Transcripts For CSPAN3 50th Anniversary Of The Warren Commission 20140616

And busts on display throughout this building which guard and promote the understanding of the Supreme Court. And it runs the summer institute, which has introduced more than 1,000 secondary School Teachers around the country to innovative methods for guiding middle and High School Students in learning about the constitution. I participated in that when i was making an honest living as a practicing lawyer, and it is a Wonderful Program and there are so many people in debt to the Historical Society for their work in connection with that. Tonights program is cosponsored by the White House Historical association and the United States capitol Historical Society. When it comes to hearing from mr. Swanson, apparently the separation of powers does not stand in the way. Tonights event is titled the Warren Commission at 50, a reexamination. It will revisit the service of our 14th chief justice as chair of the special commission to investigate the assassination of president john f. Kennedy. It is hard for me to contemplate a chief justice taking on a second job. For me any way the plate has been full enough. But not all of my predecessors agreed. John jay served for more than a year as both chief justice and our ambassador to england. Oliver ellsworth served 18 months as minister to france while he retained the office of chief. John marshall was both acting secretary of state and chief justice for a month in 1801. Perhaps it was because he was so busy as chief that he never got around to delivering the commission to william marbury, which was husband responsibility. But by the end of the 19th century it did not take even a cabinet to lure the chief away from the court. In 1897, chief Justice Melville fuller accepted assignment to be a boundary arbitrator between venezuela and british guyana. I can understand the desire to get out of the country, but no one has asked me to do anything like that. William howard taft was of two minds on the subject of work for judges outside the judiciary. Where he stood depended on where he sat. While president of the United States he drafted no less a figure an associate Justice Charles evan hughes to serve on a commission to determine postal rate for second class postage. When taft became the 10th chief justice, however, he adopted a firm ban on any such assignments. The ban has stuck since then, with two notable exceptions. Justice jacksons service at nuremberg and chief warrens service on the commission that bears his name. To tell us more about that last, our distinguished lecturer this evening is mr. James swanson. He earned his b. A. From the university of chicago and his j. D. From ucla. He was a law clerk here in one for Justice Ginsburg and later served in positions at the u. S. International trade commission and in the office of Legal Counsel at the department of justice. He is the author of the best selling book, manhunt, the 12day chase for lincolns killer, which is currently being adapted into a television miniseries. I can tell through personal experience it is a great read. His most recent published work closely tied to tonights topic is end of days, the assassination of john f. Kennedy. The Washington Post recently named it one of the best books of the year. Mr. Swanson is currently a senior legal scholar at the Heritage Foundation and setting the subject of extra curricular assignments for judge as side im very grateful that tonights talk was an extra curricular assignment that james could not refuse. So please join me in welcoming james swanson. [applause] thank you, mr. Chief justice, for that kind introduction. The chief also gave part of my talk, so im going to take that part out about the you also thank the White House Historical association and the u. S. Capitol and of course the Supreme Court Historical Society, which ive been associated with for a number of years. Thank you, executive director david pride and Jennifer Lowe for organizing tonights event in such a splendid manner. I want to dedicate this lecture to my mentor from law school, wesley j. Liebler. He was assistant counsel on the Warren Commission. And jim unfortunately passed away a number of years ago so he cant be here tonight. But in law school he enjoyed regaling me with the secrets of the Warren Commission. And he did something even more important, he introduced me to my wife andrea who is here tonight. So two thank yous, jim, and i wish you could be with us. November 22, 1963, do you remember . Do you remember the day that president john f. Kennedys life ended on that Sunny Afternoon in dallas, texas . I can see from your faces that many of you do remember that day. Its hard to believe that it happened 50 years ago. To those who lived through it, it seems like yesterday. And we mourn him still. Tonight my lecture will have three parts. First im going to establish briefly what happened, so you know what the country went through and what the chief justice himself saw and went through on november 22nd and the days following. Ill talk about the Warren Commission, what was it, how was it established, why was it established what did it do. And ill talk about its legacy today, 50 years later. The president was assassinated 50 years ago last november, the Warren Commission 5th anniversary is coming this september. John kennedys final journey began on the morning of thursday, november 21st, 1963 when he boarded air force one. The new gleaming symbol of the modern