Moments before the assassination, President John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas.

 

On 17 August 1962 (Friday), I was 7-years old when JFK visited my home town of Pueblo, CO. He came down 4th street. All I remember about him was his hair. His hair was flying all over the place. With the sun hitting it, it looked reddish. Anyway, here’s my take on the JFK assassination.

 

I’m A Patriot. But I’m Not A Sheep! — Joseph A. Laydon Jr. – 27 October 1984

 

Being a qualified military sniper that taught sniping in different countries, I thought I’d give my 2 cents worth. I got lucky and attended 2 different sniper courses. So I know a little bit about long-range shooting with consistent accuracy.

If ALL military snipers in the entire US military were given their final test to pass their sniper course, and the criteria was to:

• Shoot 3 bullets at 2 targets (1st one already chambered) in 5.6 seconds or less
• At moving targets (81-meters / 265-feet) and still going away from them
  downward angle
• Using the bolt action rifle – the Italian carbine, Carcano Model 91/38 with telescopic sights

 

NOBODY would pass this final test, NOBODY!!! The famous US Marine sniper, Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II, with 93 confirmed kills, he tried it and he couldn’t do it.

OK, now let’s carry-on with the Assassination Of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

 

 

Assassination Of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy!

On 22 November 1963 at 1230 in the afternoon – Central Time, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in his motorcade as it travelled through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Here’s the controversy: Was Lee Harvey Oswald the lone assassin? Here’s my answer: Not only NO, but HELL NO!!!!!!

He never fired a shot. This comes from my training, experiences, and teaching sniping to snipers who were dang good shooters to average shooters (still above average compared to the average soldier). Here’s why I say multiple shooters were involved in assassinating JFK. Let me break it down for you.

 

 

Sniper System

True sniper systems are “accurized.” They are modified so there is NO UNNECESSARY MOVEMENT in the weapon. All working & moving parts of the weapon are polished & tailored for precision performance. The iron sights and telescopic sight are tailored for that specific weapon.

The weapon used by Lee Harvey Oswald was a simple bolt action, carbine, Italian Carcano Model 91/38 that fired a 6.5mm X 57mm bullet with a velocity of 2,300-feet per second. The Carcano Model 91/38 was not a sniper system but a regular battlefield weapon for regular troops. It was initially designed back in the 1800s.

 

 

 

Moving Target

JFK is a moving target. Targets can be hit all day long at that short range (approximately 81-meters (265-feet) when it’s static. But a moving target is more difficult to hit, especially a very precise aim & hit target like the head, the throat and from a higher elevation (a moving vertical angle shot) from the 6th floor (60-feet elevation). To date, NOBODY NOBODY, one more time, NOBODY has ever replicated what Oswald supposedly did on 22 November 1963. In 1967, CBS hired 11 professional marksmen to replicate Oswald’s marksmanship – again, NOBODY NOBODY could replicate what Oswald supposedly did on 22 November 1963.

 

Oswald – Expert Marksman?

 

Documents can be doctored but an eyewitness is stone cold proof that Oswald was a poor marksman. According to an eye witness – former Marine Nelson Delgado, Oswald was “a pretty big joke” because he got a lot of complete misses. Another Marine Sherman Cooley “If I had to pick one man in the entire United States to shoot me, I’d pick Oswald. I saw the man shoot. There’s no way he could have ever learned to shoot well enough to do what they accused him of doing in Dallas.”

 

And the 2nd top sniper (Top Sniper – US Army Adelbert Waldron – 109 confirmed kills) in the Vietnam war – the famous Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II, with only 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock reconstructed the JFK assassination at Quantico, Virginia (Marine Corps Scout Sniper School). “I don’t know how many times we tried it, but we couldn’t duplicate what the Warren Commission said Oswald did.”

 

Number Of Shots Fired

The Warren Commission stated 3 bullets were fired from Lee Harvey Oswald’s Carcano weapon to include the ‘magic bullet’ (Exhibit 399) that hit both President Kennedy and Governor Connally that included 7 entry / exit wounds. The Zapruder film clocks-in the 3 shots fired within 05.6 seconds.

One witness (James Tague) came forward and stated a bullet ricocheted off a street curb and he was hit by debris (bullet fragment or curb fragment) in the face from that ricochet. Now that’s 04 shots fired. Several other witnesses came forward to state that they saw a through & through bullet hole the size of a pencil at the top center windshield of Kennedy’s car when it was parked at Parkland Hospital. Now that’s 05 shots fired.

 

Other witnesses like Officer J. W. Foster saw a bullet hit near a manhole cover on Elm Street. Officer Ed Brewer witnessed the same bullet impact near the manhole cover. Witnesses Wayne & Edna Hartman found a hole in the grass near the same manhole cover with a small mole-like underground tunnel as the bullet traversed beneath the grass just below the surface. That bullet was retrieved by an unknown blonde-haired man. Now that’s 06 shots fired. Oswald sure was busy that day wasn’t he, but I’m not done yet.

