Something Serious Has Happened on Air Force One (a Tl/story by Geon)

[Geon]

Dallas, Texas; Dallas Police Department, 4:10 p.m. ;C.S.T.:

At 4:10 a small army of F.B.I. agents and state police entered the Dallas Police Department headquarters and fanned out. A group of five agents led by James Hosty entered the offices of the police chief and a surprised Jesse Curry found himself being handed a warrant for his arrest. Moments later he was being handcuffed and led out of his office to the waiting cars below.

At the same time Curry was being arrested so was the Chief of Detectives as well as 2 supervisors and 17 regular officers. Some of these returned from their patrol to find federal and state law enforcement officers waiting for them.

The mayor was hurriedly called by one of the secretaries of Mr. Curry. Even though he too wanted to see this matter resolved he felt this was too excessive and tried to phone Hoover to let him know. But J. Edgar Hoover was not taking any calls.

Presenting another warrant to Curry’s secretary agent Hosty demanded that the chief’s desk and safe be opened. He also had a court order for that. The secretary, frightened, reluctantly complied.

In the desk the agent found the letter written by Bradley and in the safe audio tapes of Curry’s interviews with the officers shortly after the shooting incident.

Another court order was produced demanding all recorded transcripts from November 22nd. Again, the personnel of DPD complied.

By the time the agents left around 8 p.m. almost 2 dozen members of the Dallas Police Force had been arrested in what would become known as the Sunday Roundup.

 

[Geon]

@Shiva Thank you for the inspiration for this part!!
--------------
Washington, D.C.: The White House; the family dining room, 5:43 p.m. E.S.T:

Dinner had gone well. As had the conversation with the meal. Before they were seated Robert Kennedy had quietly told President John McCormack to not bring up any topics that might upset Jackie at this point, specifically no mention of the assassination, the investigation, or politics.

Thus, the President had tried to steer the conversation to more mundane subjects with the help of his wife, Harriet Joyce. All in all, it had been an enjoyable evening especially for Jackie for whom the last few days had been a nightmare.

Robert was thinking; Jackie is a strong woman but between the death of Jack, the funeral, the investigation, and questioning, having to prepare to move out of the White House and caring for the children she really needed this break.

Now, as the meal wound down President McCormack decided to broach one of the reasons, he had invited Robert and Jackie over this evening.

“Jackie,” he began, “I could use your help on something.” He continued, “I need someone to coordinate, plan, and manage formal White House receptions and dinners. You have such a touch with that sort of thing. You are good at it. So, I would like you to consider coming on my staff as Official White House Hostess.”

A surprised look came over Jackie’s features. “I…don’t know,” she said. “I would be happy to give Harriet some pointers on what to do but to come back in such a function. I’m not sure.”

Harriet smoothly picked up the conversation. “The fact is Jackie that while I have experience as a former Speaker of the House’s wife in entertaining, I simply don’t have the experience or the style you have with managing these huge affairs. I could use your help here on a full-time basis.”

McCormack continued, “There’s much to be said for accepting the position. You would not have to move out of Washington, your children could stay in their present schools. And quite honestly, I think it would be good for the nation to see a Kennedy still at the White House managing affairs in some capacity.”

Jackie wasn’t too enthusiastic about remaining in Washington, but there were some appealing aspects to the offer. She would have something to occupy her time, and the children wouldn’t have to be uprooted from their schools and friends.

“I would have to think about it,” she said. “Of course, we don’t expect an answer right away,” replied Harriet. “Now, can I ask you to come with me upstairs? I have some ideas for the executive bedroom that I would like to run by you.”

Jackie was savvy enough to know this was translated as, Robert and John want to talk alone. She politely excused herself and with Harriet exited the dining room.

After they had gone, McCormack poured another glass of wine for himself and Bobbie and settled back in his chair.

“I hope she’ll accept,” he said. "Harriet is a wonderful hostess, but I’m worried she may be out of her depth with White House receptions and formal dinners. Jackie seems much more at ease with this sort of thing. Also, Harriet is seven years older than I am. I’m worried that the stress of all these formal dinners could be more then she can handle.”