presidency, and flew to san antonio, texas. It was the first leg of a twoday multicity swing through texas to get a head start on his Reelection Campaign of 1964, a year away. Jacqueline kennedy had agreed to accompany him on the trip. She had never liked campaigning and hadnt done it since the election of 1960. It had been two months since the death of their infant son patrick, after two days of life. They had just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, and jackie in written him a letter shortly after the death of the child. When she said, im paraphrasing, it was tough to lose that baby, but the one thing i could never stand is to lose you. That was her 10th anniversary present to him, that letter, among other things. So after san antonio, they went to houston and then to fort worth and the president found himself waking up in his hotel suite, the hotel texas in fort worth on the morning of november 22, friday, 1963. He saw the newspaper, the dallas morning news. He opened and it there was a full pain ad that said welcome, mr. Kennedy, to dallas. It looked like a friendly greeting. But the ad was bordered in black, the way one might run an ad for a death or tragic event. Then jfk started to read the ad and it was a long list of 12 complaints about him and his administration accusing him of being a communist, of turning vietnam over to the communists, of causing the death of american soldiers. Here is one of the 12 defamatory questions. Quote, why have you ordered your brother bobby to go soft on communism . Fellow travelers and ultra leftists in america, while permitting him to persecute loyal americans who criticize you and your administration. Thats one of the milder things that was in the ad. There was more. The previous night in dallas, someone had printed several thousand hand bills headlined, wanted for treason. They were in the style of an old west reward poster with mug shots of the wanted criminal, in this case the 35th it president of the United States. Jfk warned his wife, were heading into nut country today. But jackie, he added, if somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it. So why worry about it. Jfk was a fatalist. He had ironic sense of humor. He had always said he might not live a long life. He came close to death several times in world war two, from surgery, from injuries, from fevers. His favorite poem was by alan seeinger, a harvard graduate, the name of that poem was i have a rendezvous with death. Hi would often ask jackie to read him that poem in bed. I have a rendezvous with death and i have not fail that rendezvous. But he also believed that he was lucky and that luck had taken him to the white house, where at 43 he was the youngest man to be elected to the presidency. As j. F. K. Spoke in the safety of his hotel suite about rifles and assassins, a man who wanted to kill him was already waiting for him in dallas, that man had a rifle and was in a tall building. When jfk boarded air force one, he was 46 years old, he had been president of the United States for two years, 10 months, and two days. Air force one touched down in dallas at 11 38 a. M. , the president looked out one of the windows and saw the enthusiastic crowd waiting for him. He told his aide, this trip is turning out to be terrific, here we are in dallas and looks like everything in texas is going to be fine for us. A number journalists present broadcast live reports from the tarmac. They were struck by Jackie Kennedys apparel. One said mrs. Kennedy has been presented a bouquet of brilliant red roses and they make a lovely contrast to the bright pink suit shes wearing. The president turned to his car in the motorcade got under way through downtown dallas. The president sat in the right rear seat, jackie to his left. The front of the president , the governor of texas, sitting in a jump seat below and to the left. So the governors left, his wife nellie. In the front seat the secret service driver, head of the secret Service Detail in the fright front seat. They traveled about 10 to 15 Miles Per Hour, and this ride through dallas was atrium of. It was going to be very slow through much of the city. The president wanted people to see him. And he wanted to ride in the open convertible. He felt it made people feel closer to him, that he wasnt a king or imperial personage. People could walk right up to the car, some spectators got as close to the limousine as i am to the people in the front row of this courtroom. Startled passengers looked down and saw Jackie Kennedy right body them as the president s car was driving by. They approached dealy plaza, and as the car started to turn onto elm street, Nellie Connolly said you cant say that dallas doesnt love you today, mr. President. They made the turn, jackie looked ahead, there was only two or three minutes left in the motorcade, they had gotten through over 40 minutes of it. Jackie looked ahead and saw the tunnel and thought, it will be cool in the tunnel, the sun wont get in my eyes. At that moment there was a loud sound. People thought firecrackers, motorcycle back fire . It was the first bullet. It had missed the car entirely. A few second later there was a second loud sound, the second shot. At that Moment Secret Service agents in the trail car directly behind the president turned over their right shoulders and looked behind them at the school book depository. Journalists started looking around, some of them thought it might be gunfire, they were hunters and recognized the sound of a