David Lifton's `Best Evidence'

[Charles Black]

When this book was published, and every day since, I have not been able to get the alteration premise out of my mind. I, as I suppose most of you, have been confounded by the "when and how" this could have occured. Tho I am unable to piece it together, my mind continues to wander back to something that I found confusing even on 11/22/63. Have any of you thought that the delayed take off of AF 1, so that LBJ could be sworn in, was a delaying tactic that may have had something to do with body and coffin transfer?

It astounds me that if LBJ truly thought that the assassination may have been a prelude to an Soviet nuclear attack, that he would not have been airborne post haste. The swearing in ceremony during dire circumstances was certainly not constitutionally required. Proof that he was alive and competent to perform his duties was, at this time, all that was absolutely neccessary. This process seemed to me, even then, to be surreal and somewhat absurd. Charlie Black

[Ron Ecker]

I agree that the evidence for body alteration is compelling (e.g. the shipping casket, the difference in the head condition at Bethesda, etc.). I've concluded in my own mind that the body transfer had to take place at Love Field. I've gone over the Parkland part of that day, including all the statements of nurses and other hospital personnel relative to the body and who was with it, and there is simply no way that the transfer could have occurred at Parkland.

I believe that Lifton identified a brief period of time, during the swearing-in, when there was no one with the casket on AF1. I'm not sure he is right, I think at least McHugh stayed with the casket during that time. And that, of course, would make McHugh a party to the transfer. Whoever was party to it, or simply witnessed it, could have been told that transferring the body was for some national security purpose, not for taking the body away for mutilation.

Ron

[Antti Hynonen]

Ron Ecker Posted Yesterday, 02:07 PM

  I agree that the evidence for body alteration is compelling (e.g. the shipping casket, the difference in the head condition at Bethesda, etc.). I've concluded in my own mind that the body transfer had to take place at Love Field. I've gone over the Parkland part of that day, including all the statements of nurses and other hospital personnel relative to the body and who was with it, and there is simply no way that the transfer could have occurred at Parkland.

I believe that Lifton identified a brief period of time, during the swearing-in, when there was no one with the casket on AF1. I'm not sure he is right, I think at least McHugh stayed with the casket during that time. And that, of course, would make McHugh a party to the transfer. Whoever was party to it, or simply witnessed it, could have been told that transferring the body was for some national security purpose, not for taking the body away for mutilation.

Ron

Yes, I agree with what Ron says. Another alternative is the that the body alteration took place while the transport to Bethesda was supposedly taking place. I e-mailed with Dennis David not too long ago, hoping he would join the forum as an active member, unfortunately he has not had the time to join us here. He would be another valuable eye-witness to some of the events surrounding the autopsy.

Disturbingly, the reasoning of "national security" seems to qualify as an all purpose excuse when in lack of a better one. I think I'll start using that myself.