John F. Kennedy was the bright future for the American people. He brought youth to the White House for the first time in our nation's history. Not only did John F. Kennedy bring youth, but he also brought change and new ideas to improve the nation. Kennedy, during his first term in office, improved peace talks with the Soviet Union. He also was working on ideas to halt the Vietnam War. His work could not be done in a single term as president. Kennedy had to start campaigning for reelection, and decided to make trip a to hostile Dallas to campaign. The President arrived in Dallas to a crowd of happy people hoping to get a glimpse of the President. As his motorcade proceeded down Elm Street, Governor Connally's wife said "You can't say that Dallas isn't friendly to you today." John F. Kennedy was assassinated (Untied Press International 14). November 22, 1963, would be the day Camelot would come crumbling down. Our nation and the world mourned the death of our young, inspiring President.
It has been thirty years since the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and people are still uncertain as to who assassinated him. There have been theories that the CIA and the FBI were linked to the assassination. All of these theories have been disproven by other theories. The government's theory is that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Lee Harvey Oswald's past may answer some questions as to why he is considered to be the assassin of John Kennedy. Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
Lee Harvey Oswald was born on October 18, 1939, to a lower middle class family. His father died two months before he was born. This left Oswald to be taken care of by his mother, Marguerite. Marguerite had a hard time dealing with the death of Lee's Father because she was left all alone to raise Lee and his two brothers, Robert and John Pic, a son from her first marriage (Beck 71).
Marguerite checked Robert and John into an orphanage, so that she could find work for her family. Marguerite wanted to put Lee into an orphanage, but he was too young. After Lee turned three years old, he was placed in the same orphanage that Robert and John were put in earlier. After two years Lee's mother took Lee and his brothers out of the orphanage (Posner 6).
Marguerite informed Lee that she would marry, Edwin Ekdahl, a local businessman, whom she had known for about six months. Lee and Edwin became close friends, but this came to a halt as Edwin and Marguerite started arguing. They divorced in the summer of 1948. Marguerite was forced to move Lee and her family to a poor house. Lee never stayed in school long because his family was on the move so much (Posner 8). Merguerite kept her family moving arouattitude nd from Texas back to Louisiana. His mother also had a depressed toward life. In January of 1950, John Pic left to join the Coast Guard. Soon after, Robert left to join the Marines (Posner 10).
In the summer of 1952, Merguerite and Lee moved to New York. This caused problems for Lee because New York did not allow children to skip school. He was put on probation and was evaluated by psychiatrist who said "Vivid fantasy life, turning around topics of omnipotence." (Parshall 72) Lee was in his own world. He was asked once if he liked the company of boys or girls, he said, "I dislike everybody" (Parshall 72). Lee was more of a loner as a child.
To keep Lee from being put into a shelter, Marguerite fled New York and went to Texas. Oswald started to read books on Marxism (Parshall 72). He also wanted to join the Marines.
Oswald then joined the Marines a week after he turned 17. Oswald would never obtain a high school diploma. He scored a below average score on his aptitude test. Oswald was assigned to Second Training Battalion. Three weeks after training had begun, Oswald scored a 212 on his rifle test. He qualified as a "sharpshooter" (Posner 21). Oswald never became friends with the other Marines because they made fun of him calling him "Ozzie Rabbit" (Parshall 72). Oswald also received two court marshals, while he was in the Marines. After two years of service, he was given an early discharge (Parshall 72).
After Oswald's discharge, he began his plans to become a Russian citizen. Oswald sailed to England and then went on to Moscow (Beck 71). Oswald went to the USSR embassy. He then offered to tell them everything he knew about the US (Beck 71). Nosenko, a KGB agent assigned to watch Oswald said "The KGB was not at all interested in him." (Posner 48). The KGB felt Oswald had nothing to offer them.
Oswald asked for citizenship but was denied. He went back to his hotel to commit suicide. Oswald slashed his wrists and stuck them in cold water to relieve the pain. Oswald was later revived. The Russians had two psychiatrists observe him. They found him unstable. The KGB did not want to be held responsible for the death of an American tourist in Russia so they allowed Oswald to stay in Russia (Parshall 65).
Oswald received an apartment in Minsk. He also was given a job at a Radio factory. While in Russia, Oswald met his first love, Ella Germann. He was going to propose to her, but she would not accept. His opinion of Russia started to change; he started to feel it wasn't what he dreamed it would be (Posner 60). Oswald also met his future wife, Marina. Marina was a Pharmacology student who worked at a hospital. Lee and Marina married and had one child in Russia.
Oswald soon grew tired of life in Russia. He asked the US embassy for help in allowing him to leave Russia. After filling out forms in triplicate, Oswald and his family were allowed to leave for the US (Posner 71).
The US gave Oswald a loan to get him and his family back to the US. The loan was also used to get them started (Posner 72). While back in the US Oswald held many jobs. He always seemed to lose them for either not working or saying the job was degrading.
Oswald worked to pay his loan off as fast as he could. Once the loan was paid off, he started to buy some material things. He purchased a revolver and a Mannlicher-Carcano Rifle from a mail order catalog known as Klein's Sporting goods (Posner 103).