rifle. Jackie then looked at her husband, his arm has thrust suddenly up, looked as though he was clutching his throat. Then she looked ahead, because governor connolly was screaming in pain. She looked at the governor, looked back at her husband, she tried to pull his elbow down, but his arms wont movie. She looked into his eyes, later she said he had the most puzzled look on his face much thats because of course as a war veteran who had been wounded in bat who knew the sound of gunfire he knew what was happening. I have no doubt that the president knew that he was in the process of being assassinated. So as jackie looked into his eyes, their faces six inches apart, the third shot came, and that one struck him in the head. He would have survived the first wound to the upper back. But not this one. Jackie screamed oh, no, blood and his skull shoots in the air. Behind in the car they know something is wrong. One of the aides said i think hes been shot. The other one said hes dead. Before that happened, just before that happened, secret Service Agent clint hill leaped off the car, he was jackies agent, not the president , start racing forward to get on that car. His objective is to leap on the car, throw himself over the president and jackie, before that third shot could have been fired. Just as hes got his hand on the hand hold, just as hes getting on the car, the shot hits the president and hes too late. At that point he pushes jackie in the car, climbs on top of her, because shes trying to get out, shes not trying to escape, shes seen that part of the president s head has landed on the trunk and shes trying to reach it. They raced to the hospital. Jackie looked at him, hes her favorite agent, her closest friend in the secret service and she said my god they shot his head off. I have his brains and blood in my hand. Less than 10 minutes later they arrived at parkland hospital, racing there at 80 Miles Per Hour dave powers leaps off the car and runs up and says mr. President , when have they done to you . Jackie tells him, dave, hes dead. Within a few hours Dallas Police have a suspect in custody. His name is lee harvey oswald. It was the beginning of a fourday National Nightmare for the American People and also for Jacqueline Kennedy. The events were together, at the hospital she pushes a nurse aside, i want to be with him when he dies. Aboard the plane coming home to washington, she refuses to change out of that bright pink suit with her husbands blood saying i want them to see what theyve done. She looks at herself in her private bathroom mirror before she goes out for that famous photograph of the swearing in with president johnson and later says it was all over my face, my hair, i took a tissue and wiped it off, why did i do that, i should have left it on for everyone to see. She will accompany him everywhere he goes over the next few days. The arrival at andrews, the American People get their first look at her when the rear door opens, the coffin comes down, she accompanies him to bethesda Naval Hospital for the autopsy, which takes until 4 00 in the morning. She accompanies him home to the white house where at 4 30 in the morning she super advises is coffin being placed in the east room where hell lie in state. She goes to Arlington Cemetery to pick the grave site. She escorts tom the u. S. Capitol for a Memorial Service and takes him back. She takes him to st. Matthews cathedral for the funeral, where her favorite priest, cardinal curbing has come down, hes married them, he spoke words over their two dead children and now hes there to speak the last words for the president. To this moment Jacqueline Kennedy has held up well publicly, she hasnt broken down, shes doing everything she can to keep it together. She helps the American People get through that weekend. But then cardinal curbing says something that sets off the trigger, he goes off script and in english he says may the angels near jackets court you to paradise. At that point jackie becomes shaking uncontrollably, sobbing. Carolyn says its all right, mommy, ill take care of you. Its john juniors third birthday that day, he doesnt know whats happening, he says wheres my daddy . Then the famous salute and the flame at Arlington Cemetery. Shortly after that she makes a brief film to thank the American People for their support. At one point she pauses and really, as though shes saying it to herself, on camera, she says all his bright lights gone from the world. No man was more devastated by the assassination of president kennedy than the chief justice of the United States, earl warren. He had just seen john and jacqueline less than two days ago on the evening of wednesday, november 20, at a large white house reception for the federal judiciary. The justices and spouses enjoyed special treatment that night. The first family had invited them to private quarters for drinks and consideration, while the other guests gathered on the first floor public rooms below. One of the last sights of the kennedys by the chief justice and his wife was john and Jacqueline Kennedy, president in a rocking chair, jackie on a sofa, sipping one of their favorite drinks, daquiris. Then on friday, november 22, the justices had just finished lunch at the court and were having their regular conference. October term had begun several weeks earlier. A little after 1 30p. M. Eastern standard time, earl warrens secretary had a note hand delivered to the conference room. It stated, quote, the president was shot while