Lee Harvey Oswald’s Clipboard

Lee Harvey Oswald's Clipboard

Under date March 18, 1964, the FBI Laboratory furnished the following information concerning a document examination requested by the Dallas Office on March 11, 1964:

Specimens received March 12, 1964

Q499   One paper clipboard, 9 1/2 by 11 1/2 (Dallas exhibit DL-44)

Results of examination:

The handwriting on Q499 is too limited for an adequate handwriting comparison with the known writings of LEE HARVEY OSWALD, K4 and K5

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/jfkinfo3/exhibits/ce506.jpg

…on December 2, 1963, when an employee Frank Kaiser, found a clipboard hidden by book cartons in the northeast corner of the sixth floor at the west wall a few feet from where the rifle had been found. 242. This clipboard had been made by Kaiser and had his name on it. 243. Kaiser identified it as the clipboard which Oswald had appropriated from him when Oswald came to work at the Depository. 244. Three invoices on this clipboard, each dated November 22, were for Scott-Foresman books, located on the first and sixth floors. 245. Oswald had not filled any of the three orders. 246

http://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0084a.htm

TESTIMONY OF FRANKIE KAISER beginning at 6H341…

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/kaiser.htm

The testimony of Frankie Kaiser was taken at 2:30 p.m., on April 8, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Joseph A. Ball, assistant counsel of the President’s Commission.
Mr. BALL. Will you hold up your right hand and be sworn, please?
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give before the Commission shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. KAISER. I do.
Mr. BALL. Will you give me your name, please?
Mr. KAISER. Frankie Kaiser.
Mr. BALL. What is your address?
Mr. KAISER. 5230 West Ledbetter in Duncanville.
Mr. BALL. What is your occupation?
Mr. KAISER. Warehouse workman at the Texas School Book Depository.
Mr. BALL. How long have you worked for that company?
Mr. KAISER. Oh, just about 2 years.
Mr. BALL. What time do you go to work down there?
Mr. KAISER. Eight o’clock in the morning.
Mr. BALL What date did you go to work for them?
Mr. KAISER. It was August 24, 1962.
Mr. BALL. Where did you go to school?
Mr. KAISER. Texas—Texarkana, Ark.
Mr. BALL. Were you born there?
Mr. KAISER. No, sir; I was born in Omaha, Nebr.
Mr. BALL. And then you went to school in Texarkana, did you?
Mr. KAISER. Right.
Mr. BALL. And what did you do after you got out of school?
Mr. KAISER. I never finished.
Mr. BALL. How far did you go?
Mr. KAISER. I went to the tenth grade and quit and went in the service and went in for 6 months in the National Guards and come out and then came to Dallas and started to work and I worked for Morrises.
Mr. BALL. You worked for whom?
Mr. KAISER. Morris Warehouse.
Mr. BALL. Then what did you do after that?

341

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Mr. KAISER. I worked there for about 3 years and then I started to work over there.
Mr. BALL. You started to work over at the Texas School Book Depository?
Mr. KAISER. Yes–then I got married.
Mr. BALL. You did–what kind of work do you do at the Texas School Book Depository?
Mr. KAISER. Drive a truck–fill orders–just about anything that needs to be done.
Mr. BALL. Did you ever know a fellow by the name of Lee Oswald that worked there?
Mr. KAISER. Not personally–I would know him when I would see him.
Mr. BALL. Did you work in the same building with him?
Mr. KAISER. Same building.
Mr. BALL. Where were you when the President’s parade went by?
Mr. KAISER. At the Baylor Dental College.
Mr. BALL. Where?
Mr. KAISER. At the Baylor Dental College.
Mr. BALL. Sir, you weren’t anywhere near the School Book Depository?
Mr. KAISER. No, sir; I was off Thursday and Friday with abscessed tooth. I was sitting in the chair and when I got off, we was out in the lobby watching it on TV down at the dental college there.
Mr. BALL. When did you go back to work?
Mr. KAISER. It was the following Monday.
Mr. BALL. That would be the 25th, wouldn’t it?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir; I believe so–the 25th.
Mr. BALL. Now, one day you found a clipboard, didn’t you?
Mr. KAISER. Yes; it was about a week later. I went upstairs, you see, the corner I found it in–we keep a certain teacher’s edition of Catholic handbooks.
Mr. BALL. I didn’t quite hear that–Catholic what?
Mr. KAISER. We keep our teacher’s edition of Catholic “Think and Do” books.
Mr. BALL. I didn’t quite hear that–Catholic what?
Mr. KAISER. We keep our teacher’s edition of Catholic books–separated.
Mr. BALL. You do?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir; and I went up there to get a teacher’s edition.
Mr. BALL. On what floor?
Mr. KAISER. On the sixth floor.
Mr. BALL. Now, what part of the sixth floor is this Catholic edition located?
Mr. KAISER. It was in that corner.
Mr. BALL. And in what corner is that?
Mr. KAISER. Let’s see—
Mr. BALL. Without saying north or south, was it near the elevator? Or the stairway?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, it was right in front of the elevator.
Mr. BALL. Where was it with reference to the stairway?
Mr. KAISER.. It was right next to the stairway–right in the corner.
Mr. BALL. Right in the corner next to the stairway, is that right?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Now, what day did you find it, do you remember?
Mr. KAISER. I couldn’t tell you. It was about a week or a week and a half, somewhere in there.
Mr. BALL. Now, this statement you gave to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the 2d of December 1963, says you talked to an agent named Pinkston; do you remember that?
Mr. KAISER. Well, I got my boss and the FBI to go upstairs and I showed it to them.
Mr BALL. When you saw the clipboard—
Mr. KAISER. I went downstairs and got my boss.
Mr. BALL. What is his name?
Mr. KAISER. William H. Shelley.
Mr. BALL. And then what happened?342

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Mr. KAISER. This FBI was standing there with me–he was standing there then and I told him I had a clipboard laying up there with the orders.
Mr. BALL. Do you think it would have been around December 2?
Mr. KAISER. I couldn’t tell you, sir.
Mr. BALL. It was within a week after you went back to work, was it?
Mr. KAISER. To my best knowledge yes, sir—somewhere in there.
Mr. BALL. How did you happen to find the clipboard?
Mr. KAISER. I was over there looking for the Catholic edition–teacher’s edition.
Mr. BALL. Where did you see the clipboard?
Mr. KAISER. It was Just laying there in the plain open–and just the plain open boxes-you see, we’ve got a pretty good space back there and I just noticed it laying over there.
Mr. BALL. Laying. on the floor?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, it was laying on the floor.
Mr. BALL. It was on the floor?
Mr. KAISER. It was on the floor.
Mr. BALL. How close was it to the wall?
Mr. KAISER. It was about—oh–I would say, just guessing, about 5 or 6 inches, something like that.
Mr. BALL. From the wall and on the floor?
Mr. KAISER. Laying on the floor.
Mr. BALL. And were there any boxes between the wall and the clipboard?
Mr. KAISER. No, not between the wall and the clipboard–there wasn’t.
Mr. BALL. Were there boxes between the stairway and the clipboard?
Mr. KAISER. No, you see, here’s—let me see just a second—here’s the stairs right here, and we went down this way and here’s the stairs this way going up and here’s the and it was laying fight in here by the cards–there are about four or five cards, I guess, running in front of it–just laying between the part you go down and the part you go up.
Mr. BALL. You mean laying between the stairway up and the stairway down?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, right there in the corner.
Mr. BALL. Did you examine that clipboard?
Mr. KAISER. I didn’t .touch it.
Mr. BALL. Did you later touch it?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir; they got me to look at it later on.
Mr. BALL. Did you see it had some orders on it?
Mr. KAISER. Yes.
Mr. BALL. And were the orders dated?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What were they dated?
Mr. KAISER. I couldn’t tell you, sir.
Mr. BALL. Take a look at this statement which you gave to Mr. Pinkston that day and read it to yourself and see if it refreshes your memory in any way?
Mr. KAISER. (Read statement referred to.)
Mr. BALL. Did you read that?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Does that refresh your memory now as to the orders on the clip-board?
Mr. KAISER. I didn’t know the date on the orders–I knew that there was some orders on there–I seen the orders on the clipboard.
Mr. BALL. Did you examine them to determine the date on them ?
Mr. KAISER. Did I examine those orders? No, sir.
Mr. BALL. You didn’t examine the orders?
Mr. KAISER. No, sir; I just went down and got my boss and then they took it down.
Mr. BALL. Did you make any notes of the orders?
Mr. KAISER. I didn’t, sir.
Mr. BALL. Of either the names on the orders or the date of the orders?
Mr. KAISER. No, sir; now, my boss may have.
Mr. BALL. I think that’s all. Did you fill the orders, then, yourself?
Mr. KAISER. No, sir; not them, I didn’t.343
731-222 O–64–vol.VI—23

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Mr. BALL. You turned these over to your boss?
Mr. KAISER. You see, I went down and got them and they went down and got them and they handled them.
Mr. BALL. That’s all, Mr. Kaiser, and thanks very much for coming up. This will be written up and you can come down and read it over and sign it if you wish, or you can waive your signature, if you want to, and we can send it on without a signature.
Now, we will mark these pictures we’ve been talking about here in your deposition as Kaiser Exhibits Nos. A. B, C.
(Marked by reporter as Kaiser Exhibits Nos. A, B, C, for identification.)
Mr. KAISER. Anything else I can do, let me know.
Mr. BALL. Do you want to waive your signature to it?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, I’ll waive it.
Mr. BALL. Fine. That’s okay.
Mr. KAISER. All right.
TESTIMONY OF FRANKIE KAISER RESUMED
The testimony of Frankie Kaiser was taken at 3:40 p.m, on April 8, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, TEA., by Mr. Joseph A. Ball, assistant counsel of the President’s Commission.
Mr. BALL. Frankie, we have already taken your deposition and I just wanted to ask you a few more questions and you are still under oath.
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Now, Frankie, that clipboard you found describe it–what was it?
Mr. KAISER. It was made out of paper and tape and a little piece of pasteboard.
Mr. BALL. Who made it?
Mr. KAISER. I did.
Mr. BALL. When?
Mr. KAISER. Well, right after I started there it had been a long time ago.
Mr. BALL. And how was it you weren’t using it on this day?
Mr. KAISER. You see, when he first started there
Mr. BALL. Who is “he”?
Mr. KAISER. Lee—when he first started to work there he got my clipboard and started using it.
Mr. BALL. Did you give it to him to use?
Mr. KAISER. No, he just picked it up and started using it and I just went and made me another one.
Mr. BALL. You recognized that clipboard when you saw it?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, because my name was all over it.
Mr. BALL. Your name was on it, too?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. You put your name “Frankie Kaiser” on it?
Mr. KAISER. You see, it don’t do no good to get a clipboard around here everybody is always running off with it.
Mr. BALL. That’s the reason you put your name on it?
Mr. KAISER. He come up and got it and started using it and I just let him keep it and made me another one.
Mr. BALL. Now, here is a picture which is marked in a group of pictures as No. 36, but which I will mark as Exhibit A to your deposition.
(Instrument marked by the reporter as Kaiser Exhibit A, for identification.)
Mr. BALL. Does this show the place where the clipboard was found, or do you know?
Mr. KAISER. It wasn’t found there–it was found on the floor.
Mr. BALL. Where on the floor?
Mr. KAISER. Behind these cartons–between there and the wall.
Mr. BALL. Behind which cartons?
Mr. KAISER. Right in here (indicating).344

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Mr. BALL. Which cartons–it was found behind–are the cartons in the picture–it wasn’t found where it is circled there?
Mr. KAISER. It wasn’t found where it circled–there–it was found on the floor.
Mr. BALL. Put a big “X” on the carton behind which it was found.
Mr. KAISER. I’ll put it on this one—it was found between that and the wall. (Witness placed “X” on the pictures requested by Counsel Ball.)
Mr. BALL. You have marked an “X” on the carton–between that carton and the wall the clipboard was found.
Mr. KAISER. Yes, between these row of cartons right over there.
Mr. BALL. Now, did you later find clothing?
Mr. KAISER. I just found the coat there—I didn’t even know it was his until somebody told me it was. I thought they were kidding.
Mr. BALL. This is Commission Exhibit 163–do you recognize that blue jacket?
Mr. KAISER. That’s the one I found.
Mr. BALL. Where did you find it–tell me first.
Mr. KAISER. It was in the window sill.
Mr. BALL. In what room?
Mr. KAISER. In the domino room.
Mr. BALL. Now, I show you a picture, No. 17, this is marked—does this show the window?
Mr. KAISER. Right down in here.
Mr. BALL. There is a Jacket showing in that window, is that where the jacket was found?
Mr. KAISER. Yes, sir; but it was laying behind this in the window.
Mr. BALL. It wasn’t found in the position of the jacket shown in the picture?
Mr. KAISER. No; it sure wasn’t.
Mr. BALL. But was it the same window?
Mr. KAISER. Yes.
Mr. BALL. And the window sill is shown there too?
Mr. KAISER. Yes; it is.
Mr. BALL. I show you a picture which is marked Exhibit 18, does this show the place where the jacket was found?
Mr. KAISER. Right over in here.
Mr. BALL. Where–put an “X” there—it’s in the window sill?
Mr. KAISER. Right.
(Marked diagram with an “X”. )
Mr. BALL. There is an Exhibit 17, which shows the corner of the domino room and the window and it is marked as Exhibit B and the picture marked No. 18, which shows the window sill, bearing an “X” placed there by the witness, and is marked as Exhibit “C”. Will you initial that “C” please?
Mr. KAISER. ( Initialed instrument as requested. )
Mr. BALL. That’s “FK”.
I believe we are through, now, Frankie, thank you very much.
Mr. KAISER. That’s all right.
Mr. BALL. You’ll waive this signature too?
Mr. KAISER. Yes.
(Instruments marked by the reporter as Kaiser Exhibits B and C, for identification.)