Oswald met a man by the name of George de Mohenschildt, an aristocratic Russian left winged person. Mohenschildt taught Oswald to hate right winger people (Beck 72). Oswald and Mohenschildt became good friends. Mohenschildt would go over to Oswald's home often to talk about politics (Posner 100).
Oswald learned of a Gen. Walker, a right winged person, who was going to run for Governor of Texas. Oswald started to take photos of Walker's home and plotted out ways of getting to his home (Posner 112). Oswald crept up to Walker's home with his Mannlicher-Carcano rifle (Parshall 72). He saw Gen. Walker sitting in his home; Oswald aimed his rifle up to Gen. Walker and fired a shot at him. Gen. Walker thought it was a firecracker. The shot hit the wood going across the double window in his home (Posner 114). Oswald then ran and buried his rifle. After burying his rifle, he ran home. The police were looking for a rifle with a .30-06 shell size. On Easter Sunday, Oswald went to retrieve his rifle (Posner 115-116).
Oswald and his family moved to New Orleans to look for work. Oswald was forced to apply for unemployment money which was $33 a month. Oswald decided that he wanted to defect to Cuba by going to the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City. During this time, Oswald's wife Marina returned to Dallas to live with Ruth Paine. Oswald saved some money so that he could make the trip to Mexico. Oswald left New Orleans by Greyhound bus on his way to Mexico City (Posner 170).
Once Oswald arrived in Mexico, He traveled to the Cuban Embassy to ask for visa to go Cuba. The Cubans told Oswald that he needed a Soviet Visa in order in gain a Cuban Visa. Oswald then traveled to the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City. He then told the Soviets that his life was in danger if he did not gain access to the Soviet Union. The Soviets at the embassy found him to be unstable (Beck 72). The Cubans showed no interest in what Oswald had to say (Parshall 72).
Oswald returned to Dallas; where he was disappointed that the Cubans did not want him. He lived in a rooming house, while Marina lived with Ruth Paine. Oswald got a job working at a school book depository in down town Dallas (Beck 72).
At this time, President John F. Kennedy had made his motorcade route for the Dallas trip. The motorcade route was published in the Dallas papers on the 19th and 20th of November (Beck 72). The motorcade route would ride up Houston Street, and then make sharp turn on to Elm street passing right in front of the book depository.
On the evening of November 21, 1963, Oswald asked Marina to move back in with him. She refused; she said she wanted to stay with Ruth. The next morning she woke up, and he was gone. He left his wedding ring and $170 (Beck 72).
On the morning of November 22, 1963, Oswald went to Buell Frazier's home. He was caring a long object wrapped in paper. He then put the object into the back seat of Frazier's car. Frazier asked him what was in the package? Oswald replied curtain rods (Sniper's nest p71).
Frazier and Oswald always walked together to the book depository, but On November 22, Oswald walked swiftly to the depository. Other workers said that he did not follow his normal routine of reading yesterday's news paper (Posner 224).
Oswald went up to the sixth floor of the depository where he learned the direction in which the president would be coming. One of the worker, Charles Givens asked Oswald "Boy, are you going downstairs? Its near lunch time" Oswald said "No, sir." Oswald is now alone in the sixth floor of the book depository to assemble the Mannlicher-Caracano rifle and move the boxes of books into the position to make a three side shield so that no one could see him firing at the president (Sniper's Nest 76). Oswald was set and ready to fire at the president.
During this time, the motorcade came up Houston Street and turned down on Elm Street. The first shot was fired; it misses the president. The people around think that one of the motorcycles on the motorcade backfired. The second shot fires; it hit President Kennedy. Governor Connally smashes back into his jump seat and falls into his wife's lap. The driver then slows the car down to a near stop. The President's head tilts to the left where the final shot hit him on the right side of his head.
Howard L. Brennan was watching the motorcade on Elm Street. He notice a rifle on the sixth floor of the book depository. He saw the rifle fire at the president's car. He later told the police; this gave the police the description of Oswald (Warren Report 5).
After Oswald fired the final shot, he leaves the sniper's nest towards the rear stair case. Oswald drops the rifle between two boxes on the sixth floor of the depository. He then proceeds down the stairs to the second floor. He enters the lunch room. A police officer stops Oswald. Oswald's supervisor told the police officer that Oswald works here (Sniper's Nest 82). Oswald then stops to purchase a coke and figure out how he is going to escape. He decides to go out the front entrance on Elm Street (Posner 264).
Oswald decided to wait for a bus, but he thought it would be to risky; so he walked east on Elm Street away from the depository to the next bus stop (Sniper's Nest 83). He got the bus at the bus stop. Traffic was backed up because of the shooting. Oswald then asked if he could get off the bus. Oswald asked for a cab (Posner 266). Oswald told the cab driver to go the 500 block of North Beckley. This was where his rooming house was. Oswald got off at the 700 block of North Beckley. He was now five minutes from his rooming house (267).
