the 1963 Secret Service

[Thomas H. Purvis]

There is not a scintilla of valid evidence to suggest that President Kennedy prevented the Secret Service from providing full protection.

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

scintilla: spark, trace

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The Policy of “No Agents” on the President’s Limousine

Information from Vince Palamara’s “Survivor’s Guilt” 2005

The Evolution of the Myth.

The Warren Commission was curious apparently, along with members

of the media and the public, why there were no agents protecting

the President Kennedy during the Dallas motorcade on 11/22/63. by

being posted on the back of the Limo on either side. Or why no

agents were not walking or running along side of the car.?(1).

Agents had performed these duties since the days of FDR. In

response, and only because they demanded an answer, Secret

Service Chief James J.Rowley had agents , Jerry Behn, Floyd

Boring, Emory Roberts, John Ready, and Clint Hill write their

reports in relation to their experiences with JFK on the matter

of security,(why Roy Kellerman, the agent in charge of the Dallas

trip , and the other Texas agents weren’t asked, is not known.)

Most interesting is that nothing is mentioned specifically by the

WC about 11/22/63..as requested by them. On first glance all five

reports support the notion that the President did not want agents

on or near the rear of the limo. However that is at first glance.

Special Agent In Charge (SAIC) of White House detail (WHD)

Gerald. A “Jerry” Behn, not on the Texas trip, stated

unequivocally in his report 4/16/64 that JFK “told me that he did

not want agents riding on the back of his car.” This came from

the man who was the leader of the WH detail, “the man who was the

direct pipeline to the President, this alleged presidential edit

seems to be an authoritative and conclusive fact.

However, during the course of three separate interviews with

Vince Palamara, Mr.Behn let out a most unexpected bombshell: “I

don’t remember Kennedy ever saying that he didn’t want anybody on

the back of his car”. He went on to further add” that newsreel

footage from that period will bear him out on this point.” One of

many examples being the June 63 trip to Berlin (and many others

from 61 to 63). “I think if you watch the newsreel pictures

you’ll find agents on there from time to time.” Behn said.

Brehn’s reputation was and is impeccable. Agent Maurice

G.Martineau told Palamara on 9/21/93.. “No one that I can think

of would have been better positioned to give you the information

than Jerry Behn…( he was ) as well informed as anyone I can think

of that you could contact”. Behn garnered the utmost respect from

his colleagues that the author spoke with”.

Mr.Behn however ended his report by stating..” As late as Nov.

18(63)… he (JFK) told ASAIC Boring the same thing (or so Boring

claimed). Assistant Special Agent Boring was also not on the

Dallas trip, he had dealt primarily with the 11/18/63 Tampa,

Florida trip in his report ( dated 4/8/64) while also he

mentioned the 7/2/63 Italy trip, alleging that President Kennedy

made this request for both stops. Boring made the Florida trip in

place of Mr.Behn.

That said, in yet another contradiction that caught the author

off guard Boring exclaimed: “No, no that’s not true..(JFK) was a

very easy going guy…he didn’t interfere with our actions at all”,

thus also contradicting his report.

Assistant To the Special Agent in Charge (ATSAIC) Emory P.Roberts

(on the Florida and Texas trips) the commander of the SS follow

up car …the late Mr. Roberts (he died in the 60’s) deals

exclusively with the 11/18/63 Tampa, Florida trip in his report (

dated 4/10/64): Boring was Roberts sole source, via radio

transmission from the limousine ahead of his follow-up vehicle,

for JFK’s alleged request.

Special Agent (SA) John David “Jack” Ready (on the Texas trip)

..Ready’s very brief report (dated 4/11/64) dealt exclusively

with the 11/18/63 Tampa, Florida trip. However, Ready was not on

that specific Florida trip. Boring was, once again, his source

for JFK’s alleged request .Ready would not respond to written

inquiries from the author. The author phoned Mr. Ready on 6/13/05

and asked him if it was true that Boring said this, based on

JFK’s request. After confirming he wasn’t on the Tampa trip,

Ready stated : “Not on the phone (will I answer you ).I don’t

know you from Adam. Can you see my point ?”.