riding in a motorcade in dallas. It is not known how badly he is injured, close quote. The conference ended at once. Some of the justices and law clerks gathered around a Television Set in the chambers. Chief Justice Warren returned to his chambers and listened to news reports on the radio. Then within the hour came the news, the president of the United States was dead. Earl warren was stunned. He said it was almost unbelievable. It was particularly poignant to us because we had all seen john kennedy and his youthful vigor just 36 hours before. The chief went onto remember, we could not forget how friendly and happy that occasion was and how he was scheduled to leave for dallas. We even jokingly admonished him to be careful down there with those wild texans. It was a delightful affair. That evening warren and his wife nina went to Andrews Air Force base to stand vigil and await the landing of air force one. It was about 6 00 p. M. And already dark. The chief justice watched the rear door open and there stood Jacqueline Kennedy, it was the first glimpse that the American People got of her since the assassination several hours earlier and she was still wearing that suit. Millions of people were horrified to see it. On her skirt, stockings, shoes. She wanted them to see, and they did. Earl warren then confessed that for the next few days, theyre not clear in my memory, he spent friday night and much of saturday like over 120 million American People, glued to the television screen, listening to the wild stories and rumors which permeated the air. It was sickening. On saturday morning, the chief received an invitation to come to the white house to attend a private mass with Jacqueline Kennedy and view the casket in the east room. The chief justice assumed he would play no official role in connection to the assassination of the president. Yes, he would attend the funeral. Hed attend the burial at arlington. And other events that the widow planned. But he would be a spectator, not an actor. That changed on the night of saturday, november 23rd. About 9 00 p. M. Warrens home telephone rang, it was Jacqueline Kennedy. Would he, she asked, be kind enough to make some brief remarks tomorrow afternoon in the u. S. Capitol rotunda. After her husbands body was brought there to lie in state. He agreed at once. He got to work, but said it was almost impossible to put my thoughts on paper. He wrote almost nothing that night and was due to give remarks at 1 00 p. M. The next day. He went to bed at midnight, he began writing the next morning, finishing minutes before he would have to leave for the u. S. Capitol. At 11 20 in the morning his daughter burst in and said daddy, they just killed oswald. And he said dont listen to wild rumors like that. She said, taddie, i just saw it on television, i saw them do it. Warren then went to the capitol, and i want to read you one paragraph of what he said, because this is vital in showing what the public chief justice viewed this event. Senator Mike Mansfield spoke. Speaker of the house mccormack spoke and the chief spoke. Mansfield gave that famous poem, she took a ring from her finker and placed it in his hand. And that was the chorus repeated over and over again. Earl warren said this. We are saddened, we are stunned, we are perplexed. John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been snatched from our mid by the bullet of an assassin. What moved some misguided wretch to do this horrible deed may never be known to us, but we do know that such acts are commonly stimulated by forces of hatred and malevolence, such as today are eating their way into the blood stream of american life. What a price we pay for this fanaticism. The chief justice condemned the hatred that consumes people, the false accusations, and the bitterness that begets violence. Warren blamed the assassination on, quote, those who do not that ring from spreading do not shrink from spreading venom. Of course the speech shows that earl warren was plainly conservative in the right wing. But oswald was a leftist who rated the right wing. Certainly earl warren, saw on billboards across the country, impeach earl warren. Bobby kennedy found them to be in poor taste. Jackie preferred the yearning romantic tribute by Mike Mansfield. On monday, november 25, chief warren attended the funeral, he listened to the cardinal, traveled to arlington and saw jackie light the flame. It was done. Four days of blood and death, of mourning, were over and earl warren was emotionally spent. The chief justice wanted to put it all behind and return to the work of the court. It was an important term. Anthony lewis would write that the october term in 1963 was one of the most important terms of the last 10 years. It was the year of eskobido, New York Times have the sullivan and much more. But information days later, earl warren would be en snared in the aftermath of the kennedy assassination and the chief justice did not know it but he was about to begin the worst week of his life. Sorry, the worst year of his life. So the Warren Commission. In the week that followed the assassination, we learn that the murder of a president was not a federal crime. The f. B. I. And secret service had no jurisdiction over oswald. Thats why he was being held and questioned by the Dallas Police. Oswald had violated the texas murder plows and he would be murder laws and would be prosecuted by state prosecutors for a simple murder. The f. B. I. Had no power to seize him. It was by the good graces