Have you read the Vanity Fair article? It seems possible. He didn't read any books about it, nor followed any discussions or debates. I don't know.
I think it's possible he was so traumatized by it that he just put it aside for many years. He didn't want to revisit any of it. Some of the other SS agents there that day did the same. It's how people, especially men, coped with stress in that era. He left the Secret Service several months later and pursued a different career.
I appreciate your view of it, but it still makes no sense to me.
He was riding in the car behind the president. I feel certain he was interviewed multiple times by the Warren Commission and others, but it never occurred to him to tell them about the bullet he found on the car seat?
I have no problem at all with him writing a book and having questions and thinking that there was more than one shooter. But the bullet thing, I just can’t go with that.
Just my thoughts.
Clint Hill remained close to her for quite a while after the assassination. He's the one who climbed over the trunk of the limo to push her back into the car. Clint wrote a book some years ago about the years of PTSD he suffered afterwards. He felt guilty that he didn't do more to protect the president.
He had a new book out last year
They all suffered quite a bit, but especially Hill, Kellerman and, now we know, Landis. JMO, Hill suffered the worst.
Richard, at your link above of the Zapruder film, I can hear 4 shots. This new information may explain part of that. IIRC, though, the gun Oswald used was a bolt action rifle. He had to draw back the bolt after each shot. Almost impossible to do that quickly.
Yes, terrorism impacted those who were in Dallas, and those who loved JFK, that fateful day. Experiencing an incredibly painful and traumatizing watershed moment with the Kennedy's must live near to their thoughts forever.
A way to cope must be found, as Agent Hill attested as there is no way to know how one's heart and mind might respond. Mr. Powers was able to oversee the Library which kept him amazingly busy. John Jr. possessed many gifts like his parents but, sadly, he lacked the gift of years, as Sen Kennedy once said. I am thrilled that our US Ambassador to Australia is President Kennedy's favorite daughter, Caroline.
Thank you for the special video. I'm glad I came back to view it as there were more photos of CH's private collection of Jackie never seen and I thought I'd seen them all! I adored Clint's delightful Pony Macaroni story.
Yes, terrorism impacted those who were in Dallas, and those who loved JFK, that fateful day. Experiencing an incredibly painful and traumatizing watershed moment with the Kennedy's must live near to their thoughts forever.
A way to cope must be found, as Agent Hill attested as there is no way to know how one's heart and mind might respond. Mr. Powers was able to oversee the Library which kept him amazingly busy. John Jr. possessed many gifts like his parents but, sadly, he lacked the gift of years, as Sen Kennedy once said. I am thrilled that our US Ambassador to Australia is President Kennedy's favorite daughter, Caroline.
Thank you for the special video. I'm glad I came back to view it as there were more photos of CH's private collection of Jackie never seen and I thought I'd seen them all! I adored Clint's delightful Pony Macaroni story.
I read a couple of books about the assassination back in the 80's. The authors were frustrated because none of Kennedy's close friends, aides or Secret Service officers that day would speak about the tragic event. Without exception, all of them turned inward and spoke no more about it. Not to their wives, families, co-workers, etc. Its no wonder it took a long time for some of these details to be revealed.
It does seem odd, though, that some of the agents weren't debriefed.
I read a couple of books about the assassination back in the 80's. The authors were frustrated because none of Kennedy's close friends, aides or Secret Service officers that day would speak about the tragic event. Without exception, all of them turned inward and spoke no more about it. Not to their wives, families, co-workers, etc. Its no wonder it took a long time for some of these details to be revealed.
It does seem odd, though, that some of the agents weren't debriefed.
I believe that all of the Secret Service Agents in that detail WERE debriefed and required to submit written reports (to the head of the Secret Service) within a day or two after the event. However, not all of them were brought before the Warren Commission in later months to testify.
The Warren Commission Report itself (which was published in book form) contains a few references to those interviews, and the accompanying volumes of supporting documents contain much more, including the Secret Service detail members' statements.