Robert nodded. Privately he hoped Jackie would accept John’s offer. Jackie needed something to occupy her mind and hopefully helping with formal dinners and receptions would allow her to use some of the skills she had gained during her years as first-lady.

Then, McCormack changed the subject. “Anything new from Oswald?”

Robert shook his head. “He’s still not speaking with anyone but his lawyer. According to my sources Mr. Bailey is going to ask for a psychological evaluation of Oswald before the trial.”

“The trial date hasn’t been set yet,” inquired the President?

“No, Mr. Bailey successfully petitioned the judge to delay setting a trial date until Oswald receives a complete physical and mental evaluation,” replied Kennedy, clearly not happy that the trial was being delayed.

“Well, we want the trial to go as smoothly as possible. Given what’s been happening in Dallas in the last 24 hours we don’t need any more complications.”

Robert nodded and took a sip of his wine. “Amen to that John. We need to find that boy and bring him in. He’s the key to fully knowing what happened on the plane that day. If he disappears, we will have every crackpot in all 50 states coming up with who knows what he kind of crazy theories. And we don’t need any of that this close to the election.”

“I agree,” said the President. “Have you given any more thought to the idea of being the running mate of whoever wins the nomination?”

Robert shook his head. “A lot will depend on who is running. Also, I am having to spend a lot of time with Jackie helping her pick up the pieces. And honestly, I need time with my family. Especially after everything that has happened, I need to spend more time with them. I am seriously wondering if I should just stay out of the ’64 campaign and wait until ’68.”

“Do you think we have a chance to keep the White House next year,” questioned McCormack?

Kennedy thought for a moment then said, “That depends on who we get and what Wallace does. If we’re not careful we could lose the black vote in the south and elsewhere. That’s why I’m withholding judgment on running right now. I don’t want to be remembered as the V.P. candidate who ran and lost. No, let’s give this some time and hope and pray we get someone who will beat the pants off Wallace.”

 

[Geon]

Chapter 7 – More Reactions

Dallas, Texas, December 3, 1963; 9:00 a.m.:​

Dallas was a city reeling from one shock after another.

First had come the deaths of President Kennedy, Vice-President Johnson, and Presidential Aide Kenneth O’Donnell. Then, there were conflicting claims about what had happened aboard Air Force One. Then, had come word that Daniel Bradley, a rookie in the Dallas Police Department had resigned and was now on the run with a national manhunt being conducted for him. And finally, two days ago, the F.B.I had arrested the chief of police, Jesse Curry as well as two dozen other police officers in the DPD and there were hints of more to come.

The headlines in the Dallas Morning News this morning did nothing to calm the already jittery city.

CURRY AND OTHER OFFICERS TO BE ARRAIGNED ON FEDERAL CHARGES

--------

NATIONAL MANHUNT CONTINUES FOR DANIEL BRADLEY

----------

STILL NO COMMENT FROM MAYOR CABELL

​

And an editorial written by the same person who had written a previous one back on November 30th was about to “stir the pot.”

“Once again, the heavy hand of Washington has come down. This time in the arrest of Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry and 24 of the officers of the Dallas Police Department.​

Rather than accept that some of their own might be to blame for the multiple tragedies of November 22nd the federal government has chosen to make scapegoats of some of Dallas' finest public servants.​

The question must be raised, why?​

Consider the following.​

1. Why were the Secret Service so frantic to have President Kennedy’s body flown back to Washington after the assassination without an immediate autopsy? Was there something they were trying to conceal?
2. Why was the suspected assassin, who was also the murderer of DPD officer Paul Tibbet also spirited off to Washington within 24 hours of the crime?
3. As a follow up question why is Oswald being kept incommunicado out of the reach of the press? What is the government afraid he might reveal?
4. Why has there been no clear statement out of Washington regarding what happened on Air Force One that fateful day?
5. Why does the F.B.I. and the federal government feel it is their duty to arrest 25 members of the Dallas Police Department for simply doing their duty?

