Dan Rather's laughable account of what he think he saw in the Zapruder film

[Charles Collins]

He said from the base of the building, not from the tip of the "island" in front of the building.

Regardless, why do so many people say the second shot (the shot that wounded both JFK and JBC around Z-222) travelled about 240 feet (80 yards) from the Sniper's Nest window to JFK's back?

The difference is the elevation of the sixth floor window. Plus the sniper’s window is on the east end of the TSBD building. Rather’s description is strictly the distance at ground level and probably from the west end of the TSBD building.

[Michael Capasse]

The difference is the elevation of the sixth floor window. Plus the sniper’s window is on the east end of the TSBD building. Rather’s description is strictly the distance at ground level and probably from the west end of the TSBD building.

Dan Rather was not in Dealey Plaza and his description was from Zapruders position.

[Michael Walton]

It was a joke how he described it. I'm not going to make a big deal about his use of the word "films." Did he see others, like the Nix film? Who knows? But it's not some sinister slip of the tongue with "films" like some of the crazies out there may make it out to be (e.g. "OMG! There's another film out there that we're still waiting to see showing Dick and Allen behind the wall giving Ruby directions to fire the shots! OMG!")

But I've always believed that, even at this point, with Oswald dead, the official message is starting at this point. Just like Ken O'Donnell saw some stuff, mere feet away from the shots, but was told by the FBI that he was wrong, that that isn't what he saw. And he quietly just didn't talk about it any more.

Good old Dan was young and ambitious, just like a lot of other TV "performers." I call them that because that's what they all are - performers. The newspaper people are the real reporters, though they, too, blew the assassination when they were fed the official line. Only the foreign press knew the truth and said as much.

Anyway, old Dan had just started in NY in '62 on a trial period, so he knew he had a good thing going and wasn't going to rock the boat. Just say what others are saying in the room - "...his head falls forward" etc. etc.

[Royell Storing]

He said from the base of the building, not from the tip of the "island" in front of the building.

Regardless, why do so many people say the second shot (the shot that wounded both JFK and JBC around Z-222) travelled about 240 feet (80 yards) from the Sniper's Nest window to JFK's back?

  Again, put this alleged "80 yards" into a general perspective that you can relate to. Do you think it is almost a football field from the corner of Elm & Houston/The Island down to the Stemmons Sign? Not even close. Gary Mack always made it a point to stress how TINY Dealey Plaza was. He was right. Like I said, if there was nothing in the way, YOU could throw a baseball from the TSBD to the Zapruder Perch. And you wouldn't drop a nut doing it. Always put these alleged distances into a perspective/venue you can relate to. A Football Field or Baseball Diamond is a good venue for me to envision. When it comes to height, an NBA Rim is 10 feet above the floor.

[Michael T. Griffith]

I find it interesting that Rather says, "the FILMS we saw.....". Mmmmmmm

What's especially interesting is that Rather was not the only one who saw the original film and who said it showed Kennedy being knocked forward, as I discuss in my article "Evidence of Alteration in the Zapruder Film."

Former FBI official and J. Edgar Hoover aide Cartha DeLoach recalled in his book Hoover's FBI that he watched the Zapruder film at FBI HQ the day after the shooting and that he saw Kennedy "pitching suddenly forward" in the film. Obviously, no such motion appears in the extant film.

Special Agent George Hickey, riding in the follow-up car, said the final shot made Kennedy "fall forward and to his left."

William Newman, who was standing on the Elm Street sidewalk right in front of the grassy knoll and who had one of the best views of the shooting, tried to tell New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison that JFK was knocked forward as if struck by a baseball bat, but Garrison would not believe him because the event was not in the film.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Rather was asked about his, let's be charitable, inaccurate description of what the film showed and said this (this is from Alexandra Zapruder's book on the film):

[Royell Storing]

What's especially interesting is that Rather was not the only one who saw the original film and who said it showed Kennedy being knocked forward, as I discuss in my article "Evidence of Alteration in the Zapruder Film."

Former FBI official and J. Edgar Hoover aide Cartha DeLoach recalled in his book Hoover's FBI that he watched the Zapruder film at FBI HQ the day after the shooting and that he saw Kennedy "pitching suddenly forward" in the film. Obviously, no such motion appears in the extant film.

Special Agent George Hickey, riding in the follow-up car, said the final shot made Kennedy "fall forward and to his left."