SA Clinton J,”Clint” Hill (on the Texas trip) …Hill also deals

with the 11/18/63 Tampa, Florida trip and Borings second-hand in

his (strangely undated) report: Mr. Hill was not on the Florida

trip either. Mr. Hill’s brother is former agent David B. Grant, a

former advance agent who worked on the planning of the Florida

and Texas trips with none other than Mr.Boring.

So of the five SS reports, four have as their primary source for

JFK’s alleged request Agent Floyd Boring, including one by Boring

himself, while the remaining report, written by Mr.Behn, mentions

the same 11/18/63 trip with Mr. Boring as the others do.Both Behn

and Boring totally contradicted the contents of their reports at

different times, independent of each other, to the author. In

addition, agents DID ride on the rear of the limousine on 7/2/63

and 11/18/63 anyway, despite these alleged Presidential requests,

as the film and photo record proves.(2).Needless to say, with

Boring joining Behn in refuting the substance of their reports ,

the official SS ‘ explanation’ falls like a house of cards.

Brehn’s, Boring’s, and Hill’s reports are not even on any SS or

Treasury Dept. stationary, just blank sheets of paper. Also

Hill’s report is undated, an unusual error to make in any

official government that has been requested by the head of the

Secret Service.

Yet, all are supposed to be evidence of JFK expressing his desire

to keep Secret Service agents off the limousine, particularly in

Tampa, Florida..? Importantly ,no mention is made of any alleged

orders via President’s Staff. And, again, there is nothing about

what JFK said or “requested” on Nov.22/63.The critical day in

question.

Above from page 4-5.

Notes: p.210

(1) Vol.18 WC: p.803-809 “From now on , this designation, the

standard one used in the literature, will be adopted as follows:

However, the hydraulic side steps which swung out were rarely

used because of their narrowness and their potential lethal

capability to unknowing spectators on a motorcade route : “The

Death of a President,” p.36 ( All references to Manchester’s book

are from the 1988 Perennial Library edition) “Presidential

Limousines” video by Rick Boudreau .1996. When Kennedy’s

specially-designed Lincoln Continental limousine was delivered to

the White House in June 61, detachable rear grab handles were

included ( Press statement ,Ford Motor Co. June 61).In early 62

,grab handles were permanently added to the rear of the car. It

should also be noted that President Eisenhower’s limousine (and

even one of the two 56 Cadillac convertible follow up cars) was

also, out of necessity, used from time to time. (2) Regarding

Italy: See also “Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye” by O’Donnell, Kenneth

P., David F .Powers, and Joseph McCarthy, (Boston: Little Brown &

Co. 1972) page 433 (Note: All references to this book are from

the Pocket Book paperback edition published in 73).

The Myth…

Floyd Boring and quite a few of his SS colleagues denied to Vince

Palamara what William Manchester reports in the best seller “The

Death of a President”: “Kennedy grew weary of seeing bodyguards

roosting behind him every time he turned around, and in Tampa

Nov.18/63 just four days before his death, he dryly asked Agent

Floyd Boring to ‘keep those Ivy League charlatans off the back of

the car’ Boring wasn’t offended .There had been no animosity in

the remark”.(3)

But incredibly Boring told Palamara that “I never told him that”.

As for the merit of the quote itself, Boring said “No, no—that’s

not true”. Thus contradicting his own report in the process.

Incredibly, Boring was not even interviewed for Manchester’s

book! We may never know the source for this information as

Manchester told the author on 8/23/93 that “ all the material is

under seal and won’t be released in my lifetime”, and denied the

author access to his notes. Manchester has since passed away. (4)

Interestingly Manchester did interview the late Emory Roberts,

his probable but also very questionable source.(5) As a result

Manchester left his mark on the issue.(6) In Jim Bishop’s “The

Day Kennedy Was Shot”, he simply repeats the written record of

the WC and the previously mentioned five reports all taken at

face value. Mr. Boring was not interviewed for the book. Mr.

Bishop,also now dead, his information rests with him. But he did

sum up the situation the best. “ No one wanted to weigh the

possibilities that, if a Secret Service man had been on the left

rear bumper going down Elm Street, it would have been difficult

to hit President Kennedy” he also noted “The Secret Service men

were not pleased because they were in a “ hot” city and would

have preferred to have two men ride the bumper of the President’s

car with two motorcycle policemen between him ( JFK) and the

crowds on the sidewalks”. Thanks to the SS reports above ( and,

in large part to Agent Boring himself ) three massive best

sellers still in print ..The Warren Report…Manchester’s “The

Death of a President”….and Bishop’s “The Day Kennedy Was

Shot”…have created the myth that JFK was difficult to protect and

had ordered the agents off his car..and like a ,dangerous myth

that endures to this day in classrooms and in the media , thus

doing great damage to the true historical record. The Secret

Service Myth..Blames the Victim.

