Rendezvous with Death: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

by H R Underwood

Overview

"After extensive research, the author presents some of the frequently conflicting findings of investigators and government committees over the decades along with many of the minute details associated with the case. In all, Underwood has constructed a highly readable and fact-filled compendium that should prove very useful to students of the tragedy." --The US Review of Books Rendezvous with Death: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy presents the facts surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and a detailed explanation of the shooting as it occurred according to the factual evidence. A considerable amount of false trails and leads exist in the evidence, turning the case into a quagmire of contradictory and unreliable assertions. The major task undertaken was to sort out, as much as possible, fact from fiction, and determine truth from rumor and speculation. Numerous sources and materials were researched to provide the reader with a thorough and well-documented review of the facts presented in the JFK assassination literature. Still, the conclusions presented are my own and are not intended to be presumptuous in claiming a definitive or conclusive solution to the case. Therefore, the purpose of this book is not to convince the reader that I have finally found the answers for most of the puzzling and perplexing questions surrounding this highly controversial case. Rather, my intention was twofold: (1) to provide the reader with a comprehensive study that presented as many facts as possible regarding the JFK assassination gleaned from a wide variety of sources, and (2) devise a plausible explanation of the assassination based upon that factual information. My conclusions are based primarily on a close examination of the Zapruder film with documentation provided by numerous sources. Although the Zapruder film shows evidence of splicing, it still remains as one of the most significant pieces of JFK assassination evidence. It is hoped that this study will move us closer to the truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466953499
Publisher:	Trafford Publishing
Publication date:	01/30/2013
Pages:	506
Sales rank:	795,646
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.13(d)

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RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH

The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

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By H. R. Underwood

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2013 H. R. Underwood
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-5349-9

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

"A very Curious Individual"

Lee Harvey Oswald had a lonely childhood. He wanted attention. Lee Oswald's brother, Robert, stated, "Here was a lonely boy, needing attention and not getting it" (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). Their mother, Marguerite Oswald, was always saying that her kids were a burden to her. Robert Oswald said this about Lee, "Very early on, he learned he wasn't wanted" (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). As Lee Oswald grew older, he became more preoccupied with getting attention. Robert Oswald provided this example, "When he was in the Marine Corps, he was going the opposite direction from the rest of the troops. He wanted to be different from the crowd, stand out from the crowd, and whatever it took, he was willing to do it" (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003).

In the spring of 1959, Lee Harvey Oswald seemed anxious to leave the Marine Corps. He applied to Albert Schweitzer College in Churwalden, Switzerland for admission to the spring term in 1960 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). Oswald's tour of active duty with the Marine Corps was not scheduled to expire until Monday, December 7, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). However, Oswald requested a dependency discharge on Monday, August 17, 1959, stating that his mother needed his support. Oswald's request was recommended for approval on Friday, August 28, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). On September 4, 1959, in anticipation of his discharge, Oswald applied for a passport to attend Albert Schweitzer College and to travel in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, and Russia. The passport was issued six days later on Thursday, September 10, 1959 (Duffy, 1989, p. 25; Warren et al., 1992, p. 689).

The next day, September 11, Oswald was transferred from active duty to the Marine Corps Reserve (Duffy, 1989, p. 25; Warren et al., 1992, p. 688). Early on Sunday morning September 20, 1959, just nine days after his discharge from the Marine Corps, Oswald departed New Orleans aboard the Marion Lykes (Duffy, 1989, p. 30; Meagher, 1992, p. 329; Warren et al., 1992, p. 689). Following a circuitous route, Oswald arrived in Moscow on Friday, October 16, 1959, and took a room at the Hotel Berlin (Duffy, 1989, p. 30; Warren et al., 1992, p. 690). On Wednesday, October 21, 1959, Oswald was notified that his visa had expired, and he had two hours to leave Moscow (Anson, 1975, p. 161; Warren et al., 1992, p. 692). Fearing he was about to be forced out of the Soviet Union, Oswald attempted suicide in his hotel room. He was taken to the Botkinskaya Hospital and released the next Wednesday, October 28, 1959 (Anson, 1975, p. 161; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 392 and 691-692). Oswald remained in the Soviet Union until Saturday, June 2, 1962 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 712).

Oswald: An Intelligence Agent

Although much has been written about Oswald's alleged links to the intelligence community, the documents released from his CIA file indicate that he was not an intelligence operative. Oswald, however, fantasized about being a secret agent and he was an avid reader of the Ian Fleming spy novels (Posner, 1993, p. 91). Robert Oswald described Lee's fascination with the TV espionage show I Led Three Lives. Robert stated, "Lee's fantasy life, to me, became apparent in the 1948, 1949, 1950 period ... I Led Three Lives—he became really engrossed in that particular TV show, and he was still watching it when I left to go into the Marine Corps in 1952" (Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, 1993). "According to his brother, Robert, Lee Oswald loved intrigue and mystery" (Posner, 1993, p. 91). George de Mohrenschildt wrote of Oswald in an unpublished book, "... he liked to play with his own life, he was an actor in real life. A very curious individual" (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 386; Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 406).

