Dan Rather Description of Z Film Corroborated by Eyewitness

[Bob Prudhomme]

Below is a link to a Youtube film showing newsman Dan Rather describing his viewing of the Zapruder film on 25/11/63.
[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuHdK-4M1Wc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuHdK-4M1Wc
[/URL]
His descriptions vary greatly from what is actually seen in the version of the Z film we see today. I had put this down to Mr. Rather misremembering (OMG! Misremembering? I just used a classic LN verb) what he had seen but, after reading some eyewitness testimony today, I believe he was describing exactly what he saw.

At about 1:34 in this film, Mr. Rather describes Gov. John Connally turning in his seat, and extending his right hand towards JFK. Of course, no such thing can be seen in today's version of the Z film. However, read this excerpt from the WC testimony of eyewitness S.M. Holland, a railroad worker who saw the assassination unfold from atop the Triple Underpass.

"Mr. HOLLAND - And the motorcade was coming down in this fashion, and the President was waving to the people on this side [indicating].
Mr. STERN - That is the north side of Elm Street?
Mr. HOLLAND - Yes; On the north side.
Mr. STERN - All right.
Mr. HOLLAND - And she was looking in this direction [indicating].
Mr. STERN - "She," is Mrs. Kennedy?
Mr. HOLLAND - His wife. And about that time---
Mr. STERN - Was looking in a southern direction?
Mr. HOLLAND - In the southern direction.
Mr. STERN - South side of Elm Street?
Mr. HOLLAND - And about that time he went over like that [indicating], and put his hand up, and she was still looking off, as well as I could tell.
Mr. STERN - Now, when you say, "he went like that," you leaned forward and raised your right hand?
Mr. HOLLAND - Pulled forward and hand just stood like that momentarily.
Mr. STERN - With his right hand?
Mr. HOLLAND - His right hand; and that was the first report that I heard.
Mr. STERN - What did it sound like?
Mr. HOLLAND - Well, it was pretty loud, and naturally, underneath this underpass here it would be a little louder, the concussion from underneath it, it was a pretty loud report, and the car traveled a few yards, and Governor Connally turned in this fashion, like that [indicating] with his hand out, and another report.
Mr. STERN - With his right hand out?
Mr. HOLLAND - Turning to his right.
Mr. STERN - To his right?
Mr. HOLLAND - And another report rang out and he slumped down in his seat, and about that time Mrs. Kennedy was looking at these girls over here [indicating]. The girls standing---now one of them was taking a picture, and the other one was just standing there, and she turned around facing the President and Governor Connally. In other words, she realized what was happening, I guess.
Now, I mean, that was apparently that---she turned back around, and by the time she could get turned around he was hit again along in---I'd say along in here [indicating].
Mr. STERN - How do you know that? Did you observe that?
Mr. HOLLAND - I observed it. It knocked him completely down on the floor. Over, just slumped completely over. That second---
Mr. STERN - Did you hear a third report?
Mr. HOLLAND - I heard a third report and I counted four shots and about the same time all this was happening, and in this group of trees--[indicating].
Mr. STERN - Now, you are indicating trees on the north side of Elm Street?"

So, Dan rather was not the only one to see Connally extend his hand out. Is this more proof of alteration of the Z film?

[Bob Prudhomme]

I just saw that Mr. Holland corroborated another thing Dan Rather claimed to have seen. While we see JFK going back and to his left, Mr. Holland describes seeing JFK in this way, "I observed it. It knocked him completely down on the floor. Over, just slumped completely over." As the floor could only be ahead of the seat, Holland is NOT describing JFK going back and to the left.

Dan Rather's description of the JFK head shot, "His head could be seen to move violently forward."

[Dawn Meredith]

Dan Rather built his entire career lying abut the JFK assassination. I had hoped when he got fired for telling the truth about W- (albeit forged documents)- he would see the light of day and tell the truth. But I realize this will never happen. He did a four part documentary in 1976 where in he postulated that perhaps Jackie pulled JFK backward. Lie on top of lie.

Dawn

[Bob Prudhomme]

Dan Rather built his entire career lying abut the JFK assassination. I had hoped when he got fired for telling the truth about W- (albeit forged documents)- he would see the light of day and tell the truth. But I realize this will never happen. He did a four part documentary in 1976 where in he postulated that perhaps Jackie pulled JFK backward. Lie on top of lie.

Dawn

Dawn

What reason would Dan Rather have to lie about whether or not Connally had his arm extended toward JFK?

[Drew Phipps]

You might theorize that the powers that be did not expect the Zapruder film to be made public, ever, in its entirety. The Zapruder stills that were released, of course, don't match with Rather's description either.

[Drew Phipps]

Let's pretend for a minute that Rather's televised description of what he saw on the original Zapruder film was accurate. At what point in the sequence would he have observed Connally reach back? It must be BEFORE Connally himself is struck and begins to react to his own wounds. Clearly, however, Connally did NOT make such a gesture before disappearing behind the highway sign. Also there isn't enough time for Connally to make such a gesture between his appearance out from behind the sign and the point in which he begins to react to being shot himself.


The only part of the Zapruder film in which a "reach-back" is possible is the portion of the film where Connally is obscured by the highway sign. So, IF Rather isn't lying, either the Zapruder film has been altered (to obscure the moments which incidentally prove Connally got a separate bullet), or Rather was shown a different film and told it was the Zapruder film.


If the film was altered, for the purpose of obscuring separate bullets for Connally and JFK, the time frame for that to occur would be between the date someone told the Warren Commission about the Altgens photograph/article concerning Tague and the curb-bullet mark, and the date that Connally himself came to view the Zapruder film in connection with the Warren Commission. (as I recall, it was the FBI's original conclusion 12/9/63 that separate bullets were used to wound first JFK then Connally)

[Bob Prudhomme]

Amazing stuff, eh? It just keeps getting better and better as I dig into it.