The First Shot

[Dan O'meara]

Dan, first I have to acknowledge that my opinion is just an opinion. I have no conclusive evidence of an early first shot that everyone would ever agree on. In this case, there is a lot of contradictory witness accounts. All of them cannot be correct. Neither can both yours and mine opinions be correct. The Altgens 6 photograph is a record of only one instant in time during the shooting. Yes, the three of them are all looking back in the direction of the TSBD. And I acknowledge that your theory doesn't appear to me to be impossible. LHO had reportedly practiced by dry firing his rifle on the screened porch in New Orleans. And in my opinion he probably developed a feel for the action of that rifle that allowed him to get three shots off very quickly. And it is certainly possible that he waited and began firing as the limo emerged from behind the tree and fired as quickly as he possibly could. In fact that makes good sense and I believe that that could have been his intention. But there is also credible evidence of an early first shot (I believe probably inadvertent due to interference in the tight confines of the sniper's nest). And I cannot disregard it based on the assumption that Altgens 6 is supposed to be confirmation of their accounts.

The Secret Service agents all had to write reports of what happened (and their related reactions). I believe that they had some opportunities to compare notes with each other before submitting their reports. And that that is why most of them sound suspiciously alike. None of them were likely to report anything that would indicate that they didn't react immediately. Landis' account (that you pointed out) indicates that there was initially some confusion because they detected nothing unusual. But most of them are very brief and just say that they reacted immediately. Greer initially slowing down the limo before speeding away at about the time of the fatal shot is (I believe) indicative of that confusion. Here is an excerpt from his original report: "The President's automobile was almost past this building and I was looking at the overpass that we were about to pass under in case someone was on top of it, when I heard what I thought was the backfire of a motorcycle behind the President's automobile. After the second shot, I glanced over my right shoulder and saw Governor Connally start to fall, I knew then that something was wrong and I immediately pushed the accelerator to the floor and Mr. Kellerman said, get out of here."


 Please notice the fact that Greer said the limo was almost past the TSBD (meaning still in front of it) when he heard the first shot (that he thought was a backfire). This describes the section of the Zapruder film near Z133. And that by Z223 (your opinion of when the first shot occurred) the limo was well past the TSBD.

I couldn't agree more with what you've posted here Charles. Earlier in the thread Jerry referred to a "buffet" of evidence (which Bill, showing his refinement, upgraded to a "smorgasbord"). It is a reference to the mass of contradictory and ambiguous evidence we all have to choose from. That so many models arise to explain various aspects of this case reflects, I think, how complex this evidence is.
As you have correctly pointed out, I have to ignore the testimonial evidence of Greer you present, the testimony of a trained SS agent who was actually in the limo at the time of the assassination. This seems outrageous but I can do this because in my opinion (and it is only an opinion) there is other evidence that successfully refutes Greer's testimony.
We have different models concerning the timing of the shots and we can both back them up with our interpretation of various pieces of evidence.
My journey through the evidence has led me to this point -

1st shot z223
2nd shot z313
3rd shot yet to be firmly established but it must follow the "shot, pause, two shots closer together" pattern

I'm now in phase 2 - defending the model I've constructed. It's not on me to attack your model, it is on me to defend my own. I hope that I can accept the evidence that destroys my model if/when it comes.

[Bill Chapman]

Because when I was setting this account up I cocked it up and didn't know how to change it. My surname is O' Meara (note the gap after the apostrophe). I wasn't that bothered about it but will change it now (if I can)

O' Meara
> The gap is not necessary

O'Meara
> The standard

Andrew P. O'Meara (1907–2005), United States Army general
Barry Edward O'Meara (1786–1836), Irish surgeon
Brian O'Meara (rugby union) (b.1976), Irish rugby union footballer
Brian O'Meara (hurler) (b.1990), Irish hurler
Brian O'Meara (Mullinahone hurler) (b.1973), Irish hurler for the Tipperary senior team
Colin O'Meara (b.1963), voice actor
David O'Meara, a Canadian poet.
Dermod O'Meara, Irish physician, poet and parent of Edmund O'Meara
Edmund O'Meara (1614–1681), Irish physiologist and child of Dermod O'Meara
Edward O'Meara (1921–1992), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
Eileen O'Meara, American artist
Frank O'Meara (1853–1888), Irish artist

[Charles Collins]

Seems the southwest corner of the Depository might still be in Greer's vision as late as the Z160s.




It would appear at that time that Greer was looking towards the direction of Zapruder (maybe a little more northerly in Z153), not so much the Underpass. The southwest corner of the Depository would easily be in Greer's far peripheral vision, appearing as a blurred dark mass against the sky.