of the Dallas Police that the f. B. I. And secret service were allowed to be present and ask oswald a few questions. But 12 hours of intensive questioning of the suspect, without a tape recorder, without a transcript, or conducted by the chief homicide detective, and of course thats what led to oswalds murder. If he had been in federal custody it is unconceivable that that he would have been exposed to the circuslike atmosphere that resulted in his own assassination. The officials in texas were planning to conduct two investigations. In washington two committees wanted to hold hearings. The department of justice wanted to get involved and the treasury department, which super advised the secret service, also had a stake in the game. Wild rumors were spreading a cross the country and around the world. Who was this oswald . Was he part of a conspiracy . Was it the american right wing, the russians, the cubans . Abc tv said we dont know. If oswald committed these crimes at all, maybe well never know. Lyndon johnson decided he had to cut the gordian knot and provide the there would be one central investigation. He would name a Blue Ribbon Panel of distinguished americans to investigate the assassination and public a public report of its findings. But who should head this commission . From the beginning it seems that l. B. J. Had one man the behind, the chief justice of the United States. By why . Earl warren was a larger than life public figure on the american scene. He had been a prosecutor, governor of california, in 1948 a president ial candidate on the dewey ticket, vicepresident ial candidate on that ticket. He had ought sought the presidency himself in 1952. Then president eisenhower appointed him chief justice of the United States. He had the reputation for being uncorruptable, a fair and good and decent man. Of course not every american loved him. Many objected to brown v. Board of en indication, many objected to his rulings in criminal just is matters. Many thought he was far too liberal. And many were involved in the impeach earl warren movement. But on the whole, it was accepted as a good appointment. L. B. J. Mulled over who else he wanted on this commission, he thought there should be seven men, two senators, his mentor, Richard Russell of georgia. John Sherman Cooper of kentucky, former ambassador to india, former judge. Two congressmen, hale boggs from louisiana and gerald information from michigan and two private citizens, alan dulles, director of the c. I. A. From 1953 to 1961, and and the assistant second of war during world war ii and president of the world bank and high commissioner of germany from 1949 to 1952. You can see a lot of information here, a lot of graphics about they came into this building on friday, november 29 at 2 30 p. M. , the oneyear anniversary of the assassination of the president. They told the chief what the president wanted. He said it is a great idea. He checked out the reasons one by one by he must decline. It is up to them to investigate crimes and issue reports. This is the crime of a century. The extrajudicial appointments in general were a bad idea. It is not in the spirit of the separation of powers. It would distract them from the courts. Litigation might arise from the investigation of the murder. It might very well end up in the soup in court one day. The history was bad. This should not have taken diplomatic posts. This was terrible for the courts. The appointment of Justice Roberts to investigate the pearl harbor disaster was a bad idea. Justice jacksons leave of absence from the court for more than a year to serve as the chief prosecutor at nuremberg was highly improper. It had bitterness that the court itself. The chief justice could have added a couple of more reasons. This is from the court caseload. Rating opinions. The chief justice also had the third branch of the government. It had nothing to do with writing opinions. No president ial assassination has ever been investigated by justice of the court. Then there was the dish or a personal one. That is the President Shall come to the core. It had also angered him. He tipped his hand during his remarks at the capital. The press had criticized him for it. The chief had looked upon jfk as a son. He said this himself. Could he does involve himself for the love of john kennedy and his morning to act as the head of an independent commission . What would they do if this came into conflict with those of the Kennedy Family . They have not taken into this the master of masters. The treatment. Lbj could and love bending men to his will. One of my favorite photographs this and tapering over abe fortis. He is bending back routes as lbj is teasing and commanding him. The phone call came from the white house soon after the emissaries. It is urgent and you come at once. Warren seems to suggest why he was being summoned. He arrived at the oval office. He says you are a soldier and world war i. There is nothing he could do and that uniform. He told warned the situation was so great that rumors were so dangerous and might lead to nuclear war in which 40 million americans would be killed. My personal views do not count. I will do it. Lbj immediately issued the executive order along with the press release. The president announced today that he is appointing a special commission to report upon all the facts and circumstances related to the assassination of the late president. The president is instructing them and this is known as far as it can be discovered