and then taken again as an OSWALD BELONGING the following week.

NOTE: The Dallas Police did not find a Warrior Stamp Kit at either Ruth Paine's or Oswald's rooming house after the assassination. The Warrior Stamp Kit was not initialed by Dallas Police detectives, was not listed on the DPD inventories of November 22-23, and was not photographed on the floor of the Dallas Police station. 27

27 WC Stovall Exhibit A & B; WC F.M.Tumer Exhibit I.

 

If the Stamp kit was added to the evidence after the fact... what does that do to the quality of that evidence?

You might also notice there are no additional individual letters in that kit... And where is that "Brush in can" container?

Back to Hidell.  This is all the items in evidence with HIDELL.

 

 

 

 

This is the "B" FBI evidence list which shows OSWALD's Notice of Certification as part of his wallet contents - does not show the HIDELL Notice of Classification which CLEMMENTS lists first in CE1991.   Nor even lists the Cert of Service for HIDELL which BOOKOUT lists in CE1986.

In their "D" evidence list, the FBI now shows the BOOKOUT item which is added to the wallet's contents on this report of the 24th.

IMO - HIDELL was planted in to Oswald's "wallet" contents to allow for the connection to the BOGUS Postal Order.  I don't see where we can show an authentic example of  the actual Oswald using "HIDELL" to refer to himself

 

 

Edited September 5 by David Josephs

[Ron Ege]

38 minutes ago, David Josephs said:

@Martin Nee

 

CE1986 and CE1990 are the 2 FBI reports pn the contents of the wallet. 

CLEMMENTS lists items which includes a PHOTO of the SSS card Notice of Classification with HIDELL on it... this is the 22nd
BOOKOUT'S list on the 24th (coming from a batch of photos FRITZ gives him) now includes an item not listed by CLEMMENTS - The HIDELL  Certificate of Service  

In fact there are a few things different about the 2 lists.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=39. CLEMENTS 11/22 CE1990

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=35. BOOKOUT 11/24 CE1986

===

The HIDEEL certificate was used to allow the story to have OSWALD bypass the vaccination inspection/shots when reentering the country from Mexico.
Since he was not seen at any of these locations for a shot, the story goes he was able to show that HIDEEL Vacc card and n ot have to.  FWIW, the Stamp kit was not in the list of inventory taken to FBI on the 22nd but was returned to the DPD and then taken again as an OSWALD BELONGING the following week.

NOTE: The Dallas Police did not find a Warrior Stamp Kit at either Ruth Paine's or Oswald's rooming house after the assassination. The Warrior Stamp Kit was not initialed by Dallas Police detectives, was not listed on the DPD inventories of November 22-23, and was not photographed on the floor of the Dallas Police station. 27

27 WC Stovall Exhibit A & B; WC F.M.Tumer Exhibit I.

 

If the Stamp kit was added to the evidence after the fact... what does that do to the quality of that evidence?

You might also notice there are no additional individual letters in that kit... And where is that "Brush in can" container?

Back to Hidell.  This is all the items in evidence with HIDELL.

 

 

 

 

This is the "B" FBI evidence list which shows OSWALD's Notice of Certification as part of his wallet contents - does not show the HIDELL Notice of Classification which CLEMMENTS lists first in CE1991.   Nor even lists the Cert of Service for HIDELL which BOOKOUT lists in CE1986.

In their "D" evidence list, the FBI now shows the BOOKOUT item which is added to the wallet's contents on this report of the 24th.

IMO - HIDELL was planted in to Oswald's "wallet" contents to allow for the connection to the BOGUS Postal Order.  I don't see where we can show an authentic example of  the actual Oswald using "HIDELL" to refer to himself

 

 

David, thank you and for all your contributions, here.

 

47 minutes ago, David Josephs said:

@Martin Nee

 

CE1986 and CE1990 are the 2 FBI reports pn the contents of the wallet. 

