ASSASSINATION ARCHIVES

AND RESEARCH CENTER

Courtesy of Michael Swanson and WallStreetWindow: JFK Assassination Presidential Protection Oddity

The Man Invited To Join In On Presidential Security Meetings (George Lumpkin Interviewed On The Motorcade Route)

By

Michael Swanson

–

 Thousands of JFK files have been released by the US government in the past few years and digitized and put online for anyone to access them. The Mary Ferrell Foundation also has created a wonderful website and database to search them and to go through even more information. However, there are a few previously released JFK files that are not online. You can get access to these files by going to the National Archives or by requesting a copy of them from NARA. I did that with a few files this year and one of them is a fascinating one that consists of an interview of former Dallas Police Captain George Lumpkin.

Lumpkin was involved in meetings about the planning of President Kennedy’s security and his motorcade route. He traveled in the lead car of the motorcade with a friend of his, General George Whetmeyer. After gunfire erupted in Dealey Plaza, the two traveled to Parkland Hospital and then went to the Texas School Book Depository. As the highest ranking police officer on the scene, Lumpkin took control, sealing off the building and remaining at it until a search of it was completed.

Despite being a key figure that day, the Warren Commission never interviewed him.

This file i requested consists of an interview of Lumpkin with Congressional HSCA staff members.

In it Lumpkin answers questions about how the Presidential motorcade was chosen and reveals how he invited Whetmeyer to attend DPD and Secret Service meetings about security planning and the motorcade as his “guest” – even though he seemingly had no reason to be there, because his Army Reserve unit played no role in the President’s safety that day.

I wish they would have asked him why and how people just get invited to meetings like this as a “friend.”

It’s curious.

Also Lumpkin makes it sound like Police Chief Curry had a lot do with the motorcate route, but according to Vincent Palamara’s book, Survivor’s Guilt: The Secret Service and the Failure to Protect President Kennedy, “DPD Chief Jesse Curry testified that he was not even consulted about the motorcade route.”

This is important, because according to DPD Sergeant Samuel Bellah, who was one of the advance motorcycle officers in the motorcade, he “reviewed the planned route with his captain. The route was not the original one that was to go straight through Dealey Plaza, but a revised route. The original plan would have skirted the Texas Book Depository building by a block, but the altered plan turned to pass directly in front of the building.” – this also is from Vince’s book (page 105).

In the first sentence of the staffer’s account of their interview with Lumpkin, they declare that he “was involved in the planning of the JFK motorcade” even though he distances himself from that specific activity in his answers.

Here is the file:

[Click to enlarge]

CONTINUE READING AND VIEW THE COMPLETE FILE AT WALLSTREETWINDOW.COM

Michael Swanson is the author of The War State and Why the Vietnam War?. His Amazon author’s page is HERE.

Rex Bradford: State of the JFK Releases 2023

Rex Bradford is the president of The Mary Ferrell Foundation

State of the JFK Releases 2023

The National Archives has released thousands of documents online between 2017 and 2023, many of which still feature redactions

On June 27 of this year, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) put 1,103 documents online, all of them updated versions of documents previously released, with some blacked-out areas (“redactions”) removed to reveal the underlying text. The vast majority of these documents still feature some redactions, as do a few thousand other records in the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection (JFK Collection) that NARA maintains at its facility in College Park, Maryland.

This release was the fourteenth time since the summer of 2017 that NARA put JFK records online, in the wake of the triggering of a “sunset clause” of The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (JFK Records Act). This clause mandated that, absent specific presidential action, all records in the JFK Collection would be released by October 26, 2017, 25 years after the JFK Records Act was passed. But instead of allowing full release, two successive presidents authorized agencies to postpone disclosure of certain records and presided over a process of release of some records and repeatedly kicking the can down the road on the remainder.

Apparently the can has now been kicked well down the road. Despite thousands of records remaining partially redacted, an order from President Biden decrees that further review and disclosure of withheld records will be done not in accordance with the JFK Records Act, but rather under “Transparency Plans” developed by each relevant government agency, and approved by NARA. The outcome is predictable, and the intent appears to be to kill off the stringent disclosure requirements of the JFK Records Act without bothering to try to officially terminate an act of Congress.

This essay starts with a bit of background on the history of revelations in the JFK assassination saga. It then reviews the last 6 years of document releases, and discusses where we are now, coming up on 60 years after the murder of a U.S. president in broad daylight at the height of the Cold War.

