Walter Reed Hospital

[Michael Crane]

What I would like to ask the forum is, if there are any members that have any evidence, or a opinion about JFK`s body going to Walter Reed hospital prior to Bethesda?

All opinion`s welcome

[Mark Knight]

I seem to recall having heard or read that, in Washington, the plan was for JFK's body to go to Walter Reed. However, that apparently conflicted with the plans being made in Dallas or on AF1 for the body to go to Bethesda. The story for public consumption was that, since JFK was a Navy man, Bethesda should get the nod.

HOWEVER...IF the body was taken to Walter Reed prior to being taken to Bethesda, it would explain a lot. But I don't know that any evidence exists that this actually occurred, and I've never seen anything in print [that I can recall] that would even hint at this having happened.

Edited November 29, 2005 by Mark Knight

[Ron Ecker]

Dennis David has said that the driver of the black hearse that delivered the shipping casket at the rear of Bethesda Naval Hospital told him that they had come through the back gate from Jones Bridge Road.

I went to Mapquest to locate Walter Reed and Bethesda and try to determine what route one might take between the two.

Walter Reed Army Hospital is at 6900 Georgia Ave., Washington DC. Bethesda Naval Hospital is south or slightly southwest of Walter Reed, at 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD.

Due to the nature of the maps (continually having to click north, south, etc.) and being unfamiliar with the whole area, I could not determine what specific roads or streets one would take from Walter Reed to Bethesda Naval Hospital. (Perhaps someone with better map resources - or better yet someone who could actually drive it! - could pinpoint the likely exact route.) But generally speaking, if one goes due south from Walter Reed, one comes to Jones Bridge Road, where a right turn takes you west to Bethesda Naval Hospital.

Edited November 29, 2005 by Ron Ecker

[Lee Forman]

I seem to recall having heard or read that, in Washington, the plan was for JFK's body to go to Walter Reed. However, that apparently conflicted with the plans being made in Dallas or on AF1 for the body to go to Bethesda. The story for public consumption was that, since JFK was a Navy man, Bethesda should get the nod.

HOWEVER...IF the body was taken to Walter Reed prior to being taken to Bethesda, it would explain a lot. But I don't know that any evidence exists that this actually occurred, and I've never seen anything in print [that I can recall] that would even hint at this having happened.

Hi Mark.

I thought it was once debated [Dr Gerry Greenstone raised it?], that there was some difference in the clamps used to support Kennedy's head in the autopsy photos? I recall having made this gif - right view / left view, specifically to illustrate that issue - not strong on medical aspects, and I really can't recall what the discussion was about.

FWIW.

- lee

[Duke Lane]

Dennis David has said that the driver of the black hearse that delivered the shipping casket at the rear of Bethesda Naval Hospital told him that they had come through the back gate from Jones Bridge Road.

I went to Mapquest to locate Walter Reed and Bethesda and try to determine what route one might take between the two.

Walter Reed Army Hospital is at 6900 Georgia Ave., Washington DC. Bethesda Naval Hospital is south or slightly southwest of Walter Reed, at 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD.

Due to the nature of the maps (continually having to click north, south, etc.) and being unfamiliar with the whole area, I could not determine what specific roads or streets one would take from Walter Reed to Bethesda Naval Hospital. (Perhaps someone with better map resources - or better yet someone who could actually drive it! - could pinpoint the likely exact route.) But generally speaking, if one goes due south from Walter Reed, one comes to Jones Bridge Road, where a right turn takes you west to Bethesda Naval Hospital.

Robin, best I could do, no longer living there. These things aren't perfect, but the point is nevertheless made.

Yahoo maps. Hope the link works!

[Ron Ecker]

Duke,

Thanks for the info. Somehow I got completely disoriented at MapQuest, as I remember scrolling north from Bethesda to find Walter Reed, though I was never able to get both locations on the same map.

In any case, according to the Yahoo map a hearse coming from Walter Reed would wind up on Jones Bridge Road (Jones Mill Road becomes Jones Bridge Road going west) in approaching Bethesda Naval Hospital.

I used Yahoo to try to find Andrews Air Force Base. The closest I found was the town of Camp Springs, MD. As this is southeast of Bethesda, it's possible that a hearse coming directly from Andrews could also approach Bethesda on Jones Bridge Road, though driving directions from Camp Springs as shown on Yahoo go further north than Jones Bridge Road, thus approaching Bethesda more from the north than south.

http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result?newaddr=&t...+MD&tcountry=us

When that hearse driver told Dennis David that he came in on Jones Bridge Road, I wish David had asked him, "Jones Bridge Road from where?"

Ron

Edited December 5, 2005 by Ron Ecker

[Duke Lane]

Duke,

Thanks for the info. Somehow I got completely disoriented at MapQuest, as I remember scrolling north from Bethesda to find Walter Reed, though I was never able to get both locations on the same map.

In any case, according to the Yahoo map a hearse coming from Walter Reed would wind up on Jones Bridge Road (Jones Mill Road becomes Jones Bridge Road going west) in approaching Bethesda Naval Hospital.

I used Yahoo to try to find Andrews Air Force Base. The closest I found was the town of Camp Springs, MD. ...

When that hearse driver told Dennis David that he came in on Jones Bridge Road, I wish David had asked him, "Jones Bridge Road from where?"

Ron

Ron,

Use "Andrews AFB, MD" in the "city,state or zip" field and you'll get it. Then click on the "From Here" link at the upper left of the map picture and enter in either of the two addresses you've got for Walter Reed and Bethesda.

While the maps we looked at gave the entry to Bethesda from whatever US Hwy that was, that hardly means that is the only possible way into the compound. In a place as relatively small as the Dallas VAMC, there are at least five, possibly six entrances from three different streets.