But it is odd, indeed, that the Commission failed to interview or even ignored the testimony of so many others - especially anyone who held contradictory or opposing views to what was the already decided conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one and only assassin.
I recommend to anyone interested in the assassination to obtain and read a copy of the Warren Report. You will probably see some holes in their investigation and the bias put into questionable evidence.
An example of this is seen in this particular story regarding the bullet that Landis claims to have found in the Limousine and placed on the President's gurney. There is testimony from a Parkland Hospital employee that it came from a gurney that was NOT Connally's and YET the Warren Commission chose to believe that it DID come from Connally's gurney and thus must have come from his body after inflicting 7 wounds - thus their "Single Bullet Theory" which brought on so much opposition and criticism.
This is only my own opinion, but had Agent Landis been interviewed by - and had he told his story to the Warren Commission, most of their conclusions might have been the same in the end, but it would have required different analysis and interpretation of the available evidence to reach those conclusions.
I appreciate your view of it, but it still makes no sense to me.
He was riding in the car behind the president. I feel certain he was interviewed multiple times by the Warren Commission and others, but it never occurred to him to tell them about the bullet he found on the car seat?
I have no problem at all with him writing a book and having questions and thinking that there was more than one shooter. But the bullet thing, I just can’t go with that.
Just my thoughts.
That was the interesting part - he wasn't interviewed by the Warren Commission, nor the FBI. He left the Secret Service several months after the assassination.
At the time of the assassination, the time spent at Parkland Hospital, etc. the SS and everyone else in US government was focused on a possible attack from US enemies. The only focus at Parkland was getting the POTUS and everyone else out of there immediately. They were securing Air Force One, protecting VP Johnson and the First Lady. They were also engaged in a big argument with the doctors at Parkland who were insisting that the president's body in Texas for an autopsy. It almost came to a physical altercation in the hallway outside the ER exam room. It was near chaos and hysteria. There was no time to ask questions of a junior SS agent about what he saw. JMO, its also possible the agent who grabbed the bullet off the gurney made a mistake about which one it was.
As we know from following cold cases here at WS, in the old days criminal investigations could be surprisingly haphazard at times. Perhaps they assumed he didn't see anything important? Who knows? He was a fairly young guy at the time and didn't question his superiors.
So far, no one involved in the investigation has refuted his allegations that he wasn't interviewed.
At just 25, Joe Goldstrich, MD, was the youngest member of the Kennedy treatment team
www.medpagetoday.com
A recent interview with one of the doctors who helped treat JFK that day. He didn't discuss it for years, either. He describes the chaos and confusion pretty well.
The Presidential Limousine at Parkland Memorial Hospital, 22 November 1963. When it arrived, the top/roof was in the car's trunk and the vehicle was open, like a convertible with its top down. While the President was in the Emergency Room, Secret Service Agents washed out the interior to remove blood and other matter, and placed the top on the car before driving it to the airport to be flown back to Washington DC.
The car was, in effect, a crime scene which should have been preserved and carefully searched for bullet fragments and other possible pieces of evidence. As evidence in a murder under the jurisdiction of the City of Dallas and State of Texas, it probably should have remained in Texas, but like the President's body, it was taken by the Secret Service.
Bullet fragments were found inside the vehicle, but were not photographed in place, and there was conflicting testimony as to where they were found. Besides the fully intact bullet that Agent Landis now claims to have found in the channel or groove behind the rear seat and the car's exterior in which the top is fitted, a bullet struck the upper frame of the windshield near the rear view mirror, causing the windshield to crack.
This windshield frame strike was made by a bullet passing through the passenger compartment of the car from back to front, indicating a shot from behind the vehicle. Of significance is that this same crack can be seen in the famous Altgens photo taken after Kennedy has been shot in the back and before the fatal head shot.
These photos show the indentation in the frame near the rearview mirror and the crack in the windshield which occurred during the shooting. The crack (circled in red) can be seen in the photo of Agent Hill climbing onto the Limousine seconds after the shooting.
Click on the images to enlarge for a better view.