Clint Hill: “I never personally was requested by President John

F. Kennedy not to ride on the rear of the Presidential

automobile. I did receive information passed verbally from the

administrative offices of the White House Detail of the Secret

Service to Agents assigned to that Detail that President Kennedy

had made such requests.”

“This would have been between Nov. 19/63 and Nov 21/63 “.He could

not recall at the time what specific agent had given him JFK’s

alleged desires….note the dates.

But during his WC testimony, he revealed it on 3/9/64 under oath

to the future Senator Arlen Specter, then a lawyer for the WC.

Specter: “Now had there been any instruction or comment about

your performance of that type of duty (moving to the rear part of

the limo) With respect to anything President Kennedy himself had

said in the period immediately preceding the trip to Texas ?”

Hill” “Yes Sir, there was. The preceding Monday, the President

was on a trip to Tampa. Florida and he requested that agents not

ride on either of those two steps”.

Specter: “ And to whom did the President make that request?”

Hill: “Assistant Special Agent in Charge Boring”.

Boring was also in charge of planning the Texas trip for the

Secret Service..

From p: 6, 7, 8. ***********************************************

Notes p.210

(3) Manchester p.37-38 .He also wrote “It was a good idea, for

example, to have agents perched on the broad trunk of the

Presidential Lincoln when crowds threatened to grow disorderly.

The trouble was they were always there.” (4)Author Walt Brown

mentions Palamara’s controversial contact with Manchester in his

book “Treachery In Dallas”. 95. P.338. (5) Manchester p.667 Of

the 21 agents /officials interviewed by Manchester, only Roberts,

Greer, Kinney and Blaine were on the Florida trip. Blaine was the

advance agent for Tampa,( riding in the lead car), Greer drove

JFK’s car, Kinney drove the follow-up car, and Roberts was the

commander of the follow-up car. Roberts is Palamara’s main

suspect of the four being Manchester’s dubious source for this

quote.: he was asked to write a report about JFK’s so-called

desires, citing Boring as the source for the order via radio

transmission. The others Greer, Kinney and Blaine ..were not

asked to write a similar report. In addition, Manchester had

access to this report while writing his book.

Also unlike the

others, Roberts was interviewed twice and while Greer never went

on record with his feelings about the matter ,one way or the

other, Kinney denied the veracity of Manchester’s information ,

while Blaine denied the substance of the information, although

he DID mention the ‘Ivy League charlatan’ remark coming from a

second source .Finally, of the 21 agents interviewed by

Manchester .Blaine is the only agent ---save two headquarters

Inspectors ( see next note)---whose interview comments are not to

be found in the text or index. In addition two other agents

Lawton & Newman mention the remark as hearsay, it is likely that

Manchester seized upon the remark and greatly exaggerated its

significance ..AND attributed it to Boring, while his actual

source was probably Roberts (and or Blaine). Again since Boring

was not interviewed the comment had to come second hand from some

other agent, who in turn received the remark second hand from

Boring. In the end the question is: Did Boring really give out

these orders on instructions from JFK.? (6) Interestingly

Manchester having interviewed 21 different agents/ officials for

his book (p.600-669), chose to include interviews with SS

Inspectors Burrill Peterson and Jack Warner...What’s the problem?

These men who were not even associated with the Texas trip in any

way, were interviewed more than any other agents, 4 times each

(Peterson 10/9/64..11/7/64..11/18/64..2/5/65. Warner

6/2/64..11/18/64..2/5/65..5/12/65. Only Emory Roberts, Clint

Hill, Roy Kellerman, and Forrest Sorrels had two each. While all

other agents/officials had one.

More importantly, unlike all

other 19 agents, save one Gerald Blaine (a Texas trip WHD agent).

