As it Continued…
Written by Mark A Reynolds
From the early and mid-60’s my relocation of events in relation to politics, national events and government is limited. I have vague memories of television clips or episodes. I recall briefly the Kennedy – Nixon debate, my mother encouraging, actually being somewhat pushy to my father to vote in the presidential elections. I recall no news events of the Bay of Pigs invasion. However, regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis, we were watching the nightly news every evening. In particular, after it ended my father made a comment of some sort as” Kennedy just cut off the water to Khruschev”. I of course had no idea what that meant until studying this history in later years.
My mother had been a subscriber to Life magazine. She received the October 2, 1964 edition and the cover had a black background and bold white letters on the left column “The Warren Report” and How the Commission Pieced Together the Evidence, told by One of its Members. Inside the article was entitled “Piecing Together the Evidence” by Congressman Gerald Ford. Its eight pages showed photos of the Commission members, 8 frames of the Zapruder film along with the famous Ike Altgen’s photo #6 of the motorcade on Elm Street.
My father, uncles and father-in-law were all veterans of World War II. Like many men of the Armed services, they rarely would speak about it. My father’s older brother enjoyed watching the comedy TV show Hogan’s Heroes. He was in Patton’s 3rd Army and participated in the Batlle of the Bulge. Occasionally I could glean a few things from him. My father had little interest in politics, but I recall my mother taking us over to a friend’s house to watch the 1968 election returns. In the early 70’s I recall President Nixon imposing price a price freeze and the news of taking the US off the gold standard. I retrospect I imagine I remember this because we were ordering gold Josten class rings which was a big thing for high school kids at that time.
I graduated high school in 1973. Being raised in a small midwestern town and with forefathers in agriculture (I had been working since 14), there was no real precedent for pursuing college. There was some encouragement by school counselors, but I noticed many of the kids 5-6 years older than me with college education that just ended up working in the factories. I may have been the first in generations to abandon the farm and went straight to working in the Gates Rubber Company factory in Galesburg while still in my senior year. My circumstances through family led me to eventually settle in Oregon where I met my future wife.
There was occasional reference right after the assassination regarding the Warren Commission. From my experiences I recall little if any discussion of conspiracy theories in the early 70’s. But in March 1975 when the television talk show Good Night America by Geraldo Rivera aired the Zapruder film presented by Robert Groden and Dick Gregory all of that changed. The public response and concern eventually led to the Church Committee Investigation on Intelligence Activities and later with the House Select Committee on Assassinations.
My wife and I moved to California in 1976. My career path started in agricultural and industrial steel fabrication and eventually into the pre-engineered building and construction industry that lasted over 48 years. Working and raising a family suppressed for a while any curiosity that I first found regarding the Zapruder film. By some happenstance I came across and purchased David Lifton’s “Best Evidence” published in 1980. I later picked up a paperback copy and once I started reading, I could hardly put it down.
Best Evidence is not an easy fast read by any means. Mr. Lifton took years of chronicled research as he developed this tome. Although I didn’t necessarily agree with all his assumptions and conclusions, it answered many questions but seemed to raise even more. Lifton’s painstaking research primarily ends up focusing on the body and the autopsy. His scientific approach along with documented reports, photographs, references to films and other data only deepens the concerns over the conclusion of the Warren commission. A deeper dive into this book and analysis will be a future article to be posted on the website.
The public perception of the assassination significantly changed in 1991 with the release of Oliver Stone’s “JFK” movie. It popularized conspiracy theories and prompted new interest in the event. It also contributed to legislative changes, such as the JFK Act, which aimed to make assassination related documents public, that resulted in a broader skepticism towards the official narratives. The film was a fictional documentary centered around District Attorney Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner) and the challenges and frustration faced by Garrison in the case he brought against Clay Shaw. Weaved into the movie are the actions of Oswald, suspect activities in New Orleans, dramatized events at the autopsy of President Kennedy along with portrayals of government secrecy and corruptions.
Links:
Life magazine on Kennedys and King: https://www.kennedysandking.com/john-f-kennedy-articles/life-magazine-warren-commission-issue-october-2-1964
Spartacus Educational – David Lifton: https://spartacus-educational.com/JFKlifton.htm
Oliver Stone’s JFK Movie – Review and analysis by James DiEugenio: https://www.kennedysandking.com/reviews/oliver-stone-vs-the-historical-establishment