In December 1963, President Johnson ordered that the Limousine be completely renovated and returned to service, although he never rode in it after the assassination.
Getty Images. Find high resolution royalty-free images, editorial stock photos, vector art, video footage clips and stock music licensing at the richest image search photo library online.
I am hoping members can help me here. I am about to model both the Kennedy car and the Queen Mary. For both cars I need the following images for reference in accurately building the cars:- i. An image looking at the car sideways. I need it be as close to sideways as is possible. ii. An image look...
At just 25, Joe Goldstrich, MD, was the youngest member of the Kennedy treatment team
www.medpagetoday.com
A recent interview with one of the doctors who helped treat JFK that day. He didn't discuss it for years, either. He describes the chaos and confusion pretty well.
An interesting account from three years ago. The comments which follow it have some interesting bits as well, but some of those reply comments contain completely incorrect and inaccurate information. It is easy to see how so many people then and now are confused about what happened that day in November 1963.
There are several books mentioned in the comments. One of them is a book titled "Mortal Error" by Bonar Menninger and Howard Donahue. Because of the book's main theme/conclusion - that one of the shots may have been fired accidentally by a Secret Service agent in the Follow Up car - it was loudly denounced by the Secret Service and other critics. But it is perhaps the best book written to carefully and scientifically analyze all the ballistic evidence relating to the case.
This discussion is very interesting. I am intrigued by it. My husband believes that he was assassinated by the mob because he turned his back on them once elected. He used their influence and the walked away. Not only turned his back but Bobby went after then full force.
There are many different theories regarding the assassination of President Kennedy. Some of them with more merit than others, but many based more on speculation than on evidence.
The Warren Commission did an investigation into the murder and came up with the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one and only killer who planned the entire assassination on his own with no help or co-conspirators. They did cite much evidence in their conclusions, but they also had to do some speculation when interpreting that evidence.
Some evidence, however has been classified as top secret and has still not been released by the National Archives, years after the Congressional deadline for them to release it. Of course, this contributes to public distrust and bolsters alternate explanations.
Some believe that Oswald did it all on his own, while others feel that he was part of a conspiracy involving others. Some feel that he was simply a patsy or scapegoat and that others were responsible.
Here is a video which alleges that he was completely innocent:
Here is a video by NBC shown on Monday morning, 25 November 1963 narrated by Hugh Downes. It preceded the start of President Kennedy's funeral.
Included at the beginning of the program was coverage (and actual footage) of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald which had taken place the day before, Sunday 24 November 1963.
This was the first time an actual murder was seen live on all the national TV networks, at a time when the whole world was glued to TV sets to get the latest information about the assassination.
This November, it will be 60 years since the assassination of President John F Kennedy. A significant anniversary usually provides a chance to remember and reflect on past events – but, in the case of JFK's death, interest has never really faltered. Almost immediately after those gunshots rang out on a sunny autumn day in Dallas, speculation over Kennedy's death began, and it hasn't stopped since...
Thousands of books, documentaries, podcasts, TV shows and Hollywood movies have been dedicated to the events of 22 November 1963, and the shockwaves it sent around the world. And yet, the more information that emerges, the more the doubt over what really happened grows. No other event has spawned as many conspiracy theories...
With new revelations calling into question the theory of the "lone gunman", Clare Thorp explores how JFK's assassination continues to live on in popular culture.
Here is a video by NBC shown on Monday morning, 25 November 1963 narrated by Hugh Downes. It preceded the start of President Kennedy's funeral.
Included at the beginning of the program was coverage (and actual footage) of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald which had taken place the day before, Sunday 24 November 1963.
This was the first time an actual murder was seen live on all the national TV networks, at a time when the whole world was glued to TV sets to get the latest information about the assassination.
I remember watching this live on tv. It's shocking even today.
School was called off that day because of the ongoing funeral ceremonies for JFK. My mom was doing the laundry downstairs, watching a portable tv. She came running upstairs yelling like crazy and we all ran to the closest tv to watch this.