CONTINUE READING AT MFF

Secretary-General’s remarks Commemorating the 62nd Anniversary of the Death of Dag Hammarskjöld

Courtesy of Dr. Susan Williams

13 September 2023

Secretary-General’s remarks at Wreath-Laying Ceremony Commemorating the 62nd Anniversary of the Death of Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld

 

 Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

We gather to pay tribute to Dag Hammarskjöld on the 62nd anniversary of his death.

We honour a virtuoso of multilateral action.

With passion and compassion, courage and curiosity, diplomatic skill and boundless stamina, Dag Hammarskjöld lived – and died – for the ideals of our United Nations.

I welcome the General Assembly’s resolution in December 2022 to continue the investigation into the cause of the plane crash in which Dag Hammarskjöld died, and echo the General Assembly’s call for Member States to release any relevant records in their possession.

We have a shared responsibility to pursue the truth – for Dag Hammarskjöld and those who died alongside him, for their loved ones, and for the United Nations and the people we serve. I remain personally committed to that quest and intend to write to relevant Member States on the matter.

Dag Hammarskjöld shaped our United Nations in innumerable ways – setting new standards of public service and launching our Organization on its active career as the custodian of world peace.

His legacy endures, not as distant memory, but as a living guide for our shared mission.
He recognized that the United Nations may be imperfect – but he knew it was indispensable. And he summoned us all to reach higher.

As he once said: “It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity.”

Let us take inspiration from the courage of his convictions and the power of his example.

Let us move forward together in unity and purpose.

And let us keep striving to narrow the gap between the world as it is, and the world as we know it can be.

I would like to ask all of you to join me in a moment of silence.

[Moment of silence]

Thank you.

  *   *   *   *   *

MULTIPLE ARTICLES RELATED:

Investigation into the conditions and circumstances resulting in the tragic death of Dag Hammarskjöld and of the members of the party accompanying him

 

 

 

Publication Spotlight: PRAYER MAN: MORE THAN A FUZZY PICTURE

 The publication of Prayer Man: More Than a Fuzzy Picture represents an unprecedented decade-long investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald’s last 48 hours.

Author and archivist Bart Kamp has produced a comprehensive work which delves into Lee Harvey Oswald and the other Texas School Book Depository employees inside the building during and shortly after President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963.

Kamp’s detailed research also examines the period of Oswald’s incarceration and interrogations. It presents an entirely new and deep perspective of how the law enforcement agencies gathered their evidence that weekend. It reveals a dramatic new context in relation to understanding Lee Harvey Oswald’s innocence.

Within these pages are many new and never before published revelations that contrast the altered accounts that were represented before the Warren Commission and challenges many commonly accepted assumptions and interpretations.

Excerpt from the Back Cover:

In Prayer Man: More Than A Fuzzy Picture, Bart Kamp has produced a rare and meticulous compendium of what exists within the documentary record about Lee Harvey Oswald, the employees of the Texas School Book Depository, the local police and federal investigators, the reporters, witnesses and peripheral figures associated with the minutes leading up to and the immediate aftermath of the attack upon President Kennedy’s motorcade in Dealey Plaza.

Bart’s journey from commercial and fashion photographer to JFK assassination researcher and author is an inspiring reminder of the first-generation critics of the Warren Report. His indefatigable determination, matched with reason and an innate intolerance of BS, has brought us closer than we have ever been to being able to assess for ourselves, without being told what or how to think, the questions associated with history’s unstable verdict on the enigma of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Order now now in Kindle and Paperback formats from Amazon.

 

Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law/Citizens Against Political Assassinations: NOVEMBER 15-17 SYMPOSIUM

The JFK Assassination at 60

About the 22nd Annual Symposium

Three score since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, what could possibly remain to be learned about his death? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Even as the U.S. government continues to withhold files scheduled for release in 2017 and the mainstream media persists in disparaging those pursuing an answer to this mystery as “conspiracy theorists,” independent investigators around the world – including scientists, physicians, attorneys, educators and journalists – are advancing lines of research ranging from criminalistic analysis of events in Dealey Plaza to Oswald’s and Ruby’s connections to shortcomings of prior official investigations, and beyond.

Now, in keeping with a tradition initiated on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the assassination in 2003 and perpetuated on the 50th anniversary in 2013, the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law, in partnership with Citizens Against Political Assassinations, is pleased to announce its plans to host a three-day, hybrid academic conference to coincide with the case’s 60th anniversary this November 15-17.

The JFK Assassination at 60:  New Frontiers in Scientific, Medical, Legal and Historical Research will convene experts from a variety of fields, along with lay researchers, to help us advance and clarify our collective understanding not only of how JFK died, but why, as well as why it still matters today.