It would appear at that time that Greer was looking towards the direction of Zapruder

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry... Greer stated that he was looking at the overpass when he heard the first shot (regardless of where you think his head is turned, because his eyes can move independently of his head). By my estimation there is about 15-degrees between those two objects from Greer's position during the span between Z133 and Z160. Based on this information, I believe that the southwest corner of the TSBD would have disappeared from his far peripheral vision around Z133. Our memories work by association. Therefore it is easy to conclude that Greer was indeed looking at the overpass when he heard the first shot.

[Dan O'meara]

O' Meara
> The gap is not necessary

O'Meara
> The standard

Andrew P. O'Meara (1907–2005), United States Army general
Barry Edward O'Meara (1786–1836), Irish surgeon
Brian O'Meara (rugby union) (b.1976), Irish rugby union footballer
Brian O'Meara (hurler) (b.1990), Irish hurler
Brian O'Meara (Mullinahone hurler) (b.1973), Irish hurler for the Tipperary senior team
Colin O'Meara (b.1963), voice actor
David O'Meara, a Canadian poet.
Dermod O'Meara, Irish physician, poet and parent of Edmund O'Meara
Edmund O'Meara (1614–1681), Irish physiologist and child of Dermod O'Meara
Edward O'Meara (1921–1992), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
Eileen O'Meara, American artist
Frank O'Meara (1853–1888), Irish artist

Thanks for updating me about my own name Bill but the gap is necessary. The O' is an indicator meaning something along the lines of "Belonging to the tribe/clan of". The tribe/clan in my name is Meara (an Anglicised version of the Gaelic original). They are two completely separate entities, therefore the gap.

[Charles Collins]

Pretty odd for the driver of a car to be having his head off-center for several seconds while looking forward.

Even if Greer had his eyes fixated on the Underpass during the Z150-160s, the SW corner of the Depository would be in his far peripheral vision. Likewise, if Greer was looking straight in the direction of Zapruder, the Underpass would appear in his near peripheral vision.

According to eyehealthweb.com:

A normal visual field is approximately 170 degrees around, with 100 degrees comprising the peripheral vision.





Regardless of whether Greer had extraordinary peripheral vision or not, he would recognize whether or not the southwest corner of the TSBD was behind him. And if it was he would have said the limo was just past the building instead of almost past.

[Dan O'meara]

"Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned off Houston onto Elm and made the short little dip to the left going down grade, as I said, we were away from buildings, and were there was a sign on the side of the road which I don't recall what it was or what it said, but we no more than passed that and you are out in the open, and there is a report like a firecracker, pop."

Kellerman recall's the first shot as coming after they had passed the buildings and have barely passed 'a sign on the side of the road' when a shot is heard. Looking at the diagram Jerry posted, if the 'sign in the road' is the one marked 'roadsign' (the Thornton freeway sign) this would be consistent with a shot at z223

[Dan O'meara]

Kellerman's recollection of the first shot tallies quite well with Rufus Youngblood's:

Mr. SPECTER. Where, as best you can recollect, was the Vice President's car at the time the first shots. were heard? And would you take Commission Exhibit No. 354 and take the red pencil and mark as closely as you can the exact position on Commission Exhibit 354 of the Vice President's car with the capital letter "A" there?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. At the time of the first shot, did you say?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes, sir.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. It will be in this area here, I should think.
Mr. SPECTER. I want the Vice President's car at this time.
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, this is what I am attempting to locate. It would be in the vicinity of this "X" right here, I do believe.



The X on the above diagram would be roughly at the spot marked z160 on Jerry's diagram. Quite a good correlation between the two testimonies.

[Charles Collins]

Can't a person look at something as big as a building and get a sense of where it's at even after they look away?

I find it odd that Kellerman has his head tilted away from the very front of the car for several seconds while you claim he would be looking with his eyes dead ahead anyway, supposedly fixated on the Underpass as if it's the only thing he need look at. Apparently Greer's eyes can't sweep back-and-forth so he can get a mental sense of both the Depository and the Underpass.

Jerry, they had just rounded a sharp turn onto Elm Street and were negotiating additional curves. It is instinctive for a driver's eyes to look in the direction that he intends to steer the car regardless of which direction the car is actually headed at the moment. (They actually made some cars, long ago, with headlights that turned with the motion of the steering wheel (so the driver could see the area where he intended to go better at night). I would fully expect Greer to be looking at the road ahead in the direction of where he intended to go. That was his duty as a driver. And that is what he said he was looking at when he heard the first shot. We are arguing nitpicking points. He said he was looking for potential threats on the overpass. I believe him.