Everyone was glued to their tv from morning to night in the days after the assassination. It was wall to wall coverage most of the time. Looking back, it was a surreal experience. The only thing that came close to it was 9-11.
Regarding the investigation, I think Oswald did it and acted alone. However, there were many red flags and mistakes made that could have prevented it. Part of the secrecy probably resulted from the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, etc. trying to give the least damaging account of the events. Congress, the State Dept and the Pentagon were deeply concerned about national security at the time, too.
I remember watching this live on tv. It's shocking even today.
School was called off that day because of the ongoing funeral ceremonies for JFK. My mom was doing the laundry downstairs, watching a portable tv. She came running upstairs yelling like crazy and we all ran to the closest tv to watch this.
Everyone was glued to their tv from morning to night in the days after the assassination. It was wall to wall coverage most of the time. Looking back, it was a surreal experience. The only thing that came close to it was 9-11.
Regarding the investigation, I think Oswald did it and acted alone. However, there were many red flags and mistakes made that could have prevented it. Part of the secrecy probably resulted from the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, etc. trying to give the least damaging account of the events. Congress, the State Dept and the Pentagon were deeply concerned about national security at the time, too.
I think anyone who was living at the time remembers exactly where they were when they heard of the assassination. And almost everyone watched their television for updates and coverage.
Officially, it is a closed case and not a cold one - given that the Warren Commission "solved it" with their months long investigation, and their extensive report (with volumes of supporting documents and interviews).
BUT... It is perhaps the most argued about crime of the 20th century even today. Ten years ago, polls indicated that about 70 percent of Americans believed that the assassination was the work of more than just one shooter. Each person had his reasons for thinking that, but probably the main reason was government secrecy combined with a lowered level of trust in the government organizations involved.
The FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, conducted a quick investigation and handed their findings over to the Warren Commission before they even met for the first time. The FBI already concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one and only assassin and that Jack Ruby was also simply a lone nut who murdered Oswald. The FBI didn't bother to mention that Oswald was a paid FBI informant at the time and that he had an FBI handler. Some red flags from the start.
I recommend that anyone interested in this case obtain a copy of the Warren Commission Report. It is in book form and readily available on line. There is tons of information in it, and knowing what the Warren Commission looked into, and and how they arrived at their conclusions is vital to understanding and evaluating the many books, articles and theories that have come out since.
Reading through that Report, I have noticed a bias toward their conclusion that it was all the work of Oswald. Since Oswald was dead, they did not have to proceed along the line of a prosecuting attorney, but rather as an over all open investigation. And yet, they spent an enormous amount of time and energy in re-enactments and tests which they hoped would prove that Oswald COULD have done this or that to accomplish the shooting all on his own, and then make his escape.
The whole "Single Bullet Theory" was a convoluted explanation designed to prove that Oswald was the lone shooter. To accept it, one has to believe that he completely missed on his first shot (one that he had all the time in the world to do). And then the next bullet hits not one but two men making seven wounds and emerging mostly intact. Then the third shot completely fragments on impact, completely destroying the President's head. And all that inside 6 seconds with a crude bolt action carbine.
Testimony from various witnesses that was questionable or might have cast doubt was either ignored or "cherry picked" to support their preconceived ideas. For example, witnesses who heard four shots, were disregarded because only 3 shell casings were found in the "sniper's nest" on the 6th floor. The conclusion that the witness must have heard wrong was chosen over the possibility that there might have been another shooter.
Many witnesses (even some of the Secret Service men in the protection detail) stated that they heard only two shots. Some said that there was a "firecracker sound" followed by two shots. The driver of the Presidential Limousine, Bill Greer stated that many bullets were flying through the vehicle at the time. Even trained body guards at the scene could not agree on some basic factors. Of course, in time they all learned what the company line had to be.
It was indeed a terrifying and confusing event for everyone that day. Although in the end, the Warren Commission decided that Lee Harvey Oswald did it alone, they never came up with a clear motive or reason for it.
I think anyone who was living at the time remembers exactly where they were when they heard of the assassination. And almost everyone watched their television for updates and coverage.
