The Jfk Assasination Essay, Research Paper

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.

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