Oswald went his rooming house. While at his rooming house, Oswald grabbed his jacket and a revolver. He then walked out of the rooming house, and started walking down the block. At this time his description went over the dispatch. Officer J.D. Tippet stopped Oswald. He asked Oswald a few questions. Tippet then got out of the car; Oswald pulled out his revolver and shot him down. Oswald then ran to the Dallas Theater where he was apprehended (Sniper's Nest 86-87).
Oswald was down to the police headquarters for questioning. The police made a strong case against Oswald. They proved the rifle was his and they found the paper he had it wrapped in (United Press International 63-65).
After the questioning, Oswald was being transferred. As Oswald and the police officers exited the Police station through the basement, Jack Ruby fired a shot into Oswald. Oswald died at a hospital in Dallas. Jack Ruby was then charged with the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.
The evidence found in the last thirty years has shown some controversy over how Lee Harvey Oswald could have assassinated John F. Kennedy. The contrasting ideas of experts causes many theories as to how the president was shot. The evidence that points to Lee Harvey Oswald is that his finger prints were all over the rifle and the boxes in the book depository (Sniper's Nest 79). This proves that Oswald was in the sniper's nest that he made.
The second bullet fired by Lee Harvey Oswald that hit Kennedy and Connally has been debated because how can a bullet travel through a person and still come out looking like a unfired bullet. In the movie JFK, Oliver Stone states a theory that one bullet went through Kennedy's neck through the front not the back. He also believes that governor Connally was hit by a totally different bullet coming from behind. In order for Oswald to hit the president and Connally; he would have had to hit Kennedy and Connally with one bullet. This has become to be known as the "Single Bullet Theory". The Single Bullet Theory" states that the shot fired from the book depository by Oswald went through the back of Kennedy's neck and come out just below his Adam's apple. Then the same bullet enters Connally through the middle of the back. It then comes out below his right nipple. The bullet ratchets off Connally's wrist into his thigh. The bullet is later found on Connally's stretcher at Parkland Hospital.
In order to prove the "Single Bullet Theory" an autopsy was performed on President Kennedy. The Doctors observed the wound in the neck around the Kennedy's Adam's apple. Dr. Carrico said "With those facts and the facts as I understand it no other bullet was found this would be, this was, I believe, was an exit wound. Dr. Perry "...I believe it was an exit wound" (Warren Report 89). Since the wound near Kennedy's Adam's apple was an exit wound, it would prove that the shot was fired from the behind Kennedy. This proves that the shot came from the book depository.
The fatal shot to the head of Kennedy has been a strong point to many theories. In the Movie JFK, Oliver Stone states a theory that the fatal shot came from the grassy knoll. He supported his theory by using witnesses who said they saw a puff of smoke by the grassy knoll. In contrast to Oliver Stone's theory, on the day of the assassination there was a 20 miles per hour wind which this would have caused the puff of smoke to have been blown away. Also modern ammunition is smokeless (Sniper's nest 86). Oliver Stone states that Kennedy's head moves back and to the left. Proving the shot came from the grassy knoll. In the Autopsy, the report stated the shot entered the lower portion of the head and exited out the right side of Kennedy's skull (Warren Report 109). In the Zapruder film, it shows at frame 313 the bullet strike Kennedy in the head. "It [Kennedy's head] moves slightly to the left and downward, just for two or three frames, which is consistent with a bullet striking it from behind and nowhere else, because the momentum of the bullet is imparted" (Cockburn 295). With the entry wound coming from behind, this would mean that the bullet had to have come from the book depository.
The only unanswered question is why would Oswald assassinate the president. This question has not been answered by any of the top critics. Most critics do not known he came from a broken family with only one parent. In movie the JFK, Oliver Stone never shows an actual history of Oswald as child. He never states Oswald's mother's life or how Oswald tried to assassinate Gen. Walker. These issues are important in how Oswald's personality is made up. He was a child that never had many friends or had anyone real close to him. The only person he had was his wife, and she turned him away on the eve of the assassination. He finally broke down and did something that he would be noticed for.
Lee Harvey Oswald was a man with a mission in life to be noticed. He now is noticed as the man who assassinated the brightest president our country has ever seen. Our country should put to rest the assassination by releasing the classified documents that list the information of the FBI and CIA findings.
Works cited
Beck, Melinda. "The Mind Of The Assassin." Newsweek. November 22, 1993.
Cockburn, Alexander. "In Defense Of The Warren Commission." The Nation. March 9, 1992.
JFK. Directed by Oliver Stone, Distributed by Warner Brothers: 1991.
Parshall, Gerald. "The Man With A Deadly Smirk." US News And World Report. August 30-September 6, 1993.
Posner, Gerald. "Sniper's Nest." US News And World Report. August 30- September 6, 1993.
Posner, Gerald. Case Close Lee Harvey Oswald and The Assassination of JFK. New York: Random House, 1993.
United Press International and American Heritage Magazine Four Days: A Historical record Of The Death Of President Kennedy. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1993.
The Warren Report. President's Commission On The Assassination of President Kennedy: Associated Press.