http://www.jmasland.com/wctestimony/tsbd/givens.htm

Mr. BELIN. When did you see Lee Harvey Oswald next?
    Mr. GIVENS. Next?
    Mr. BELIN. Yes.
    Mr. GIVENS. Well, it was about a quarter till 12, we were on our way downstairs, and we passed him, and he was standing at the gate on the fifth floor.
    I came downstairs, and I discovered I left my cigarettes in my jacket pocket upstairs, and I took the elevator back upstairs to get my jacket with my cigarettes in it. When I got back upstairs, he was on the sixth floor in that vicinity, coming from that way.
    Mr. BELIN. Coming from what way?
    Mr. GIVENS. Toward the window up front where the shots were fired from.
    Mr. BELIN. Just a second, where did you go? Where were you when you saw him on the sixth floor?
    Mr. GIVENS. I had went and got my jacket and was on my way back to the elevator.
    Mr. BELIN. All right, just a second. I am going to get a plan of the sixth floor, if I have one, and try and have you point that out to me.
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. Well, I don’t seem to have a sixth floor plan here, but perhaps we can use another plan here to help us.
    Here is a diagram of the front of the building. This is the Elm Street side, and you can see the arrow pointing north.
    This perhaps would be a diagram of the third floor. You notice that there are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven sets of windows, right?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes.
    Mr. BELIN. On the Elm Street side, seven pairs of windows?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. You notice the two freight elevators toward the rear. Now did you see–when you first saw him on the sixth floor there, were you standing near any of these windows?
    Mr. GIVENS. No, sir. I was over here by the elevators.
    Mr. BELIN. You are pointing your finger to a spot which would be somewhat to the east of the east elevator, is that correct?
    Mr. GIVENS. That’s correct.
    Mr. BELIN. At a spot which is about on the same line as what I call the south side of the east elevator, and about as far cast of the front part of that elevator as the distance from the front of the elevator to the back of the east elevator, is that about as far east of the front part of that elevator, is that about right?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. You were standing at that point, and where did you see Lee Harvey Oswald?
    Mr. GIVENS. Well, I was along here [indicating].
    Mr. BELIN. All right, you are pointing at a spot you say along in here?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. That would be near the east wall of the building.
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. You can see a scale here that is from 0 to 20 feet. Well, it would be about 30 to 40 feet north of the south wall of that building, is that right?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. And around 10 feet or so away from the east wall, is that about right?
    Mr. GIVENS. That is about right.
    Mr. BELIN. Now, did you notice whether or not there were any cartons stacked up around the southeast corner of that sixth floor?
    Mr. GIVENS. Well, I didn’t pay any attention about any being stacked, because we had taken all that stock from that side of the building and ran it down that side.
    Mr. BELIN. You had taken stock down from the west part of the sixth floor where you were working and put it there?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes; ran it down the side right in front of the window.
    Mr. BELIN. Was he between that stock and the window, or was he on the other side of the window?
    Mr. GIVENS. He was between the stock and the window, coming towards the elevators.
    Mr. BELIN. Coming towards the elevators?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. Did you see all of his body or not?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir; he had his clipboard in his hand.
    Mr. BELIN. He had his clipboard in his hand?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. Was that kind of an aisleway over there right next to the east wall that he was walking along, or what?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir; they have aisles.
    Mr. BELIN. Now, was there stock in back of him as well as in front of him?
Were you there where you had stacked it up, or not, or don’t you remember?
    Mr. GIVENS. Well, it was already some books stacked there.
    Mr. BELIN. Were there books stacked between where you saw him and the window itself?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. All right, he was walking with his clipboard from that southeast corner?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. Where did you see him walking? What direction did you see him walking in?
    Mr. GIVENS. He was coming towards the elevators.
    Mr. BELIN. From the Elm Street side of the building?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, Sir.
    Mr. BELIN. So that would be walking in a northerly direction?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes, sir.
    Mr. BELIN. Now, you said that he had a clipboard in his hand?
    Mr. GIVENS. Yes; he had his board with his orders on it.
    Mr. BELIN. Did you see the orders on the board?
    Mr. GIVENS. Well, yes, sir; he had it in his hand.

TSBD First Floor Wrapping Station

TSBD First Floor Wrapping Station

TESTIMONY OF TROY EUGENE WEST

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/m_j_russ/west.htm

 

The Testimony of Troy Eugene West was taken at 10:30 a.m., on April 8, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. David W. Belin, assistant counsel of the President’s Commission.

Mr. BELIN – Mr. West, would you raise your right hand please.
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. WEST – I do.
Mr. BELIN – You want to sit down now please. Will you state your name for the record? Your name is Troy Eugene West?
Mr. WEST – Troy Eugene West.
Mr. BELIN – How old are you, Mr. West?
Mr. WEST – Well, I was born in 1907. That would be 57, I think.
Mr. BELIN – Were you born in Texas?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – You go to school at all in Texas?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – How far did you get through school?
Mr. WEST – Well; I went to the seventh grade.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do?
Mr. WEST – Well; I had to come out of school and go to work.
Mr. BELIN – You started working then?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir. Mr. BELIN – What did you do when you started working? Where did you work?

Mr. WEST – On the farm.

Mr. BELIN – On the farm?
Mr. WEST – On the farm, yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – How long did you stay on the farm?
Mr. WEST – Oh, I stayed on the farm until way up after I got grown. I was way up past – I guess I was about 24.
Mr. BELIN – When you left the farm, then what did you do when you left the farm?
Mr. WEST – Well, I came to town after I left.
Mr. BELIN – You came to Dallas?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; little town at Mexia Tex.
Mr. BELIN – How long did you stay in town there?
Mr. WEST – Well, I lived there for about 7 years I guess.
Mr. BELIN – You were in town for 7 years, and generally what did you do when you were in town?
Mr. WEST – Well, I worked the express all the time.
Mr. BELIN – For any particular company?
Mr. WEST – I was trying to think of the man’s name.
Mr. BELIN – You can’t remember it right now?
Mr. WEST – I just can’t remember it right now. Been quite a while.
Mr. BELIN – Well, do you remember what you did after you got through doing that? 6 or 7 years, then where did you go?
Mr. WEST – I came to Dallas.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do in Dallas, generally?
Mr. WEST – Well, I worked around just different places until I started to work for the company where I am now.
Mr. BELIN – When did you start working for them?
Mr. WEST – Well, I have been with them now about 16 years.
Mr. BELIN – You have been with them 16 or 17 years? What company is that?
Mr. WEST – Texas School Book Depository.
Mr. BELIN – Are you still working for them now?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – What do you do for the Texas School Book Depository?
Mr. WEST – Well, I am a mail wrapper.
Mr. BELIN – You are a mail wrapper?
Mr. WEST – I wrap mail all the time.
Mr. BELIN – Were you doing that on November 22nd of 1963 too? Were you a mail wrapper at that time back in last November?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – Did you go to work on November 22, 1963? That was a Friday, the day the President was assassinated.
Mr. WEST – Yes; I went to work that day.
Mr. BELIN – What time did you get to work?
Mr. WEST – Well, we always get to work – we are supposed to be there at 8 in the morning.
Mr. BELIN – You got there at 8 that morning?
Mr. WEST – Yes, I always, most of the time I got there a little early.
Mr. BELIN – Do you remember what time you got to work that particular morning?
Mr. WEST – It was about 10 minutes to 8. I always be 5 or 10 minutes early.
Mr. BELIN – Where did you go when you got to work?
Mr. WEST – Well, When I first got to work I always made coffee in the morning at the store. This is the first thing I do in the morning.
Mr. BELIN – Where did you make the coffee?
Mr. WEST – Sir?
Mr. BELIN – Where did you make the coffee?
Mr. WEST – Well, it is down on the first floor in the same department where I wrap mail at.
Mr. BELIN – Well I have a first floor map here of the Texas School Book Depository. Here is Elm Street and here is the front entrance. Here is Mr. Truly’s office, and Here is Mr. Shelley’s office. There is the stairway down to the basement, and there are the elevators and the back stairway. There are the toilets there. About where would you wrap mail there? Here is the Domino room and the shower. You are looking here, that is north Elm Street runs this way and Houston Street runs that way. It is shown on the diagram.

Mr. WEST – Well, my place was in the west side of the other building.
Mr. BELIN – Was it near the stairway?
Mr. WEST – No; it wasn’t close to the stairway.
Mr. BELIN – Was it closer to the Elm Street side of the building?
Mr. WEST – No, sir.
Mr. BELIN – What was it close to? The west side is the side near the railroad tracks and the triple underpass. Is that what you think is the west side?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir; that is what I would call the west side.
Mr. BELIN – When did you quit for lunch that day?
Mr. WEST – Well, we always quit at 12 o’clock in the day.
Mr. BELIN – Is that when you quit on November 22nd?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do?
Mr. WEST – Well, I went in and washed my hands and face and then got ready to put my coffee on. I always made coffee at 12. Make it in the morning, and then I make it about 12, between 12 and 12:30.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do? Did you put your coffee on?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – In the west part of the floor where you generally work?
Mr. WEST – Yes.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do?
Mr. WEST – Well, I went to get my lunch to eat a bite.
Mr. BELIN – Where did you get your lunch?
Mr. WEST – Well, I always kept my lunch right there close by my machine, by my wrapping machine that I use all the time, that I always kept my lunch. I have a little place underneath and I keep it there all the time.
Mr. BELIN – Are you the only one that wraps the books for mailing, or wraps them up for mailing?
Mr. WEST – Well, no, sir; I am not the only one, but mine is that way just every day.
Mr. BELIN – You do it all the time?
Mr. WEST – Yes; I do that.
Mr. BELIN – Are you the only one who does it all the time?
Mr. WEST – I am the only one that is steady, wraps mail all the time, although I have help, you know, when it gets stacked.
Mr. BELIN – Did Lee Harvey Oswald ever help you wrap mail?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; he never did.
Mr. BELIN – Do you know whether or not he ever borrowed or used any wrapping paper for himself?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; I don’t.
Mr. BELIN – You don’t know?
Mr. WEST – No; I don’t.
Mr. BELIN – Did you ever see him around these wrapper rolls or wrapper roll machines, or not?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; I never noticed him being around.
Mr. BELIN – Are they paper machines with the rolls of wrapping paper? You have some gum there too, for taping it? When you wrap it, would you tape it with some tape?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; I never seen him.
Mr. BELIN – Did you do that? Did you put tape on the wrapping paper when it was being shipped? When you wrap the books up with paper, did you have any gum tape that you put on it?
Mr. WEST – No, sir; I had a machine that I placed it on the machine and tied it with, and the machine tied it with a string.
Mr. BELIN – With string?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – Didn’t you have any gummed tape by your machine?
Mr. WEST – Sir?
Mr. BELIN – Did you have any kind of tape, sticky tape that you would put on the paper to keep it together, or was that somewhere else?
Mr. WEST – Oh, yes, sir; I used some of that wide tape.
Mr. BELIN – Is that sticky tape?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – To seal the package with?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir; that’s right. And then I tie it, put it on the machine and tie it.
Mr. BELIN – Is yours the only place that they have the sticky tape?
Mr. WEST – Well, that is the only place that is supposed to be, you know.
Mr. BELIN – Could other employees come and pick up some of the tape for themselves?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir; they could come get it if they wanted to use it, but all the time it was there where it is supposed to be.
Mr. BELIN – Did other employees from time to time come and borrow some of that tape at all, or use it? Would other employees ever use any of the tape for themselves?
Mr. WEST – Not as far as I know of now.
Mr. BELIN – If I wanted to use any of that tape, you know the tape you use to seal it, is there a way to make the tape wet so I don’t have to lick it myself with my tongue to make it wet and sticky? Or how do you get it to be sticky and stick together?
Mr. WEST – Well, we have those machines with the little round ball that we fill them up with water, and so we set them up. In to–other words, I got a rack that we set them in, and so we put out tape in a machine, and whenever we pull the tape through, why then the water gets, you know, it gets water on it as we pull it through.
Mr. BELIN – If I wanted to pull the tape, pull off a piece without getting water on it, would I just lift it up without going over the wet roller and get the tape without getting it wet?
Mr. WEST – You would have to take it out. You would have to take it out of the machine. See, it’s put on there and then run through a little clamp that holds it down, and you pull it, well, then the water, it gets water on it.

Mr. BELIN – Is this an electrical machine or is it just kind of a little apparatus for just pulling it through by hand?
Mr. WEST – Well, it is not electric, no, sir.
Mr. BELIN – No going back to November 22, you said you quit for lunch around noon on that day on Friday, November 22?
Mr. WEST – Yes. About 12 o’clock we always quit for lunch.
Mr. BELIN – Do you remember any of the men coming down the elevator that day? Bonnie Ray Williams or James Jarman Jr., or Danny Arce, or any one else coming down that morning? Charlie Givens? Do you remember them coming down the elevator, or don’t you remember.
Mr. WEST – I don’t remember.
Mr. BELIN – Now, after you quit for lunch, you made the coffee then?
Mr. WEST – Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN – Were did you make the coffee?
Mr. WEST – I made the coffee right there close to the wrapping mail table where I wrap mail.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do?
Mr. WEST – Well, I sit down to eat my lunch.
Mr. BELIN – Then what did you do?

Sixth Floor TSBD Layout

Sixth Floor TSBD Layout

Gordon S. Campbell Death Certificate RIP 1962

Gordon S. Campbell Death Certificate

Gordon S. Campbell

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=10042&st=0

GORDON CAMPBELL – (Bradley Ayers, The Zenith Secret) p.38:

On Monday I went to the station early, hoping to get a good start on my after-action report. I was beginning to organize my thoughts about the mission….Ted Shackley wanted as few people as possible to know about my trip to Cuba. I asked his secretary Maggy, who else might see my after-action report. I was most concerned about David Morales’ reaction to my critical observations…. ‘Dave is away in Mexico. Possibly Gordon will see it.'”

“I knew she was referring to Gordon Campbell, the deputy chief of station, who I had not met yet.”

p. 45: “Before leaving for the Keys, I stopped by the station to pick up a few supplies. There was a note on my desk. I was to see Gordon Campbell, the deputy chief of station before leaving. I’d never met him. What the hell? I thought. Campbell’s office was in the building next to Ted Shackley’s. But when I got there, Maggy told me to go to the second floor of the old barracks, a floor above my own office in the training branch. I’d never been in that area of the building.”

“I walked back to my building and went upstairs. Campbell’s office was well-decorated, with all sorts of Zenith Technical Enterprises corporate plaques, alleged product displays, photos and mementoes. His secretary buzzed him on my arrival and I was escorted into his plush office.”

“Campbell came around his desk, introduced himself, and shook my hand. I judged his age to be around 40 and he appeared in robust physical condition. Dressed as if he had just come off the golf course, tanned, clean shaven, with a trim build, balding blond hair, and penetrating blue eyes, he greeted me cordially. I liked him immediately.”

” ‘I’ve been wanting to meet you and welcome you to the station. I’m sorry it’s taken so long. I want to tell you we appreciate what you’re working on. I also read your after action report and I think you know what needs to be done.'”

