The First Shot

[Dan O'meara]

Ernest Brandt was one of the closest witnesses to the assassination. In the picture below he is the man in the dark suit with the dark hat. To his left is John Templin, the man he went to watch the parade with.



Brandt has always insisted that the first shot occurred just after the Presidential limo had passed his position. The following passage is taken from a letter Brandt sent to Dave Reitzes (https://groups.google.com/g/alt.assassination.jfk/c/ea06nf0Ktgg)

"I will attempt to clarify & explain CAREFULLY what I saw & what the "Z" film
tells me. I would like to state that I have always attempted to be VERY CAREFUL
& EXACT when communicating details about my experience to others, so I will TRY
to be precise in this letter also! But we must realize that EXACTNESS is not
always possible. For instance, I have stated many times that I was ABOUT 15
feet from JFK when the FIRST shot was fired. But I have NEVER been able to
actually measure the distance due to the CONSTANT stream of vehicles on that
part of Elm Street, so my "15 feet" is only an estimate of that distance!! But
it is a close guess. Also the "one o'clock" estimate of JFK's location at the
moment of the FIRST shot is likewise a "guess." But again, I think "reasonably"
accurate.
...It is very obvious, to me at least, that JFK has been hit
when he emerges from BEHIND the sign in frame #225 with his hands rising to his
face/mouth area -- because that is EXACTLY what I saw -- except JFK was
SLIGHTLY PAST me so I saw his arm-raising action from his RIGHT-REAR..."

This, again, is a strong indication that the first shot was the one that caused JFK to reach for his throat. This is confirmed by John Templin, the man stood to Brandt's left. This excerpt from an interview with him was taken from Pat Speer's website (http://www.patspeer.com/more-pieces-in-the-plaza):

 "Well, as the limo drew even with us, well, the president was waving and, of course, grinning. He had just a great big smile on his face, and he drew even with us, and I thought, “Well, this ‘ole country boy finally saw a president.” You know, it’s not like you see a president every day. And especially a kid from the country like I was, it was a big deal for me. And just about, I would say, thirty feet past us, we heard what I personally thought was a motorcycle backfire, and I... the president kind of threw his shoulders up a little bit and kind of laid his head back on the back of the seat, and I thought, well, he’s just playing and playing the crowd and acting silly, you know. Being human, not knowing that he had been hit. But the second shot was probably another forty to fifty foot further down, and it blew the right side of his head off, as near as I could tell. I was close enough that I could see that. I could see his hair depart from his head actually."  (my emphasis)

[Bill Chapman]

To suggest Connally was shot in the back whilst lying in Mrs Connally's lap is beyond bizarre.
And I note you have failed to provide the explanation as to how Mr West knew the timing of the shots that allowed him to determine the points of impact.

There are better vids of the one shown here: The one I have in mind is the one showing less shadow which reveals JBC with his eyes shut as he sways around and eventually is pulled down by the missus into her lap. And he did say that as soon as the shooting started he didn't see Kennedy again. 

[Dan O'meara]

There are better vids of the one shown here: The one I have in mind is the one showing less shadow which reveals JBC with his eyes shut as he sways around and eventually is pulled down by the missus into her lap. And he did say that as soon as the shooting started he didn't see Kennedy again.

Do you have a link as these are the best I've come across.

[Dan O'meara]

In Nellies WC Statement she references JBC cried out Oh No No No afte being struck the first shot. The same as what Jackie stated.

Mrs. CONNALLY. …….Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right.
I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.

Mrs. CONNALLY. -----------------------------------As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, no, no, no."

This is clearly not the case Jack. Nellie is adamant it was the second shot that hit JBC. You seem to have left the important bit out of you're quote:

Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down.
Then very soon there was the second shot that hit John. As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, no, no, no."


Although, as I've demonstrated, there are good reasons to doubt the reliability of Nellie's version of events, it's important to keep things in the correct context. She is saying JBC was 'yelling' "no, no, no" even though he hadn't been hit and didn't really know what was going on as he couldn't see JFK. As I've already expressed, I find it unlikely JBC is calling out before being shot and that Nellie's memory of this event is inaccurate.

[Dan O'meara]

Rosemary Willis is seen running alongside the Presidential limousine in the Zapruder film and other assassination motion pictures. She is clearly visible in her white, hooded coat and a red skirt.

At circa Z-164-171 she starts to slow down, then she stops running and, simultaneous with her slowing/stopping, she slightly turns her level-facing head to end up looking towards the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository. Willis stated she stopped because she heard a loud noise that attracted her attention.

