The “Official” Story

November 22, 1963

The JFK Assassination

Lee Harvey Oswald

• 1956 - joins Marine Corps

• Stationed in Japan and Pacific

• 1957 - wounds himself• Worked at one point as

radar operator at U-2 spy plane bases

• 1959 - gets out of Marines, goes to Russia

• 1959- attempts suicide

Oswald (cont.)• 1959 - tries to

renounce US citizenship

• 1961- asks to return to US

• 1961 marries Russian girl Marina, lives in Siberia (Russia)– She’s the niece of a

KGB colonel

Oswald (cont.)• 1962 - Oswalds move

to Fort Worth, Texas

• 1962 - Oswalds move to Dallas

• mail orders Mannlicher-Carcano rifle

• 1963- tries to shoot General Walker

• 1963 - moves to New Orleans

Oswald (cont.)

• 1963 - arrested in NO for passing out pro-Castro leaflets

• 1963 - moves back to Dallas

• 1963 - hired at Texas School Book Depository

Nov. 22, 1963Kennedys arrive at Dallas’ Love

Field - parade begins

…motorcade passes the Texas

School Book Depository

and enters Dealey Plaza

1st shot - Oswald fires from the 6th floor and

misses

2nd shot - enters JFK’s back,exits front and hits Texasgovernor John Connelly

3rd shot (kill shot)- enters back left of JFK’s head,

exits right side

Motorcade speeds on to Parkland Hospital - JFK pronounced dead

VP Lyndon Johnson is sworn in

on Air Force One

Pledges to continue JFK’s policies;Retains the “Harvards” – JFK’s policy team

Oswald later kills a Dallas police officer, and is then

cornered and captured in the Texas Theater

He talks to reporters from the jail that night

Another strange character enters the

scene - Jack Ruby (local nightclub owner)

The next day, while Oswald is being moved, Ruby

shoots him.

The Mystery lived

on…..was it Oswald….or a conspiracy?!!!

!

The Assassination Video

EXIT ?EXIT ?

OR ENTRY?OR ENTRY?

SHOT #2 – 1SHOT #2 – 1stst hit hit

SINGLE BULLETSINGLE BULLET THEORYTHEORY• Warren Commission set up to

investigate – so named because?• Concludes single bullet entered the

upper right side of JFK’s back & emerged from his throat.

• Conspiracy theorists say this would require that the bullet, just after leaving the President’s throat & grazing the left side of the knot of his tie, made an acute angular turn to the right in midair & then entered the far right side of Gov. Connally, seated in front of JFK.

• Conspiracy theorists also argue that the bullet was planted on JFK’s stretcher…..it was too pristine to have done all the damage it did.

GGRRAASSSSYY

KKNNOOLLLL

“Magic Bullet” Theory

“Single Bullet” - Warren Commission

Possible Conspirators

1. CIA• Cuba - still wanted to take

out Castro & rid western hemisphere of Soviet influence

• Shake-up of CIA by JFK & RFK

• “Secret service” on grassy knoll

• Accusations of working with LBJ also

2) Organized Crime (Mafia)

•Investigations by RFK•Oswald & Ruby connections

•Wanted Vietnam war•Wanted Cuba back•NO EVIDENCE EVER DISCOVERED

3) The Soviets&

Fidel Castro

4. Military-Industrial Complex

Ike’s Farewell Address Warned About the Link Between Industry and War

•Military - wanted Vietnam•Industry – war goods; angered over trade

embargo w/Cuba•Oil Barons - angered over high taxes

5. LBJ

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JFK praised most for his ideals, not his achievements –vigor, charisma & idealism made him aninspiration to the 1960’s generation.