Friday, May 27, 2011

50 Years Later, Eyewitness to Kennedy Assassination Remembers

KUSA-TV / Denver

She remembers the drizzle early on that November day. She remembers walking down to Elm Street with her friend. She remembers the sun shining when the motorcade was approaching. And she remembers hearing the shots.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"I thought maybe they were fireworks," Mary Ann Krahmer said.

A split second later, she heard the president's wife cry out.

"I heard Jackie say, 'Oh my God! He's been shot.' I watched her get out of the back of the seat and reach for the back of the car," she said.

Nearly 50 years have passed since that day in Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, but Krahmer still remembers much of that day quite vividly.

"My thoughts, my memories are very clear," she said.

She was known as Mary Ann Moorman back then and was 31 at the time.

The picture she took with her Polaroid camera the moment one of the shots rang out has now become synonymous with the Kennedy assassination. The "Moorman Photo" shows a slumping John Kennedy next to the First Lady.

Of course, Krahmer never had any inkling back then that her day was going to end with her becoming an eyewitness to history.

"We got there about 10:30 in the morning," she said. "We had wandered up and down the street thinking about the best place [to be]. Where we were, there were no people around."

Krahmer was in Denver this week to take part in a webcast sponsored by the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall and iantique.com.

Krahmer wants to set some of the record straight when it comes to what happened to her after she took that now-famous Polaroid. She says she never felt threatened by any law enforcement officer that day and was never forced to give up any of her Polaroids.

While she's not a big believer of conspiracy theories revolving around any "second shooters," she does believe "there is more to the story than what we've been told."

She's made a point of not reading too much about the various theories either. She says the images of that day remain very fresh because of that.

"It was sad," she said, "to think that I witnessed a man - not just a president - but a man being murdered in front of me, in front of my eyes."

To see the entire interview, click HERE.

Source: KUSA-TV / Denver

Monday, May 23, 2011

Makeover for Dealey Plaza: Fundraising Begun

by B.J. AUSTIN / KERA

Volunteers are raising money to give the grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza a facelift before the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 2013.

Architect John Rollins worked on restoration of the fountain at Dealey Plaza a couple of years ago. He says there is still a lot of repair work to be done at the famous site because of years of neglect. At a City Council committee meeting, he talked about the condition of the concrete walkways and overhead structures -- or pergolas -- that sit atop the grassy knoll.

”Much of the paint has peeled,“ Rollins said. “The concrete has spawled and continues to deteriorate. Virtually all of the sealants applied at the joints of the sections of the concrete have completely failed allowing moisture not only to attack the surface but to penetrate deeply into this construction.”

Judith Segura heads the volunteer fundraising effort. She says Dealey Plaza is one of the most recognized sites in the world because of its historic importance. She says its condition shocks visitors and reflects badly on the city.

”This is how they interpret how we care about Dealey Plaza,” Segura said. “We feel that it's hardly a display of the civic pride that we have for our city parks - particularly this important National Historic Landmark site.”

Segura says the planned repairs will cost about two million dollars. The city is expected to pay some of that. She says the goal is to finish the work in time for crowds expected to come to the site to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination.

Source: KERA

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Assassination photographer Mary Moorman to make Internet appearance on May 24

PRNewswire.com

[Editor’s Note: While Mary Moorman was briefly interviewed by WBAP-TV and provided an affidavit to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department on November 22, 1963 (which was published as part of the Warren Commission’s 26 volumes of Hearings and Exhibits) and did appear in three television programs in 1964 ("CBS News Extra: November 22nd and the Warren Report"), 1988 (part three of “The Men Who Killed Kennedy"), and 2003 (“Unsolved History: JFK – Death in Dealey Plaza”) she hasn't given an in-depth interview to date.]

On Nov. 22, 1963, Mary Moorman, a 31-year-old woman with a Polaroid Land Camera captured the most famous image of one of the 20th century's most infamous events: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Nearly 48 years later, Ms. Moorman will finally break her silence at the Brass Armadillo® Antique Mall in Wheat Ridge, Colo., during her live interview on iAntique.com, an Internet news and social networking community for dealers, collectors and antiques enthusiasts.