and to report the finding of the conclusions to him, the American People, and to the world. Here is lbjs version. Partly we get this from tape recordings of him calling his closest friends and boasting how he bent the chief justice to his will. When the president of the United States says you are the only man who can handle the matter, you will not say no. Will you . He said tears just came into his eyes. They came up here do never saw anything like it. He said this way. I am surprised that chief justice of the United States would turn me down. Then he said lbj started crying. I will not turn you down. I will do what ever you say. Lbj said this. These while people are charts here. Castro killed kennedy. But they have to know who killed kennedy and why. Then lbj called his old friend. The want to know you made the announcement. Russell said announcement of what . He said youre on the commission. Lbj began reading this. When he got to earl warren he said i cannot serve there with the chief justice. I do not like that man. I do not have any confidence in him. Lbj tells him it is too late. You are my man on that mission. You are going to serve. I will tell you that. I do not give a dam if you have to serve with a republican or a communist or with a negro or with a fog. With a thug. I can serve with a communist, negro, china men. I cannot serve with earl warren. [laughter] lbj cut him off. Russell would be serving with her. They became known that the Warren Commission was officially in business. That was not its official name. That was the condition on the assassination of president kennedy. Neither plan to work fulltime. They served fulltime in congress and have fulltime jobs there. Robert jackson went to nierenberg. Born plan to maintain his full schedule and perform all judicial duties throughout the commission. They were all disappointed that he agreed to share the commission. He would not leave them in the lurch. He would participate in oral arguments. He did not want to charge this either. He decided to work longer hours and do both jobs. None of the commissioners expected to personally do all of the work here at they should evaluate the evidence but not gather it. Here in the others of all been here. On december 5 19 60, they met for the first time in a room of the national archives. Two days earlier, j Tigger Hoover stands by the commission by leaking that the fbi would soon release the exhaustive report naming oswald as the loan and unaided assassin of the president. This would not be his last conflict with earl warren in the commission. The commission shows jb rankin with the office of Legal Counsel and also slaughtered general and the eisenhower administration. A Yale Law School graduate came over to serve as liaison. He contributed much more than that, becoming a managing jerk and they keep player and hiring staff and working closely with them. Managing director. Now it is time to hire these. They did not want to stock this fearing it might treat the parents the appearance of bias. They wanted legal mind graduate of the top law school, some of them first in their class, some of them with Supreme Court clerk ships. Doing civil trial work for prosecutorial work. The team was a remarkable collection of talent. They hired 14 assisting counsel. Because many of us still know some of them, i will call the goal for the record. Francis adams, joseph a ball, melvin eisenberg, leon d, albert junior. Norman, to be davids watson, jerk, howard williams. In addition, the commission hired 12 Staff Members including healy, pollock. It was the assistant counsel that does the heavy lifting. In the end, they utilize the lawyers, law clerks, and others. Once its in this court today. By now the chief justice had secured office space in the veterans of foreign war building. The location made it easy for the chief to arrive early in the morning, walked to the cup at 10 00 a. M. And then walk back to the building and Late Afternoon or early meeting. This room to be the hardest working of all seven commissions. It turned out some of them did very little. He was certainly the most involved of all of the commissioners. He was not a figurehead. The commissioner organize itself into a law firm. Rankin was the managing partner. The rest of the staff for the associates. In practice, they did not really do it each other. Other. With each there was a division of labor just like at a law firm. Lawyers were assigned to work in pairs and master one slice of each of the assassination pie. They found the assassination, facts related to oswald, research oswalds foreign contacts with cuban and mexico, investigate the murder of Oswald I Ruby and analyze. Ultimately, these things and be broken down into eight chapters. The last one is lonely often forget. The investigation of the secret service and how they perform. It was also one of the duties of the Warren Commission. It is impossible to chronicle the daytoday work of the commission. Here is some overall assessments. First, the assistant counsel members came to the job with independent minds. They do not join up to ratify a preordained conclusion that he was the lone gunmen. Many of them were arrogant fellows. They investigated this on their own and learned, and they manipulated them. They could not do this. It had no prosecutorial authority. It was a factfinder. The commission uncovered exponentially more evidence than would have ever been on earth. How to prove that something did not happen. How to prove it was not anything