 

A large street sign on the right-hand side of the street had 03 bullet holes in it. A photo of this street sign with the 03 bullet holes and the street sign itself are supposedly located at the National Archives. The Zapruder film shows no sign of any of the 03 bullet holes. But if you look frame-by-frame of the Zapruder film you’ll see streaks covering the 03 bullet holes. Was the Zapruder film doctored? Now that’s 09 shots fired.

 

Number Of Shots Heard By Witnesses

There were thousands of onlookers and witnesses at Dealey Plaza. Some witnesses heard only 02 shots and some witnesses heard 03 shots. How could several bullets be fired and only 02 or 03 bullets heard by witnesses? I didn’t realize this or connect this till years after I left the service. Obviously at least 04, 05 or more different assassins from different locations targeted JFK.

Kennedy limousine immediately following shots fired at the President. The photo shows Mrs. Kennedy reaching back onto the trunk of the car to retrieve part of the President’s scalp.

Countdown Method

And they were using or attempting to use the same method we used on our military operations. They were usingthe Countdown Method as I told you about in “Killer Sniper Drills – continued.” You ever hear a military 21 Gun Salute? At a distance, those 21 shots from 07 riflemen (a series of 03 volleys of fire) would sound like only 03 shots fired because they are all in perfect sync.

And those 04, 05 or more different assassins were using a Countdown Method or attempting to use the Countdown Method from different locations using comms (radio) from someone who kept them in sync. We used it like this – this is my example – slow pace: “I have control, I have control, I have control. Five, Four, Three, Two (on 02 not after 02, on 02 all snipers shoot at the same exact time, One (breeching charge followed by doorbusters entering crisis site).”

WAIT!!! What about all those bullets flying by, yet bystanders only heard 02, 03 or more shots? The multiple assassins could have used silencers on their weapons and sub-sonic ammunition. If they fired in sync together or tried to and they used silencers, the blast of the rifle shots would not be heard. And if they used sub-sonic ammunition, the loud ‘CRACK’ sound of the bullets passing by hundreds of onlookers would not be heard either. When bullets shoot past you that are going faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1 – 343.2 meters (1,126 feet) per second), you’ll hear a LOUD ‘CRACK’.

And to help the multiple assassins get on their target, witnesses came forward to state: ‘Umbrella Man.’

 

Umbrella Man

Look at all the footage on YouTube on the JFK assassination motorcade route. It was a clear day, no rain. Nobody in the crowd of thousands of onlookers had any umbrellas. No umbrellas except for one single man who stood exactly in the “kill zone” where the multiple shots were fired and hit JFK and Governor Connally.

The umbrella man was used to identify the exact spot and best place to pull the trigger for the multiple assassins while they were listening to the Countdown Method so all their shots could sound as one. Witnesses stated the Umbrella Man was actually signaling to the assassins using his umbrella. He was “pumping the umbrella,” opening and closing the umbrella.

 

JFK’s Limousine Slows Down

Witnesses stated JFKs limousine slowed down. Guess where the limousine slowed down? Yep, at the very spot or very near the location of the Umbrella Man. However, witnesses stated the limousine not only slowed down but came to a DEAD STOP. This was not shown on the Zapruder film. Was the Zapruder film doctored?

I hope I proved Oswald wasn’t the lone assassin, heck he never even shot any rifle that day – heck he barely qualified on the firing range in the Marine Corps. Now do you still think Oswald was the lone assassin? I spent years learning and teaching sniping and I couldn’t do what Oswald supposedly did on 22 November 1963.

Even if I used a World Class sniper system of my choice with the best telescopic sight and the weapon wasn’t a bolt action (takes at least a full second to work the bolt action and get back on your sights – keep reading) weapon, I couldn’t do what Oswald supposedly did on 22 November 1963.

Bottom Line: In my humble opinion, at approximately 1230 hours on 22 November 1963, at least 04, 05 or more assassins from different locations (OSWALD NOT INCLUDED), using the Countdown Method, silencers, sub-sonic ammunition and the Umbrella Man (marked the “kill zone”) executed the unsolved crime of the century! I hope I convinced you because of all my sniper training, all paid for by your hard-earned tax dollars, that multiple assassins murdered JFK.

 

One lone assassin couldn’t have possibly engaged the moving targets of President JFK (right temple, throat, back) and Governor Connelly (back, chest, wrist & thigh), and Mr. James Tague (ricochet) to include the missed shots I annotated earlier within 05.6-seconds – IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE.

1st Note: It amazes me that the men on the Warren Commission believe what they published. They all are college educated, most are lawyers and yet they believe that lone assassin crap.

 

2nd Note: Below are YouTube videos that supports my conclusion that there were multiple shooters that took part in the JFK assassination.

• Six JFK Shooters – 3 Tied To CIA
• JFK Assassins On The Grassy Knoll (00:45:00)
• JFK Assassination by Michael Brownlow.. Part I & II

Was Lee Harvey Oswald an Expert Marksman?
The question should be ‘How bad of a shot was Lee Harvey Oswald?’

Documents can be doctored but an eyewitness is stone cold proof that Oswald was a poor marksman.

According to an eye witness – former Marine Nelson Delgado, Oswald was “a pretty big joke” because he got a lot of complete misses.