These two Inspectors are not even mentioned in the actual text or

index? Their comments are invisible to the reader. It appears

that Manchester’s book was an officially sanitized book more so

than we thought (as most everyone knows the book was written with

Jackie Kennedy’s approval, it was her idea. Manchester had early

access to the WC itself. Warren appointed him an ex-officio

member of the Commission. He approved an office for him in

Washington’s VFW building. Where the commission met, and where

copies of reports and depositions were made available to him.(p:

XIX) Inspector Peterson was prominent in the post-assassination

press dealings. Sorrels testified “I don’t think at any time you

will see that there is any statement made by the newspapers or

television that we said anything because Mr.Kelley ,the Inspector

,told me “Any information that is given out will have to come

from Inspector Peterson in Washington”.(7H359). Burrill Peterson

became an Assistant Director for Investigations in 1968.(20 Years

in the Secret Service “ by Rufus Youngblood. 1973 p: 220. Jack

Warner went on to become Director of Public Affairs till in the

90s Acting as a buffer to critical press questions during

assassination attempts on President Ford and other related

matters.(The Secret Service :The Hidden History of an Enigmatic

Agency 2003:Phillip Melanson and Peter Stevens: p

101,201,224,237. Jack Warner would also later become a consultant

to the 1993 Clint Eastwood movie “In The Line of Fire” .Which

dramatized the life of Clint Hill.

Hills testimony:

Clinton J.Hill WC Testimony

http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/hill_c.htm

His original report.

http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/sa-hill.htm

B.....

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Biography http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic

My appreciation for having posted this!

It speaks quite clearly for itself as to exactly how much "spark" and how much "trace" there is.

[Ron Ecker]

Known facts:

DPD motorcycles were stripped from JFK's limo by the Secret Service;

A carload of armed detectives that DPD intended to be directly behind the limo was removed by the Secret Service;

A press truck for photographers was removed from in front of the limo by the Secret Service, according to Dillard;

A military officer who usually rides in the middle of the limo's front seat was removed by the Secret Service;

JFK's personal physician who usually rode one or two cars behind the president was sent to the rear;

The limo was slowed to a crawl by SS agent Greer, looking back at JFK although he denied it under oath and despite an order to get going, till a fatal shot was struck;

No action was taken by the Secret Service during the shooting, except for Greer slowing the limo, Kellerman telling him to get going and using the radio, agent Youngblood promptly going to the protection of Lyndon Johnson, and the sprint to the limo by Hill who didn't know any better;

It definitely looks like someone in the Secret Service knew what was up, or what was going down.

Post-assassination: the Secret Service stole the body, and Greer sent JFK's clothes to the White House for storage instead of to the autopsy.

I've probably left some facts out, but the above facts together clearly point to Secret Service complicity in the assassination, except for those who simply don't want to believe it or have an agenda to argue otherwise.

[Charles Black]

Hello Ron

I no doubt am confused about something ! What prevented Fritz and his detectives from proceding directly to the TSBD ? The difference in relative motorcade positions only represents "seconds" of time ?

What prevented them from rushing in, only seconds later, with their rifles and machine guns and apprehending the culprit ?

Was his explanation a reason or "an excuse" ?

Charles Black

[Shanet Clark]

Excellent review, and Ron doesn't mention the windows and

overpasses failing to be assessed in advance..........

the list is so long it looks like an inside job, indicting those in the government

and (unlike the cover up enacted by the Warren Commission and FBI) this

performance by the Secret Service was simultaneous and close in,

contributing

(and not an ambiguous post=assassination failure like the FBI investigation......

it was failure on the day and in place, like Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar

>>>>>>>

[Ron Ecker]

What prevented Fritz and his detectives from proceding directly to the TSBD ? The difference in relative motorcade positions only represents "seconds" of time ?

Good question. I checked Fritz's testimony, and Fritz and two detectives were at the Trade Mart. They went to Parkland Hospital, arriving just as Curry did, and Fritz said that he ought to go to the scene of the crime and Curry told him to go ahead. Fritz arrived at the TSBD at 12:58. The only detectives in the motorade were apparently Senkel and Turner in the pilot car.

I was going by Curry saying that Fritz and his detectives were at the end of the motorcade. Curry apparently didn't know what he was talking about. Here is his testimony:

Mr. CURRY - . . . Captain Fritz told me later, he said, "I believe that had we been there we might possibly have got that man before he got out of that building or we would have maybe had the opportunity of firing at him while he was still firing" because they were equipped, would have been equipped with high-powered rifles and machineguns, submachine guns.