Officially, it is a closed case and not a cold one - given that the Warren Commission "solved it" with their months long investigation, and their extensive report (with volumes of supporting documents and interviews).
BUT... It is perhaps the most argued about crime of the 20th century even today. Ten years ago, polls indicated that about 70 percent of Americans believed that the assassination was the work of more than just one shooter. Each person had his reasons for thinking that, but probably the main reason was government secrecy combined with a lowered level of trust in the government organizations involved.
The FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, conducted a quick investigation and handed their findings over to the Warren Commission before they even met for the first time. The FBI already concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one and only assassin and that Jack Ruby was also simply a lone nut who murdered Oswald. The FBI didn't bother to mention that Oswald was a paid FBI informant at the time and that he had an FBI handler. Some red flags from the start.
I recommend that anyone interested in this case obtain a copy of the Warren Commission Report. It is in book form and readily available on line. There is tons of information in it, and knowing what the Warren Commission looked into, and and how they arrived at their conclusions is vital to understanding and evaluating the many books, articles and theories that have come out since.
Reading through that Report, I have noticed a bias toward their conclusion that it was all the work of Oswald. Since Oswald was dead, they did not have to proceed along the line of a prosecuting attorney, but rather as an over all open investigation. And yet, they spent an enormous amount of time and energy in re-enactments and tests which they hoped would prove that Oswald COULD have done this or that to accomplish the shooting all on his own, and then make his escape.
The whole "Single Bullet Theory" was a convoluted explanation designed to prove that Oswald was the lone shooter. To accept it, one has to believe that he completely missed on his first shot (one that he had all the time in the world to do). And then the next bullet hits not one but two men making seven wounds and emerging mostly intact. Then the third shot completely fragments on impact, completely destroying the President's head. And all that inside 6 seconds with a crude bolt action carbine.
Testimony from various witnesses that was questionable or might have cast doubt was either ignored or "cherry picked" to support their preconceived ideas. For example, witnesses who heard four shots, were disregarded because only 3 shell casings were found in the "sniper's nest" on the 6th floor. The conclusion that the witness must have heard wrong was chosen over the possibility that there might have been another shooter.
Many witnesses (even some of the Secret Service men in the protection detail) stated that they heard only two shots. Some said that there was a "firecracker sound" followed by two shots. The driver of the Presidential Limousine, Bill Greer stated that many bullets were flying through the vehicle at the time. Even trained body guards at the scene could not agree on some basic factors. Of course, in time they all learned what the company line had to be.
It was indeed a terrifying and confusing event for everyone that day. Although in the end, the Warren Commission decided that Lee Harvey Oswald did it alone, they never came up with a clear motive or reason for it.
Excellent analysis, as always. I also read the book in which the author proposed that the fatal shot was accidental, coming from the gun of Secret Service agent in the follow up car. I believed that theory for a long time. The questions remain. All the puzzle pieces never quite seem to fit in the"Oswald only" puzzle.
I might go back and review the Congressional review that arrived at a slightly different conclusion. I've also read the book "Brothers" about both JFK and RFK. In that book, the author discovered that RFK's first conclusion, upon learning of his brother's death, was that the CIA was involved. He called them immediately and asked what they were up to. He thought it was some ill-conceived scheme of theirs that had gone awry. I'm still reading "Mary's Mosaic" about Mary Pinchot Myers, friend of JFK and ex-wife of Cord Myer, a CIA official. Mary was mysteriously shot and killed while walking on the towpath in Georgetown while taking her lunch break. The book contains a great deal of information about the puzzling activities of many in the CIA after JFK's death and, later, Mary's.
... I'm still reading "Mary's Mosaic" about Mary Pinchot Myers, friend of JFK and ex-wife of Cord Myer, a CIA official. Mary was mysteriously shot and killed while walking on the towpath in Georgetown while taking her lunch break. The book contains a great deal of information about the puzzling activities of many in the CIA after JFK's death and, later, Mary's.