more than wild conspiracy theories. Here are some of the highlights. They testified for four days and she was a real enigma. She was by the police. She deceived many of them. She was deported to russia. She would not trust him and she would he ever afraid. He lured her out. The report must not sound like a legal gray. They went to the field. They went to dallas. They went to the book depository. The inactive the crime. They jobs shall casings on the floor. They tracked down the most obscure facts. He took a mysterious bustard to mexico. Mexico. Rip to they tracked down the british taurus and happen to be sitting near oslo and spoke to him. They look at all the evidence. It brought them back to life here that his writings, letters, new orleans radio show appearances. Historic diary that he wrote when he left russia. A real picture of oswald. The greatest breakthrough of all was the single bullet. I will get to that later. Arlen specter is identified with being the key person to discover and conceptualize this. In a nutshell, is this. Without that theory, it might be difficult to accept that oswald was the lone gunmen. While this is happening, they are under constant criticism, books, articles, tv, conspiracy was in the air. We do not know this is a worldwide conspiracy. He said it was reactionary from the right. On december 5, 1960 3, 29 of the whole in america believe that oswald acted alone. 52 believe he had help you in december 17, he summarized the theories. In march 64, a book called red roses was published. May 1964, who killed kennedy. It was multiple gunmen. In june 1954, Bertrand Russell formed his famous who killed Kennedy Committee . In september he submitted this. Even when they were beginning their work, it was under constant siege from critics. In summary, this is what they did. They spent the first half of their work investigating from january to april, early may and then from september rafting, editing, refining. To the last minute, they would reexamine and question themselves. He wrote a series of memos attacking the reasonings. Cap those were adopted into the report. He became a devils advocate. Here is what they did. They took testimony from 500 52 people. They called 94 witnesses. Commission lawyers to depositions from 395 people. 61 sworn affidavits. 3000 exhibits. They published a 469 page report that included 410 pages of appendices plus this. 26 volumes. They met in executive session 20 times, conduct did 50 hearings. He had 72 key questions that would be instrumental. Did they make mistakes . Yes. After they testify, he was asked by the committee if they would be verified. Yes. There will come a time where it might not be in your lifetime. Im not referring to anything specially. It may include security. Erlewine said i could kick myself for having said that. Could kick said i myself. It was for fit two years but not in your lifetime. Medical evidence with the autopsy photos. The chief justice did not allow any member to see those. The chief justice did not allow those that treated President Committee committee to look at the once to refresh their memories of what happened. It caused a minor appraising and the staff. They started calling this snow white in the seven dwarves. They cannot decide on what day Jackie Kennedy was snow white marina oswald. Warren said he saw this when they came from the hospital. They were so horrible. I couldnt sleep well for many nights. Here is a case or he deferred to the Kennedy Family. Jackie asked earl warren to give back the suit which contains vital evidence of the acre mark of a bullet mark initiating the back. He did not allow that to happen in. The chief gave too much deference to John Connolly who insisted that he was wounded by the second bullet. Earl warren allowed this sentence to appear on the report. There is very Persuasive Evidence to indicate that the same bullet also caused his wounds. His testimony and certain other factors have given rise to some difference of opinion. That is the sacrifice he made. He wanted a unanimous report. There were no other fact there is peer the others were they said i do not believe it. I am sure it was shot by a separate law. If you was not shot by the same bullet, what happened to the bullet that hit him from behind . It was not from the top. We had spoken. Questions go one way. We ask the questions. This might have been deford different if they stayed in business for six months or a year or react it to the criticism. There was no evidence of conspiracy. With these mistakes, are they fatal . They are from the commission. A 24yearold male had the factor to the soviet union. They cannot be happy. They cannot hold a job. They dreamed one day they would be great. He attempted to have this. He brought a rife that a rifle. He ordered it by postal money order. He brought a pistol. He took place with it. He brought it to the texas school of depository the next day, carrying it in a long paperback. He told the man it is just some curtain rods for my house. He had curtains. He had drapes. He did not meet curtain rods. Then an hour the murder the president , he fled the book depository. He ran home. He shot the man four times with a shot to the head. Poor, dumb, cop. He is arrested in the he attended. He shouted this is it. This matches the one that murdered the policemen. He found them later that evidence is found of a key fingerprint. That is a tidbit of all of the evidence. He had these bounds on the floor. They lined this could make the shots. They found