An examination of the documents released from Oswald's file by the CIA on May 8, 1992, revealed that Oswald was the subject of a coordinated surveillance effort by the CIA, State Department, and FBI while he was in the Soviet Union from 1959 to 1962. The State Department relayed information to the CIA about Oswald's visit to the U. S. Embassy in Moscow on October 31, 1959. The CIA was informed that Oswald had stated his desire to become a Soviet citizen, and he threatened to provide information to the Soviets (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 1, 4-8). On January 4, 1960, Oswald was issued an Identity Document for Stateless Persons No. 311479, and he was told that he was being sent to Minsk. Oswald was disappointed that he had been refused Soviet citizenship (Warren et al., 1992, p. 697). He arrived in Minsk on January 7, 1960 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 697). The State Department kept the CIA updated on Oswald while he remained in Russia (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 19, 21-24, 32, 33-39, and 53-56). Oswald had served as a radio operator at the Atsugi Air Base in Japan which was the base of operations for the U-2 spy flights over Russia and China (Anson, 1975, p. 157; Duffy & Ricci, 1992, pp. 44, 351, and 476; Groden & Livingstone, 1990, p. 161; Hurt, 1985, p. 199-200; Summers, 1989, p. 114).

On May 1, 1960, while Oswald was living in Minsk, Francis Gary Powers was shot down in a U-2 spy plane over Russia near the city of Sverdlovsk (Anson, 1975, p. 174; Duffy & Ricci, 1992, pp. 475-476; Marrs, 1989, pp. 114-115; Summers, 1989, p. 173). Although the Soviets were aware of the U-2 spy program, they lacked the detailed altitude information on the U-2 aircraft necessary to launch a missile attack. As a radio operator at Atsugi, Japan, Oswald had that information (Marrs, 1989, p. 115). Were the Soviets able to shoot down Powers' plane based on information supplied by Oswald? (Marrs, 1989, p. 115; Summers, 1989, p. 174). The downed U-2 flight compromised the planned summit meeting in Paris between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President Eisenhower. Although the summit meeting took place as scheduled in mid-May 1960, the U-2 incident thwarted any possibility that it would serve as an effective forum for improving the relations between the East and the West (Anson, 1975, p. 174; Summers, 1989, p. 173). Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States continued.

On November 21, 1960, the CIA furnished a list to the State Department, including Lee Harvey Oswald, of "Americans living in Bloc countries who might be called 'defectors'" (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 23-31). The State Department had requested the information on October 25, 1960. The FBI also supplied the CIA with information regarding Oswald following his defection to Russia and counterintelligence information after he had returned to the United States (Sckolnick, 1993, pp. 11-18, 40-51, 60-114). Had Oswald been an operative of the CIA on assignment in the Soviet Union, the CIA would not have been collecting surveillance information on their own operative. The documents released from Oswald's CIA file make it clear that the Agency was not knowledgeable of Oswald and the compilation of surveillance reports from the State Department and FBI indicate that the CIA did not know why Oswald was in the Soviet Union other than to defect.

Oswald's 201 file was not activated until December, 1960. If Oswald were an intelligence operative sent on assignment to Russia, his 201 file would have been activated by September 1959 when he departed for the Soviet Union. Oswald's 201 file was opened for counterintelligence purposes because of his subversive activities in the Soviet Union. A CIA document stated that Oswald was debriefed by a CIA official upon his arrival in the United States from Russia (Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, 1993). At one time, the Soviets had contemplated turning Oswald into a KGB agent. He was under constant KGB surveillance while in Minsk (Nightline: The KGB Oswald Files, 1991). At the time, the CIA and KGB were both using false defector programs for the purpose of infiltration (Summers, 1989, p. 177). No doubt, upon his return to the United States, the CIA was attempting to ascertain whether or not Oswald was a KGB agent. However, the documents contained in Oswald's KGB file made it clear that Oswald was not an operative for the KGB (Nightline: The KGB Oswald Files, 1991). The picture that emerges from this documentation is that neither the CIA nor the KGB knew what Oswald was doing.