I am a bit behind on my Smithsonian magazine issues, so I finally came across this article in the December 2008 issue. I thought that this was a very interesting read. One of several reasons I *heart* Smithsonian magazine. :clap: I didn't see this case listed on this site and to be honest had...
The recent revelation by former Secret Service Agent Paul Landis - indicating that he found an intact bullet behind the rear seat of the Presidential Limousine when it was parked at Parkland Memorial Hospital - might or might not have an impact on the overall conclusion of the Warren Commission regarding bullets fired from the 6.5 Mannlicher Carcano rifle found in the Texas School Book Depository.
It was the Commission's conclusion that there were a total of 3 bullets fired and that ALL of those came from the rifle belonging to Lee Harvey Oswald.
However ... it does require some reconsideration and questions.
The bullet found by Landis might or might not have been the one later notated as CE399. How could he possibly state that it was CE399 for certain? Two possibilities exist here.
First: If it WAS CE399 that he found, then it would likely have been the first bullet fired, which entered (and then fell out of) President Kennedy's back, meaning that a second bullet caused the wounds to Connally and subsequently went missing.
Second: If it was not CE399, but rather another similar bullet, then perhaps CE399 was the one which struck Connally, and the one Landis found and placed on a gurney went missing.
Regardless of which possibility is true, the chain of custody for that piece of evidence is questionable.
Even if one now theorizes (as some did back in 1963-64) that the First Bullet struck Kennedy in the back, the Second Bullet hit Connally, and the Third Bullet struck Kennedy again, any theory would also need to address other possible bullet strikes:
- The bullet wound to Kennedy's throat (believed by some doctors at Parkland to be an entrance wound).
- A bullet strike to the upper inside frame of the Limousine's windshield. (Maybe from the third (head) shot?)
- A bullet strike to curbing ahead of the Limousine which ricocheted and struck bystander James Tague.
- A possible entrance bullet hole in the lower center of the Limousine's windshield.
- A possible street or sidewalk bullet strike alongside the Limousine at the start of the shooting.
Only two bullets were reportedly found that day. Besides CE 399 (the so called Magic Bullet), three small fragments from another bullet were found inside the Limousine - near Nelly Connally's jump seat, according to a Secret Service rough drawing. The intact bullet and the fragments were traced forensically to the Oswald rifle.
Italian 6.5 mm Mannlicher Carcano rifle
CE 567 - bullet fragments found in the Kennedy Limousine.
CE 569 rear of a bullet jacket found in Limousine, linked to the Oswald Rifle
CE 843 - bullet fragments removed from President Kennedy's head during autopsy. These pieces of lead could not be definitely connected to the Oswald rifle.
While three shell casings - fired from (and forensically linked to) the Oswald rifle - were found near the 6th floor "sniper" window, some people question whether they were all fired that day, or if one might possibly have been fired previously and only ejected from the rifle prior to the first shot. One of the shells (CE 38) had damage to its mouth which some say was not typical of a recently fired bullet and that it may have been used as a practice shell or simply used as a safety measure to prevent closing the bolt on a live round.
All I've read from Landis is that he wasn't sure about the bullet. His guess was that it might have hit JFK in the back and fell out. A lot of reporters have added their own spin about it being a 4th bullet and various other theories, but Landis didn't seem to speculate much on that.
Here is a list of Warren Commission Exhibits (evidence they considered) used to arrive at their conclusions. You might note that most of it pertains to Lee Harvey Oswald. Crime scene photos of the Limousine taken after the shooting are black and white and are low resolution. Some of them show the car with the top attached.
Photos of comparison of shell casings fire from the rifle are interesting, but no explanation is included an many other photos of bullets or casings are "not available" when you click on their number.
Former Secret Service Agent Paul Landis has stated that he placed a bullet on President Kennedy's hospital gurney in Emergency Room Number 1 when the President was being treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital. This was a bullet which he found in the back seat of the Kennedy Limousine (where Kennedy had been sitting).
The Warren Commission decided that a bullet (CE 399) was believed to have been found on a gurney on which Governor Connally had been transported from the Limousine to Emergency Room Number 2, and from there to the Operating Room. This became a key piece of evidence and was central to the Warren Commission's "Single Bullet Theory".
