My JFK Assassination Obsession, Pt. 1

One of the first things that anyone should know about me is that I'm totally obsessed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It all started when I read an article in Penthouse magazine circa 1974, by George O'Toole, entitled "Lee Harvey Oswald Was Innocent." Yes, I was one of those who actually read the articles. I'd always believed there was more to the assassination than simply a lone nut, but once I started examining the case in depth, I couldn't stop. One assassination book after another fell in my path, as I hungrily gobbled up all that minutiae like a heroin addict. In due course, I became an expert on the issue, and never hesitated to ramble on incessantly about the subject to family, friends and co-workers.

I was a teenaged volunteer for prominent Warren Report critic (and author of one of the seminal works on the assassination, Rush To Judgment) Mark Lane's lobbying group The Citizens Committee of Inquiry. I was in his Washington, D.C. office, when then popular young comedian Freddie Prinze called from Hollywood and reiterated to Lane his strong desire to hold a telethon in order to raise funds for a new investigation. If I hadn't been there that day, I'd have never connected Prinze to the assassination, or been suspicious when he allegedly killed himself a few months later. When a t.v. movie about Prinze's final days subsequently aired, without a single mention of the Kennedy assassination, I knew better.

The sad fact is that the crime of the twentieth century was never investigated. Not at the time, by any of the authorities who were tasked with that responsibility. Not by any mainstream media outlet, then or now. Not by the House Assassinations Committee, when groups like the one I was affiliated with finally prodded a very reluctant Congress to reopen the case. If it hadn't been for courageous private citizens like Lane, Harold Weisberg, Vincent Salandria, Mary Ferrell, Sylvia Meagher, David Lifton, Penn Jones, Shirley Martin and many others, along with a willingness, at least at that time, on the part of large publishers to publish their research, there would be a lot less of us still crying out in the wildnerness all these years later. We can also thank director Oliver Stone, whose film JFK brought down the wrath of the establishment upon him.

If you look at film and photographs taken immediately after the shooting, you will notice one constant; virtually all attention, from spectators and police alike, centered upon the infamous Grassy Knoll area, and not the Texas School Book Depository building, where Lee Harvey Oswald had supposedly been firing from the sixth floor window. As the early critics pointed out, the majority of witnesses would testify that shots came from the knoll/railroad tracks area, and not the TSBD. There were two extremely curious witnesses front and center in Dealey Plaza, close to the limousine at the time shots were fired. The first, known as The Umbrella Man, had an open umbrella on a sunny day and appeared to pump it up and down as the motorcade passed him. The other became dubbed The Babushka Lady, so called because of the Russian style scarf on her head. She can be seen filming the assassination, on the other side of Elm Street from Abraham Zapruder, in his film and others taken that day. Her vantage point offered an unparalleled view of the knoll, pickett fence and railroad tracks. Believe it or not, the authorities "investigating" this crime never identified either person. In fact, they never looked for them. They only became publicly known a few years later, when the first critical books about the case started appearing in print. No honest investigation would ignore such witnesses; they were two of the closest to the limousine at the time JFK was shot. One of them was filming at extremely close range.

Most people have heard about the "magic bullet" theory, which was dreamed up by Warren Commission lawyer Arlen Specter, now a U.S. Senator but then a young assistant counsel. This bullet supposedly caused seven wounds in JFK and Texas Governor John Connally, who was seated in front of him in the limousine. I've held the bullet in my hands, at the National Archives many years ago, and it is in almost perfect condition. There is no discernable damage to this bullet that supposedly shattered a human wrist, during its fanciful flight. The holes in JFK's coat and shirt are both located approximately 5-6 inches below the shoulder, which matches exactly the location noted by Admiral George Burkley (JFK's personal physician, who was also not called as a witness during the Warren Commission "investigation") on the president's death certificate as well as the spot marked on the original autopsy face sheet. Remember, the official story is that this bullet was fired from a sixth floor window behind the limousine, entered JFK's neck and exited from his throat. Obviously, a ten year old child can look at this evidence for a few moments and see that no bullet from above could enter 5-6 inches down on a person's back, hit nothing, yet exit from his throat. In recent years, lone assassin theorists like Gerald Posner and Vincent Bugliosi have promoted a "bunched up coat" theory to explain the holes in JFK's clothing. Needless to say, Kennedy was an immaculated dressed man, with expensive suits tailored to his frame. His coat would not have ever ridden up 5-6 inches on his back, and his shirt is not likely to have ridden up the same distance, to the extent that they matched up exactly. This theory is just as ridiculous as the "magic" bullet one. There also has to be a new absurd theory devised to explain why Admiral Burkley, on the death certificate, and Dr. Boswell, on the autopsy face sheet, noted the back wound in the precise area where the bullet holes in JFK's clothing are. The evidence is overwhelming that the back wound was too low for either of these impossible theories to work.

More to come in future blogs....

Why I Still Love Greg Norman

Greg Norman used to be my favorite golfer. He was on the verge of superstardom when I read a few stories about him, circa 1985, and first learned what a truly nice guy he was. The rest is history.

I've always had the unfortunate power to jinx players and teams. Once I learned about Norman's incredibly polite and accomodating nature, it was all over. What put me over the top was the fact he was the first (and to date only) pro golfer to reach down for his ball in the cup without leaning on his putter, because he didn't want to leave an indentation that might effect his fellow golfers. Thus, he joined Ben Crenshaw, the Detroit Lions, the George Allen-era Los Angeles Rams, the Washington Senators and the Chicago Cubs in my pantheon of snakebitten favorites. I apologize for that. He coulda been a contender....

Greg Norman is in the news again. He's publicly called on the PGA to institute a pay cut for its players. The full story can be read here: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443720&publicationSubCategoryId=200

While it would have no impact on those who are suffering through these tough economic times, I think it's a beautiful, refreshing gesture. That's just what I'd expect from "The Shark."

Okay, Here We Go!

I'm brand new to this, so hopefully I'll be a quick learner.

To introduce myself, my name is Donald Jeffries. I've been writing most of my life, but didn't achieve the dream of being published until 2007, at the age of 50. My first novel, a sci-fi/fantasy blend called "The Unreals," has done unexpectedly well. It's now in hundreds of public and college libraries all over the world. Australia has been particularly receptive in this regard. Thanks, Mates! Barnes & Noble has been wonderful; they approved my book for stock in their stores, and it's now in about half of them nationwide. I've also had several successful book signings at local northern Virginia Barnes & Noble stores. My next book signing will be at the Fairfax, Va. Barnes & Noble, on Saturday, April 25, from 12-4 PM. I'll be providing updates about that signing in the future. As for Borders- arghhh. But you can get "The Unreals" from them online, as well as through Amazon and countless other internet sources.

In addition to updates on my present and future book projects, I'll probably use this blog to rant about various political and social topics, as is my wont. If you've read "The Unreals," you may find them somewhat familiar. Hopefully they'll at least be entertaining.

If you have any thoughts or questions about "The Unreals," please don't hesitate to contact me at donjeffries@mris.com. I always love to hear from you.