Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Cover created by Transcriber and placed in the Public Domain.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
35th President of the United States May 29, 1917-November 22, 1963
Report of President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
St. Martin’s Press New York
Photo credits:
Page 66 & 67: Thomas C. Dillard/ Dallas Morning News Pages 100, 101, 102, 103, 108 & 114 (Zapruder stills): © 1963, 1967 LMH Company c/o James Silverberg, Esq., Washington, D.C. Page 108 (Nix still): © 1963, 1964-1991 Nix c/o James Silverberg, Esq., Washington, D.C. Page 113: AP/Wide World Page 126: Detroit Free Press Page 177: Hill Exhibit B/National Archives Pages 203, 205, 214, 218, 223: KRLD-TV/CBS Pages 220, 232, 341: WBAP-TV/NBC Page 356: AP/Wide World All other photos and illustrations courtesy of the National Archives
ISBN 0-312-08256-8 (hc.) ISBN 0-312-08257-6 (pbk.)
Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman
President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
200 Maryland Ave. N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 Telephone 543-1400
EARL WARREN, Chairman RICHARD B. RUSSELL JOHN SHERMAN COOPER HALE BOGGS GERALD R. FORD JOHN J. McCLOY ALLEN W. DULLES
United States. Warren Commission
Transcriber’s Notes
Foreword
THE COMMISSION AND ITS POWERS
THE INVESTIGATION
COMMISSION HEARINGS
THE COMMISSION’S FUNCTION
THE COMMISSION’S REPORT
Contents
NARRATIVE OF EVENTS
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
PLANNING THE TEXAS TRIP
ADVANCE PREPARATIONS FOR THE DALLAS TRIP
DALLAS BEFORE THE VISIT
VISITS TO OTHER TEXAS CITIES
ARRIVAL AT LOVE FIELD
ORGANIZATION OF THE MOTORCADE
THE DRIVE THROUGH DALLAS
THE ASSASSINATION
PARKLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
THE END OF THE TRIP
THE WITNESSES
THE PRESIDENTIAL AUTOMOBILE
EXPERT EXAMINATION OF RIFLE, CARTRIDGE CASES, AND BULLET FRAGMENTS
THE BULLET WOUNDS
THE TRAJECTORY
NUMBER OF SHOTS
THE SHOT THAT MISSED
TIME SPAN OF SHOTS
CONCLUSION
OWNERSHIP AND POSSESSION OF ASSASSINATION WEAPON
Conclusion
THE RIFLE IN THE BUILDING
Conclusion
OSWALD AT WINDOW
Conclusion
THE KILLING OF PATROLMAN J. D. TIPPIT
Conclusion
OSWALD’S ARREST
STATEMENTS OF OSWALD DURING DETENTION
PRIOR ATTEMPT TO KILL
OSWALD’S RIFLE CAPABILITY
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
TREATMENT OF OSWALD IN CUSTODY
ACTIVITY OF NEWSMEN
THE ABORTIVE TRANSFER
POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE TO JACK RUBY IN ENTERING THE BASEMENT
ADEQUACY OF SECURITY PRECAUTIONS
NEWS COVERAGE AND POLICE POLICY
RESPONSIBILITY OF NEWS MEDIA
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE ASSASSINATION
BACKGROUND OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD
POSSIBLE CONSPIRACY INVOLVING JACK RUBY
CONCLUSION
The Early Years
New York City
Return to New Orleans and Joining the Marine Corps
Interest in Marxism
Defection to the Soviet Union
Return to the United States
Personal Relations
Employment
Attack on General Walker
Political Activities
Interest in Cuba
Possible Influence of Anti-Kennedy Sentiment in Dallas
Relationship With Wife
The Unanswered Questions
Conclusion
THE NATURE OF THE PROTECTIVE ASSIGNMENT
EVALUATION OF PRESIDENTIAL PROTECTION AT THE TIME OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY
RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSION
APPENDIX I
APPENDIX II
APPENDIX III
MEMBERS OF COMMISSION
GENERAL COUNSEL
ASSISTANT COUNSEL
STAFF MEMBERS
RESOLUTION GOVERNING QUESTIONING OF WITNESSES BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF
BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR
LINCOLN
THE NEED FOR PROTECTION FURTHER DEMONSTRATED
DEVELOPMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL PROTECTION
FIREARMS AND FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION
FINGERPRINTS AND PALMPRINTS
QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
WOUND BALLISTICS EXPERIMENTS
HAIRS AND FIBERS
PHOTOGRAPHS
REPORT OF CAPT. J. W. FRITZ, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT
REPORTS OF AGENTS OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
REPORTS OF INSPECTOR THOMAS J. KELLEY, U.S. SECRET SERVICE
REPORT OF U.S. POSTAL INSPECTOR H. D. HOLMES
THE SOURCE OF THE SHOTS
THE ASSASSIN
OSWALD’S MOVEMENTS BETWEEN 12:33 AND 1:15 P.M.
MURDER OF TIPPIT
OSWALD AFTER HIS ARREST
OSWALD IN THE SOVIET UNION
OSWALD’S TRIP TO MEXICO CITY
OSWALD AND U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
CONSPIRATORIAL RELATIONSHIPS
OTHER RUMORS AND SPECULATIONS
EARLY YEARS
MARINES
SOVIET UNION
FORT WORTH, DALLAS, NEW ORLEANS
MEXICO CITY
DALLAS
ISSUANCE OF PASSPORT IN 1959
OSWALD’S ATTEMPTS TO RENOUNCE HIS U.S. CITIZENSHIP
RETURN AND RENEWAL OF OSWALD’S 1959 PASSPORT
AUTHORIZATION FOR MARINA OSWALD TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES
OSWALD’S LETTER TO SENATOR TOWER
THE LOAN FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OSWALD’S RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES AND REPAYMENT OF HIS LOAN
ISSUANCE OF A PASSPORT IN JUNE 1963
VISIT TO THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN MEXICO CITY
CONCLUSION
FAMILY BACKGROUND
CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH (1911-33)
YOUNG MANHOOD (1933-43)
MILITARY ACTIVITIES (1943-46)
POSTWAR CHICAGO (1946-47)
DALLAS (1947-63)
CHARACTER AND INTERESTS
PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS
ADMINISTRATION OF THE TEST
INTERPRETATION OF THE TEST
FOREWORD
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
APPENDIX VII
APPENDIX X
APPENDIX XII
APPENDIX XIII
APPENDIX XIV
APPENDIX XV
APPENDIX XVI
APPENDIX XVII
Index
Transcriber’s Notes