“I told him I’d do my best and we exchanged a few thoughts about the exile training program. As I left his office, he told me to be careful and that he would be seeing me again.”

p. 56: “I attended both briefings. All the branch chiefs were there aw well as Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Harvey from Washington accompanied by Ted Shackley and Campbell. David Morales introduced Mr. David Phillips who was identified as a coordinator for the new initiatives with the exile organizations.”

p. 80 : “On the way down US 1, I stopped at the Green Turtle Inn in Islamorada for a bowl of soup. It was early afternoon and most of the lunch crowd had left. But near the back of the restaurant, seated at a large circular table, were Dave Morales, Mr. Harvey, Gordon Campbell, Mr. Phillips, and another man, possibly Rosselli, whose back was turned on me. They apparently had stopped for lunch and drinks. I don’t know if they recognized me or not. As was the practice in such situations, within the agency, there was no acknowledgement, either way. Discretely, I got my soup to go and quickly left. It was the first time I had ever seen the station hierarchy in the Keys and out of their air-conditioned offices. It was encouraging., maybe something big was in the offing. I thought.”

p. 86: “…We were going to a meeting place in the Everglades….We pulled into a truck stop at the junction of Tamiami Trail and Hightway 27, and another man – a Cuban who I had never seen before – checked the license of the car and climbed in. No one spoke as we drove down the long, slightly traveled highway and eventually turned onto a dirt road bordered by canal. After about a mile, the driver pulled over. An airboat was waiting in the canal, and in moments we were noisily skimming across the saw grass as dusk settled over the glades…..After nearly 30 minutes of travel across open swampland and deep canals, we turned under some overhanging trees and pulled up to a small dock behind another airboat. A sign on the rotting timbers read ‘Waloos Glades Hunting Camp – No Tresspassing.’ It was nearly dark, but I could see two small Quonsets with lights burning in the windows. Some men were standing around a campfire in the middle of the clearing, and in its flickering light I could see two helicopter parked in the shadows. One was a military Bell H-13 with the identification numbers taped over, and the other was a civilian chopper with the name West Palm Beach air service on the tail rotor boom.”

“We walked to the fire and a young man handed us cups of coffee. I had never seen the men before. Soon the door to one of the Quonsets swung open and four men emerged. As they moved into the circle of firelight I recognized Gordon Campbell. I had seen him only a few times since my brief meeting with him, but had been impressed with his polished, slightly flamboyant executive manner. I caught my breath at the appearance of the second man. It was the attorney general, Robert Kennedy.”

“The four men talked in low voices for a few minutes, and then the attorney general came over and shook hands with each of us, wishing us good luck and God’s speed on our mission.”

“Hell, I didn’t even know what my mission was. His white teeth flashed and sparkled, and I felt a strange sense of strength and resolve when he grasped my hand. Then he and one of the Cubans went to the civilian helicopter, an din minutes it took off. Now I understood the need for extra secrecy. If the president felt strongly enough to send his brother, something very big was being planned.”

“When the helicopter was gone, the deputy chief of station came over….he said, ‘The reason we’ve got you here and the reason for all the secrecy is that we just got the green light from upstairs to go ahead on some missions we’ve been planning for some time.'”

“We entered the Quonset….Campbell closed the door behind us and turned to face me. ‘We’re very pleased with the way you’ve handled the training setup for the station so far, and we’ve made that known to your people at the Pentagon. We know it hasn’t been easy for you and your family….You’ll be happy to know that the Special Group has finally given us permission to use two-man submarines to strike Castro’s ships in the harbors. Some of your UDT people will be involved in that. And next week Rip’s boys are going to Elgin for parachute training, so an airborne commando raid may not be far off. But right now we’ve got the go-ahead to hit one of the major oil refineries from on the island. All we’ve got to do is get a commando force in shape to do the job.”

” ‘We want you to take a commando force of 12 men and give them six weeks of the toughest, most realistic training you can. We want you to teach them survival and get them physically toughened up. Then we want you to run some exercises for them, and finally, wet up a rehearsal for the actual raid, and do it over and over until they have it down blindfolded. During this six weeks we want you to eat, sleep, and live this mission with the Cubans, 24 hours a day. We want them ready to go by mid-December.”

“….We’ve got a house on the south end of Elliot Key that’s never been used…you can run the training from there…..You’ll have to keep up with your regular duties in addition to working with this commando group. Again, no one is to know that. David is sometimes a little bit difficult, so you’ll deal directly with me on anything you need. Use the telephone, and we’ll meet away from the station. After you get set, I’ll give you a complete scenario for the mission and as much data as we have on the target itself.”

“…. ‘My outside man, Karl, will help you with logistics. Take the deliveries and carry the items to the island yourself. Order as little as you have to from logistics, and buy all your own food….Here’s the safehouse key and $1,000 to get things moving….'”

“Campbell introduced me to Tony Sforza, the commando team contact man, and Karl….”

p. 92: “I felt an urgency to discuss the leadership aspect of the mission early on with Mr. Campbell….So I decided to talk to Karl about the problem…Campbell had placed no restrictions on what I might discuss with his right-hand man.”

“My trip across the bay was faster than usual, and I arrived at the restaurant near the Coral Castle ahead of our scheduled meeting. I saw Karl, Dave Morales, Rosselli, and Mr. Phillips sitting at a table near the back of the room. When I saw all but Karl leave, three to the same car, I went back to meet him. Over a beer, I told him of my observations with Campbell. Karl was pretty savvy and agreed. On the way back to Black Point I pondered Karl’s apparent familiarity with the principal staff at JM/WAVE as I had observed it. I was impressed. Karl was obviously something more than the typical logistics gofer.”

p. 93 : “I stole a few hours extra sleep the next morning, then went out to Coconut Grove, where I was to meet Gordon Campbell. He and his wife lived on a yacht moored at the Dinner Key marina. I walked down a long concrete pier, past sleek, expensive cruisers, and finally found Gordon’s boat. Both he and his wife – an attractive bikini-clad silver-haired women – were well into their Sunday afternoon martinis.”

“As he mixed me a drink, he asked, ‘What do you think of the men? How do they look – morale, interest – you know, guts for the job?'”

“‘They look very good so far,’ I replied, ‘but there’s one big problem, the commandos have no real leader. The team is split into two distinct, separate groups of five and six men each…and they seem to want to stay that way. As long as I give orders, there’s no problem, but when they’re on their own, the so-called leader makes suggestions and the other two follow only if they feel like it. It’s too loose to be effective under pressure.'”

” ‘Goddamnit, if a leader is a problem, then you find one! The case officer for these boys will be down from Washington in a few weeks. He’s been with the Cuban desk studying the situation and he’s well-read. Porter is young but he knows his stuff. I’ve assured him you’d have the team ready to go.'”

“Had I heard right? Somebody who worked behind a desk at Langley was suddenly going to appear on the scene and take over where I left off? Just like that? I’d train them and someone else would step in and simply ‘assume’ control? I started to say something, but caught myself. This was something totally beyond my control, and no good would come from an argument with Campbell at this point. I took a big swallow of my drink. ‘I’ll continue to do my best on the leadership situation. Gordon, I can assure you that having a leader would make my own work easier. More importantly, these are good men, and they deserve a good leader.”

“The anger passed from his face and he mixed us both another drink. ‘All right, let’s go below. I have the charts and photos and we’ll go over the mission from beginning to end.”

“For the better part of the next two hours we pored over refinery blueprints and incredibly detailed U-2 photos and recently smuggled-out snapshots of the target. The time schedule was set in the familiar D-day, H-hour military terminology, and Campbell would not tell me when the raid would be conducted. We had to be ready to go anytime after the first of December. He wanted at least two rehearsals competed by then, and there was little time left.”

“Our discussion terminated when Mrs. Campbell came down to the gallery carrying drinks for all of us. She chided us for spending the ‘glorious Sunday afternoon’ talking business, and threw her heavily oiled, deeply tanned body into her husband’s lap. Her obvious attention seeking embarrassed me, so I drank quickly, thanked Gordon, and said I’d contact him.”

“It wasn’t until I’d left the yacht that I realized Campbell hadn’t given me the exact location of the refinery; he’s said only that it was on the south central coast of Cuba. It probably had been intentional, I concluded, but I had enough data to get well into advanced training and preliminary rehearsals anyway.”

“The mission was a big one, all right, and tough. In a very complex, precisely timed raid, the commandos would destroy the fuel storage tanks, dock, and ship-to-shore product-transfer pipelines of the refinery. As I drove home, I reviewed the details Gordon had given me. Two fishing trawlers would be used as mother ships for three V-20s. At a shallow water point about a mile from the target, one boat would land and the team would go ashore, under cover of darkness. The other two boats would wait offshore, among the mangroves, for completion of the first phase of the mission.”

“The landed commando team would move down the shore to the pier that supported the pipeline. They would kill the guards on the pier, and then eliminate the watchman in the small tin shack at the end of the pier. This accomplished, they would signal the other two V-20s to come to the end of the pier, where the boats would be tied until the mission was completed.”

“The landed commando team would move down the shore to the pier and around the refinery yard fence to a position behind a low hill that was about eleven hundred yards from the brightly illuminated crackling towers and processing facilities. Two 81mm mortars would be set up; from an observation position on high ground; their fire would be guided into the refinery proper. White phosphorous ordinance would be used, in the hope that the cracking towers would catch fire immediately and the surrounding fuel storage tanks would explode. Approximately twenty mortar round would be fired into the refinery.”

“Meanwhile, time-activated demolition charges would be fastened to the pipeline pier, and ‘clams’ (round TNT charges with magnetic devices to hold them to metal objects) would be attached to the transfer pipeline. By the time the entire commando force withdrew, the refinery would be engulfed in flames.”

“As the two V-20s pulled away, the timer would activate, and the pier and the pipeline would explode behind them. The commandos would return to the trawlers waiting several miles offshore. Another time-activated explosive would destroy the beached V-20.”

p. 99: “Communications between Elliott Key and the mainland had been a problem from the beginning….The only way I could maintain secure contact with Gordon Campbell, Karl, and Tony was to go ashore to the pay phone at Black Point…..Sometimes I’d go for days without contact…On other occasions I’d get word that Campbell and Karl were out of the area and was given no idea when they might return my call….”

p. 102: “….I immediately recognized the plane as the single-engine Cessna based at the CIA headquarters in Miami. As it flew overhead, a white object was released directly over the old house. It was a roll of toilet tissue, streaming as it fell. It landed only a few feet away….The center tube of the tissue role had been closed with masking tape, and the word ‘OPEN’ had been scrawled on the side with black marking pencil. Hastily, I opened up the tube and pulled out the paper inside. It was

Campbell’s printing:

NOVEMBER 22 1963

PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAS BEEN SHOT BY AN ASSASSIN. SUSPEND ALL ACTIIVTY. KEEP MEN ON ISLAND. COME ASHORE WITHOUT DELAY.

GORDON

p. 104 : “More than a month after the assassination that I spoke with Mr. Campbell about the Elliot Key commandos. He directed me to hold off any additional rehearsals but to go on training at a reduced pace.”

http://news.google.c…ed=us&scoring=a

MRS. GH WILLIAMS WED IN GREENWICH Z; Becomes Bride of Captain Gordon S. Campbell
– New York Times – Apr 10, 1943
… to Captain Gordon S. Campbell of the m ilitary Intelligence Service. … Campbell and her former husband, Harvey Ladew Williams, to whom she was married .

 

http://www.google.co…=og&sa=N&tab=wp
The History of the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC)

John Mendelsohn – 1989 – Snippet view
Office of Strategic Service (OSS) reported that every one of their operatives who tried to infiltrate into enemy territory through … 153 Maj Gordon S. Campbell was Commanding Officer of the 222d (XXII Corps) CIC Det and Maj William E. …

http://books.google….2#search_anchor

http://query.nytimes…9679D946397D6CF

http://query.nytimes…9679D946397D6CF

Special To The New York Times.
November 9, 1902, Sunday
Page 7, 961 words

EAST ORANGE, N.J., Nov. 8 — In the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Matheson Sutherland, 64 Carnegie Avenue, this afternoon, their daughter, Miss Florence Helena M. Sutherland, was married to Charles Stewart F. Campbell of Glen Ridge by the Rev. Oscar F. Moore, assistant rector of Grace Episcopal Church. The bride was given away by her father. Her gown was of white satin cut entraine and trimmed with point lace. The matron of honor was Mrs. Van Ryck, sister of the bride. She wore an imported costume of rainbow chiffon and carried chrystanthemums. The bridesmades were Miss Emily Allen and Beretha Kellog of Elesibeth. Miss Katherine Palmer of New York and Miss Mary Bradley of Orange. The gowns were of white mousseline de sole and they carried chrystanthemums. The best man was Frederick Holden Sutton of New York and the ushers were Charles Bartlett and James Taylor Green and Roger Dodd of New York and Chauncey Sayer of Orange. The gifts of the bride and bridegroom to the bridal party were gold key rings, each with a latchkey to their new residence. A reception followed the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell will reside in Glenn Ridge.

And then there was one
By James H. Bready | January 8, 1993

LAST month’s wish list went not to St. Nicholas but to St. Louis. To round up the guys from World War II one last time, first they have to be located.Maj. Gordon Sutherland Campbell, our commanding officer from Fort DuPont all the way to Pilsen, are you still living? Capt. Frederick R. Rutledge, last heard of selling insurance in Texas, are you in retirement somewhere? Lt. Pat Curry, the funniest man in the unit, are you still in law enforcement somewhere outside New York City?Soon it’ll be a half century since the l7 of us assembled at that staging area in Delaware, to form a corps intelligence detachment.

http://webcache.goog…n&ct=clnk&gl=us And then there was one

http://webcache.goog…n&ct=clnk&gl=us

And then there was one

By James H. Bready | January 8, 1993

LAST month’s wish list went not to St. Nicholas but to St. Louis. To round up the guys from World War II one last time, first they have to be located.Maj. Gordon Sutherland Campbell, our commanding officer from Fort DuPont all the way to Pilsen, are you still living? Capt. Frederick R. Rutledge, last heard of selling insurance in Texas, are you in retirement somewhere? Lt. Pat Curry, the funniest man in the unit, are you still in law enforcement somewhere outside New York City?Soon it’ll be a half century since the l7 of us assembled at that staging area in Delaware, to form a corps intelligence detachment.

http://webcache.goog…n&ct=clnk&gl=u

Timeline results for dinner key marina history

It was in 1969 at the Dinner Key Auditorium when Jim Morrison was arrested for exposing himself

.coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com

In Florida, Cuban refugees arrived daily by leaky boats, homemade rafts, even floating barrels. A CIA reception and debriefing center in the Keys directed many of them to Miami’s Dinner Key, where the Frente Revolucionario Democratico (FRD), the Cuban government-in-exile established by the CIA, had opened a recruiting office.

http://webcache.goog…n&ct=clnk&gl=us

According to Kirtland, after the Bay of Pigs disaster, the CIA’s operational presence along the river became much less visible but continued nonetheless. He remembers hearing about work being done for a company called Transworld Marine, linked to a man named Gordon Campbell. (Campbell was JM/WAVE’s maritime operations chief and lived, appropriately enough, on a boat at the Dinner Key Marina.) “I think it was fairly common knowledge when you’d find people out to buy fast boats, what it was for,” he says. “Transworld Marine purchased boats, new construction out of New Orleans, that were used for follow-up operations. Gordon Campbell, if my memory serves me correctly, purchased one out of New Orleans. Name of the boat was Cutlass. That boat stayed around well after the Bay of Pigs.”

http://webcache.goog…n&ct=clnk&gl=us

MC Rifle on paper wrapping desk

MC Rifle on paper wrapping desk

Air Force One Radio Transmissions Transcript 11/22/63

 

AF1 Flight Path 11/22/63

 

Air Force One Radio Transmission Transcript for November 22, 1963

Name/Call Sign – Identification Key

SAM 26000 – The Presidential aircraft, when the President is not aboard.