CLEMMENTS lists items which includes a PHOTO of the SSS card Notice of Classification with HIDELL on it... this is the 22nd
BOOKOUT'S list on the 24th (coming from a batch of photos FRITZ gives him) now includes an item not listed by CLEMMENTS - The HIDELL  Certificate of Service  

In fact there are a few things different about the 2 lists.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=39. CLEMENTS 11/22 CE1990

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1140#relPageId=35. BOOKOUT 11/24 CE1986

===

The HIDEEL certificate was used to allow the story to have OSWALD bypass the vaccination inspection/shots when reentering the country from Mexico.
Since he was not seen at any of these locations for a shot, the story goes he was able to show that HIDEEL Vacc card and n ot have to.  FWIW, the Stamp kit was not in the list of inventory taken to FBI on the 22nd but was returned to the DPD and then taken again as an OSWALD BELONGING the following week.

NOTE: The Dallas Police did not find a Warrior Stamp Kit at either Ruth Paine's or Oswald's rooming house after the assassination. The Warrior Stamp Kit was not initialed by Dallas Police detectives, was not listed on the DPD inventories of November 22-23, and was not photographed on the floor of the Dallas Police station. 27

27 WC Stovall Exhibit A & B; WC F.M.Tumer Exhibit I.

 

If the Stamp kit was added to the evidence after the fact... what does that do to the quality of that evidence?

You might also notice there are no additional individual letters in that kit... And where is that "Brush in can" container?

Back to Hidell.  This is all the items in evidence with HIDELL.

 

 

 

 

This is the "B" FBI evidence list which shows OSWALD's Notice of Certification as part of his wallet contents - does not show the HIDELL Notice of Classification which CLEMMENTS lists first in CE1991.   Nor even lists the Cert of Service for HIDELL which BOOKOUT lists in CE1986.

In their "D" evidence list, the FBI now shows the BOOKOUT item which is added to the wallet's contents on this report of the 24th.

IMO - HIDELL was planted in to Oswald's "wallet" contents to allow for the connection to the BOGUS Postal Order.  I don't see where we can show an authentic example of  the actual Oswald using "HIDELL" to refer to himself

 

 

David,

Thank you for the above - and especially for all your EF contributions!

You pose an intriguing and outstanding question; where did the "Hidell" SSC I.D. originate from?

IMO, if the "Hidell" was a plant, that would explain a whole bunch  - as you eruditely suggest.

If the "who dunnit?" were to ever become known, would you consider that to be a "near" Rosetta Stone" to solving the JFK assassination?

It would seem that if "Hidell" were to have been a plant - it would've had to have been preplanned, would it not?  Or could such be ginned up so quickly?

Regards,

Ron

[Jean Ceulemans]

I remember reading about the agencies looking for another (or 2nd) stamping kit as there was something wrong (or missing) with the the one they had.  I think it had to do with a different lettertype or something. 

[Greg Doudna]

Has there ever been a conclusive falsification of the suggestion that Oswald starting in March 1963 was engaged in an operation to “test the mail-order system” for firearms related to the Dodd investigation, by showing that a literally non-existent person (“Hidell”) could successfully order a rifle to be shipped to and received by a Communist?

Imagine how sensational that could be coming from Oswald (now outed as an informant all along) in some televised congressional hearing.

In that light the paper trail was intentional because that was the point, to prove the existing system was ripe for misuse and there needed to be stronger gun control regulation. 

I am aware of the argument that that is speculation and unproven, but that is not the question. The question is has that idea been falsified, that is, known excluded as an explanation of the facts. Or reasonably rejected or excluded on grounds of implausibility.

As to why, in the scenario, that did not come out as an Oswald-informant operation to test the mail-order gun sales system, maybe the “sting” was still ongoing in November 1963, not yet ready for Oswald to be outed in his informant role? (One only blows cover once and then it’s over.) 

All that needs to be supposed is after his arrest Oswald on advice remained in persona, pending intervention to save him, not realizing that would not happen for him because he was killed first. 

