How Mrs. Connally Described Her Husband Being Shot-HSCA

[John Corbett]

I can agree with that.

Nellie and Gayle Newman both described JBC as being turned to the right when hit.

He was turned to his right when hit, dummy. At or about Z222. Immediately after that he turned even more dramatically to his right.

 

But what I did not realize until today in looking through some of the Commission Documents was that Connally's medical team also agreed that JBC was turned right when hit.  In fact, a report prepared by ASAIC Warren in January 1964 following interviews with the doctors (labelled as CD 326), states that they agreed that his "Torso turned to the right and nearly parallel with the flight of the projectile".   



That would put the shot striking JBC sometime after z250.

Connally's medical team would not have been aware of the fact that the bullet that struck JBC in the back had first passed through JFK and yawed upon exit. That produced an elongated entry wound that the medical team could have easily misinterpreted as a tangential strike which would produce such an elongated wound. The problem with that explanation is such a wound would have to have been fired from a near perpendicular angle to limo, which would mean a shot from the west end of the TSBD.

[Andrew Mason]

Connally's medical team would not have been aware of the fact that the bullet that struck JBC in the back had first passed through JFK and yawed upon exit. That produced an elongated entry wound that the medical team could have easily misinterpreted as a tangential strike which would produce such an elongated wound. The problem with that explanation is such a wound would have to have been fired from a near perpendicular angle to limo, which would mean a shot from the west end of the TSBD.

We know that the bullet did not come from the west end of the TSBD. If the doctors were correct, that would mean that JBC was not hit at z225.  It was not until about z250 that his torso was aligned so that a shot from the SN would have struck him with his torso nearly parallel to the flight of the bullet.

The doctors were just going by the wounds and path of the bullet through the body they observed and the fact that the wrist was turned back facing the bullet.  That appears to be the basis for their agreement that the torso was turned right and was "nearly parallel with the flight of the bullet". 

[John Corbett]

We know that the bullet did not come from the west end of the TSBD. If the doctors were correct, that would mean that JBC was not hit at z225.  It was not until about z250 that his torso was aligned so that a shot from the SN would have struck him with his torso nearly parallel to the flight of the bullet.

The doctors were just going by the wounds and path of the bullet through the body they observed and the fact that the wrist was turned back facing the bullet.  That appears to be the basis for their agreement that the torso was turned right and was "nearly parallel with the flight of the bullet".

At the time the medical team looked at the wound, it was not known that the bullet had first hit JFK and yawed upon exiting. That wasn't known even by January when they were interviewed. The SBT had not yet been formulated. It is understandable that they would think the bullet made a tangential entry since that would be the more common reason for such an elongated wound.

[Andrew Mason]

At the time the medical team looked at the wound, it was not known that the bullet had first hit JFK and yawed upon exiting.

A bit circular.  I thought you were arguing that the bullet was yawing because of what the doctors saw, not what they may have gathered from talking to others.   In any event, the concept that the torso was "nearly parallel with the flight of the bullet" must be based on the direction of the bullet not its orientation when it entered.

[Benjamin Cole]

AM--

Thanks for posting that 1/28/64 memo from Forrest Sorrels.

The memo, citing expert surgeons, indicates Gov. JBC's torso was turned to his right, that is facing towards the Zapruder side of the street, when he was struck from behind the limo, by a slug that left a small round hole in the back of his assassination-day shirt (no yawing or tumbling indicated).

In fact, Gov. JBC is turned to his right, and his face is facing towards Zapruder, at ~Z-295.

Thereafter ~Z-295, JBC grimaces and his mouth gapes as if he is in serious agony, and he is pushed forwards, and then falls into his wife's lap, about the time JFK is hot. That all lines up with testimony by the Connallys.

IMHO, the 1/28/64 Sorrels memo affirms my take on the Z-film.

But hey, each to his own.

Caveat emptor, and draw your conclusions.

[John Corbett]

A bit circular.  I thought you were arguing that the bullet was yawing because of what the doctors saw, not what they may have gathered from talking to others.   In any event, the concept that the torso was "nearly parallel with the flight of the bullet" must be based on the direction of the bullet not its orientation when it entered.

Either a tangential entry or a yawing bullet could produce an elongated entry wound. Since the medical team AT THE TIME would have had no reason to believe the bullet and struck someone or something before entering JBC's back, it is understandable why they would conclude the bullet made a tangential entry wound into JBC's back. That would indicate the bullet was traveling almost parallel to his back. The problem with that is a bullet entering at that angle would have continued on and exited from the left side of his torso. The other possibility would be if the bullet made a tangential entry going in the opposite direction which would require the shot to have been fired from the south side of Elm St. In any case, the ER doctors were simply wrong in concluding that the elongated wound was caused by a tangential strike. It was caused by a yawing bullet. No other explanation fits the available evidence.