Air Force One – AF1 – The Presidential aircraft, when the President is aboard. (Capt. James Swindal, pilot (AKA Tiger); Master Sgt. John C Trimble and Joseph Ayres, radio operators.)

SAM 86972 – The State Department aircraft carrying the Press Secretary Salinger (Wayside), Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Agriculture Orville Freeman and other Cabinet members and Administration officials. When the assassination occurred, this aircraft was enroute from Hawaii to Japan; subsequent to the assassination, the aircraft returned to Hawaii to refuel, and then flew directly from Hickam AFB in Hawaii to Andrews AFB near Washington DC.

Andrews – Andrews Air Force Base (Virginia/DC). An Airman Gilmore answers for Andrews AFB throughout the tape and appears to be the central player attempting to facilitate all patches.

Tanker – Major Michael Cook – Andrews AFB.

Air Force Command Post – SAM Command Post. Sgt. Phillips. Major Benson

[See: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb304/film03.htm ]

SAM Command Post – Special Air Mission Command Post, Offut, AFB, Omaha, Nebraska. Col. Hornbuckle.

National Military Command Post – Pentagon, Washington DC

Crown – White House (aka Front Office)

Situation Room (Basement at Crown) – Oliver Hallett, USN/McGeorge Bundy

Carswell – Carswell Air Force Base, Fort Worth, Texas.

Dallas – (Love Field, Dallas, Texas)

Hic Cup – Hickam Field, Hawaii.

CINCPAC – Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command HQ.

Tokyo, Japan – Destination of Cabinet Plane (86972)

Valley – The Elms, LBJ DC Residence.

Liberty – Sideband Radio Relay Station – Collins Radio HQ, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Fish Bowl)

Wayside – Pierre Salinger, aboard 86970

Dagger – Rufus Youngblood, USSS

Digest – Roy Kellerman, USSS (Aboard AF1)

Duplex – Jerry Behn

Watchman – Gen. Chester Clifton (Aboard AF1)

Slugger – Capt. Cecil Stoughton

Stranger – Major H. R. Patterson (White House Communications Agency WHCA)

Tanker – Air Force Major Michael Cook (Andrews)

Tiger – Col. Swindal, pilot, AF1.

Warrior – Malcolm Kilduff

Winner – Andrew Hatcher. Aka Andy. At Crown.

Witness – Capt. Tazewell Shepard (USN)

Volunteer – LBJ

Victoria – Lady Bird

Lace – Mrs. Jackie Kennedy

Witness –

Winner –

Wing

Race –

Tillerman –

Sing Sing –

Dean Rusk – Secretary of State (aboard 86972)

George Ball – Undersecretry of State

McGeorge Bundy – National Security Advisor to the President

Bromley Smith – Executive Secretary, National Security Council

Murray Jackson –

Malcolm Kilduff – Assistant Press Secretary

Dr. John Walsh – D.C. Jackie Kennedy’s physician.

Walter Jenkins – LBJ’s Deputy.

Colonel Toomey – AF1

Col. Holland – AF1

Admiral Burkley – JFK’s private physician.

General Heaton – Surgeon General of the Army

Mrs. Kennedy (Massachusetts)

Mrs. J. B. Connally (Dallas)

Governor John Connally – Parkland Hospital

Scott –
Airman Stanz –

Newport Jerry –

Roy –

Weather Officer (at AF Command Post)

On the block – Time of plane arrival at destination.

ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival.

Zulu – Greenwich Mean Time – (Military 24 hour time)

AP – Associated Press (aka “the ticker”)

AIR FORCE ONE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS – November 22, 1963.

http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Audio_-_Other

[Transcribed by William Kelly- Any corrections or comments bkjfk3@yahoo.com]

Reel 1, Side One

Announcer’s Introduction:

The following recording has been reproduced from ground recorded non-high fidelity tape to re-cord record patch communications of Air Force One also includes 86972 – the Cabinet plane carrying Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Presidential Secretary Pierre Salinger and other dignitaries enroute between Honolulu and Japan. The following information relative to presidential aircraft radio call signs is given for clarification due to interchangeable use.

Air Force One and Angel are used when the President is aboard the aircraft, Air Force Two-Six-Thousand (26000) is used at all other times.

This tape has been edited and condensed to contain only pertinent information relative to events during 22nd of November, 1963. Only material available from radio circuits used is available.

Reel 1, Side 1 (30:55) – Patch #1:

– 86972 [Cabinet plane], Andrews. You are readable at this time, sir. Also be advised Two-Six-Thousand (26000 – Air Force One) coming up on this frequency shortly. Request that you contact Andrews on One-Five, Sir.
– Okay, One-Five. Relay. Will be off Honolulu at seventeen oh-three (1703), estimated approximate windshift, 2-1-4-0-2-2.
– 86972, Roger, copy. Thank you much.
– Break, Command Post, Air Force One, 1725. Carswell.
– Air Force One, understand. Airborne. One, seven, two, five (1725) Zulu. Do you have an ETA? Over.
– Estimated 40 minutes, enroute. I’ll show a log time in a couple of minutes.
– Roger, Air Force One. Command Post listening. Out.
– Pickup 1700 Zulu, weather please.
– Standby One, I have weather officer I can give it to you know, if you are ready to copy. Over.
– Okay, go ahead.
– 1700 Zulu weather, 6000 broken, 15 miles plus visibility, temperature – five-seven, ramp temperature, six-two, wind southwest ten, altimeter setting two-niner, decemil eight-seven. I just talked with the Ramp (?) and they indicate it is clearing rather rapidly there.
– Roger. Copy, thank you, out.
– Weather out.

Reel One, Side One – Patch #2

– Andrews, Air Force One, the Command Post List.
– Andrews, Air Force One, standby.
– Command Post altimeter.
– This is Airman Gilmore, I have Air Force One for a patch.
– Standby please.
– Air Force One, Air Force Command Post on the line, go ahead sir.
– Roger, Command Post, Air Force One, our estimated time on the block, Dallas will be One, Seven, Four, Zero….( 1740)…
– Roger. I understand. Seventeen forty on the block.
– Roger, Out.

Reel One, Side One – Patch 3

– Air Force One, Andrews.
– Roger, Roger Command Post, please.
– Standby sir.
– Command Post.
– I have Air Force One for a patch.
– Bring him up.
– Standby.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Command Post on the line, give them a call, sir.
– Roger, Command Post.
– Air Force One on the ground 1738 Zulu.
– Air Force One, understand. On the ground, seventeen thirty eight Zulu. Command Post listening.
– Air Force One.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 4

(Unintelligeable) …….static……
– Air Force One?
– Hello? Liberty!…… Liberty?
– Roger, I have White House Situation Room, Sam 86972,….Over.
– (Static) …signal…..unintelligable…..
– 86972 do you read me? Over.
– White House?
– White House on.
– Standby.
– White House, this is SAM 86972. How do you read? Over.
– 86972, I read you loud and clear, loud and clear.
– Roger, standby One, please, we have another phone patch going on with Sing Sing, but we do have traffic for you, so hold on for a moment please.
– Roger, Roger 86972.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 5 (630)

– White House, Situation Room, do you read m
– White House, White House, this is Wayside, do you read me?
– This is White House. I read you loud and clear Wayside. Over.
– Can you give me the latest situation on President? Over.
– You want the Situation Room?
– Repeat that.…..
– This is Crown, This is Crown. Do you want Situation Room?
– I want the Situation Room That’s affirmative. Roger.
– Stand by Please.
– Wayside, Wayside, this is Crown. Situation Room is on. Go ahead.
– Situation Room. This is Waysdie, do you read me? Over.
– This is the Situation Room. I read you. Go ahead.
– Give me all available information on President. Over.
– All information on President follows. Ah, …He and Governor Connally were hit in the car in which they were riding. We do not know how…..no information. Mister Bromley Smith is back here in the Situation Room now. We are getting our information over the tickers. Over.
– That is affirmative. That is affirmative. Please keep in mind and be advised that this is the plane on which the cabinet is on the way to Japan. Those heading to Honolulu are turning around and will be there in about two hours.
– I understand. Those heading to Japan are turning around and heading to Honolulu and will be back there in two hours. Is that correct? Over.
– That’s Affirmative. Affirmative. Will need information to decide whether some of this party should go directly to Dallas.
– This is Situation Room. Say again your last please?
– Will need to be advised on whether to determine some members of this party should go directly to Dallas? Over.
– Roger, you wish information on whether some members of that party should go to Dallas.
– Affirmative.Affirmative.
– Do you have anything else, Wayside?
– Any information you can give me as quickly as possible.
– The Associated Press has just come out with a bulletin that the President hit in the head. That just came in. Over.
– Roger. Will get any new information to you.
– Where are you Wayside?
– Wayside is off the line. This is the radio operator. We are returning to Honolulu and should be back in Honolulu in about two hours. Will be in the air for about two hours and you can contact us on the ground there later.
– I understand. This is…..Hold on the line there Wayside, we have some more information coming up.
– Ah, Waysside, Wayside, this is Situation Room. I read from the AP bulletin. Kennedy apparently shot in head, fell face down on the backseat of his car. Blood was on his head. Mrs. Kennedy cried “Oh no,” and tried to hold up his head. There was blood on his face and forehead. The President and Governor were rushed to Parkland Hospital near the Dallas Trade Mart where Kennedy was to have made a speech. Read that? Over.
– I read that over.
– This is Situation Room. I have nothing further for you now. I will contact you if we get more.
– Wayside, Roger out.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 6

– 26000, Andrews, I have the White House.
– Okay, thank you.
– And I want to keep this frequency open.
– The frequency has been taken …
– …give ….a copy
– Roger.
– 86972 is good and readable. I have a party on that wants to talk to you. Stand by.
– Standing by.
– Hello? What is your name again?
– Jackson.
– Mister Jackson?
– Yes.
– Okay. Hold on line one.

– 86972, 86972 I have a Mister Jackson, a Mister Jackson on. Will you give him a call, please?

– Mister Jackson, this is SAM 86972.

– I read you very well 72. I would like to talk to Colonel Toomey or Colonel Holland please.
– Okay. Colonel Toomey is coming on right now,
– Roger. This is Colonel Toomey. Go ahead. (11:35)
– Colonel Toomey, this is Murray Jackson. The President of the United States has been shot and seriously wounded in Dallas, Texas. The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy has been shot and seriously wounded in Dallas, Texas. Governor Connally was also shot at the same time. Would you please get the message to Secretary of State Rusk, and I will stand by. Over.
– Roger, Murray. We have already received the news. We have the UPI on. We have turned around. We are returning to Hawaii. We are estimating Hawaii in one hour and twenty minutes. We will be on the ground in Hawaii in one hour and twenty minutes and will be returning to Washington or Dallas. We have another airline alerted to take part of the party to Dallas, and we are returning to Washington.
– Thank you very much Colonel Toomey. I will relay that information to Mr. Ball right away. Over and out.
– Okay, the secretary has talked with his office in Washington, I believe and also Pierre Salinger has been in contact with the White House from the aircraft. Over.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 7

– 26000, Andrews. Go ahead sir.
– Loud and clear. A signal check please.
– 26000, I read you loud and clear, here also, sir. Stand by on this frequency.
– Right. Thank you.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 8

– Andrews sideband. Airman Gilmore.
– Roger. Are you in contact with the party coming back from Tokyo? Go ahead.
– Yes sir. We’re going through Liberty airwaves for that aircraft.
– Roger, can you connect me with Wayside?
– Standby One Six.
– Sir?
– Yes Sir?
– There’s Mister Jackson running a patch to that aircraft at this time, would you like to listen in or would you like me to break the patch sir?
– Ah, could I wait please?
– Yes, you can standby. You’re number two.
– 86972, Andrews.
– 86972.
– Roger, standby. I have another one.
– Who is this sir?
– This is the White House.
– Okay, standby please.
– 86972, 86972, Andrews, I have Crown on, will you give them a call please?
– This is 86972, go ahead.
– This is Crown, we wish a phone patch to Wayside.
– Roger, standby for Wayside.
– Roger, go ahead please.
– Wayside? Wayside? This is Stranger. Do you read me? Over.
– This is Wayside. Go ahead.
– Kilduff has asked that all cabinet members return to Washington immediately. Over.
– We are enroute to Honolulu, where we have ah….Washington. Over….Situation…depart to go to Dallas. ……
– Roger, Roger, we do not have any firm….as to go…..Dallas….Wayside…..Standby for Situation Room.
– Go ahead Wayside.
– Wayside, this is Situation Room. I read you the latest bulletin. President Kennedy has been given blood transfusion today at Parkland Hospital in an effort to save his life after he and Governor John Connally of Texas were shot in an assassination attempt. Over the TV we have the information that the governor has been moved to the operating room. The president is still in the emergency room at Parkland Hospital….Do you read me so far? Over.

-I read you loud and clear.
– Wayside. This is Situation Room. Are you getting the press coverage or do you want us to continue to relay it to you? Over.
– (garbled)….keep informed. Over. (15:18)
– This is Situation Room. Roger. New subject. We will have all information for you on whether to proceed to Dallas by the time you land at Honolulu. Over.
– That’s an affirmative ……Secretary of State….Over.
– This is Situation Room. Roger. Will do. Get determination on whether Secretary should also go to Dallas.
– Wayside. Out.
– This is Situation Room. Out

Reel 1 – Side One – Serial Patch #9

-86972……86972….
– 86972. Andrews. I have a party that would like to talk to Wayside. Will you give them a call?
– Wayside. The party is on the line now.
– 86972, I have a party that would like to talk to Wayside.
– Wayside is coming on now.
– All right, fine there’s no rush. I’ll just talk to you. This is the Situation Room. We’ll standby. We are looking for confirmation of something. Standby for a moment. We are getting confirmation now. Please standby. We are getting confirmation now. Please stay on the line. This is Situation Room standing by. I read you loud and clear. Nothing further for you yet.
– Ah, Wayside. This is Situation Room. We have conflicting reports now. We have no confirmation yet. We will call you again. I have relayed your intentions and current position to the Front Office. Your office has the word. We will call you again when we get confirmation. Over.
– This is Wayside. Out.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 10.

– Andrews, 26000. Radio Check.
– 26000 (Two Six Thousand), Andrews, loud and clear.
– [Third voice] 26000, Liberty, loud and clear. Will you try to notify if you close down for good? Go ahead.
– Roger. Will do.
– Roger, Liberty.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 11

– Andrews. Sideband. Airman Gilmore.
– Gilmore, this is Murray Jackson at State again. Can you get me Seven Two again?
– Could you say again, sir, you are very, very week.
– This is Murray Jackson at the State Department.
– Yes sir?
– I talked with Seven Two a little while ago. Can you get me Seven Two on a single sideband again?
– Mister Jackson, be advised that Seven Two is in a patch with the Situation Room at the present time sir. If you wish to standby.
– That’s all right. They’re talking to them now?
– Yes sir. They are in a patch at the present time.
– All right, very good. Can you listen in on this?
– Ah, not from this console, no sir.
– Well, what we want to tell the plane is that Under Secretary Ball requests that the Secretary and all the passengers return directly to Washington instead of going to Dallas.
– Yes sir, I believe they have received that message sir.
– Very good. Thank you.
– Thank you very much sir.
– Oh, hello?
– Yes sir?
– One other thing. The Secretary is supposed to call Mrs. Ball when he gets on the ground in Honolulu.
– Okay sir, I’ll relay that as soon as possible.
– Thank you very much.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 12

– Andrews sideband, Airman Gilmore.
– Airman Gilmore, this is Murray Jackson again at the State Department.
– Yes sir?
– The message I just gave you about Mr. Ball wanting the Secretary and all of the passengers of the plane to return directly to Washington has now been reconfirmed by McGeorge Bundy. He has called and also said that the plane and all its passengers should return immediately to Washington, rather than Dallas.

