JFK by Joseph Cesarini

                On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum). One of the most loved presidents in history was shot multiple times in his convertible Limo, right in front of his wife, Jackie Kennedy, and the thousands of Americans watching the motorcade parade. Thousands of people watched JFK get assassinated, but did everyone really see the same thing? Since the date of the assassination, many conspiracy theories developed: How was JFK shot from multiple directions when the official report shows one shooter? Why is there so much suspicious activity around the grassy knoll and more areas other than the reported shooting sight, the Texas School Book Depositary? These are just a few conspiracies that we will explore to prove that JFK was assassinated by multiple gunman.

            “John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917, into a wealthy, Catholic family” (John F. Kennedy Biography). His father was a successful banker who made most of his money by playing the stock market close after World War 1. (John F. Kennedy Biography).  Young JFK was a poor student and trouble. He attended Harvard University, but made average grades due to the distractions of sports and women (John F. Kennedy Biography). After his time at Harvard, JFK joined the United States Navy. In his time in the Navy, JFK was a hero saving multiple lives in a shipwreck (John F. Kennedy Biography). Following his time in the Navy JFK started his endeavor into the world of politics by running for the U.S. House of Representatives in a working-class district of Boston (John F. Kennedy Biography). This would begin JFK’s spiral into the lie of a life he lived.

            Politics was always something JFK was bound to be involved in, it was in his blood and how he would satisfy his burning desire for power. Not much conflict occurred during his six years in the House of Representatives (Life of John F. Kennedy). In 1952, he was elected to the US Senate; this was also the year that he married Jacqueline Bouvier (Life of John F. Kennedy). A few years later in 1956, JFK started to gain popularity as a politician. His façade as a family man was one of the key factors to his popularity.  JFK knew very well that he was loved by the American people and decided to take advantage of this and run for President of the United States for the 1960 election. JFK won the election, but it was very close. On January 20^th, 1961, he was inaugurated into office as the 35^th president. However, was the election rigged from the start or did JFK truly win America over with his act?

            JFK’s desire for power wasn’t solely his desire. There are many groups of people that would have benefitted from JFK’s election. One of these groups just so happens to be the Infamous Chicago mafia. In 2009, Tina Sinatra who is the daughter of famous singer and mobster, Frank Sinatra, was interviewed on the TV program “60 minutes”. Tina Sinatra claimed that her father had been requested by JFK to use his mob ties to strong-arm votes for JFK (Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?).

            As well as having mutual friends with the mob, JFK and Chicago mob boss Giancana shared a mistress named, Judith Campbell Exner (Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?). JFK and Giancana were involved with Exner at different times. JFK was first involved with her, but once Exner and Kennedy had cut ties, Exner became Giancana’s problem (Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?).  There was a year of time where Exner was dealing with both men at once. Throughout 1960 and 1961, JFK and Giancana had used Exner as a middle man to schedule meetings, sit-downs, and deliver mysterious packages. (Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?).

            JFK had scrambled through most of his years as president with a few minor bumps in the long road of the presidential term. By fall of 1963 President Kennedy began to campaign for the next presidential election (November 22, 1963: Death of the President). On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m.  President Kennedy was assassinated while riding through Dealy Plaze in downtown Dallas, Texas (November 22, 1963: Death of the President).

            JFK was assassinated on November 22^nd, 1963. Most people agree that this very day is considered the end of an era of innocence. But one thing that remains controversial is the details in the death of JFK.