The Return to the United States

In January 1961, Oswald began to consider returning to the United States disillusioned with the Soviet system and bored with the lifestyle in Minsk (Posner, 1993, p. 61; Warren et al., 1992, p. 394). On Monday, February 13, 1961, the U. S. Embassy in Moscow received a letter from Oswald expressing his desire to return to the United States (Warren et al., 1992, p. 274). This was the first time the Embassy had heard from Oswald since November 16, 1959 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 274). Oswald met Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova at a trade union dance probably on March 17, 1961, and they were married on Sunday, April 30, 1961 (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 34; Hurt, 1985, p. 211; Warren et al., 1992, p. 702). The Oswalds departed Russia on June 2, 1962, and traveled to Holland. On June 4, 1962, they boarded the SS Maasdam (Warren et al., 1992, p. 712). Oswald arrived back in the United States on Wednesday, June 13, 1962, with his Russian wife, Marina, and his infant daughter, June (Hurt, 1985, p. 212; Posner, 1993, p. 74). On June 14, 1962, the Oswalds flew to Dallas Love Field and were met by Oswald's family. Robert Oswald stated that Lee was surprised that no reporters were present at the airport to interview him upon his return from Russia.

"What no reporters?' He seemed definitely disappointed. He had his notes, how he was going to answer the reporters, why this, why that, why he went to Russia, why he came back. But there was no one to talk to" (JFK Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy, 2003). They then drove to Fort Worth and moved in temporarily with Oswald's brother, Robert (Hurt, 1985, p. 212; Posner, 1993, p. 77). The Oswalds lived with Robert Oswald about a month before moving into an apartment with the mother, Marguerite Oswald, at 1501 West Seventh Street (Warren et al., 1992, p. 715).

On Tuesday, June 26, 1962, Oswald had his first of several counterintelligence interviews with the FBI in Fort Worth (Anson, 1975, p. 187; Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 382-383; Posner, 1993, p. 79). Another FBI interview took place on Thursday, August 16, 1962 (Anson, 1975, p. 187; Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 383; Posner, 1993, pp. 81-82). Through Peter Gregory, the Oswalds began circulating among the White Russian community of Dallas-Fort Worth (Posner, 1993, p. 78; Warren et al., 1992, pp. 400 and 716). Oswald was tolerated among the White Russians out of sympathy for Marina (Posner, 1993, p. 83). Oswald's extremist politics disturbed the Russian community (Posner, 1993, pp. 84-85). Oswald resented the help being extended to Marina by her Russian-American friends (Warren et al., 1992, p. 400).

In August of 1962, the Oswalds moved into a one-bedroom furnished apartment at 2703 Mercedes Street (Warren et al., 1992, p. 715). In mid-September, 1962, George de Mohrenschildt, who was on the fringe of the White Russian group, stopped by the Oswald apartment on Mercedes Street and introduced himself (Posner, 1993, p.85). De Mohrenschildt was well-connected with the intelligence community (Groden & Livingstone, 1990, pp. 291 and 300-305; Smith, 1992, p. 230). The House Select Committee established that de Mohrenschildt had connections with the CIA and Army Intelligence (House Select Committee on Assassinations 12HSCA53-55; Summers, 1989, pp. 492 and 625). De Mohrenschildt was probably put in touch with Oswald through "the CIA's local man, J. Walton Moore" (Smith, 1992, pp. 228 and 238). De Mohrenschildt had asked Moore if it was all right to associate with Oswald, and Moore described Oswald as "a harmless lunatic" (Posner, 1993, pp. 87 and 520; Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, 1964, 9H236).

De Mohrenschildt stated when interviewed in 1977 that CIA Agent Moore "encouraged him to see Oswald, that he would not have seen Oswald at all without Moore's encouragement" (Summers, 1989, p. 198). De Mohrenschildt also finally admitted in 1977 that he had been asked by CIA Agent Moore to keep tabs on the Oswalds (Furiati, 1994, p. 75; Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 238). De Mohrenschildt apparently served as Oswald's CIA "baby-sitter" while he lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 34 and 378; Garrison, 1988, pp. 55-56 and 62-63; Groden & Livingstone, 1990, p. 282, 291, 299, and 300; Livingstone, 1993, p. 526; Smith, 1992, pp. 230 and 238). This indicated that the CIA was watching the Oswalds attempting to ascertain their intentions since they were suspected of being KGB agents. This would explain the strange relationship between the "shabby Oswalds and the dashing de Mohrenschildt" (Hinckle & Turner, 1992, p. 238). It would also provide another strong indication that Oswald was not working for the CIA. However, other evidence indicated that Oswald was FBI informant number 179 (Epstein, 1966, p. 52; Garrison, 1988, pp. 224-225; Weisberg, 1975, p. 475). The House Select Committee investigated this possibility and was not able to discern a relationship between Oswald and any government agency (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 38). Oswald, a former defector to the Soviet Union, would not be an informant for the FBI when the Bureau had him under counterintelligence surveillance.