-Standby
– Standby.
– Allright.
– 86972. 86972. Andrews.
– Andrews. Loud and clear. You have Mister Jackson on the line. Will you give him a call sir?
– Mister Jackson, 86972. Go ahead sir.
– I have a message from Undersecretary Ball and from McGeorge Bundy at the White House. They request that the Secretary of State and ALL passengers on the aircraft return to Washington immediately. Over.
– Roger. The message is from Undersecretary Ball and Mr. Bundy advised that the Secretary of State and ALL passengers return to Washington immediately. Over.
– That is correct. Over and out.
– Okay. Thank you.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 13

– Start again please, the party is on.
– Be advised there’s another patch from Wayside. Do you with to break Command Post?
– Yea, break it.
– Yes sir.
– 86972, 86972, Andrews.
– 972. Go ahead.
– Roger sir, I have Crown on. Will you give him a call sir?
– Crown. Go ahead.
– This is Situation Room. Relay following to Wayside. We have report quoting Mr. Kilduff in Dallas that the President is dead. That he died about 35 minutes ago. Do you have that? Over.
– The President is dead. Is that correct? (22:43)
– That is correct. That is correct. New subject. Front Office desires plane return Washington with no stop Dallas. Over.
– Wayside, copy. All okay. We return direct to Washington without stopping in Dallas.
– This is Situation Room, out.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 14

– Andrews, give me the Situation Room please.
– 972 Andrews, standby, one sir.
– Crown on.
– Situation Room please.
– (phone ringing) Yea?
– Is this the Situation Room?
– Yes.
– I have 972 on sideband for another patch sir.
– It’s 972 again.
– This is Situation Room.
– Standby sir.
– 972, I read you.
– This is Situation Room. Over.
– Situation Room, 972. Wayside would like to know the whereabouts of the Vice President. Over.
– Yes (Background conversation) …Vice President is in Dallas. …
– Ah, Wayside, from Situation Room. The Vice President is in the hospital building, Parkland Hospital, in Dallas. He is not injured. I repeat, not injured.
– I copy. I will call you right back.
– Right.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch #15

– Andrews, 26000. Standby to take off.
– 26000.
– Andrews, 972, Command Central….
– Roger…..Command Post.
– I have 972 for a patch.
– All right. Go ahead.
– 86972, Andrews, Command time, go ahead sir.
– SAM Command, 86972, and we are returning directly to Washington, as latest instructions are to return direct to Washington from Hic Cup. Hic Cup is working up a flight plan and as quickly as we can get the enroute time and on the ground time, we will give you an ETA Washington.
– Roger, Roger 72. Can you give me your present ETA?
– In about 45 minutes was the last one that I heard. It should be about twenty-thirty Zulu…..
– Zulu over.
– Roger, Roger. As far as you know right now you’re coming directly to Washington? Is that affirmed?
– That is correct. Over.
– Roger 72. Give us any changes that you have sir.
– Okay, will do.
– 26000. Andrews.
– Loud and clear.
– Roger, you are both loud and clear.

-I hear you both loud and clear.
– 26000, do you copy my teletype?
– 26000 is…
– Okay. He’s too busy over there.
– Right.
– You might want to check with him to make sure that he’s getting through.

-Okay, standby.
– 26000. Andrews, coming up.
– 26000, check please.
– 26000 Andrews. Loud and clear.

-26000 Andrews. Loud and clear.
– We’ll be moving out pretty shortly.
– 86972. Standby.
– 972 go ahead sir.
– Okay, we’re coming pretty close to Honolulu landing ah. I don’t know if we’ll be able to or not but I’m going to or not but I’m going to try to keep this equipment up, ah, but I’m not certain I’ll be able to do it. Understand that thirteen is pretty good. ….Is that correct?
– This is Andrews. That is affirmed. 26000 is now getting ready to take off. He’s on One Three. If you standby, One, I’ll confer with Liberty and see what frequency, in case you do drop out, what frequency we’ll have standing up on waiting for your call.
– Okay, do that. Get them all set up. I might not be able to keep it open.
– Roger. Standby One.
– Okay, Liberty? Yea, we got One Three and One Five up right now, besides going through you. I don’t know if One Three is going to be tied up or not. And ah, what frequencies do you think you can have set up in case he drops out on so you he’ll know what frequencies we’re listening on?
– I’ll be on One Eight, One Five and One Three. And we can hold on One Eight for a while because we got Newport Jerry up there.
– Right. Do you have another one, a little bit lower maybe?
– We could drop down from eighteen to One Five to thirteen.
– How about Tripple One?
– Ah, on the sideband.
– Okay, I’ll tell him we’ll be on eighteen, thirteen, One Five and Triple One, all uppers, right?
– All right.
– Except this one, we’re on lower.
– Go ahead.
– Okay.
– 86972, Andrews.
– Roger, Andrews is going to be standing by and Liberty on Triple One upper, Triple One Seven Six upper, One Five Zero One One upper, One Five Zero One One upper, One Three Two Zero Seven upper and One three one seven, lower.
– Okay, very good. Out
– Roger

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 16

-86972 Go ahead…..
– Air Force Command Post, this is mission 139, mission One, Three, Niner, arriving Honolul Two Two diagonal, Two Six, Zulu, TV, Two One five Zulu for Andrews, over.
– 86972, Roger, copy. Standing by sir.
– Okay, I’ll be on this frequency and I’ll advise you when I leave it.
– Roger sir.

Reel 1 Side One – Patch 17

– 26000
– Give me Crown please.
– Just a minute.
– Crown.
– 26000 for a patch.
– Roger.
– Crown on. Go ahead.
– Roger, Crown, 26000, will you get a patch for…..
– Roger, stand by.
– 26000. Duplex is on, go ahead.

-Standby for One.
– Hello?
– Okay… Go ahead……..

Tape #1 Side One Ends.

END Reel 1, Side 1 (30:55)

Air Force One Radio Transmissions

Reel 1 Side Two – (30:57) – Patch 1

– Duplex – Okay, go ahead.
– We are waiting for the swearing in at the plane before take-off.
– Of, the….That’s Volunteer?
– Roger.
– Say again, Roy, say again.
– We are awaiting for a judge to appear for a swearing in.
– That’s for Volunteer, is that right?
– Yes. We are having it done before takeoff.
– That’s an affirmative. Do you have any idea yet what Race wants to do and what Volunteer wants to do on their arrival here?
– No. But I will call you back, we have 208….15 flights into Andrews. We have a full plane with at least 40.
– Okay, go ahead.
– I’ll have to call you again as to body however, I’m sure the Volunteer’s party….and so forth… we will be there with several others….
– All right, let me know what Volunteer wants to do. If they want to come into Crown by helicopter?
– Roger, I’ll call you again.

– Okay.

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 2.

– 26000, Andrews
– Okay, go ahead.
– …give them a call.
– Go ahead.
– Roger.
– Air Force Command Post.
– Can you give me Estimated Time of Departure from Dallas?
– From Dallas? Go ahead.
– Would you repeat your estimated time of departure from Dallas?
– Roger. It could be estimate in the next ten minutes. Go ahead.
– Roger. Could you give me a call when you’re airborne? And can you give me any additional information?
– Not at this time.
– Roger. Thank you.
– Will call on takeoff.

– Andrews, Air Force One.
– Air Force One, Andrews, go ahead sir.
– Andrews,… Andrews Air Force Base.
– Roger, standby.
– (background commotion)
– Air Force Command Post.
– Air Force One, standby please.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Give them a copy.
– Command Post, Air Force One, how do you read?
– Fine, sir. Go ahead.
– ….Dallas…Four seven Zulu….will call Andrews…

-…approximate time, sir?
– Well, two plus one zero go ahead.
– Two plus one zero. And do you have any passengers on board?
– Roger.
– ….on board?
– ….on board?
– None?
– I’ll call you back, Command Post.
– All right, sir.
– Air Force One, Andrews. I have SAM Command Post standing by sir.
– Command Post, Air Force One, go ahead.
– Roger, Roger.
– This is Colonel Hornbuckel….in Operations. We have a request from…….Do you have…body on board?
– Okay, Air Force One. Affirmative on all those questions. Go ahead.
– Roger, thank you very much. Out.

Reel 1 Side Two – Patch 3

– Air Force One for a radio check.
– Air Force One, Andrews, loud and clear.
– Loud and clear, Liberty.
– Roger.
– Scott, loud and clear.
– Air Force One, standing by.
– 26000
– 26000
– Air Force One, go ahead please.
– Roger, Air Force One, are you airborne at present? Are you airborne at present?
– Affirmative. Airborne at Two Zero Four Seven, 2047. Estimated time on the block at Andrews is Two Three Zero Five – 2045.
– Roger, Roger, Air Force One, understand, 2047, ETA Andrews, 2035, is that Charlie?
– That is Charlie.
– Roger, Roger Air Force One, SAM Command Post clear.
– Air Force Command Post, go ahead.
– I have Air Force One standing by, stand by please.
– Air Force One, give Command Post a call please.
– Command Post, Air Force One.
– Go ahead Air Force One, this is Command Post.
– Okay, departure 2-0-4-7, estimated Andrews 2-3-0-5, and we are rounding off at flight altitude 2-9-0. Over.
– Roger, understand. Standby One, please.
– Go ahead.
– Air Force One, this is the Air Force Command Post. If possible, request the names of passengers on board please?
– We have a party of…..
– Forty people, is that affirmative?
– That’s affirmative.
– Can you tell me in regards as to ah, one and two, the top people?
– Roger. The president is on board, the body is on board, and Mrs. Kennedy is on board.
– Can you confirm once again your takeoff time and your estimated time of arrival at Andrews?
– Two Zero Seven…Andrews, two three zero five.
– Roger, thank you. This is Command Post out.
– Air Force One, Command Post.
– Roger.
– Roger 26000
– Air Force One, give me a shout please?
– Air Force One, standby sir.
– Crown? This is….on standby please.
– Air Force One, Andrews, give them a call please.
– Right.
– Air Force One, Andrews, give them a call please.
– Air Force One, Andrews, give them a call please.
– Crown, Air Force One.
– This is Crown, go ahead.

– Surgeon General of the Army Heaton…..

-Please repeat the message.
– We need a patch with General Heaton. Heaton present whereabouts….
– Roger, Roger. That’s General Heaton, the Surgeon General of the Army. Over.
– That is correct.
– Roger, Roger, standby.
– Air Force One, Crown. Standby please. This is the general now, over.
– Command Post weather is 26000, please.
– Okay, Air Force One, standby.
– Roger.
– ….right now….Air Force one, Air Force One, Andrews on One Five, I’ll Copy sir.
– Yes, sir?
– You’ll have to hold on there. We’re in a long patch going out now.
– Right, I’ll hold.
– Okay, sir.
– 26000
– One, Andrews.
– Roger sir…give them a call….
– Are we on….One…Eight….pick up on meg….
– We could try…frequency….13 -18…also….
– One, Five, Zero, One, One.
– Roger….is that correct?
– Roger, one of them is. The other is a backup and the other will be busy in a couple of minutes.
– Roger with the….
– Roger, very good.
– Roger, can you patch me through with Air Force One please?
– Who is this please?
– This is Airman Stanz.
– Standby, you are number three.
– Okay, right.
– Will you call me back through Command Post?
– Because this is taking quite a while holding onto the line….
– …..Forecast….
– Okay, right sir…..
– …..Say again….

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 4

– Air Force One, Crown. Hello?
– Air Force One, this is Crown, do you read me? Over.
– Roger, Roger, Crown. Air Force One.
– Hello? (9:45)
– Air Force One, this is Crown. You were cut off. General Heaton is at Walter Reed Hospital. You will have to stand by for a moment or let me call you back when I get him on the line. It will take about a minute to reach him.
– Air Force One, Crown, do you Roger? Over.
– Crown, Roger. Try and get General Heaton, and in the meantime, try to get the Deputy Surgeon General. We will talk to either of them.
– This is Crown. Roger. Will you standby, and let me call you back? Over.
– This is important.
– Roger. I’ll put an emergency on it and we will get him as soon as possible.
– Roger, Roger.
– We are standing by.
– I’ll give you call in just a while.
– …Air Force One, go ahead.
– …Air Force One, Crown.
– ….standby for a message.
– ….Dr. Burkley….?
– Dr. Burkley, this is Crown. You’re cutting out, you’re cutting out. You’ll have to repeat, over.
– This is Dr. Burkley. I want to get in touch with General Heaton or General Heaton’s deputy.
– Dr. Burkley, this is Crown. We are working as fast as possible trying to get the call through for you. He’s at Walter Reed. We are unable to locate him. Still searching. Over.
– The Deputy must be in the General’s office over at the main Navy building.
– Roger, Roger. If you’ll standby, we’ll try to reach him.
– Market….This is Crown. You Roger? We’re trying to reach one of them. If you’ll standby please.
– Roger.
– Air Force One, on fifteen.
– Air Force One, loud and clear.
– Okay, do you have another line in to Crown?
– This is Andrews. Roger.
– Okay, go ahead.
– Roger. Stand by One. (11:45)
– (female switchboard operator).
– Hello, can you give me White House switchboard, please?
– Thank you.
– Signal.
– Right….ah……
– Crown, I have Air Force One.
– Roger, Roger…Air Force One, Andrews, Crown is on, go ahead sir.
– [(Silence)….break in tape?] ……
– Roger, Roger. Duplex is on the line, go ahead.
– ….(Static) … arriving Andrews…five…I repeat….
– Duplex, this is Duplex. [break in tape?]
– Arrival Andrews, Six-Zero-Five, standby.
– Arriving Andrews, Fifteen, Zero, Five, rather…
– Have received.

