Missouri University of Science and Technology
JFK Assassination
Lee Harvey Oswald or another assailant?
Michael Rouse
History 1310
Russ Henderson
19 February 2015 6pm
JFK Assassination
At about 12:30 pm CST on November 22, 1963 distinct gun shots rang out inside of Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Shots that will change America forever, three fatal shots that killed President John F. Kennedy and injured Texas Governor Connally. These shots caused the Secret Service to drastically increase the level of security and precautions taken when the President is in a public location. This assassination, and videos of the event, have created an image that no one will ever forget, and is the first thing anyone thinks about when they hear “JFK.” This assassination has many different versions, some include conspiracies and more gunman. Given the Warren Commission’s evidence, I concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin of President John F. Kennedy and the report is conclusive with the evidence.
The official investigation of this crime, performed by the Warren Commission, states that Oswald had no assistants to help him with planning or carrying out the assassination. This conclusion is backed by pages and pages of evidence found during their investigation, most of which points to Oswald being a loner and a Communist (Document B). The “Magic Bullet” theory states that one bullet was responsible for the seven wounds found on President Kennedy and the Governor. While this might seem impossible, evidence found states that the type of bullet used is known to become erratic and volatile after immerging from something, in this case it was President Kennedy, where the bullet then entered Connally at a peculiar trajectory (Document D).
Oswald was a known associate of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union (Warren Commission). While this does not give Oswald a direct motive to assassinate the President, it does show that he was against the United States Government and most likely opposed to any actions that President Kennedy was taking in the midst of the Cold War (Document B). Working at the Texas School Book Depository, directly off the route taken by the President, gave Oswald the perfect opportunity to take the shots at the President, while hoping to give him cover. A last minute change in the motorcade’s route gave Oswald an even better opportunity by bringing the President closer to the building (Document C).
With Oswald being a known Communist, a loner in society, and a protestor of the Government. These thoughts and ideas, over time, forged Oswald into a man who was capable and ready to take action, securing him a place in history (Document B). During the investigation the Commission found photographs of Oswald holding a gun similar to the one used in the assassination as well as Communist newspapers (Document A). Known connections to the Soviet Union and Communist Parties, his work location and life choices all point to Oswald having the means, motive, and opportunity to assassinate President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Understanding the Commission’s report and who killed President Kennedy is still extremely important today, over 50 years later, because it gives the President and the Secret Service the opportunity to provide more security, better planning, and knowledge of what to look for in suspects should this happen again.