Helen Cunningham of the Texas Employment Commission referred Oswald to Jaggers-Chiles-Stovall on Thursday, October 11, 1962 (Posner, 1993, p. 90; Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). Oswald started work the next day, Friday, October 12, 1962 (Posner, 1993, p. 90; Warren et al., 1992, p. 403). On Monday, October 15, 1962, Oswald moved into the YMCA and stayed there until Friday, October 19 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 719). After October 19, Oswald moved into either a room or an apartment in Dallas (Warren et al., 1992, p. 720). On Saturday, November 3, 1962, Oswald rented a three-room apartment at 604 Elsbeth Street in Dallas. The next day, Sunday, November 4, 1962, the Oswalds moved from Fort Worth to the Elsbeth Street apartment (Warren et al., 1992, p. 720).

Jaggars specialized in print services involving advanced photographic techniques for various publications such as magazines. Jaggars also had a contract with the U. S. Army Map Service requiring strict security (Smith, 1992, p. 230). However, Oswald did not work in that section; therefore, he did not need a security clearance (Posner, 1993, pp. 90-91). Apparently, Oswald did some of his own photographic work while at Jaggers. His fellow workers noted this private work. Dennis Ofstein, a co-worker, recalled a photograph that he had helped Oswald enlarge. "It was difficult to forget: it showed a military headquarters in a picture he had taken in Russia" (Smith, 1992, p. 230). Rather than doing intelligence work as some researchers claim, Oswald was acting out his fantasy of being a secret agent.

Oswald's marriage with Marina began to deteriorate following their return to the United States. On Sunday, June 24, 1962, Oswald first struck Marina during an argument. During 1962, Marina was seen with a black eye by Anna Meller, George Bouhe, and Mahlon Tobias (Posner, 1993, pp. 85 and 95-96; Warren et al., 1992, p. 718). Marina stated that Oswald was "very unrestrained and very explosive" from November 19, 1962 to March of 1963 (Warren et al., 1992, p. 395). In November 1962, Marina moved out temporarily and stayed with her friend, Anna Meller. After five days, she moved in with Katya and Delcan Ford (Posner, 1993, pp. 94-95). After about a two-week separation, Marina returned to Oswald (Warren et al., 1992, p. 401). By February 1963, Oswald was frequently beating her (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 381; Posner, 1993, pp. 93, 95-96, and 98-99). On Sunday, February 17, 1963, threatening to send her back to the Soviet Union, Oswald forced Marina to write the Soviet Embassy in Washington D.C. asking for help in returning to Russia (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 382; Posner, 1993, pp. 100-101).

Marina stated that the week following this incident was the most violent of their marriage (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 381; Posner, 1993, p 102). Oswald became angrier, and the beatings became more intense (Posner, 1993, p. 102). Ruth Paine was introduced to the Oswalds at a social gathering held at the home of Everett Glover, a friend of de Mohrenschildt, on Friday, February 22, 1963 (Blakey & Billings, 1992, p. 382; Warren et al., 1992, p. 13). Ruth Paine, who would play a significant role in their lives, did not like Oswald or the way in which he treated Marina (Blakey & Billings, 1992, pp. 378, 383, 387, and 395; Meagher, 1992, pp. 217-218). On Sunday, March 3, 1963, the Oswalds moved from the Elsbeth Street apartment to an upstairs apartment at 214 West Neely Street in Dallas (Warren et al., 1992, p. 723). Marina preferred the Neely Street apartment because it had a porch and it was more suitable for June (Warren et al., 1992, p. 723).
(Continues...)

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Excerpted from RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH by H. R. Underwood. Copyright © 2013 by H. R. Underwood. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
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Table of Contents

Contents

Preface....................     vii     

BOOK I: LEE HARVEY OSWALD....................          

Chapter One—"A Very Curious Individual"....................     3     

Chapter Two—Mexico City....................     30     

Chapter Three—The Return to Dallas....................     34     

Chapter Four—Escape and Capture....................     42     

Chapter Five—The Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald....................     64     

BOOK II: THE ASSASSINATION....................          

Chapter Six—The First Shot....................     73     

Chapter Seven—The Second Shot....................     122     

Chapter Eight—The Third Shot....................     162     

BOOK III: THE CONSPIRACY....................          

Chapter Nine—Sniper Locations....................     185     

Chapter Ten—The Seeds of Conspiracy....................     222     

Chapter Eleven—Evidence of Cover-Up and Conspiracy....................     272     

Chapter Twelve—Evidence of Additional Shots....................     328     

Chapter Thirteen—The Single Bullet....................     348     

Chapter Fourteen—The Throat Wound....................     372     

Chapter Fifteen—The Conspiracy Myth....................     388     

Chapter Sixteen—The Fourth Shot and The Rear Exit Wound....................     411     

Appendices....................     443     

References....................     469