he was trained to shoot just fine at 600 yards. They had shots was less than 100 yards with these go. That is the tip of it. I could go on for one hour or more lifting all of the evidence. On september 24, 1963, they take the report to the white house. When it is presented, he says it is pretty heavy. Before he leaves the white house he said he is glad his services over. The reception was good. It is painstakingly detailed. Neutrality is wonderful. It has a genuine literary style. They said it is utterly convincing. He told one of his councils after it was over to be patient. History will prove us right. Why 50 years later . Why do the majority of the American People believe in one commission was there . Why do they believe it was all fraud . Why do we doubt it . A few reasons. Ignorance. No one that i know has read those volumes. Very few all have read the report of the Warren Commission. May people say they believe in conspiracies but they do not own they do not know what conspiracies they believe in. I might have forgotten a few of the conspiracies. Or Lyndon Johnson and self. One reason there is so much doubts is why. We do not know why he did it. That is one of the failures. To this day we do not know why he assassinated john f. Kennedy. If you want to impress the russians because they thought he was nothing . No. He turned his back he thought it was corrupt. Did he want to truth himself a revolutionary . I dont think so. Did he want and to connect himself to history . Was he one of our first real killers that wanted to possess the iridescent grammar . How about this . After all be years, is this the x one nation . He did that explanation question ricky did it because he was an evil man. It is human nature to believe in conspiracy theories. People have placed conspiracy theories behind misfortunes. We do not want to believe that one man can do something that will change our destiny in such a way. If john kennedy can be struck down, what chance to People Like Us have to conduct their own lives . Plans do not work. James did not happen. Dreams do not happen. We do not want to believe that is what happened to john kennedy. We need to see a larger plan behind our misfortunes. We see the great humanity. Many believe the same conspiracy that killed john kennedy killed Martin Luther king, bobby kennedy. He was behind the 9 11 attack. What would john kennedy say about all of this . He certainly had wit and irony. I think one thing he went home is that after the halfcentury of the session, the conflicting theories that to this day have not been proven, this has been investigated by multiple ones. We have more effects than they do. Where and not available to them. The evidence is stronger than it was 50 years ago. I predict that the he or 100 years from now it will be stronger still. What does it all mean in the end . It is important to not think of this as oswald anniversary. The real hero is john kennedy. We should remember what happened that day. The attacks have distracted us from what happened. A wife roster has been. Two children lost their father. America lost a president. John kennedy was a Great American patriot to believe with every fiber of his being an american greatness and exceptionalism. He felt america needed to make no apologies for its greatness. He loves the country to the core. He love the history. On the oneyear anniversary of his death am a Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy said a few things. She said i should have known that he was magic all along. I didnt know. I should have just said it will be too much to ask to grow old with him and watch her children grow up together. Now he is a legend. Would have preferred to be a man. She said think of him as this little boy. Reading books, history, reading about heroes. Review that will inspire other people to be like him. Then she said my hasbeen did not believe the purpose of life was to enjoy it to let it luxuriously. She set my hasbeen believes we should try to write the wrongs we see. She says remember him this way. He believed that one man can make a difference and every man should try. The chief justice was thoughtful to. It is high time that we remember what a good job they did, how much they didnt find out and how much for a warning was right. History has proven them right area thank you. [applause] would complement covered by showing you the most relevant congressional hearings and Public Affairs event and on weekends, cspan3 is home to American History tv with programs that tell our nation story, including the civil wars 100 50th anniversary, visiting battlefields and key events. To discover what artifacts reveal about americas past. The bestknown American History writers, looking at the policies and legacies of our nations commanders in chief, lectures and history with top College Professors dealing into americas past and featuring archival government and educational films from the 1930s to the 1970s. Created by the cable tv industry and funded by your local cable and satellite provider. Like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. The First Military burial at Arlington National cemetery took place 150 years ago on may 13, 1854. They visit the cemetery with the author of on hallowed ground. The final resting place for some 400,000 americans. 27 ofre in section Arlington National cemetery. This is one of the oldest sections of the Military Cemetery arlington, where the historians really began. Historyn has so much tied up in the civil war