It is a complicated argument to make and the leading objection would probably be lack of any hard evidence Oswald was an informant or operative for any agency. But if you were an agency doing that gun control sting thing (and entirely innocent of the JFK assassination), and your informant/operative is arrested for having on his own killed the president using your agency’s mail-order firearm he did working for you, that would be 100 percent incentive to deny or conceal Oswald’s role with you if it could possibly be denied successfully (and higherups might assist in and back up that concealment). So that objection seems more ambiguous than decisive, in itself. The question is not if this has positive evidence for it, but whether it is a non-starter on grounds of implausibility or negative evidence. Such a scenario could be compatible with either Oswald’s innocence or guilt in the actual assassination itself. 

[Kevin Balch]

17 minutes ago, Greg Doudna said:

Has there ever been a conclusive falsification of the suggestion that Oswald starting in March 1963 was engaged in an operation to “test the mail-order system” for firearms related to the Dodd investigation, by showing that a literally non-existent person (“Hidell”) could successfully order a rifle to be shipped to and received by a Communist?

Imagine how sensational that could be coming from Oswald (now outed as an informant all along) in some televised congressional hearing.

In that light the paper trail was intentional because that was the point, to prove the existing system was ripe for misuse and there needed to be stronger gun control regulation. 

I am aware of the argument that that is speculation and unproven, but that is not the question. The question is has that idea been falsified, that is, known excluded as an explanation of the facts. Or reasonably rejected or excluded on grounds of implausibility.

As to why, in the scenario, that did not come out as an Oswald-informant operation to test the mail-order gun sales system, maybe the “sting” was still ongoing in November 1963, not yet ready for Oswald to be outed in his informant role? (One only blows cover once and then it’s over.) 

All that needs to be supposed is after his arrest Oswald on advice remained in persona, pending intervention to save him, not realizing that would not happen for him because he was killed first. 

It is a complicated argument to make and the leading objection would probably be lack of any hard evidence Oswald was an informant or operative for any agency. But if you were an agency doing that gun control sting thing (and entirely innocent of the JFK assassination), and your informant/operative is arrested for having on his own killed the president using your agency’s mail-order firearm he did working for you, that would be 100 percent incentive to deny or conceal Oswald’s role with you if it could possibly be denied successfully (and higherups might assist in and back up that concealment). So that objection seems more ambiguous than decisive, in itself. The question is not if this has positive evidence for it, but whether it is a non-starter on grounds of implausibility or negative evidence. Such a scenario could be compatible with either Oswald’s innocence or guilt in the actual assassination itself. 

That would have been under the aegis of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. FOIR away!

Further research shows that the BATF came after the 1968 Gun Control Act. Before that, it was called the Alcohol Tax Unit (of the IRS) but was charged with enforcing federal firearms laws in 1942.

I would think their interest in 1963 would be in prohibited weapons like machine guns.

Edited September 5 by Kevin Balch

[Greg Doudna]

51 minutes ago, Kevin Balch said:

I would think their interest in 1963 would be in prohibited weapons like machine guns.

No need to guess about it. Dodd in his two committees overtly and directly stated interest in (a) too easy access to mail order guns that could be gotten by children and criminals too easily, a public safety issue and need for increased federal regulation/gun control (one of the specific companies under the Dodd committee’s investigation: Kleins of Chicago); (b) foreign dumping on US markets of foreign military surplus small arms, cutting into domestic arms sales’ market share and profits (that was an explicit agenda of Dodd—straight-up protectionist interests on behalf of domestic sellers in the gun sales business); and (c) Commies (big-time interest of Dodd). 

q.e.d. compare “Hidell”/Oswald and what he mail-ordered on March 12 in the name of a person who did not exist. Incidentally I believe he sent the order for the revolver at the same time on March 12 too, not in January even though he dated the revolver order form in January: evidence for that being both weapons were shipped responsive to those respective orders on March 20, which makes little sense if the revolver order actually had been received in January. 

He used the fake Hidell ID to obtain the shipped weapons to Hidell when they arrived in Dallas. And the purpose was not to conceal connection to himself, Oswald, but to establish a connection with paper trail as part of the “sting” against the mail-order weapons sales system Dodd wanted to show had problems and needed federal legislation to correct. (Per the scenario.) 

