Post by Herbert Blenner on Feb 12, 2019 16:09:15 GMT -5
Two Dozen of One or One of Another
by Herbert Blenner | Posted February 18, 2010
Witnesses did not see a bullet strike President Kennedy in the head. Instead they saw materials ejected from the head and surmised that a bullet had struck him. These events serve as a time marker for the head shot.
From a distance of thirty feet, James W. Altgens saw flesh particles fly toward him from the side of Kennedy’s head. Hugh William Betzner, Jr. from an unknown distance saw fragments going up in the air. At a distance of seventy feet, Jack Franzen noticed small fragments flying inside the President’s car. At an unreasonable distance of three hundred feet, Mrs. Ruby Henderson thought she saw paper fly out of the Presidential car. Harry D. Holmes looked through his binoculars and saw dust fly up. From the vicinity of the follow-up car, Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw pieces of flesh flying through the air.
These six WC witnesses described the ejectra from the head as particulate matter. Two witnesses identified the ejected matter as flesh. However, not one witness likened the ejectra to a cloud or a mist, which are terms frequently used by viewers of the Zapruder film.
The eye is especially keen at detecting motion of a detail within a larger scene. This ability in part explains how movement of hairs on Kennedy’s head caught the attention of the eyewitness.
Charles F. Brehm noted that the President's hair flew up. George W. Hickey reported hair flew forward. Jean Hill testified that Kennedy’s hair stood up. Samuel A. Kinney observed hair flying from the right side of the head.
Brehm, Hickey and Kinney reported a minute movement of hair yet all three witnesses failed to mention the head being carried backward by the rotating torso.
Bleeding from the head began with the strike by the bullet. The blood accumulated on the head and became more noticeable with the passage of time. So witnesses were inclined to have observed the bloody details of the head shot during the later portion of the visible sequence.
From twenty-five feet to the front and twenty feet to the left James W. Altgens observed blood on the left side of Kennedy’s head and no blood on the forehead or face. Charles F. Brehm at a distance of twenty-five feet to the left and fifty feet to the rear saw blood on the face. Jack Franzen noticed blood on the top and an unspecified side of the head while Mrs. Jack Franzen reported blood on a side of the head. The Franzens were fifty feet to the front and thirty feet to the left of Kennedy. From the top of the back seat, Clinton J. Hill observed profuse bleeding from the right rear of the head. Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw blood flying through the air. From ten feet to the rear and twenty-five feet to the right, Gayle Newman saw blood all over a side of the head. Emory P. Roberts saw blood at an unspecified location. At a distance of seventy feet to the right and using a lens of unknown magnification, Abraham Zapruder reported that blood and everything came out of the head.
The Zapruder film shows no blood on the right side of Kennedy’s head.
Hickey, Clinton J. Hill, Landis and Potter had rear views of the President falling to his left. Kellerman was perhaps the only witness to have viewed Kennedy’s collapse from the front. The remaining witnesses had less favorable side views of the President falling toward his left. Altgens, Brehm, Jean Hill and Moorman saw the President falling toward them while the Newmans, Linda Kay Willis and Woodward saw him falling away.
James W. Altgens stated that the head shot caused the President to move a bit forward and knocked him enough to right on come down. Charles F. Brehm said a shot hit the head and the President rolled over to his side. It seemed to George W. Hickey that the head shot caused Kennedy to fall forward and to his left. Clinton J. Hill saw the head shot remove part of the President’s head who had a noticeable slump to his left. Jean Hill heard a shot and saw the President fall across his wife’s lap. Emmett J. Hudson saw the President slump over and Mrs. Kennedy pulled him into her lap after he got hit in the head. Roy H. Kellerman heard two additional shots and saw Kennedy slumped into Mrs. Kennedy’s lap. Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw the President’s head split open and he slumped out of sight toward Mrs. Kennedy. Mary Ann Moorman heard another shot and saw Mrs. Kennedy jump up. Gayle Newman heard a shot, saw blood all over the side of the head and Mrs. Kennedy grab the President and he kind of lay over to the side. Jean Newman saw the President fall to his left and his wife jumped up on her knees. William Eugene Newman, Jr. saw the President hit in the side of his head and fall back and appear as if Mrs. Kennedy was holding him. Nolan H. Potter heard three loud reports then saw Kennedy slump over. David F. Powers saw the third shot take off the top of the President’s head. Emory P. Roberts saw a small explosion of the right side the head and the President fell farther to his left. Linda Kay Willis realized that the President had been shot when she saw him falling over. After hearing the third shot, Mary Elizabeth Woodward saw the President fall over.
Viewers of the Zapruder film recognize the head shot by two distinct features. They see an ejection of a brief vaporous cloud and an unforgettable backward lunge of President Kennedy that provokes many to shout that they have shot him from the front. Some people believe that the outcry from a nationally televised showing of the Zapruder film was a motivating factor behind the formation of the HSCA.
by Herbert Blenner | Posted February 18, 2010
The Warren Commission published the statements or testimonies of two dozen eyewitnesses to the head shot. These people reported details that preceded and followed the most dramatic and unforgettable motion of President Kennedy on the Zapruder film. Nevertheless these witnesses failed to describe anything even remotely resembling the back and to the left motion.
