The Signal Man on Elm Street

[Gerry Down]

It is often said that the umbrella man or the dark complected man were there to give a signal to the shooters for the shooting to begin. Can someone explain why there would need to be a signal like this? Why not just instruct the shooters before hand to shoot when the limo gets to the Stemmons freeway sign? What would be the point of having someone AT the Stemmons freeway sign waving his hands or moving an umbrella to signal for the shooting to begin?

[Jerry Freeman]

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[Jerry Freeman]

If you watched the above film clip [only 6 min] you would be told that the Umbrella Man was supposedly protesting Nevile Chamberlain and [I guess] wanted JFK to feel his anger by raising it in front of him? The HSCA accepted this yarn. I find it difficult to because---He failed to come forward for over 12 years as a witness to a homicide...and his story reeks of more crapola than could be put in any umpty-hundred umbrellas. Photographs show that he sat down real cozy with another no show to the police...The Dark Complected Man and seemingly had a chit-chat apparently about the event that had unfolded. Some photos show that The DCM might have had a small walkie talkie in his hip pocket. At the passing limo [in the Zapruder film] ..the DCM is seen to lower his hand as one signaling to open fire.
Were they signal men? Nobody seemed to care.

[Gerry Down]

If you watched the above film clip [only 6 min] you would be told that the Umbrella Man was supposedly protesting Nevile Chamberlain and [I guess] wanted JFK to feel his anger by raising it in front of him? The HSCA accepted this yarn. I find it difficult to because---He failed to come forward for over 12 years as a witness to a homicide...and his story reeks of more crapola than could be put in any umpty-hundred umbrellas. Photographs show that he sat down real cozy with another no show to the police...The Dark Complected Man and seemingly had a chit-chat apparently about the event that had unfolded. Some photos show that The DCM might have had a small walkie talkie in his hip pocket. At the passing limo [in the Zapruder film] ..the DCM is seen to lower his hand as one signaling to open fire.
Were they signal men? Nobody seemed to care.

Gordan Arnold didn't come forward until a similar time frame.

Louie Witt does indeed look like umbrella man. Died in 2014 aged 90. Gone to the big umbrella in the sky.

[Richard Smith]

It is often said that the umbrella man or the dark complected man were there to give a signal to the shooters for the shooting to begin. Can someone explain why there would need to be a signal like this? Why not just instruct the shooters before hand to shoot when the limo gets to the Stemmons freeway sign? What would be the point of having someone AT the Stemmons freeway sign waving his hands or moving an umbrella to signal for the shooting to begin?

In the CTer "mind" every oddity must have a sinister explanation.  Imagine the conspirators telling this umbrella guy that his role is to stand out in the open, near the line of fire, and signal the shooters.  So conspicuous that we are still talking about him 60 years later.  And, as you correctly point out, a sniper wouldn't need to be prompted on when to fire.  See JFK, shoot JFK would have carried the day.

[Jerry Organ]

[Jerry Freeman]

[Robert Reeves]

But it is a camera.



Held just above waist height.