Bullet hole in windshield on JFK's Limo

[Jim Hawthorn]

It does look like the mirror was dented in the middle:

Who knows. It could have been slightly crumpled like that before November 22nd.

[Royell Storing]

 During his WC Testimony, Altgens challenged the generally accepted physical position that was being assigned to him on Elm St. Any calculations that are made which involve the alleged physical position of Altgens need to include the "Altgens Disclaimer".

[Andrew Mason]

Who knows. It could have been slightly crumpled like that before November 22nd.

Yes.  The Rowley report (CD80) mentions that SA Gies, who was responsible for the care and maintenance for the car, thought the damage to the windshield frame was done earlier at the Lincoln dealer on November 1, 1961. (the year must be a typo, but that is what the report says). Gies said that they were making repairs to the crank that secures the convertible top and damage may have occurred then.  So maybe that damaged the mirror. 

The story seems rather implausible as it means that not a single person noticed the damage to the frame.  A photo of the car taken at Love Field on 22Nov63 shows no sign of damage there:


although the windshield upper frame is partially blocked by the roof support.  However, damage should still have been visible if it existed then as it is in the upper part of the frame that is visible in the Love Field photo:

[Andrew Mason]

There was mirror slant at Love Field before the motorcade began that equals that in the Parkland picture.

Thanks for posting these Jerry.  Where did you find that Love Field photo?  I have been searching for that kind of view from Love Field.

I don't necessarily agree that the mirror hasn't moved between Altgens #6 and Altgens #7.  But your photos do show that the windshield frame damage was not there at Love Field:

Here is the detail of the damage at Parkland:


But the same location shows no damage at Love Field prior to the motorcade departing:


That certainly rebuts the suggestion made by SA Gies in the Rowley letter that the damage may have occurred before Nov 22/63!

[John Mytton]

Hi Jim, nice graphic, the left side and bottom border are clearly defined by the edge of the mirror(which in your graphic was a little fudged) and the top of Kennedy's jacket.





JohnM

[Jim Hawthorn]

Hi Jim, nice graphic, the left side and bottom border are clearly defined by the edge of the mirror(which in your graphic was a little fudged) and the top of Kennedy's jacket.





JohnM

Hi John, I get that but a better quality image reveals what is going on there:



Look at the light rays bouncing off the shattered glass. That phenomenon simply wouldn't be happening if it was just a glimpse of a white bag.

[Jim Hawthorn]

Look at this too. You can plainly see that the fracture is in front of Kennedy here:

[John Mytton]

Look at this too. You can plainly see that the fracture is in front of Kennedy here:

Thanks Jim for this higher res crop because now it's even more clear that the edge of the mirror is in front of the lighter object behind.





JohnM