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 5

(16:06)
– Duplex….arrival Andrews, Six Zero Five, standby,….ambulance from Walter Reed…transport body Over.
– Arrangements have been made for a helicopter for Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Over.
– Standby, Jerry, we’re going to have to get Berkley here.
– Okay. Go ahead.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Duplex is on. Duplex is on the air.
– Duplex is on. This is Dr. Burkley. What arrangements have been made with regard to the reception of the President?
– The….everybody aboard Air Force One, everyone aboard Air Force One, with the exception of the body, will be choppered into the South Ground. The body will be choppered to the Naval Medical Center at Bethesda. Over.
– The body will be choppered or go by ambulance to the Navy Medical Center?
– Will be choppered, will be choppered.
– I’ll call General Heaton and ask him to….Washington in regards to this. Would you call him and cancel the….Walter Reed….I didn’t know the arrangements were already made. [1738]
– Say again, say again Doctor.
– The body is in a casket, you know, and it will have to be taken by ambulance and not by chopper.
– Alright. I’ll tell Captain Shepard that.
– Be sure to contact…..
– (female operator) General Heaton is on, this is Doctor Burkley.
– Yes, Burkley?
– Air Force One.
– Yes?
– I read you Admiral Burkley.
– Hold for a minute, please. General Clifton here….
– Ah….this is General Clifton.

-Yes General Clifton?
– We do not want a helicopter for Bethesda Medical Center. We do want the ambulance and a ground return from Andrews to Walter Reed. And we want the regular post mortem that has to be done by law, under guard, performed at Walter Reed. Is that clear? Over.
– That is clear General Clifton. You want an ambulance and a ah….another limousine at Andrews and you want the regular post mortem by law done at Walter Reed.
– That is correct. Hold on for a minute. Over.
– I’ll hold on.
– Air Force One?
– Air Force One, Andrews. Go ahead sir.
– Okay, I think our patch was cut there on 13.
– Air Force One, will you give the ground party give a call sir. [20:07]
– Hello? Jerry?
– Go ahead.
– Jerry, what arrangements have you made?
– We have made no arrangements, but will follow through on what you just told me. An ambulance and a limousine at Andrews and in regards to the post mortem studies.
– General Heaton, will you kindly hold, we have arrangements already made….and will have to clear that before we do anything further.
– An ambulance and a limousine at Andrews (background conversation).
– Air Force One, repeat your last transmission….
– …….
– Hello Andrews? This is Crown. (21:12)
– Crown, go ahead.
– Ah, we have Captain Shepard here who has evidently made some arrangements on the funeral and so forth here in Washington, and bringing the body back and so forth. He would like to get on and talk with Air Force One when General Heaton is finished. It might be possible to put him up on a conference so they can all make the arrangements together? I understand that Captain Shepard the Naval aid e has made some arrangements also. So you might explain this to Air Force One and tell them we’ll try to put them on a conference, if they like. [21:59]
– Andrews, standby, we have Admiral Burkley.

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 6

– Air Force One, Andrews.
– Andrews to Liberty.
– Liberty to Andrews, go ahead.
– Did you copy the full 9-7-2 off Hickman? 2-1-1-1 Zulu, estimated Andrews Zero Five Three Zero Zulu, ultimate….
– Liberty, Andrews, Roger.

-Forward to Air Force One.

-Liberty, Andrews, Roger.

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 7

– (female operator) Go ahead, Duplex is on one, sir.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Give your party a call.
– Okay, Duplex, Duplex, this is Watchman. Over.
– Go ahead Watchman. Over.
– Duplex, this is Watchman. I understand that…ambulance… to Bethesda….is this correct? Over.
– Watchman. It has been arranged to helicopter, helicopter the body to Bethesda. Over.
– This is Watchman. That is okay if it isn’t dark. What about the First Lady? Over.
– Everybody else aboard, everybody else aboard, it has been arranged to helicopter into the South Grounds.
– Watchman….helicopter operation will work because we have a very heavy casket? Over.
– Ah, according to Witness, yes.
– This is Watchman. …. don’t take a chance on that. Have a mortuary type ambulance standing by in case the helicopter doesn’t work.
– That’s affirmative.
– That’s affirmative. I receive.
– Now some other instructions. Listen carefully. We need a ramp, a normal ramp at the front of the aircraft, on the right hand side, just behind the pilot’s cabin in the galley. We are going to take the First Lady off by that route. Over. Do you understand?
– I receive. Affirmative.
– Also, by the right rear, on no, the left rear, the left rear of the aircraft, where we usually dismount, disembark, we will need a fork lift rather than a ramp because it will be too awkward. We will need a platform to walk out on, and a fork lift to put it on. Is that possible? Over.
– Say again, say again Watchman.
– I say again. The casket is in the rear compartment, and we suggest, because it is so heavy, that we have a fork lift, a fork lift there to remove the casket. But if this is too awkward, we can get along with a normal ramp and several men. Over.
– Affirmative. We will try for the fork lift.
– Next item. Duplex, Duplex. Ah ….The press, according to Mr. Johnson, the press is to have a normal…at Andrews field, and he is going from there by helicopter to the White House.
– Say again, Watchman, say again please.
– Watchman, this is Duplex, say again.
– The press, the normal corral, it will have to be in front of the aircraft, because that is where President Johnson will come off. Okay?

-Will you say that again?
– I say again. On the right front, a ramp for Mrs. Kennedy, on the left rear, if possible, a fork lift for the casket, and in the right front, near the pilot, a normal ramp….. Over.
– Say again, Watchman, you’re breaking.
– (non-broadcast communications – someone else behind radio operator) I got that, on the left front, I got that, normal ramp for President Johnson…on the left front…all right.
– Did everybody get that clear? Over.
– That is affirmative.
– Hold One, …Tillerman would like to talk to you.
– Standby One. Are you there?
– Watchman, Watchman, this is Duplex.
– Duplex, this is Watchman, Over. Go ahead.
– Watchman, should the Secretary of Defense and others be at Andrews on your arrival?
– No, I am about, no negative….Have them call the White House. President Johnson will meet with the White House staff….the leadership of Congress, and as many of the Cabinet members as possible at the White House as soon as we get there, approximately eighteen thirty – one, eight, three, zero. Over.
– Will you say again…you got it?
– (unbroadcast communications) President Johnson is supposed to meet as many of the cabinet members at the White House at 1830.
– This is Watchman. Did you get it all? Members of the White House staff. Also the leadership of Congress. Also as many Cabinet members as available at the White House at 1830.
– That is affirmative Watchman. That is affirmative.
– Repeat that to me.
– All leaders of Congress, as many Cabinet members as possible at the White House at 1830.
– The key members of the White House staff. That is Bundy, Sorrensen, etcetera.
– That is correct.
– Okay.

Reel 1 Side 2 – Patch 8

– Digest to Duplex, come in.
– Go ahead Digest, this is Duplex.
– ….sir.
– …..
– ….helicopter transportation for President Johnson. ….
– Air Force One, Andrews.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Because you changed position, you have a bad microphone.
– Okay, how’s this?
– Air Force One, Roger. Go ahead with your traffic now sir.
– Go ahead, this is Duplex.
– Again, I repeat, three helicopters to transport people to the White House lawn. Okay?
– That is affirmative.
– Roger, okay. White House 102 and 405x, for transportation to Navy hospital, okay?
– That is affirmative.
– That’s a Roger. I am keeping ah….will join Hill and his party at the Navy Hospital. Okay?
– Digest, this is Duplex. You accompany the body aboard the helicopter?
– Roger, request, I was unable to get ahold of……. (break in tape – midsentence)

END OF TAPE – Reel 1, Side 2 (30:57)

AIR FORCE ONE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS

Reel 2, Side 1 (29:42) Patch 1

Duplex – Gerald Behn USSS (At Crown/White House)

Digest – Roy Kellerman (Aboard AF1)

Dagger – Rufus Youngblood (Aboard AF1)

Lace – Lady Bird Johnson

Valley – LBJ and Lady Bird’s Residence in DC

– Andrews. Duplex.

– Go ahead Digest, this is Duplex.

– Static…… (unintelligible) …. okay?

– Say again Digest.

– …..static……were not notified……(unintelligible)

– Okay.

– ……(unintelligible)…..

– Say Again, Sir. (third voice – radio operator).

– That is affirmative Digest.

– Okay, Jerry. One more… Standby.

– Okay one more. ….(unintelligible) ……coverae is on six, nine, seven oh.

– Right. ….Go ahead Digest.

– Say again sir. (radio operator)

– Go ahead Digest

– Repeat. Number…. Six nine seven oh (6-9-7-0). Okay?

– That’s affirmative. I receive.

– Ah, do you have any questions? Is that enough?

– Not at the moment. But if we do we’ll call back.

– That’s a Roger, but hold on.

– I got…. (muffled background conversation),….the aircraft….good.

– Digest for Duplex. Go ahead.

– Go ahead Digest, this is Duplex.

– Could you call Dr. John Waltz (Sp?) in Washington and advise him of our arrival?

– That is affirmative.

– Okay.

– Where does Lace want to meet her? Where?

– Say again sir.

– Digest, this is Duplex. Where does Lace want Doctor Waltz to meet her?

– Ah,…at the White House when we get there with her.

– (At the White House)…..That’s affirmative.

– Standby. I don’t have anything but I think they want the line open here.

– This is Crown. I have Witness standing by.

– Get up, hang up, ah. There’s another call here.

– Digest? Digest, Digest, this is Crown, come in?

– Digest, Digest, this is Crown, come in?

– Stand by Crown. (radio operator)

– Air Force, Air Force One, Andrews. (radio operator)

– Negative Crown, negative Crown. (Liberty relay?)

– Air Force One, Andrews, say again sir.

– Air Force One, Air Force One, this is Crown, come in.

– This is negative Crown….I have traffic only. (Liberty relay?)

[Break in tape?]

Reel 2, Side One – Patch 2

– Andrews Sideband, radio.

– Command Post Weather. We’re still waiting to bring up Air Force One. We’ve been waiting now for fifteen minutes, what’s up?

– Yes sir. We are running two patches at once into the White House and they are real busy. We can’t get through to them. They’re making arrangements to take the body off and everything else.

– Let me patch in for Air Force Weather so they know.

– I already told them that earlier.

– Go ahead.

– Go ahead sir.

– Weather’s on.

– Hello sir?

– We’re running two patches at one time from Air Force One to the White House, and they are making arrangements to take the casket and stuff off and we can’t get through to you, and as soon as we can we’ll give you a call.

– Okay, he needs that temperature before he gets there.

– They should be done soon. They’ve been on it for quite a while now.

– Okay, Air Force One. Loud and clear.

– [ Break in on other conversation]……Standby and we’ll have General Heaton come on this other line.

– Sir, Command Post weather has been trying to get a patch. Can we run it at this time, sir?

– Command Post? I have weather.

– Weather’s on. Go ahead.

– Weather on Air Force One, give them a call please?

– Weather, Air Force One, go ahead. (4:50)

– This is Command Post Weather, be advised of a severe weather area from forty miles west of Fleetwood, Mississippi, to twenty miles west of Glanville, Arkansas extending one twenty miles, one hundred miles to the east for tornadoes, tops five zero thousand, fifty thousand. I want you to be advised of that. I have a revised landing forecast for Andrews. If you are ready to copy, over.

– I will have to call you back on it.

– Roger.

– Air Force One. Copy sir…

– Liberty.

– Roger Liberty. Loud and clear.

– (Static)

– Roger, Roger, okay, Take …. Correction. Take this and relay it for me and then I want to patch it. …

– (Static)

– Liberty. Air Force One?

– Air Force One. This is Andrews.

– Air Force One, Andrews, go ahead sir.

– Okay, you can set up Command Post? Bring up to two, three zero, zero.

– This is Andrews. Roger copy. We’ll rely that.

– Okay and pick up the weather warning from the Air Force Command Post and see if there’s anything to it please, we’ve got…..

– Roger. Standby One.

– Static…..bring up to nine zero….

– Air Force Command Post. Major Benson.

– Right. Can I have weather please?

– Just a minute.

– Weather on.

– Sir, I have Air Force One. He’s real busy and he wants to know how severe this weather warning is, if it was severe?

– It’s for tornadoes. That’s pretty severe.

– Okay. Hold on.

– Right.

– Air Force One. Air Force One. Andrews.

– Do you read six, seven. Six, seven?

– Read…

– Air Force One.

– I have the weather on and weather is pretty important sir. Will you give them a call sir?

– Air Force One, go ahead.

– All right. Break in weather.

– Be advised. Be advised that the severe weather area is for tornadoes, tornadoes is the severity. Radar reports tops in the area at the present time from forty seven to Fifty one thousand. Over.

– What area was that? I didn’t get it before.

– This is for an area forty miles west of Greenwood, Mississippi to forty miles west of Glanville , Arkansas, and one hundred twenty miles east of both of these locations. It is on your flight path. Over.

– That is twenty miles east of both of those locations, is that correct?

– Yea, right. If you draw a line from Greenwood to Glanville, and a hundred twenty miles east of that line.

– Okay.

– Your temperature at landing at Andrews six two, sixty two degrees.

– Roger that. Thank you. Over.

Reel 2 Side One – Patch 3

– Air Force Once, this is Crown, come in.

– This is Dagger on Air Force One, to Crown.

– (Women’s voice) Roger, Roger. I have Freedom …I have Witness standing by for a patch.

– We’ll have Witness in one minute. Could we go ahead with traffic for –

– Roger. You have someone calling Bain. Is that a Roger?

– This is Dagger calling Bain.

– Stand by.

– Dagger.

– Duplex is on, go ahead.

– Dagger to Duplex

– This is from Volunteer and Victoria relative to activities tonight.

– Go ahead Dagger, this is Duplex.

– You are aware that we will go to Crown for meeting?

– That is affirmative.

– Go ahead.

– Volunteer will reside at Valley for an indefinite time. I repeat Volunteer will reside at Valley for an indefinite time. Victoria requests… to go to Valley with agents.

– Will you say again? Will you say again? Venus will go to Valley with agents?

– That is a Roger. Venus will go to Valley with agents.

– Victoria will go to Valley after first going to Crown. Over.

– Victoria will go to Valley after first going to Crown. Okay.

– That’s affirmative.

– Do you also understand that for residential purposes Volunteer will reside at Valley?

– That is affirmative. That is affirmative.

– Alright. That is all the traffic I have. ….you will get.

– Okay, okay.

Reel 2 Side One – Patch 4

– Will you give me a patch into Crown please?

– Roger, Standby One.

– White House. (Male operator picks up phone).

– Roger. Standby for Air Force One.

– Roger.

– Air Force One. Andrews. Crown. (11:08)

– Crown, Air Force One. This is a message from Wing to Slugger. Slugger is to meet aircraft as soon as possible. If he cannot do this, he is to see Wing as soon as possible, as soon as possible. Go ahead.

– Roger. Roger. Wing to Slugger. Meet aircraft as soon as possible, if this is impossible, see Wing as soon as possible, go ahead.

– That is correct. Or contact him anyway feasible.

– Roger. Roger, Crown understands. Anything further?

– This weather is…

– Roger. Roger.

Reel 2, Side One – Patch 5

– …..land.

– Air Force One. Air Force One, this is Crown, come in.

– Request Victoria … repeat … cance l … for commercial telephones. That is Volunteer and Victoria’s commercial telephones at Valley should be temporarily discontinued and security lines should be put in ,… get ……land…. personnel on that…..do you understand? Over.

– That’s a Roger Roger, cancel commercial lines at Valley, at Valley, and install blocker circuits, blocker circuits. Is that a Roger?