Witnesses did not see a bullet strike President Kennedy in the head. Instead they saw materials ejected from the head and surmised that a bullet had struck him. These events serve as a time marker for the head shot.
From a distance of thirty feet, James W. Altgens saw flesh particles fly toward him from the side of Kennedy’s head. Hugh William Betzner, Jr. from an unknown distance saw fragments going up in the air. At a distance of seventy feet, Jack Franzen noticed small fragments flying inside the President’s car. At an unreasonable distance of three hundred feet, Mrs. Ruby Henderson thought she saw paper fly out of the Presidential car. Harry D. Holmes looked through his binoculars and saw dust fly up. From the vicinity of the follow-up car, Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw pieces of flesh flying through the air.
These six WC witnesses described the ejectra from the head as particulate matter. Two witnesses identified the ejected matter as flesh. However, not one witness likened the ejectra to a cloud or a mist, which are terms frequently used by viewers of the Zapruder film.
The eye is especially keen at detecting motion of a detail within a larger scene. This ability in part explains how movement of hairs on Kennedy’s head caught the attention of the eyewitness.
Charles F. Brehm noted that the President's hair flew up. George W. Hickey reported hair flew forward. Jean Hill testified that Kennedy’s hair stood up. Samuel A. Kinney observed hair flying from the right side of the head.
Brehm, Hickey and Kinney reported a minute movement of hair yet all three witnesses failed to mention the head being carried backward by the rotating torso.
Bleeding from the head began with the strike by the bullet. The blood accumulated on the head and became more noticeable with the passage of time. So witnesses were inclined to have observed the bloody details of the head shot during the later portion of the visible sequence.
From twenty-five feet to the front and twenty feet to the left James W. Altgens observed blood on the left side of Kennedy’s head and no blood on the forehead or face. Charles F. Brehm at a distance of twenty-five feet to the left and fifty feet to the rear saw blood on the face. Jack Franzen noticed blood on the top and an unspecified side of the head while Mrs. Jack Franzen reported blood on a side of the head. The Franzens were fifty feet to the front and thirty feet to the left of Kennedy. From the top of the back seat, Clinton J. Hill observed profuse bleeding from the right rear of the head. Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw blood flying through the air. From ten feet to the rear and twenty-five feet to the right, Gayle Newman saw blood all over a side of the head. Emory P. Roberts saw blood at an unspecified location. At a distance of seventy feet to the right and using a lens of unknown magnification, Abraham Zapruder reported that blood and everything came out of the head.
The Zapruder film shows no blood on the right side of Kennedy’s head.
Hickey, Clinton J. Hill, Landis and Potter had rear views of the President falling to his left. Kellerman was perhaps the only witness to have viewed Kennedy’s collapse from the front. The remaining witnesses had less favorable side views of the President falling toward his left. Altgens, Brehm, Jean Hill and Moorman saw the President falling toward them while the Newmans, Linda Kay Willis and Woodward saw him falling away.
James W. Altgens stated that the head shot caused the President to move a bit forward and knocked him enough to right on come down. Charles F. Brehm said a shot hit the head and the President rolled over to his side. It seemed to George W. Hickey that the head shot caused Kennedy to fall forward and to his left. Clinton J. Hill saw the head shot remove part of the President’s head who had a noticeable slump to his left. Jean Hill heard a shot and saw the President fall across his wife’s lap. Emmett J. Hudson saw the President slump over and Mrs. Kennedy pulled him into her lap after he got hit in the head. Roy H. Kellerman heard two additional shots and saw Kennedy slumped into Mrs. Kennedy’s lap. Paul E. Landis, Jr. saw the President’s head split open and he slumped out of sight toward Mrs. Kennedy. Mary Ann Moorman heard another shot and saw Mrs. Kennedy jump up. Gayle Newman heard a shot, saw blood all over the side of the head and Mrs. Kennedy grab the President and he kind of lay over to the side. Jean Newman saw the President fall to his left and his wife jumped up on her knees. William Eugene Newman, Jr. saw the President hit in the side of his head and fall back and appear as if Mrs. Kennedy was holding him. Nolan H. Potter heard three loud reports then saw Kennedy slump over. David F. Powers saw the third shot take off the top of the President’s head. Emory P. Roberts saw a small explosion of the right side the head and the President fell farther to his left. Linda Kay Willis realized that the President had been shot when she saw him falling over. After hearing the third shot, Mary Elizabeth Woodward saw the President fall over.
Viewers of the Zapruder film recognize the head shot by two distinct features. They see an ejection of a brief vaporous cloud and an unforgettable backward lunge of President Kennedy that provokes many to shout that they have shot him from the front. Some people believe that the outcry from a nationally televised showing of the Zapruder film was a motivating factor behind the formation of the HSCA.