Gary Stover, an iAntique® video host, will interview Ms. Moorman, now 78, and talk about that fateful day in Dallas, why she never talked to the Warren Commission and the three Polaroid photos that remain in her possession. The interview, which starts at 6 p.m. MDT on Tuesday, May 24, will stream live at iAntique.com as part of The Stover Hour.

A full-length, professional souvenir video will be produced with additional information and commentary from Mr. Stover, audience members and other authorities.

"Mary Moorman's legendary photos are a critical piece of history and JFK lore essential to any meaningful discussion or investigation of the assassination, from conspiracy theorists to the Warren Commission," Mr. Stover said. "Yet, her voice has been conspicuously silent. That will change on May 24, as Mary tells us what she saw that day and discusses her famous photographs. From my contact with her, I can tell you she has a very different story from that of her friend and fellow witness, Jean Hill."

Ms. Moorman and Ms. Hill were the closest observers of the assassination, standing no more than 15 feet away from the presidential limousine at the time of the first shot. While Ms. Hill went on to write a book on her remembrances and served as a consultant on Oliver Stone's JFK, Ms. Moorman has declined to grant in-depth media interviews about her experience since speaking briefly to reporters immediately following the shooting. She was not questioned by the Warren Commission, which issued its famous report on the assassination in 1964.

Ms. Moorman's interview at the Brass Armadillo® is open to the public, but viewing space is limited. As The Stover Hour streams the event live, members of iAntique® will be able to watch the interview online and interact on the site's live chat room. The interview will focus on what Ms. Moorman saw the day of the assassination, her relationship with police officers who were in the parade and whether she plans to sell the historic photographs.

"The Brass Armadillo® and iAntique® are teaming up to bring Ms. Moorman's story to light as part of our broader mission to provide a forum for people interested in antiques, collectibles and American history," said Dave Briddle, vice president of Brass Armadillo® and co-founder of iAntique®.

"In this case, we're not only helping to preserve one of the most significant events in our nation's history, we're actually helping make history by adding a very important voice to the dialogue surrounding President Kennedy's assassination."

Throughout the month of May, The Stover Hour, a weekly iAntique® webcast , will take an in-depth look at the JFK assassination. Mr. Stover and Josh Miller, an antiques dealer who specializes in vintage camera and presidential memorabilia, will discuss the cameras that were used to capture the event, including Ms. Moorman's famous Polaroid.

The next two shows, May 10 and 17, will focus on the multitude of assassination theories, with May 10 discussing, "Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?" and May 17 asking, "If Oswald Didn't Do It, Who Did?"

The "Mary Moorman Breaks Her Silence" show airs May 24 and the final show, airing on May 31, will reflect on "How Mary Moorman's Interview Added to the Debate."

"The assassination of John F. Kennedy has fascinated generations of Americans, many of whom still have questions about the official explanation of the crime," Mr. Stover added. "Any new information that Mary can provide will add more pieces to this historical puzzle."

Source: www.prnewswire.com

Monday, May 2, 2011

Lawmakers honor cop killed in Kennedy assassination

by GARY SCHARRER / mysanantonio.com

Texas lawmakers honored the Dallas police officer who was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald moments after Oswald assassinated President Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.

J.D. Tippit’s wife, Marie, stood on the House dais Monday as Rep. Cindy Burkett, R–Mesquite, read HR 1458.

WHEREAS, On November 22, 1963, Officer J. D. Tippit of the Dallas Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice in behalf of his fellow citizens; and

WHEREAS, Officer Tippit was on patrol that day when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; he responded to the all-points bulletin that followed, spotted and was attempting to question or arrest Lee Harvey Oswald when the officer was shot and mortally wounded by the suspect; and

WHEREAS, Dallas police were soon alerted to the shooting of one of their own, and Lee Harvey Oswald was subsequently arrested; and

WHEREAS, Officer Tippit left behind a wife of 17 years, Marie, and their three children, Charles Allen, Brenda, and Curtis; and

WHEREAS, J. D. Tippit was a dedicated and courageous police officer who gave his life in the line of duty; his heroism remains vivid in the hearts of those who cared for him and in the minds of those who remember the tragic events of that fateful day; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory and service of Officer J. D. Tippit; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dallas Police Officer J. D. Tippit.

Source: mysanantonio.com