[Jean Ceulemans]

3 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

No need to guess about it. Dodd in his two committees overtly and directly stated interest in (a) too easy access to mail order guns that could be gotten by children and criminals too easily, a public safety issue and need for increased federal regulation/gun control (one of the specific companies under the Dodd committee’s investigation: Kleins of Chicago); (b) foreign dumping on US markets of foreign military surplus small arms, cutting into domestic arms sales’ market share and profits (that was an explicit agenda of Dodd—straight-up protectionist interests on behalf of domestic sellers in the gun sales business); and (c) Commies (big-time interest of Dodd). 

q.e.d. compare “Hidell”/Oswald and what he mail-ordered on March 12 in the name of a person who did not exist. Incidentally I believe he sent the order for the revolver at the same time on March 12 too, not in January even though he dated the revolver order form in January: evidence for that being both weapons were shipped responsive to those respective orders on March 20, which makes little sense if the revolver order actually had been received in January. 

He used the fake Hidell ID to obtain the shipped weapons to Hidell when they arrived in Dallas. And the purpose was not to conceal connection to himself, Oswald, but to establish a connection with paper trail as part of the “sting” against the mail-order weapons sales system Dodd wanted to show had problems and needed federal legislation to correct. (Per the scenario.) 

Very interesting! Now I don´t know if Texas would be the best State for such a set-up? Unless things were pretty much the same in all States in 1963? To an outsider like me Texas is/was a little like the old Wild West on certain issues.. like guns. I´m probably wrong, so just asking. As the stuff came from Kleins Chicago, the ID would have to be checked in Texas?  

[Martin Nee]

3 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

No need to guess about it. Dodd in his two committees overtly and directly stated interest in (a) too easy access to mail order guns that could be gotten by children and criminals too easily, a public safety issue and need for increased federal regulation/gun control (one of the specific companies under the Dodd committee’s investigation: Kleins of Chicago); (b) foreign dumping on US markets of foreign military surplus small arms, cutting into domestic arms sales’ market share and profits (that was an explicit agenda of Dodd—straight-up protectionist interests on behalf of domestic sellers in the gun sales business); and (c) Commies (big-time interest of Dodd). 

q.e.d. compare “Hidell”/Oswald and what he mail-ordered on March 12 in the name of a person who did not exist. Incidentally I believe he sent the order for the revolver at the same time on March 12 too, not in January even though he dated the revolver order form in January: evidence for that being both weapons were shipped responsive to those respective orders on March 20, which makes little sense if the revolver order actually had been received in January. 

He used the fake Hidell ID to obtain the shipped weapons to Hidell when they arrived in Dallas. And the purpose was not to conceal connection to himself, Oswald, but to establish a connection with paper trail as part of the “sting” against the mail-order weapons sales system Dodd wanted to show had problems and needed federal legislation to correct. (Per the scenario.) 

I’ve always considered this angle fascinating wether Oswald was working with the Dodd Committee  or thought he was working for something like it. Considering the overlap in groups he interacted with and had info on and the ordering of weapons via alias it is interesting. Henry Hurt covered a bit of it and showed similar investigations hired people of much more dubious character and background than Oswald to work with them. 
 

also I remember listening to a podcast about the life of Kerry Thornley which mentioned when he and Oswald were in the Marines Thornley pulled a prank with some others  (possibly with Oswald) where they successfully invented a fake enlisted marine and convinced HQ to assign him a bunk and locker, causing all sorts of bureaucratic problems when the fake marine didn’t appear for muster. I wonder was the creation of a fake individual like Hidell in a similar a vein. Pure speculation but I could imagine a scenario where Oswald is creating an incriminating profile for a non existent Hidell only to have it be used against him personally 

do you have any thoughts on why Oswald only allegedly ordered weapons and not any ammunition?

 

[Martin Nee]

41 minutes ago, Jean Ceulemans said:

Very interesting! Now I don´t know if Texas would be the best State for such a set-up? Unless things were pretty much the same in all States in 1963? To an outsider like me Texas is/was a little like the old Wild West on certain issues.. like guns. I´m probably wrong, so just asking. As the stuff came from Kleins Chicago, the ID would have to be checked in Texas?  