Conspiracy Number One: JFK was shot by more than one person

            One thing that eye witnesses and parade attendees agree on is the fact that Three shots were fired. Let’s break each shot down individually and asses the physical evidence that comes with them. There were only three shots fired. “We know that one shot deflected off the curb and knocked a piece of concrete that cut James Tague on the chin (a bystander near the entrance of the triple underpass on Elm St) (Multiple Shots from Many Directions Killed JFK).” “This left two shots to complete all of the wounds on President Kennedy and Governor Connally (1).” “So let's talk simply about the president's wounds (1).” Let’s focus on the First wounding shot, the shot to JFK’s back. The original autopsy sheet described in the death certificate that there was an entry wound at the third vertebrae, but the Warren Commission (The commission assigned by Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination) decided to change the entry wound to six inches up the back of JFK’s neck (1). The warren commission did this to account for a bullet that came out through the throat and hit Texas Governor, John Connally (1). This brings up the question: How does a bullet with a downward trajectory enter the third vertebrae and leave the throat? (1) Was it a magic bullet? Or just a conspiracy. This brings up another strange discrepancy (1). “Doctors in the Parkland Hospital identified the throat wound as an entry wound” (This was lately identified as an exit wound by the Warren Commission) (1). These doctors at the Parkland hospital had a lot of experience with bullet wounds so the fact that they identified the bullet wound as entry should not be questioned. One of the surgeon’s on-duty Dr. Robert N. McClelland was asked to assist with the tracheotomy (“A tracheotomy or a tracheostomy is an opening surgically created through the neck into the trachea (windpipe) to allow direct access to the breathing tube and is commonly done in an operating room under general anesthesia. A tube is usually placed through this opening to provide an airway and to remove secretions from the lungs.  Breathing is done through the tracheostomy tube rather than through the nose and mouth (What Is a Tracheostomy?).”) Dr. McClelland came behind the president’s head and verbally announced to the other doctors present that there was an exit wound at the back of his head (Multiple Shots from Many Directions Killed JFK). Dr. McClelland’s statement really should not be questioned, he was very close, only eighteen inches away from the president’s head for seven to eight minutes (1). Two witnesses even further prove that there were multiple shooters. Two motorcycle officers were riding in the left rear behind the presidential vehicle (1). “Both motorcycle officers got splattered by JFK’s Brain tissue (1)”. “With the physical evidence presented above, it is obvious that there was more than one shooter (1)”. People may argue against there being multiple shooters fact that the man who was accused of killing JFK, Lee Harvey Oswald, was already caught and had suspicious evidence against him. Such as that Lee Harvey Oswald had brought a rifle to work, and was at the sixth-floor window with the rifle at the time of the shooting (How Did Lee Harvey Oswald Kill President Kennedy?) However, Oswald can be disproved as acting alone due to the physical evidence that shows there is more than one shooter.

Conspiracy Number Two: Why was there a lot of activity around the Grassy Knoll?

            On record JFK was shot from the Texas School Book Depository (November 22, 1963: Death of the President). But that would disprove the physical evidence presented above in conspiracy number one. “In the immediate aftermath of the assassination, numerous witnesses and policemen found themselves in the parking lot atop the infamous Grassy Knoll. Their presence is often cited as evidence of an assassin firing from behind the fence (“Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll). People started rushing to the grassy knoll about one minute after the shot, they did this because most followed some Dallas motorcycle policeman (1). Everyone did this because they believe to have heard shots from the grassy knoll. People may argue that the grassy knoll is not a relevant location where JFK could have been shot, but the amount of activity and the trajectory of the bullets disproves this.

Most likely solution:

            The evidence does not lie. The most likely outcome is that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in the assassination of JFK. There were an unknown number of shooters but the evidence does conclude that the shooters had to be firing in at least two different directions. One being Lee Harvey Oswald from the Texas School Book Depository. The other shooter’s identity remains unknown, but the location most likely being the Grassy Knoll.

Survey Results:

            A survey was offered to twenty people on whether that they believe there were multiple shooters, other than Lee Harvey Oswald. The survey resulted in eighteen out of twenty people saying they believed that Oswald did not act alone. The other two believed that Oswald acted a lone gunman.

            The assassination of JFK remains a widely-debated topic to this day. Although officially the case of JFK’s assassination is considered solved, the physical evidence disproves what is stated to have happened on the official report. JFK’s assassination is brought to two theories:

1.      How was JFK officially reported to have only been shot from one direction when the physical evidence proves multiple shooters?

2.      Why was there so much suspicious activity reported to have come from the grassy knoll, when the official report says the Texas School Book Depository is the location where shots were fired?

Although the physical evidence and multiple witness statements points to the fact that there were multiple shooters, the official report is still sealed and has remained unchanged.

 

Work Cited

Biography.com Editors. "John F. Kennedy Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 24 Mar. 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

"Life of John F. Kennedy." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

Kiger, By Patrick J. "Was Kennedy Tied to the Mob?" National Geographic Channel. N.p., 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

"November 22, 1963: Death of the President." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

Vollbach, Michael, and Ronald Burda. "Multiple Shots from Many Directions Killed JFK." U.S. News. N.p., 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Molnar, Heather. "What Is a Tracheostomy?" Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in Baltimore, Maryland. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.

(http://www.lab99.com/), Lab 99 Web Design. "How Did Lee Harvey Oswald Kill President Kennedy?" The Case Against Lee Harvey Oswald : The JFK Assassination. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.

Organ, Jerry. ""Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll in the Wake of the JFK Assassination." "Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll in the Wake of the JFK Assassination. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.

"November 22, 1963: Death of the President." November 22, 1963: Death of the President - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.