05-02-2014, 04:04 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-02-2014, 06:59 AM by Bob Prudhomme.)
Hi David
The quote you give from Chief Jesse Curry is just a tad off. Here is the excerpt from his WC testimony:
"I heard a sharp report. We were near the railroad yards at this time, and I didn't know--I didn't know exactly where this report came from, whether it was above us or where, but this was followed by two more reports, and at that time I looked in my rear view mirror and I saw some commotion in the President's caravan and realized that probably something was wrong, and it seemed to be speeding up, and about this time a motorcycle officer, I believe it was Officer Chaney rode up beside us and I asked if something happened back there and he said, "Yes," and I said, "Has somebody been shot?" And he said, "I think so." So, I then ordered him to take us to Parkland Hospital which was the nearest hospital, so we took the President's caravan then to Parkland Hospital and they were the President, the Vice President and the Governor--were taken into the hospital and I remained at the hospital for--oh--some hour or so."
This allows more time for the limo stop and for Chaney to pass the limo and catch up to Curry in the lead car. Notice, as well, that Curry ordered Chaney to take "us" to Parkland Hospital and that they took "the President's caravan then to Parkland Hospital". It seems from this testimony that Chaney escorted the lead car and what was left of the motorcade behind it. Many people mistakenly believe Chaney was among the trio of lead motorcycles ahead of the limo but, I do not believe this to be true. Of course, Chaney may have raced ahead of the trio and led them to the hospital but, I have seen no photographic evidence to support this.
As you say, in the Altgens 6 photo, Chaney was not likely as far ahead as I first believed him to be. I did a careful examination of his words in the video and concluded that to "look back" contained several interchangeable meanings in Chaney's vernacular. To "look back", he did not have to look over his shoulder. He could have been "looking back" over his shoulder and then "looked back" at JFK by returning his gaze to the ahead position. However, despite the compression factor of the telephoto lens, I still think Chaney may have been further forward than the front fender of the followup car. As he stated in the interview, he did see JFK shot in the face, and this may have been difficult if he had been back beside the followup car. And where is Jackson? I almost wish some talented member could draw up an overhead view of the whole thing that would line up everyone and everything in that photo with Altgens' perspective.
P.S. Immediately after the passage from Curry's WC testimony I quoted above, I found this little tidbit on Tippit I never noticed before. As we all know, the WC maintained that Tippit was murdered between 1:11 and 1:15.
"At about 1:15 that day--this first incident occurred about 12:30 or so, and about 1:15 I was notified that one of our officers had been shot, and a few minutes later was told that he was dead on arrival at the hospital. At that time we didn't know who shot him."
The quote you give from Chief Jesse Curry is just a tad off. Here is the excerpt from his WC testimony:
"I heard a sharp report. We were near the railroad yards at this time, and I didn't know--I didn't know exactly where this report came from, whether it was above us or where, but this was followed by two more reports, and at that time I looked in my rear view mirror and I saw some commotion in the President's caravan and realized that probably something was wrong, and it seemed to be speeding up, and about this time a motorcycle officer, I believe it was Officer Chaney rode up beside us and I asked if something happened back there and he said, "Yes," and I said, "Has somebody been shot?" And he said, "I think so." So, I then ordered him to take us to Parkland Hospital which was the nearest hospital, so we took the President's caravan then to Parkland Hospital and they were the President, the Vice President and the Governor--were taken into the hospital and I remained at the hospital for--oh--some hour or so."
This allows more time for the limo stop and for Chaney to pass the limo and catch up to Curry in the lead car. Notice, as well, that Curry ordered Chaney to take "us" to Parkland Hospital and that they took "the President's caravan then to Parkland Hospital". It seems from this testimony that Chaney escorted the lead car and what was left of the motorcade behind it. Many people mistakenly believe Chaney was among the trio of lead motorcycles ahead of the limo but, I do not believe this to be true. Of course, Chaney may have raced ahead of the trio and led them to the hospital but, I have seen no photographic evidence to support this.
As you say, in the Altgens 6 photo, Chaney was not likely as far ahead as I first believed him to be. I did a careful examination of his words in the video and concluded that to "look back" contained several interchangeable meanings in Chaney's vernacular. To "look back", he did not have to look over his shoulder. He could have been "looking back" over his shoulder and then "looked back" at JFK by returning his gaze to the ahead position. However, despite the compression factor of the telephoto lens, I still think Chaney may have been further forward than the front fender of the followup car. As he stated in the interview, he did see JFK shot in the face, and this may have been difficult if he had been back beside the followup car. And where is Jackson? I almost wish some talented member could draw up an overhead view of the whole thing that would line up everyone and everything in that photo with Altgens' perspective.
P.S. Immediately after the passage from Curry's WC testimony I quoted above, I found this little tidbit on Tippit I never noticed before. As we all know, the WC maintained that Tippit was murdered between 1:11 and 1:15.
"At about 1:15 that day--this first incident occurred about 12:30 or so, and about 1:15 I was notified that one of our officers had been shot, and a few minutes later was told that he was dead on arrival at the hospital. At that time we didn't know who shot him."
Mr. HILL. 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. Mrs. Kennedy was completely covered with blood. There was so much blood you could not tell if there had been any other wound or not, except for the one large gaping wound in the right rear portion of the head.
Warren Commission testimony of Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, 1964
Warren Commission testimony of Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, 1964