In a similar vein Isn’t there some evidence of a potential sting operation being conducted against gun smuggling/running ops in Texas that may have involved Ruby? 

[Greg Doudna]

12 minutes ago, Martin Nee said:

also I remember listening to a podcast about the life of Kerry Thornley which mentioned when he and Oswald were in the Marines Thornley pulled a prank with some others  (possibly with Oswald) where they successfully invented a fake enlisted marine and convinced HQ to assign him a bunk and locker, causing all sorts of bureaucratic problems when the fake marine didn’t appear for muster. I wonder was the creation of a fake individual like Hidell in a similar a vein. Pure speculation but I could imagine a scenario where Oswald is creating an incriminating profile for a non existent Hidell only to have it be used against him personally 

This is very interesting Martin! I have never heard this Thornley anecdote before. Can you possibly find any documentation or link on it. Yes it sounds exactly like in genre what Oswald may have been doing with “Hidell”, just for different purposes is all. 
 

15 minutes ago, Martin Nee said:

do you have any thoughts on why Oswald only allegedly ordered weapons and not any ammunition?

Since he did not order ammo and the FBI despite trying hard was unable to identify any store Oswald did in-store purchase from in Dallas, it seems to me he was given such ammo as he had or used. But this goes against the common bedrock belief (not founded upon any physical evidence or sound witness testimony) that Oswald worked alone never with accomplices. That’s just my tentative reasoning or conjecture though, no direct confirmation for that. 

[Greg Doudna]

2 hours ago, Jean Ceulemans said:

Very interesting! Now I don´t know if Texas would be the best State for such a set-up? Unless things were pretty much the same in all States in 1963? To an outsider like me Texas is/was a little like the old Wild West on certain issues.. like guns. I´m probably wrong, so just asking. As the stuff came from Kleins Chicago, the ID would have to be checked in Texas?  

Your comment from Belgium reminds me of when I studied and worked in Denmark. Repeatedly people talking to me would say things they admired about America but say they would never move there themselves or raise children there. Why, I asked.

”Because everybody is shooting everybody.” They saw that on TV. They feared they or their children would get shot. This was not just one Dane said this to me, but recurred.

I tried to say what was on TV from Hollywood was a little exaggerated. Sometimes one learns things by seeing how others in the world see you.

On the Hidell ID, as far as I can tell either the private express company for the handgun, or the Dallas Post Office for the rifle, would normally want to see ID before releasing a package over the counter. So Oswald shows them a Hidell ID with his photo, clerk has no idea it’s fake, hands over the package. This is at the receiving end in Texas. There would be no verification of ID at the Kleins end. I don’t think mail order firearms practices would vary much between states.

Edited September 6 by Greg Doudna

[Jean Ceulemans]

2 minutes ago, Greg Doudna said:

Your comment from Belgium reminds me of when I studied and worked in Denmark. Repeatedly people talking to me would say things they admired about America but say they would never move there themselves or raise children there. Why, I asked.

”Because everybody is shooting everybody.” They saw that on TV. They feared they or their children would get shot. This was not just one Dane said this to me, but recurred.

I tried to say what was on TV from Hollywood was a little exaggerated. I tried to say (as a joke) that I had been in small towns in America where whole weeks went by without someone getting shot. They did not seem reassured. 

Sometimes you learn things by seeing how others in the world see you.

On the Hidell ID, as far as I can tell either the private express company for the handgun, or the Dallas Post Office for the rifle, would normally want to see ID before releasing a package over the counter. So Oswald shows them a Hidell ID with his photo, clerk has no idea it’s fake, hands over the package. This is at the receiving end in Texas. There would be no verification of ID at the Kleins end. I don’t think mail order firearms practices would vary much between states.

That is clear, thank you.

[Jean Ceulemans]

Now, what makes Hidell interesting IMO: if LHO created this ID (not entirely effortless...), used it to order the rifle and revolver, used it in connection with the FPCC, etc.

WHY o why would he keep it in his pocket the day he was said to have used that rifle and revolver... 

In my head anything related to Hidell... I would have burned....