William Newman, who was standing on the Elm Street sidewalk right in front of the grassy knoll and who had one of the best views of the shooting, tried to tell New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison that JFK was knocked forward as if struck by a baseball bat, but Garrison would not believe him because the event was not in the film.

   Yeah, they swear by images and then disregard eyewitness testimony that conflicts with those same images. Personally, I am always astounded at the Missing Images that nobody asks about. Where are there any image(s) of SA Lem Johns jumping out of the LBJ SS Car and then running down Elm St. toward the JFK Limo? Where are there any image(s) of DPD Motorcycle Officer Hargis running across Elm St and then running up to "that wall", "little brick wall"? Those images are missing and nobody questions why we have this Gaping Black Hole. Interestingly, Officer Hargis's "little brick wall" is also where Gordon Arnold claimed he got kicked around by the "No Hat Cop". Images of Gordon Arnold are also nowhere to be found.

[Tom Graves]

Rather was asked about his, let's be charitable, inaccurate description of what the film showed and said this (this is from Alexandra Zapruder's book on the film):

So, I was right -- the poor guy got to see the clip only one time.

No wonder he made so many mistakes -- like saying in so many words, "JBC was clearly shot when he was turned around, reaching towards the President."

At least his syntax, grammar and vocabulary were pretty good.

. . . . . . . . .

Here's his 5:21-long version:

We have just returned from seeing a complete motion picture of the moments immediately preceding, and the moments of, President Kennedy's assassination. The motion picture shows the limousine, carrying in the front seat two Secret Service men, in the middle or jump-seat, Governor and Mrs. John Connally of Texas, and in the rear seat President and Mrs. Kennedy, a single Secret Service man standing on the back bumper. The top of the black Lincoln convertible down. The car made a turn, a left turn, off of Houston Street onto Elm Street on the fringe of Dallas's downtown area, that turn made directly below the 6th floor window from which the assassin's bullets came. After the left turn was completed, the automobile, with only one car in front of it -- a Secret Service car immediately in front -- the President's car proceeded about 35 yards from the base of the building in which the assassin was. President Kennedy and Governor Connally were seated on the same side of the open car, the side facing the building; Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Connally on the side opposite the assassin. President Kennedy is clearly shown to put his right hand up to the side of his face, as if to either brush back his hair or perhaps rub his eyebrow. Mrs. Kennedy at that instant is looking away, that is not looking at the president. At almost that instant, when the President has his hand up to the side of his face, he lurches forward -- something in this manner.  The first shot had hit him. Mrs. Kennedy appeared not to notice. Governor Connally, in the seat right in front of the President -- and by the way, the Governor had his suit coat open –- his suit was not buttoned -- perhaps either heard the shot or somehow he knew that something was wrong because the picture shows just after that first shot hit the President, the Governor turned in something this manner with his right arm outstretched back towards the President as if to say “what's wrong” or “what happened,” or to say something, and exposed the entire white front shirt of the Governor to the full view of the assassin’s window, and as the Governor was in this position and President Kennedy, behind him, was slumped slightly over, a shot clearly hit the front of Governor Connally and the Governor fell back, over towards his wife. Mrs. Connally immediately put herself over her husband in a protective position, and as she did so, in the back seat this time with Mrs. Kennedy's eyes apparently [unintelligible], the second shot -- the third shot in all -- the second shot hit the President's head. His head went forward in a violent motion, pushing it down like this. Mrs. Kennedy was on her feet immediately. The President fell over in this direction. It appeared that his head probably brushed or hit against Mrs. Kennedy's legs. The First Lady almost immediately tried to crawl on, and did crawl onto, the trunk of the car, face-down, her whole body almost was on that trunk in something (sic) that all fours position. She appeared to desperately be trying to get the attention of the Secret Service man on the back bumper, or perhaps she was stretching out toward him to grab him, try to get him in, or perhaps even to get herself out of the car. The car was moving all the time; the car never stopped. The Secret Service man on the back bumper leaned way over and put his hands on Mrs. Kennedy's shoulders. She appeared to be in some danger of falling or rolling off that trunk lid. He pushed her into the back seat of the car. In the front seat a Secret Service man with a phone in his hand. The car speeded it up and sped away. It never stopped; it never paused. That's what the film of the assassination showed. The film was taken by an amateur photographer who had placed himself in an advantageous position. Eight-millimeter color film. This is Dan Rather in Dallas.