The problem was that there was some doubt on which gurney (Kennedy's or Connally's) the bullet was found.
Landis states that he did not tell anyone about his placing the bullet on Kennedy's gurney until now. However, there was an Emergency Room Nurse named Diana Hamilton Bowron who was present at Parkland Memorial Hospital on 22 November 1963, who was involved in the whole evolution from placing the President on the gurney, assisting Dr. Carrico in all procedures, and who assisted in taking Kennedy's body from the gurney and placing him in the casket. She then was involved in the cleanup of Emergency Room Number 1 - including removing of sheets from the gurney and moving it to Emergency Room 2, which by that time was empty.
Nurse Bowron was questioned at length by Attorney Arlen Specter for the Warren Commission on 24 March 1964. The full transcript of her testimony is linked below, but here is a portion of it. Note the leading questions from Specter to her regarding whether or not she saw anything on the gurney. It would appear that he was fishing for information about the bullet, although he does not specifically say so.
Quote:
... Mr. SPECTER - Now, did you personally participate in removing President Kennedy's body from the stretcher?
Miss BOWRON - No, sir---I didn't touch him. We held him with the sheet.
Mr. SPECTER - Were you present when his body was removed from the stretcher?
Miss BOWRON - Yes; I was.
Mr. SPECTER - And did you observe the stretcher from which his body was removed to be the same stretcher that he had been brought into trauma room No. 1
Miss BOWRON - Yes.
Mr. SPECTER - That's the stretcher you took out there for him?
Miss BOWRON - Yes.
Mr. SPECTER - And what sheets were present on the stretcher or in the adjacent area used in the care of President Kennedy?
Miss BOWRON - The sheets that had already been on the stretcher when we took it out with the President on. When we came back after all the work had been done on him---so that Mrs. Kennedy could have a look before he was, you know, really moved into the coffin. We wrapped some extra sheets around his head so it wouldn't look so bad and there were some sheets on the floor so that nobody would step in the blood. Those were put down during all the work that was going on so the doctors wouldn't slip.
Mr. SPECTER - What was done with all of the sheets on the stretcher and on floor area there?
Miss BOWRON - They were all gathered up and put into a linen scape.
Mr. SPECTER - Did you gather them up yourself?
Miss BOWRON - Yes.
Mr. SPECTER - All of them?
Miss BOWRON - Yes; with the help of Miss Henchliffe.
Mr. SPECTER - And did the two of you put them in the linen hamper?
Miss BOWRON - Yes; I put them in the linen hamper myself.
Mr. SPECTER - What was done with the stretcher then?
Miss BOWRON - The stretcher was then wheeled across into trauma room No.2 which was empty.
Mr. SPECTER - Was there anything on the stretcher at all when it was wheeled into trauma room No. 2?
Miss BOWRON - Not that we noticed, except the rubber mattress that was left on it.
Mr. SPECTER - Would you have noticed anything had anything been on that stretcher?
Miss BOWRON - Yes; I think so.
Mr. SPECTER - And where was the stretcher when you last saw it?
Miss BOWRON - Being wheeled across into trauma room 2...
Unquote.
Nurse Bowron's full testimony is interesting as well, but the above portion seems to be directly connected to what was to become the Single Bullet Theory, formulated by Arlen Specter.
Nurse Bowron does not state that she saw a bullet at any time in the Emergency Room. She does state at the end of her testimony, that she had placed Kennedy's wrist watch in her pocket when it was removed during attempts to put in an I.V. She remembered it as his casket was being moved from the Emergency Room and states that she handed it over to a Secret Service Agent named Wright.
It would seem that since no bullet was found or taken into evidence from Emergency Room Number 1, perhaps it was gathered up with the sheets and placed in the Laundry hamper, or accidently picked up with trash and placed in a trash can, or possibly pocketed by someone. It might have been picked up by someone who later placed it on a gurney thought to have been Connally's.
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