First shot reactions

[Charles Collins]

You guys make it seem like Willis was just standing there waiting for the limousine with plenty of time to raise his camera, frame his shot and pan evenly to eliminate blurring. All ruin by his being startled by hearing a shot.

Willis had to run from where he took his shot  of the limousine on Houston to where he took Willis 04. He had a second or two after he arrived to get his shot.

That’s another excellent graphic Jerry. Thanks! Yes you are right. However, he only had 3.77 seconds to move to the new position, aim the camera, refocus, and get the next photo (05). Neither one is sharply focused (professional quality). But the 04 photo appears to be significantly more out of focus than the others.

[Charles Collins]

Charles, do you think a very loud bang causing what Phil Willis said “the reflex from the shot caused me to take one of these pictures” would only affect his camera trigger finger, i.e. so no part of his hand or wrist or arm or shoulder would shutter so there would be no blur in the picture?  If Zapruder at a noticeably further distance (and sound intensity falling off as 1/r^2) jiggled his camera at the gunshots, was it because he was a significantly less stable photographer compared to what Willis could do up much closer to the noise?

For what it’s worth, an approach I looked at awhile ago related to first shot testimonies (which would be expected to have lower than average variability when interpreting for the first shot timing) does appear to agree with your comments regarding those Willis photos.

https://sites.google.com/view/anchored-first-shot-testimony/home
sites.google.com/view/anchored-first-shot-testimony/home

Nice work Brian. I agree with your approach and conclusions.

[Jerry Organ]

Can anybody identify what is in the background of Willis4?
https://www.jfkassassinationgallery.com/albums/userpics/10001/willis04.jpg

Appears to be a concrete pillar, tree trunk and first floor of the Depository.

[Royell Storing]

In the clip below, I believe that you can see each of the limo occupants simultaneously react to the sound of the first shot.



JFK suddenly drops his right hand from his hair and looks to his left (towards Jackie). Then suddenly returns his head to the crowd on his right (probably reacting to the sound of someone yelling).

John Connally first turns to his right, then quickly turns to his left (towards Nellie), then back to his right.

Jackie suddenly turns her head further to her left, then back towards the front of the limo.

Nellie Connally suddenly turns to her right (towards John Connally).

Agent Roy Kellerman suddenly turns his head to his right, then quickly back towards the front.

Agent Greer (driver) appears to have his gaze towards the camera (Zapruder) and doesn't appear to move his head. He is the exception, perhaps Zapruder (up high on the pedistal) caught his eye.

And last, but not least, William T. McIntyre (on the left running board of the presidential follow-up car) Hickey suddenly looks to his left and down. He appears to me to be looking at the tires of the limo for a blow-out. (Perhaps he thought the loud noise might have been a tire blowing out.)

Edit: William T. McIntyre is almost hidden behind Clint Hill. However, I believe I see him suddenly duck his head and look around Clint Hill.

   Still waiting for Anyone to reveal Why SA Hickey is seated so Exceptionally High inside the Queen Mary. His head is higher than the front windshield, and Much higher than everyone else inside the vehicle. Extremely peculiar. 

[Bill Chapman]

   Still waiting for Anyone to reveal Why SA Hickey is seated so Exceptionally High inside the Queen Mary. His head is higher than the front windshield, and Much higher than everyone else inside the vehicle. Extremely peculiar.

George W. Hickey, Jr., Special Agent, White House Detail, White House garage, United States Secret Service
Activities of SA George W. Hickey, Jr. from the time he arrived at Love Airfield, Dallas, Texas, Thursday, November 21, 1963, to the time he departed from the above Love Airfield, Friday, November 22, 1963
http://www.jfk-online.com/hickey.html

EXCERPT:

(...)

The motorcade then left the airport and proceeded along the parade route. Just prior to the shooting the Presidential car turned left at the intersection and started down an incline toward an underpass followed by 679X. After a very short distance I heard a loud report which sounded like a firecracker. It appeared to come from the right and rear and seemed to me to be at ground level. I stood up and looked to my right and rear in an attempt to identify it. Nothing caught my attention except people shouting and cheering.

(...)

[Charles Collins]

   Still waiting for Anyone to reveal Why SA Hickey is seated so Exceptionally High inside the Queen Mary. His head is higher than the front windshield, and Much higher than everyone else inside the vehicle. Extremely peculiar.

It appears to me that there are several factors to consider.

The angle of the car as it moves downhill (meaning that the front is lower than the rear). Hence the windshield is lower (relative to the rear seat).

The rear seat is probably raised a little higher than it would be in a “normal car.” If I remember correctly, that limousine was once used for the President. And that feature (raised rear seat) was typical.

Relative to the two agents standing on the running board Hickey is lower (shoulder high). So it doesn’t appear to me that Hickey is standing. The running boards are likely slightly lower than the floorboard of the limousine. Therefore, if Hickey was standing, he should be about the same height as McIntyre.

[Andrew Mason]

   Still waiting for Anyone to reveal Why SA Hickey is seated so Exceptionally High inside the Queen Mary. His head is higher than the front windshield, and Much higher than everyone else inside the vehicle. Extremely peculiar.

SA Hickey appears to be either sitting on a very high booster seat or he is partially standing from at least as early as z138.  His head is higher than others who are seated but lower than the agents standing on the running boards.  At around z150 he begins to lean over to the left and looks to the left and down.  He appears to be trying to look at something or someone through the space between McIntyre and Clint Hill, perhaps the left rear motorcycle outrider.  He is not extended outside the car so he can't be looking at tires. 

He appears to stop leaning left by z175 but keeps looking left (head turned left) as is seen in Betzner's photo at z186 (which Betzner indicated was before he heard a shot).   He then starts to rise after z198 until z207 which is the last zframe in which he is seen.  This can be seen as an increase in the amount of his chest/white shirt that is visible above the central roof support bar.  It can also be seen in the difference in his height between Betzner (z186) and Willis No. 5 (z202).  By z202 (Willis 5) he is looking forward.  By z256 (Altgens no. 6) he is looking to the rear.  We cannot see him between z207 and z256 or after z256. 

According to his evidence Hickey turned around to face forward before the second shot and remained facing forward until after the third shot as he states he was looking at the President on both those shots.  He said he thought the second shot did not strike the President because all that he could see was the hair on the right side of his head lift up.  He said that he saw the third shot strike him in the head.

[Jerry Organ]

By Z170, Hickey largely straightens up from his severe lean during the Z150s and early-Z160s. Though looking to his left, this could be where Hickey is looking rearward and seeing "people shouting and cheering". Mrs. Kennedy was looking directly at the crowd where Croft and Willis was. Hickey's Nov. 22nd report said nothing about looking to his right and that he only partially corrected his lean: "I stood partially up and turned to the rear to see if I could observe anything."



Doesn't seem to be much "shouting and cheering" when he looks back again in Altgens. Hickey could have thought he looked to his right earlier (Z170s) because that's where he said the shot came from.


Hickey's sharp turn to the front occurs at Z195. If it was a direct response to hearing a shot fired from the SN, it would mean a shot occurred four frames-or-so before (ca. Z188-91).