– That’s a Roger.

– Roger. Will Do.

(13:13)

Reel 2, Side One – Patch 6

Winner – Andrew Hatcher, Aka “Andy” (At Crown)

Warrior – Malcolm Kilduff

– Air Force?

– Air Force One. Andrews, go ahead.

– Crown please?

– Roger eight one…go ahead.

– Winger?

– Stand by for Air Force One….Roger, Crown.

– Air Force One, Andrews, give Crown a call.

– Roger, Air Force One. We would like a patch with Winner, and ah, the patch is coming from Warrior. Go ahead.

– Roger, Roger, standby.

– Crown, Crown, this is Warrior, how do you read? Over.

– Warrior from Crown, you are loud and clear. (13:37) I am putting Winner on now to you. Roger.

– Crown. This is Warrior, I want Winner, I want Winner, over.

– Warrior, Warrior, from Crown, go ahead. Winner, Winner is on the line.

– Winner, Winner. This is Warrior. Do you read me, over?

– I hear you. Over.

– Winner, Winner, this is Warrior. Will you please advise press that normal press coverage including live TV will be allowed at the base. Volunteer, repeat, Volunteer will make statement on arrival, will make statement on arrival. Did you read that? Over.

– I read you clearly.

– Will you listen to my question? Is Mrs. Kennedy aboard Air Force One?

– Warrior. That is a Roger. That is a Roger. Over.

– Alright, the other thing is I am setting up a press section on the south lawn about 50 yards from the position of Helicopter Number One. Would that meet Mrs. Kennedys and the President’s approval?

– Winner, they are not returning to the house, they are not returning to the house, for your own information. They are going someplace else. I don’t want to go in on the radio with this one. So there will be an arrival there, but it will be Volunteer. It will be Volunteer. Over.

– Thank you. I will hold that information. And we can say something after you arrive. Hold it just a second. Let me see my list of questions. Is it true that the body of President Kennedy will go to Bethesda Naval Hospital?

– That is a Roger, that is a Roger, but we are not saying that yet. Over.

– Well we already said it. I should have checked it with you before doing it. But I don’t think it makes much difference. It takes a lot…It takes a lot off of us by doing it. I was in error. Over.

– So far as the there is no objection on the south lawn. There is no objection to that.

– (Unintelligible) lies, lies…Okay. Is there anything else?

– Will you repeat that?

– Is there anything else that I should know?

– Wait a minute. You are breaking. But let me think about this just a second will you?

– Yes, the power on this aircraft………We lost ….bell…..somewhere along the line, we don’t have AP aboard. But I have given them the statement…… he will make at the airport. Over.

– I understand you. Okay, over and out.

– Don’t go out on me yet. Are you still there?

– Yes I am here.

– I think we are going to tell the press that on arrival, hold on, just a minute, wait a minute, I have Clifton here, he is trying to give me something, hold it, over…… (background conversation, muffled).

– (muffled conversation).

– Winner, Winner, this is Warrior, the…..you can announce on arrival, on arrival, he will meet with….at the White House……(static – ten seconds) ……later he will meet with the leadership, with the leadership. Did you read that? Over.

– Yes I did read that.

– Wait a minute. You are breaking badly. I cannot read. …

– Yes, yes. I understand, I will announce.

– Very good Winner. Now wait a minute, there is something else I want to relay to you. Hold on. They said that on arrival at the house, the president will meet with MacNamara and Bundy. And also if Rusk is in town he will meet with Rusk but I think he is in the Far East so it will probably be Ball. And after, a half hour after that meeting is over, we will meet with Congressional leadership at at,… now wait a minute, that’s eight o’clock, he will meet with leadership…. at eight o’clock, eight o’clock. Did you read that? Over.

– I read it. Now is that bipartisan leadership or Democratic leadership?

– That is only bipartisan, only bipartisan.

– I understand you.

– Hold on for some other information. Do you mind holding Andy?

– No go right ahead. (ten seconds).

– I have no more at this time. I hope you will be available so I can reach you if I get more information as it develops? Over.

– Yes, over and out.

Reel 2, Side One – Patch 7

– Air Force.

– Air Force One. This is Crown.

– This is Warrior to Crown, Crown, are you reading. Over.

– This is Crown, loud and clear.

– Hold on for transmission from Witness. From Witness.

– Roger, Roger, would also like to confirm at this time, would also like to confirm at this time, the request from AF One…Watchman. Over.

– This is Crown. Go ahead …

– Can you put Mister Bundy on?

– You were broken. You were broken, say again.

– Crown, this is Watchman. Please put Mister Bundy on the line. Over.

– Roger, Roger, standby.

– You’re party on this end is on. Go ahead and transmit to him.

– Watchman….

– ……Mac,…….second and secretary MacNamare at six thirty at the White House. If Mr. Rusk is in town…..Mr. Rusk…..we do not, we do not, that’s negative, we do not want the acting secretary. Over.

– Correct. Tell him that the acting cabinet will be at the airport to greet him. He can bring MacNamara and me in his chopper to the White House. Over.

– That is fine. That is all right. We can do that. Take another message.

– Yea.

– Secondly. I talked to Jerry Behn about a White House staff meeting. There will be No White House staff meeting tonight, that will be tomorrow.

– I have it. Let me repeat your message. Over.

– Okay.

– First that the President would like to meet with the Secretary and me at the White House on return from Andrews. Second that there will be no other meeting this evening. There will be ….tomorrow. Is that correct? Over.

– No that is not correct. He wants to meet with the leadership about seven-thirty, the leadership at seven-thirty.

– Does he want us to arrange that?

– He wants you to arrange that. Two meetings tonight. MacNamarea and Bundy.

– Does he mean only the Democratic leadership only? Over.

– Bipartisan leadership; and I’ll give you some names. Over.

– Speaker of the House. [John McCormak (D. Mass.)

– Yea.

– Carl Albert. [D. Oklahoma]

– Carl Albert.

– Hal Boggs.

– Yea.

– Charles Halleck [R. Indiana]

– Wait a moment. Say that one again.

– Leslie Arends [R. Illinois]

– Arends. Yea.

– (From) the Senate. Are you listening? Over.

– I have…Will you take from me what I have? Then we can go on.

– I’ll listen to you. Over.

– I have Speaker Carl Albert, Hale Boggs, and Leslie Arends. Over.

– This is Watchman. That is correct, and I will now continue with the Senate. Over.

– Mansfield. [D. Montana]

– Right.

– Humphrey [D. Minnesota].

– Yea.

– And Dirksen [R. Illinois].

– Hang on, hold it. Wait a moment. I have the first three, over.

– Repeat over.

– This is Watchman. Out.

– Hello, sir? Standby please. (radio operator)

– Yea.

– Watchman, Andrews. We’re still standing by for orders to carry out, sir.

– Crown, this is Angel. Crown, this is Angel. Out.

– Crown, Angel?

– This is Angel.

– Crown, Angel.

– Listen Angel, Would you? I broke down with Mister Bundy. Would you check his Senate list for me? Over

– I have Mansfield, Humphrey, Smathers. Over.

– This is Watchman. In addition to Mansfield, Humphrey, Smatters, we want Dirksen.

– Yea (24:03)

– Kuchel and [Bourke] Hickenlooper [R. Iowa]. Over.

– Dirksen, Kuchel, Hickenlooper. Over.

– That is correct. For about seven thirty. Over.

– Seven thirty at the White House? Over.

– Seven thirty in the Cabinet Room. Over.

– Tell the Vice President [Sic ] the Cabinet Room is under rearrangement, but the Oval Room will be ready. Over.

– The Oval Room it will be, you mean the Fish Room?

– I mean, both the Fish Room, and the President’s Study and we will try to have the Cabinet Room. But that’s a detail, we can work that out. Over.

– This is Watchman. [Gen. Clifton] HE DOES NOT WANT TO GO IN THE MANSION OR IN THE OVAL ROOM OR THE PRESIDENT’S STUDY OR THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE. (Loud and with emphasis)

– Correct. [Bundy].

– IF THE CABINET ROOM ISN’T READY PUT IT IN THE FISH ROOM. OVER.

– I have you. I understand. Always in the West Wing. Over.

– I have nothing further. Over.

– This is Watchman, now please brief Duplex about the changes, so we don’t confuse it. . Duplex is Jerry Behn. Over.

– Alright I will.

– See you in a little while. Over.

– Okay.

Reel 2, Side One – Patch 9 –

– Air Force One

– This is Warrior to Crown, Crown

– Are you reading? Over.

– Warrior, Warrior. This is Crown. Loud and clear.

– Hold for Witness. This is Watchman. Over.

– Standby One I have another patch.

– I have Air Force One Andrews, please.

– Air Force One. Come in on another line down please.

– Andrews. Andrews sideband, will you give me Crown please?

– Give you who sir?

– Andrews?

– Who did you want to give a call?

– Crown. White House.

– White House. (Male voice)

– Roger. Stand by for Air Force One.

– Roger.

– Air Force One White House on.

– How do you read? Over.

– Crown, you are loud and clear, go ahead

– White House, White House, will you give me another patch to Winner, Another patch to Winner.

– Roger, Standby.

– We are still standing by for Crown.

– Andrews, Andrews, this is Air Force One. Do I have that patch with Crown. Over.

– Andrews, Air Force One. We are still standing by for Winner through Crown.

– Will you repeat?

– We are still standing by for Winner. We are still standing by for Winner.

– That’s a Roger.

– Air Force One, Andrews.

– Crown, Crown. This is Warrior. Over.

– Warrior, Stand by. Winner is still in another patch, still in another patch.

– Crown.

– Will you repeat?

– Roger. We are still standing by for Winner. We are still standing by for Winner.

– That’s a Roger.

– One Andrews.

– Crown, Crown, this is Warrior. Over.

– Warrior, Andrews. Winner is still in another patch. Winner is still in another patch. I have another message for radio operator on Air Force One.

– Crown, Crown. Who is Winner on a patch with? Over.

– Hello Andrews?

– Yea?

– Will you break in for me?

– Yes.

– Warrior? Crown.

– Crown, give him another call?

– Warrior, Warrior, this is Crown.

– Go ahead Crown.

– Warrior, this is Crown. We are having some difficulty in locating ah, Winner. Will you stand by please?

– That’s a Roger Crown, this is Warrior.

– Air Force One? Andrews? Hello?

– Is this Air Force One?

– Can you give me a quick check on that?

– How about bringing that thirteen through Liberty on the nose, and come back with it?

– Stand by.

End of Reel 2, Side 1 (29:42)

Reel 2, Side 2 (30:06) – Patch 1

– Now….
– Roger, Roger.
– Hello? (Women’s voice)
– Just a moment, Mrs. Kennedy.
– Just one moment now please.
– ….are you up?
– Hello?
– Standby One now please.
– One, Air Force One, Air Force One, from Crown, come in.
– Crown, this is Air Force One, do you read us? Over……
– Are you ready for Volunteer? Go ahead.
– Yes, we are ready, can you put her on and I’ll turn you over to him. Over.
– Roger, Roger, she is coming now.
– Air Force One from Crown. Mrs. Kennedy on, go ahead please.
– Hello, Mrs. Kennedy? Hello Mrs. Kennedy, we are talking from the airplane, can you hear me all right? Over.
– Thank you. Hello?
– Yes, Mrs. Kennedy, I have….could hear you.
– Mrs. Kennedy?
– Yes, Yes Mr. President, Yes?
– I wish to God there was something I could do. And I want to tell you that we are grieving with you.
– Yes, well thank you very much. Thank you very much. I know, I know that you loved Jack and that he loved you.
– (Lady Bird) Mrs. Kennedy….we…..together….We……son…..
– Thank you Lady Bird, thank you very much. Goodbye.
– …. In our prayers ….all of you.
– All right. Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye. (Phone hangs up).
– Crown, Crown, this is Warrior. I think that’s it. It’s over. Is that a Roger? Over.
– That’s a Roger, Warrior. Mrs. Kennedy hung up. Go ahead.

Reel 2 Side One – Patch 2

– Crown, now will you get me that patch to Walter Jenkins in President Johnson’s office? Over.
– Roger, Standby One.
– And Crown, get somebody to come up on the Charlie set please?
– Liberty to Air Force One, are you on Nine?
– Roger, I still have…standing by for Warrior.
– Okay, bring him up on Nine, please. Crown, give Air Force One a call now.
– Air Force One, Air Force One, this is Crown, come in.
– Air Force One, Andrews, Crown is on, go ahead.
– Air Force One, Andrews, Crown is on, give them a call please.
– Crown, this is Warrior, do you read me? Over.
– Roger Warrior, this is Crown, standby for Winner. Go ahead.
– That’s a Roger, you are loud and clear.
– Warrior, Warrior, Winner is on, go ahead.
– Winner, this is Warrior, do you read me? Over.
– I read you.
– Winner, that first meeting will be Bundy and McNamara only. The President will meet with Rusk, U.S. Senators….probably going to be a different, be a different ah event….ah.
– I read you.
– Did you read that Winner?
– Yes, Yes.
– Crown, Crown, this is Warrior, do you read me? Over.
– Yes I do Warrior, I read you.
– ….aboard….I need Crown back again. I need Crown back again. Over.
– Yes, over and out. And I’ll….
– Crown
– Liberty?
– Crown?
– Yes?
– Roger, give Air Force One a call please.
– Roger. Air Force One, Air Force One, this is Crown, come in. Air Force One, this is crown, come in.
– Crown, Crown, this is Warrior, do you read me? Over.
– Warrior, this is Crown, ah Roger, you are at Five Five, go ahead.
– Will you get me a patch with Mister Walter Jenkins….ah,…at President Johnson’s office. Over.
– Roger, Warrior, standby.
– Kill this call! Kill this call! I think we are overlapping on another call. Over.
– Roger.
– This is Warrior. I mean Crown. This is Warrior on Air Force One. Go ahead.
– Roger, Roger. On your request for Jenkins, he is on route to Andrews, on route to your destination. Go ahead.
– That’s a Roger Crown. I will pass that word on.

Reel 2 Side Two – Patch 3.

– Air Force One, Volunteer would like a patch to the Governor Connally…that’s Governor Connally of Texas. Mrs. Connally, the Governor’s wife. Go ahead.
– Volunteer would like a patch with Mrs. Connally, Governor Conally’s wife. Is that a Roger?
– That is a Roger.
– Roger, Roger, we have Dallas on the line and are trying to contact her now. Standby please.
– Standing by.
– Crown, come in.
– ….so far….
– Roger, Roger that’s right, Standby One.
– Crown to Air Force One.
– Air Force One from Crown. The Connally residence in Dallas is on the line, on the line, and Mrs. Connally is available to speak with Mister Johnson if he can get to the phone patch. Go ahead.
– Roger, he wants specifically to speak with her. Go ahead.
– Roger, standby just a moment. AF One, AF One from Crown, will you put Volunteer on please? Mrs. Connally is on the line, standing by for his call.
– Standby One.
– Can you hear me?
– …..reasuring….the surgeon….John….is so reassuring…how about it…..(static)
– I can’t hear you too well.
– …Can you hear me? (Volunteer/LBJ)
– Yes.
– (LBJ) I know that everything is going to be all right, isn’t it?
– (Women’s Voice/Nellie Connally) Yes, it’s going to be all right.
– God bless you darlin’.
– The same to you.
– …for me….
– Good luck.
– Goodbye.
– Goodbye.
– Goodbye.
– Air Force One, Andrews, Go ahead. Crown/
– Roger, we have an echo. Is that you or down the line?
– I believe it is down the line, sir. Call….
– Air Force One.
– Air Force One. Crown. Go ahead.
– Roger. That about completes it for now.
– If you could standby Air Force One, we have a couple of people down the line who would like to talk to you, if you could standby.