Another Marine Sherman Cooley “If I had to pick one man in the entire United States to shoot me, I’d pick Oswald. I saw the man shoot. There’s no way he could have ever learned to shoot well enough to do what they accused him of doing in Dallas.”

Let’s IMAGINE Oswald scored expert with a perfect score every time he qualified on the range while in the Marine Corps and he’s also a World Class marksman.

Now give Oswald, the bolt action, Italian carbine, Carcano Model 91/38 that was found on the 6th floor of the Book Depository Building.

No matter how good a shot you are, you can’t shoot with consistent expertise with a crap weapon like the bolt action, Italian carbine, Carcano Model 91/38.

It’s like giving a World Class race car driver with all his driving talents, a 1969 Volks Wagon (VW) bug to win the next Indianapolis 500 race. It ain’t gonna happen, not in a trillion years.

–

Bottom Line Again: Whether Oswald was a descent shooter or not, it doesn’t matter. He nor anyone else walking this Earth, can shoot 03 shots within 05.6 seconds to engage moving targets at a downward angle to hit President JFK (right temple, throat, back) and Governor Connelly (back, chest, wrist & thigh) with that piece of crap weapon – the bolt action Italian Carcano Model 91/38.

The bolt action operation of the Carcano Model 91/38 isn’t smooth. It isn’t a slick / smooth action like modern day bolt action weapons. Remember, the Italian Carcano Model 91/38 found in the Book Depository building was probably built before JFK was even born.

1st Most Important Note: Any bolt action rifle, it takes at least a good 01 second or so to fully cycle a bullet for the bolt action weapon. The bolt action weapon:

• unlocks the bolt after firing
• extracts the empty casing from the chamber
• ejects the empty casing from the weapon
• loads the next cartridge from the magazine
• inserts the cartridge in the chamber
• locks the bolt in-place
• shooter needs to re-aim (perfect eye-relief) on the target**
• shooter needs to pull the trigger for the next shot
• **Most Important Sub-Note: Eye-Relief is the exact distance and exact ‘eye level’ from the rear-end of the telescopic sight (or iron rear sight) to the shooters ‘dominant eye.’ If the ‘dominant eye’ doesn’t have exact eye-relief, they’ll be a black shadow in the telescopic sight. The black shadow could be:
• on the top of the telescopic scope
• on the bottom of the telescopic scope
• on the right-side of the telescopic scope
• on the left-side of the telescopic scope
• and the black shadow could move around
• as the shooter attempts to get proper exact eye-relief for a CLEAR telescopic sight picture. THEN, the shooter has to maintain exact eye-relief while moving the weapon to get the cross-hairs EXACTLY on the downward vertically moving target.

 

WAIT, I’m not done yet –

Most right-handed people have a dominant right eye to aim and shoot their weapon. Most left-handed people have a dominant left eye to aim and shoot their weapon.

It’s debatable whether Lee Harvey Oswald was left-handed or right-handed.

If he was left-handed, he had to lay the left-side of his face on the right-side of his stock to aim and shoot that piece of crap Carcano rifle. Meaning he had to completely remove his face from the Carcano rifle to work the bolt that’s also on the right side of the weapon to:

• unlocks the bolt after firing
• extracts the empty casing from the chamber
• ejects the empty casing from the weapon
• loads the next cartridge from the magazine
• inserts the cartridge in the chamber
• locks the bolt in-place
• shooter needs to re-aim (perfect eye-relief) on the target
• shooter needs to pull the trigger for the shot
• Being left-handed, all these actions take much more time to shoot 03 bullets with high accuracy on a vertically moving downward targets.

 

This could be MORE PROOF that Lee Harvey Oswald couldn’t possibly be the lone assassin as stated by the Warren Commission.

2nd Note: Did you see the famous photo of Oswald holding his Italian Carcano rifle? It’s a very peculiar photo. HOW THE HECK CAN ANYONE POSE / STAND LIKE THAT? Looks like 02 different upper and lower body photos put together. See photo below.

 

 

Oswald is holding the Carcano rifle with his left-hand. Normal for right-handed people, even though he’s holding a newspaper in his right-hand. Plus, his pistol is holstered on his right hip, normal for right-handed people. But again, look at the photo – HOW THE HECK CAN ANYONE POSE / STAND LIKE THAT?

3rd Most Important Note: It’s reported that witnesses in Dealy Plaza heard the 2nd & 3rd shots very close together, one right after the other. IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSSIBLE, one more time, IMPOSSIBLE for that bolt action rifle like the Carcano rifle or any modern day top-of-the-line bolt action rifle.

 

 

Joseph A. Laydon Jr. (MSG [E-8] Retired United States Army – 18Z5V) is the author and owner of Intensive Research Information Services And Products (IRISAP). Laydon is a well-qualified instructor in international wilderness survival and the other 03 Survivals he teaches (Health Survival, Crime Survival and Money Survival). He is a 20-year US Army veteran (Master Sergeant E-8 – 18Z5V) associated with all Special Operations units in the US military, as well as Special Ops units in the Mid-East and Central & South America. This article first appeared in his Survival Expert Blog.

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