Representative FORD - Where were they instead of being at the motorcade.

Mr. CURRY - Actually they were not in the motorcade at all. They followed up the motorcade.

Representative FORD - Were they in a car following up the motorcade?

Mr. CURRY - Yes, sir; they were in a car.

Representative FORD - How far away would they have been?

Mr. CURRY - I think they would have been at the rear, I believe.

IOW Curry believed that his ace homicide guy and his detectives drove right by and through the crime scene to go to the hospital. Then immediately turned around and went back.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Ron Ecker

[Charles Black]

Hello Ron

Thanks for the explanation.

There was so much apparent confusion among the "players", it is easy to see how damned near everything was ridiculously "bungled" by the great majority of those involved!

Charles Black

[Kathleen Collins]

It's my opinion, but I put the blame of the Assassination right square on the Secret Service, who did nothing to protect the President on Nov. 22, 1963. And I think Clint Hill is just as responsible. A photo exists where he's on the car behind the limo and it looks to me like he's wearing some sort of early generation bullet vest. Could such a thing be impossible?

Kathy

[John Dolva]

It's my opinion, but I put the blame of the Assassination right square on the Secret Service, who did nothing to protect the President on Nov. 22, 1963. And I think Clint Hill is just as responsible. A photo exists where he's on the car behind the limo and it looks to me like he's wearing some sort of early generation bullet vest. Could such a thing be impossible?

Kathy

Interesting you should mention this Kathy. Some time ago we had a loooong topic about hands and shoes. In one of the photo's on the way to Parkland, it looked (to me, but I thought of not mentioning it till some reason came along) like that is what he had under his coat. It's the one where his back is shown and is stretched taught because of his position, ditto a vague outline of a left shoulder holster rig.

[Peter McGuire]

Hello Ron

Thanks for the explanation.

There was so much apparent confusion among the "players", it is easy to see how damned near everything was ridiculously "bungled" by the great majority of those involved!

Charles Black

I have often confused the ACTOR Clint Eastwood and Clint Hill for some reason!

Long before I KNEW what the man did , I had a gut feeling he was putting on a show. Clearly there was guilt, but that was because he knew what he really did. ( Or didn't ) do.

[Bernice Moore]

The following is excerpted from Palamara's section on Clint Hill:

Despite riding on an automobile that was only a scant five feet away from JFK's slow-moving car (less than 12 mph) at the start of the shooting, Hill could only arrive in time to "protect" Mrs. Kennedy, the person to which he was assigned to protect. Mrs. Kennedy thought highly of Hill, regarding him as the brightest agent on the White House Detail and "one of us." In fact, "Hill had not been scheduled to make the Dallas trip, but came only after Mrs. Kennedy made a personal request." Although Hill was the only agent to overtly respond to the shooting of JFK, and in spite of the award he received for this action, the agent had much survivor's guilt. Mike Wallace asked Hill in 1975: "Is there anything that the Secret Service, or Clint Hill, could have done to keep that [the assassination] from happening?" After a long pause, Hill answered: "Clint Hill, yes." Wallace: "’Clint Hill, yes?’ What do you mean?" Hill, speaking somewhat in the third-person, responded: "If he had reacted about, oh, five-tenths of a second faster, maybe a second faster, I wouldn’t be here today." Wallace: "You mean you would have taken the shot?" Hill: "The third shot, yes, sir." Wallace: "And that would have been alright with you?" Hill: "That would have been fine with me." Wallace: "…you surely don’t have any sense of guilt about that?" Hill: "Yes, I certainly do. I have a great deal of guilt. It was my fault…if I had reacted just a little bit quicker, I could have, I guess…[sigh]…and I’ll live with that to my grave." Hill added: "[The doctors said] I have a severe neurological problem…they recommended psychiatric help…they trace it all back to 1963."