Reel 2 Side One – Patch 4

– Roger, go ahead.
– Command Post.
– Air Force One, go ahead Command Post.
– Air Force Command Post.
– Go ahead Command Post, Air Force One.
– 3-7-3- ….2-1-4-1 Zulu.
– ….
– Roger, do you copy?
– ….this information passed to…
– ….this information go to? Go ahead.
– Say again? [10:14]
– Information passed to….
– Air Force One, Air Force One. I read you loud and clear. I understand Three, Three departed at Two One Four One. Who do you wish to notify about this? Go ahead.
– Ah, it is very clear sir, that the time of departure is…with the president cars on board.
– Roger, will pass that …know where that goes now.
– Thank you.
– Okay, will you call Command Post and request two, scratch that, four air police meet the airplane? We want two in the front of the airplane and two in the rear. Go ahead.
– Air Force One. You are requesting four staff cars, two staff cars with air police, two in front and two in the rear. Is that correct?
– We don’t want cars, we want air police. We want security people, we want four of them. Two at each door of the airplane. Go ahead.
– Air Force One, Andrews. Roger. Will abide. SAM.
– Roger, thank you.
– A F One, A F One from Crown, come in.
– Crown, Air Force one, go ahead.
– Roger, Roger, stand by for a patch from Tanker, Tanker
– Roger.
– A F One, A F One, Tanker on the line. Go ahead Tanker.
– Hello Andrews, hello Andrews, may I speak with Watchman or Tiger, Watchman or Tiger? Over. Watchman on another line.
– Standing by for Tiger.
– Tiger, how do you read?
– Five by Five, Tiger, Five by Five. I have been informed from Dallas that it was desired that the aircraft be parked at an isolated spot when you arrive here. However, Watchman had a long discussion with ah, Bain, and nothing about that was mentioned. And the present plan on the ground here is to spot you at the regular place, unless Watchman says now that this is not desired. Over.
– I believe that we would park at the regular place, Tiger. Where did you get that information down at Dallas? Over.
– It was from the U.S. A F Command Post agent there. And I understand from him that you had told him to do this. Over.
– We told him to look into that. We were going to discuss it in flight. Go ahead with the regular plan and park in the regular place. Ask…..to get in touch with you and pass on instructions to him. We need steps to the right front of the aircraft. The press box will be on the left front of the aircraft, and President Johnson will deplane at the front of the aircraft. And we need a fork lift at the rear of the aircraft….will deplane on the right front. Over.
– Understand. Tiger. Understand those instructions, and they have all been carried out. We will continue with the plan to spot you in the regular place. There will be a ramp left front, a ramp right front, a fork lift left rear, press area left front. Over.
– Keep in touch. Roger and out.

Reel 2 Side Two – Patch 5

– Crown, patch … call anybody you want.
– Roger.
– A F One, A F One, from Crown.
– Crown, A F One. Go ahead.
– Roger, Roger. Could you pass this to Wing. Pass this to Wing, that on his message to Slugger, Slugger was still in Dallas, still in Dallas, and has been advised to contact Wing as soon as he possibly can.
– Roger, Air Force One, copy. Will pass.
– Roger, Roger. Crown out for now. Do you have anything further A F One?
– Roger, Standby One, we have another patch for Warrior.
– Crown? Give Air Force One a call.
– Air Force One, Crown, go ahead.
– Okay, I need Capitol Four, Three, Two, Nine, One, extension Four, Nine Three.
– Four, Three, Two, Nine, One, extension Four, Nine Three.
– Roger, Roger. Understand. Anyone particular there?
– Roger, anyone at that number.
– Roger, Roger, standby.
– A. F. One, A. F. One from Crown, was that extension Four, Nine Three?
– That is affirmative. Congressman Thomas’ office.
– Say again the Congressman’s name, as they say they have no such extension.
– Congressman Thomas. Hotel, Oscar, Biker, Alpha, Sierra.
– Roger, Roger, standby, Congressman Thomas’ office on the line.
– Roger, this is the airplane. The congressman is requesting that you place his door key under, ah….the doormat of his ah… residence. Go ahead.
– (Women’s voice) Okay. Hello?
– Hello? Did you hear me? Are you there?
– There will be someone at the residence.
– I understand the house will be open and there will be someone at the residence. Is that right?
– Hello. This is Crown. I understand that the residence will be occupied and there will be someone at the residence.
– Okay, fine Crown. Thank you very much.
– Roger, Crown out.
– Andrews, will you check on the ground temperatures when you get a moment?
– Roger.
– The last …was if Volunteer was aboard? Go ahead.
– Just a moment.
– Andrews, the temperature, the present temperature is 64 degrees.
– Okay.
– Crown. Zulu time.
– Zulu?
– Make it 62.
– 63?
– 62.
– 62. Got it.
– Will have to rescind ……
– ….
– ….Yes, yes, we’re not going to be able to rescind…we only get them on one circuit now.
– Oh, I see. We’ll just notify the people.
– All right, thank you very much….
– This is Liberty. Roger.
– Air Force One, Andrews.
– Air Force One. Go ahead.
– Roger, Present temperature is 64 degrees. 2300 forecast, Six two degrees.
– Roger. Thank you.
– Air Force one. Will you give me the Command Post please?
– Roger, sir.
– Air Force Command Post…
– Sideband…Air Force One for a patch.
– Roger, Stand by for Air Force One.
– Air Force One, Command Post. Go ahead.
– Roger Command Post, Air Force One, we checked Crown Royal at 2242, and are descending…remains 2305, go ahead.
– Roger. Air Force One. Command Post…..
– (women’s voice) … (unintelligible)
– Standby…ah, he’s on the teleyision set right now.
– (women’s voice) It’s very important.

– Who’s calling please?
– ….in Dallas.
– Can you standby? Over.
– This is Air Force One. Warrior is unable to speak with you at the present time, and asks you if you will please call the White House in about 30 minutes.
– Roger. Out.
– Roger.

Reel 2, Side 2 – Patch 6

– Andrews, this is Air Force One.
– Air Force One. Go ahead.
– Can you give me Air Force Command Post please?
– SAM Command Post. Captain Benson.
– Roger, sideband on Air Force Once for a patch.
– Okay, go ahead.
– Roger, Air Force One, Andrews, SAM Command Post on, go ahead.
– Roger. Do you have an ET on the C130 with the vehicles?
– Negative, sir. Haven’t heard a thing.
– Ah, okay, right, thank you.
– We will check it out.
– Air Force Command Post…sir.
– Sideband from Air Force One coming in.
– White House (operator)
– Standby for Air Force One.
– Roger.
– Go ahead Andrews.
– Command Post, Air Force One landed Andrews at 2300 – Two Three Zero Zero.
– Roger…2300
– Loud and clear.
– Andrews, make it ah….Zero Four please.
– Air Force One, Andrews, arrived on the block at Zero Four. Good Day sir.
– Thank you.

END OF TAPE

 

 

 

 

Gene Case RIP

Gene Case - COPA Ad Man RIP

 Photo Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Gene Case RIP December 6, 1937 – September 9, 2010

Gene Case was an early and enthusiastic supporter of COPA – the Coalition On Political Assassinations, and used his finely tuned Madison Avenue advertising skills to advance our cause.

While he once designed a classic anti-war advertising campaign in support of Lyndon Johnson against Barry Goldwater, Case devised an ad for COPA that ran in the Dallas newspaper on the 40th anniversary of the assassination that featured the famous photo of LBJ being sworn in aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963 with the caption: REGIME CHANGE.

At the time of his death he was preparing a much larger campaign for the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination with a poster made of a JFK half dollar with a bullet hole in the head and the caption: “50 Years Of Denial Is Enough – Release the Secret Files Now – Unearth the Truth by 2013.”

John Judge, COPA director, wrote, “I just tonight found out that my friend and supporter Gene Case of Avenging Angels, Inc. in NYC passed on September 9 this year. Gene was a JFK assassination researcher, advocate inside The Nation magazine, supporter of COPA and the Museum of Hidden History, brilliant and progressive ad man, and a wonderful human being with a sense of humor.”

From an email sent to me this year:

I am slouching toward the Fiftieth Anniversary in 2013. That will be ourlast, best chance to win. Obama is inspiring comparisons to JFK and new appreciation of him and there was already (late last year?) the stunning about-face of Time magazine with its admiring cover story.

We need to make a massive community collaborative effort culminating on November 22, 21 It’s true that “The Community” is not famous for itscollaborative skills. But everybody’s getting dangerously old. The theme could be “KILL THE LIE BEFORE YOU DIE.” Notice that it rhymes–that’s alwaysgood. “The fierce urgency of now!”

See also his attached poster design.

I intend to photo-shop the attached graphic icon based on the Kennedy half-dollar, flopping the profile so that the fatal wound is on the right side and altering the date on the coin to 1963. (No-one will notice the poetic license.) Under the coin would be a title like “50 Years of Denial is Enough.” It makes a good button, good logo, good bumper sticker, good book dust jacket, etc.

Best Regards, Gene

Judge notes: “Gene Case was a JFK assassination researcher, good friend and supporter of both COPA and the idea of a museum in Washington, DC that would highlight the assassination. He was thinking about and working toward a 50th anniversary conference and campaign to get at the truth after 50 years of denial. He did covers for the Nation and often tried to change their policy of not printing information on the conspiracy. A brilliant ad man, he left a commercial firm and wealth to form his own ad agency dedicated to helping progressive causes. I worked with him during its first year, finding clients in the nonprofit advocacy groups in DC. He will be sorely missed in our circles.”

“At one small gathering of key JFK researchers for a weekend he asked ‘Is this just a hobby for you guys or do you want do something about it?'”

“His slogan for Avenging Angels, Inc. was ‘It’s time for the better angels of our nature to start kicking ass!'”

(see http://www.avengingangels.org)

“Indeed. Let’s not let him die in vain. John Judge”

http://www.avengingangels.org/Mission.html

NEW YORK TIMES OBIT

Gene Case, Who Marketed After-Shave and Politicians, Dies at 72

By BRUCE WEBER

Published: September 13, 2010

Advertising portfolios are grab bags, collections of products and services and ideas connected only by the person who was hired to sell them. But certainly Gene Case, who helped peddle Lyndon B. Johnson for the presidency and Tums for the tummy, had a wider sales range than most.

Gene Case, who helped found an ad agency in the 1960’s, turned his energies to liberal political causes.

Mr. Case, who worked in advertising from the age of “Mad Men” to the age of Obama, founded the half-billion-dollar agency Jordan McGrath Case & Partners, created the “Thanks. I needed that” campaign for Mennen Skin Bracer and spent his last years creating campaigns on behalf of liberal causes, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 72.

The cause of death was a heart attack, the family said.

Mr. Case was a copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach, the agency that created the “Think small” campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle, when he was assigned to Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 campaign against Senator Barry Goldwater. He worked with the team that created the famous antinuclear “Daisy ad,” in which the image of a little girl counting down the petals of a daisy melds into the image of a nuclear explosion.

In another signature ad from the campaign, a young man who says he has always been a Republican talks to the camera for an astonishing four minutes about his fear of Goldwater, his party’s candidate, as a nuclear hawk. According to Stephen Kling, senior art director of Mr. Case’s last agency, Avenging Angels, Mr. Case wrote the copy for that ad.

In 1966, Mr. Case’s ads, focusing on issues like pollution control, helped Nelson A. Rockefeller win a third term as governor of New York. He also wrote the ads for Rockefeller’s failed attempt to win the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. Later, after he and others formed the agency that became Jordan McGrath Case & Partners, Mr. Case wrote ads for the New York mayoral campaigns of Robert F. Wagner and Bella Abzug. Jordan McGrath was largely a commercial agency, however; at its peak, in the 1990s, it booked $500 million a year. One of Mr. Case’s more memorable creations there was the Skin Bracer campaign in which different men (including a young John Goodman), applying the “chin chiller” after shaving, would be slapped across the face (or would slap themselves) and utter the catchphrase: “Thanks. I needed that.”

Mr. Case also worked on ads for Tums, the antacid, and came up with the idea for a musical tag, “tum-ta-tum-tum,” chanted to the rhythm of the theme from the television show “Dragnet.”

“Which we paid for through the nose for the next 15 years,” Patrick J. McGrath, one of Mr. Case’s former partners, said with a laugh in an interview.

In 2002, Mr. Case returned to the political arena when he helped found Avenging Angels, an advocacy ad agency that creates campaigns for liberal causes. His ads there opposed the war in Iraq and nuclear proliferation and supported the Democratic National Committee, the environmental group Riverkeeper, bans on assault weapons and the magazine The Nation.

“I’ve been in this business for 42 years,” Mr. Case said in an interview in The New York Times in 2003 about his decision to return to advocacy advertising. “And I’ve never been so productive, so happy — and so poor.”

Eugene Lawrence Case was born on Dec. 6, 1937, in Knoxville, Tenn., where his father, Harry, was personnel director for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the New Deal program under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Like his father, Mr. Case graduated from Cornell, where he studied architecture. He took his first copywriter job in 1961, at the J. Walter Thompson agency.

Mr. Case’s first two marriages, to Mary Jane Austin and Ilon Specht, ended in divorce. He is survived by three children from his marriage to Ms. Austin: Christopher, of Mamaroneck, N.Y.; Alison, of Williamstown, Mass.; and Timothy, of the Bronx. He is survived by a son, Brady, of Manhattan, from his marriage to Ms. Specht. He is also survived by a sister, Marcia Schlaff, of Manhattan; his wife, Sylvia Rodriguez Case, whom he married in 1994; their daughter, Billie, of Manhattan; and nine grandchildren.

Mr. McGrath, his former partner, said that Mr. Case had been an especially skilled writer but that even that gift had paled in comparison to his creativity as a pitchman.

“He was without a doubt the best presenter of advertising who ever lived,” Mr. McGrath said. “Clients were sometimes unhappy because the ads weren’t as good as the presentation.”

A version of this article appeared in print on September 19, 2010, on page A32 of the New York edition.

Talk About Regime Change

Dallasad

Click on the link above to see Gene Case’s Ad for Dallas COPA.

                                                                                                  TALK ABOUT REGIME CHANGE

Gene Case's Dallas COPA Ad

                                                                                                           TALK ABOUT REGIME CHANGE