Immediately after President Kennedy is first hidden at frame 207 by the "Stemmons Freeway" traffic sign in the Zapruder film, Willis suddenly, and beginning at Z-214, snaps her head very rapidly 90 to 100 degrees westward (completely away from the Depository southeast corner) within 0.16 second to then face Abraham Zapruder and the grassy knoll by Z-217.

She told the HSCA in 1978 that she heard four loud noises and saw suspicious activity on the grassy knoll.

I just find it incredibly unlikely that this little girl is reacting a loud noise that a car full of SS men haven't noticed. Willis can be seen running alongside the Presidential follow-up car so we can compare the reactions of both:



She first appears in the Elsie Dorman footage running along with her big sister (or mother). By Zapruder she has streaked ahead and I suspect she is reacting to being called back.

[John Tonkovich]

To suggest Connally was shot in the back whilst lying in Mrs Connally's lap is beyond bizarre.
And I note you have failed to provide the explanation as to how Mr West knew the timing of the shots that allowed him to determine the points of impact.

Mr West was supplied with that information by SS, FBI, who were referencing the...Z film. (First generation.)
Obviously, you either did not read, or do not understand, the work of Tom Purvis.
Might want to look at third shot location, survey station 4+95. Which the WC published, perhaps forgetting to omit it, as it contradicts the entire " magic bullet" theory.

[Dan O'meara]

Mr West was supplied with that information by SS, FBI, who were referencing the...Z film. (First generation.)
Obviously, you either did not read, or do not understand, the work of Tom Purvis.
Might want to look at third shot location, survey station 4+95. Which the WC published, perhaps forgetting to omit it, as it contradicts the entire " magic bullet" theory.

In terms of this thread the West survey has zero relevance. The timing of the shots was provided by the SS/FBI and West simply worked out the points of impact using the timings he was provided with.  The only relevant aspect of it is how the timing of the shots was worked out. This has nothing to do with the West survey.
The only work of Tom Purvis I'm familiar with is to do with the West survey and you're right, I didn't understand what was being said. For example, the first shot was said to have passed through a branch of an oak tree (I don't understand why the assassin was shooting through the tree), the projectile then began to tumble after passing through the branch but still hit JFK in the back (I don't understand how that happened), it then "merely lodged" itself in JFK's back " due to impaired velocity as a result of having penetrated a limb of the live oak", yet there was still enough velocity to shear off a lead fragment which had been squeezed out of the base of the bullet, which then flew out of JFK's throat (something I truly don't understand). This fragment then misses Connally sat directly in from of him (I'm not too sure about that either)
As for the third shot, I find the scenario outlined so baffling that I don't know where to begin. The upshot is that this bullet is supposed to have hit JBC when he turned his back after the headshot but, as I've previously demonstrated, there was already blood streaming down his back by this time.
In a previous post you said:

"Connaly's wound occured at Z312, while he was lying ( no pun intended) down across the jump seats."

If this 'observation' is based on the work of Tom Purvis it shows you have far less understanding of his work than I do.

[John Tonkovich]

In terms of this thread the West survey has zero relevance. The timing of the shots was provided by the SS/FBI and West simply worked out the points of impact using the timings he was provided with.  The only relevant aspect of it is how the timing of the shots was worked out. This has nothing to do with the West survey.
The only work of Tom Purvis I'm familiar with is to do with the West survey and you're right, I didn't understand what was being said. For example, the first shot was said to have passed through a branch of an oak tree (I don't understand why the assassin was shooting through the tree), the projectile then began to tumble after passing through the branch but still hit JFK in the back (I don't understand how that happened), it then "merely lodged" itself in JFK's back " due to impaired velocity as a result of having penetrated a limb of the live oak", yet there was still enough velocity to shear off a lead fragment which had been squeezed out of the base of the bullet, which then flew out of JFK's throat (something I truly don't understand). This fragment then misses Connally sat directly in from of him (I'm not too sure about that either)
As for the third shot, I find the scenario outlined so baffling that I don't know where to begin. The upshot is that this bullet is supposed to have hit JBC when he turned his back after the headshot but, as I've previously demonstrated, there was already blood streaming down his back by this time.
In a previous post you said:

"Connaly's wound occured at Z312, while he was lying ( no pun intended) down across the jump seats."

If this 'observation' is based on the work of Tom Purvis it shows you have far less understanding of his work than I do.

Third shot - actually, third hit -was z349z350. Per Mr West's survey station, 4+95.
You are familiar with Purvis' - and Mr West's  - work yet you don't know this?
Or that z12 hit was from second shot?
Your comprehension....not so good.