Whether you’re a professional interested in earning continuing education credits, an educator or student of any number of associated disciplines, or simply an armchair sleuth with a fascination in the subject matter, we hope you’ll consider joining us.

TICKETS AND REGISTRATION

Preliminary Program Agenda

Prepare to immerse yourself in captivating presentations, thought-provoking discussions, and the opportunity to connect with experts and fellow enthusiasts alike. The Annual Symposium Program Agenda promises a dynamic and comprehensive experience that paves the way for new perspectives, lasting connections, and the exchange of knowledge that will shape the future.All presentations are scheduled to take place in the Duquesne Union Ballroom, unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday, November 15 

  • 5:30 p.m. Reception
  • 7:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductions, Benjamin E. Wecht, M.A.
  • 7:10 p.m. Opening Remarks, Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D.
  • 7:20 p.m. Keynote Introduction, Ken Gormley, J.D.
  • 7:30 p.m. Keynote Address: Barbara Perry, Ph.D., Why JFK’s Camelot Endures – and Why It Still Matters
  • 8:30 p.m. Alec Baldwin, Why JFK’s Assassination Will Not Go Away (Confirmation Pending)
  • 9:00 p.m. Adjourn

Thursday, November 16 – Criminalistics, Forensic Science and Medicine

  • 8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions Benjamin E. Wecht, M.A., Pamela Marshall, Ph.D.
  • 9:00 a.m. Converging Lines of Evidence in the Case for Two Headshots, Gary Aguilar, M.D., Josiah Thompson, Ph.D., Doug DeSalles, M.D., Bill Simpich, Esq.
  • 10:00 a.m. The Final Witness: A Kennedy Secret Service Breaks His Silence After Sixty Years, Paul Landis (USSS Ret.); James Robenalt, Esq.
  • 10:45 a.m. Break
  • 11:00 a.m. Forensic Reactions to an Historical Revelation, P. Landis, C. Wecht, Ken Gormley, J.D.
  • 11:30 a.m. Two Brain Exams Following JFK’s Autopsy, Douglas Horne (USN Ret.)
  • Concurrent Session (AR) Forensic Modeling of Human Reactions and a JFK Assassination Timeline, Brian Roselle, M.S.
  • 12:30 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:45 p.m. Gauging the Authenticity of the General Walker Bullet, Lawrence Schnapf, Esq.
  • Concurrent Session (AR) An Audio Forensic Analysis of the JFK Assassination, Donald Maue
  • 2:45 p.m. As Easy as 1-2-3-4-5: Understanding the JFK Assassination, David Mantik, MD, PhD
  • Concurrent Session (613) The Oswald Letter: An Analysis of Dyslexia and How It Changes our Understanding of the Assassination, Jerry Kroth, Ph.D.
  • 3:45 p.m. Break
  • 4:00 p.m. Unmasking the Rockefeller Committee Medical Panel, Russell Kent
  • 5:00 p.m. Adjournment

Friday, November 17 – History, Politics and the Future

  • 8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions, Benjamin E. Wecht, M.A., Pamela Marshall, Ph.D.
  • 9:00 a.m. The Assassination of President Kennedy: Understanding the Cold War Context, John Newman, Ph.D.
  • 10:00 a.m. The CIA and JFK: What 30 Years of Reporting Tell Me, Jefferson Morley  
  • Concurrent Session (AR) Edgar Hoover and Lyndon Johnson and how they Obstructed Justice
  • 11:00 a.m. Break
  • 11:15 a.m. New Findings about Texas School Book Depository building owner David Harold Byrd, Daniel Alcorn, Esq.
  • Concurrent Session (AR) Carousel Contortionista: Jack Ruby, His Strippers, and their Moving Horses, Mark de Valk, Ph.D., M.A.
  • 12:15 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:30 p.m. The Death of JFK and the Rise of the Neocons in U.S. Foreign Policy, James DiEugenio, M.A.
  • Concurrent Session 1 (AR) An Inside Perspective on the Relationship between Lee Oswald and the Paines, Robert Manz, M.A.
  • Concurrent Session 2 (613) Lee Oswald: The Patchwork Kid, Greg R. Parker (Pre-recorded by Zoom)
  • 2:30 p.m. Lessons from the Assassination Records Review Board: The Value of Investigative Research with Respect to National Security, David Montague, Ph.D.
  • Concurrent Session (AR) Our Method of Teaching the Assassination: Inspiring the Next Generation of Researchers, Ronald Burda, J.D. and Michael Vollbach, MA, MS
  • 3:00 p.m. Break
  • 3:45 p.m. Why Our Side is Losing the Media War, David Talbot (by Zoom)
  • 4:45 p.m. Adournment