The year 1993 saw a renaissance for Agent Hill---as previously mentioned, the movie "In The Line of Fire" ( starring Clint Eastwood ) was released, which was a somewhat veiled ‘tribute’ to Hill (and, in the movie, he gets to redeem himself for his failings on 11/22/63). In addition, Clint Hill did an "update" of sorts for the 25th anniversary special for "60 Minutes" during November 1993. Like his appearance on the 1995 documentary "Inside The Secret Service," Hill mentioned that he struggled with guilt for almost 30 years. It was here that Hill picked up the story, the same one he revealed in November 1993 to "60 Minutes": he and his wife went to Dealey Plaza in 1990 (straight from a nearby annual Secret Service reunion, according to Agent Sam Kinney). He walked it for about 2 hours, studying every angle and every possibility. Hill let everything run through his mind. He then came to the conclusion that he did the best that he could, and that he didn't have a chance. Well, regardless of Hill’s newfound feelings on the matter, the real question is: what about agent John Ready’s actions, responsibilities, and feelings? He was unnamed---he was the one responsible for JFK, NOT Hill, assigned to Jackie. The song remains the same.

Many people have empathy for Hill, including many of his colleagues. Agent Lawson wrote to the author: "The thing I am confident of is that, although there were no more shots, Clint saved Mrs. Kennedy’s life by vaulting up on the back of the car using the steps and hand holds and keeping her from falling off. I’m still amazed at how quickly he got up there, didn’t fall and get run over by the heavy Cadillac follow-up car and, more amazingly, how he managed to hang on during that frantic high speed race to Parkland Hospital." However, through photo analysis of the Zapruder film and the Altgen's photo, the author has discovered that Agent Hill was looking directly at JFK upon the moment of the first shot: his guilt is well-founded, for he let several crucial seconds (at least five) go by before belatedly coming to the President's "aid". As author James Hepburn wrote: "Clint Hill, who was later decorated, was the first to move, and it took him 7 or 8 seconds to react. In eight seconds, the average sprinter can cover 80 yards." In addition, photo analysis reveals that Hill did not even push Mrs. Kennedy back into the limousine—she crawled back into the backseat on her own. Also, like Agent Ready, Hill was involved in the drinking incident the night before.

However, in Hill’s defense, at least he tried to do something, Roberts and Boring notwithstanding, and on more than one occasion: 1) his four brief appearances on the back of JFK’s limousine, on Jackie’s side, albeit well before the motorcade reached Dealey Plaza and 2) his attempt to help Jackie and, by extension, JFK, by running to the limousine on Elm Street. Also, Hill later wrote shortly after the assassination: "As I lay over the top of the back seat I noticed a portion of the President's head on the right rear side was missing and he was bleeding profusely. Part of his brain was gone. I saw a part of his skull with hair on it lying in the seat…[during the autopsy] I observed a wound about six inches down from the neckline on the back just to the right of the spinal column. I observed another wound on the right rear portion of the skull." In addition, Hill later testified to the Warren Commission’s Arlen Specter on 3/9/64: "The right rear portion of his head was missing. It was lying in the rear seat of the car. His brain was exposed. There was blood and bits of brain all over the entire rear portion of the car…one large gaping wound in the right rear portion of the head…[later, during the autopsy] I saw an opening in the back, about 6 inches below the neckline to the right-hand side of the spinal column." From Hill’s description of the wounds, it would appear that a shot from the front killed JFK (entrance wounds make small holes while exit wounds make larger holes) AND that a wound too low to come from Oswald’s rifle hit the president in the back, not the neck.

That said, Hill later said on national television: "There were only 3 shots---one gun, 3 shots." Interviewer: "Are you satisfied that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone?" Hill: "Completely."

Hill’s White House Communications Agency (WHCA) code name was Dazzle.

**********************

Agents who believed in Conspiracy.......

http://www.geocities.com/zzzmail/palarma.htm

B.......

Edited June 23, 2007 by Bernice Moore

[Charles Black]

Hello Kathleen

Please do not take the following as being confrontational, but I deeply question the "meaning" of your statement, that you place the JFK assassination blame "squarely" on the Secret Service.

You cannot believe that the Secret Service, as an agency, had even a hand in the planning of this !

As an agency, why would it matter to the Secret Service "WHO" was the President ?

The actions of a couple of the more "senior" agents I will agree are questionable.......the performance of the detail, almost to the man, was deplorable...

But this, IMO, is far from placing the assassination "squarely" on the Secret Service.

In the order of the qualifications of and "payscale" of SS agents.....they are not to be considered as "the top of the heap" !

Charles Black

[Michael Hogan]

But the back story, if you will, of Custer's demise defies simplistic telling.

One of the more recent books on the subject:

The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History

by Joseph M Marshall III

From Booklist:

Marshall, raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and author of several books on Lakota culture, here analyzes the legendary Battle of the Little Bighorn by placing it in the broader context of Lakota history, telling the "real story" passed on by ancestors who were present on that June day in 1876. Varying from the "white military version" of the battle, which traditionally attributes U.S. casualties to troop miscommunications and underestimation of the number of Lakota lodges in the valley, Marshall's account illuminates overlooked factors inherent in Lakota tradition. First is the valuing of leadership, which produced a steady supply of well-seasoned leaders, not limited to Crazy Horse, and which continues today. Second, Lakota men were trained from birth to function as warriors, hunters, and protectors. Simply put, Marshall maintains that the Lakota warriors encountered by the U.S. cavalry were "better trained and more highly skilled" than the soldiers they faced. Marshall offers a thoughtful and enlightening alternative look at this iconic chapter in American history

http://www.amazon.com/Day-World-Ended-Litt...4664&sr=1-1

[Charles Drago]

Michael,

The "victor's" perspective on the LBH has been minimized -- almost criminally so -- from day one.

A notable exception to the racist rule: Dr. Thomas Bailey Marquis, who practiced medicine in Montana, also was the USG's physician on the Tongue River-Cheyenne Indian reservation. He ended up forsaking his medical career and devoted his life to interviewing and writing about the Lakot and other native peoples.

Two important Marquis contributions to the Custer story: Wooden Leg: A Warrior Who Fought Custer, and Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself.

The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn is a worthy contribution to the literature. Thanks for your interest.

Charles

[Charles Black]

Charles D. & all interested

There is another excellent work "Archeology, History and Custer's Last Battle" by Richard Allan

Fox, Jr (U. of Oklahoma Press, 1993).

It is an archaeological study based on the location of retrieved bullets and shell casings and the placement of where the bodies of the troopers, who were with Custer, fell; which also took into account most of the recorded Indian accounts of the battle.

It almost inarguably supports the LaKota reports of the battle which is not at all similar to what most have been taught. Custers troops were highly disorganized and conducted themselves poorly. The La Kota warriors seemed to have been both better trained, better armed (many with repeating rifles), and used better battlefield tactics. There is an indication that the U.S. Cavalry expended but little of their ammunition, and many of them may have comitted "suicide" as was reported by many of the victors.

It was a poorly led cavalry attack which was undertaken, much in keeping with Custer's previous battle tactics. It was a "too hasty" and poorly planned attack which was conducted without the benefit of any useful reconaissance, which led to panic among many of the green and inadequately trained U.S. troops, who were outnumbered by better equipped, better trained and much more highly motivated natives.

My long study of Custer has led me to personally believe, that this officer, who received a record number of demerits as a West Point Cadet, and who had been previously court martialled and suspended from duty without pay, was an arrogant and undisciplined lout......who with combined factors of being in the right place at the right time, a willingness for his troops to suffer an inordinate number of casualties, and a great deal of LUCK (which should never be discounted), actually "stumbled" into rapid Army promotion in rank during the U.S. War Between the States.

I feel that the La Kota on this day in June, 1776, were blessed that the U.S. forces were so inadequately commanded, by an officer who divided his already grossly inferior numbers, into three evem weaker batallions, and had "No Battle Plan" of which "even one officer under his command" was aware.

What is even more amazing to me is that reconaissance had always been the "primary purpose" of the cavalry. His (Custer's) unique and personal method, was always to lead a lightly armed group of cavalry as if they were "shock troops". A history of blind charges into the unknown. In my personal opinion, with which some will disagree, Lt. Col. Custer was a brave and arrogant self seeker who lucked into early glory, and was lucky to have not had both himself and his command decimated a decade and a half earlier.

"Custer's Last Stand" would be more appropriately referred to as "Custer's Last Mistake" !

Charles Black

[Charles Drago]

Charles B.,

Seriously, thanks for the reference. I own Fox's books and they are indeed important and revealing.

As for your analysis of Custer and LBH -- Well, let's just say that once again I find absolutely nothing with which I can agree with you.

So it goes.

Charles D.