Anyone considering these questions logically and rationally is forced to an ugly conclusion, that there is something Washington is hiding about this tragedy. This has the clear marks of a conspiracy. The question must then be asked, who are the conspirators and is the government protecting them.​

I believe it is time for accountability by the federal government. It is time for answers. It is time for the people of Dallas to demand those answers from a government that thus far does not seem disposed to providing them. Those who protect us (the DPD) and the citizens of Dallas not to mention the citizens of this nation deserve nothing less!"​

 

[Geon]

---------​

The police union for the DPD was likewise expressing its displeasure in the press regarding the actions of two days ago. After the initial shock of the arrests had worn off a meeting of all union members had been called the previous evening.

After an hour of debate a statement was agreed upon which would be sent to the Dallas Morning News and was published this morning on page one of the paper.

“The Union representing Dallas police and firefighters officially expresses its displeasure and protests the mass arrests of 25 Dallas Police officers including police chief Jesse Curry.​

We believe the charges being brought against these men are merely a cover to make them scapegoats. These men were public servants doing their jobs in accordance with the laws of Texas and for their efforts they were arrested on unsubstantiated charges. This is unacceptable.​

We call upon Mayor Cabell to protest this action and demand the Federal government release the arrested officers on their own recognizance.​

We also call upon Governor Connelly to speak out on this situation.​

Finally, we call upon President McCormack to intervene in this travesty and order the release of the arrested officers.​

If there is no action on this, rest assured this union will take whatever actions it deems necessary to secure the release of these public servants.”

Austin, Texas; The Governor’s Mansion, 9:00 a.m.; C.S.T.:

In Austin, in his private office, Governor Connelly was sequestered with his advisors discussing how to best handle the situation in Dallas.

The Sunday Roundup could not have come at a worse time. The Governor was a week away from officially announcing his intention to enter the Presidential race. Now he had a potential public relations disaster on his hands.

The governor knew he had to make a statement. The problem was if he came out supporting the arrests, he would alienate voters who would see him as just a puppet of the Washington establishment. If he spoke out against the arrests, he would be facing the wrath of the Democratic machine which was still under control of people like the Kennedy family. The Democratic leadership would ensure that his candidacy died a quick death before the primaries even started.

After an hour of discussion Governor Connelly composed a short statement that would be released to every state and national newspaper tomorrow morning.

“The arrest of the 24 Dallas Police officers involved in the incident on Air Force One, as well as the arrest of Police Chief Jesse Curry is a regrettable situation. And it is understandable that the loved ones and colleagues of these officers are concerned and upset about the present situation. However, I believe it is in the best interests of all concerned to let this matter be settled in the courts of justice, not the courts of public opinion.”​

Dallas, Texas, Morning hours:

On several of the streets of Dallas individual in white shirts were passing out leaflets written by the Dallas Patriots’ Council formerly a few days ago named the Dallas Indignant White Citizens Council.

The leaflets read in part:

“The Kennedys and their ilk have finally shown their true “red” colors. On Sunday, December 1st they conducted what can only be described as a purge of the Dallas Police Department.​

These officers were simply doing their duty but the government controlled by the Kennedys and other communist agents sees fit to persecute them to cow patriotic Americans into submission!​

It is time to put an end to this repression before it is too late! It is time for true Texans and patriots to demand an accounting and to demand the release of these men…"​

----------
Later that day at noon at the Federal courthouse in Dallas several vans pulled up and the 25 men arrested on Sunday were led into the building. A crowd of about 200 had gathered and shouted encouraging words to the various officers and Chief Curry at the same time they shouted epithets and jeered at the federal officers leading the men in handcuffs.​

The courtroom was packed to overflowing as the charges ranging from conspiracy to conceal evidence to third degree murder were read. The accused were asked if they wished to enter a plea now or later. Eighteen of the Twenty-Five including Chief Curry entered pleas of not guilty. The others asked permission to consult with their lawyers before entering a plea.

Following the arraignment, the men were led back out to the vans that would take them back to prison. The crowd had grown larger by then and the cheers and jeers were louder.

 

[Geon]

Editorial in the New York Times dated December 3, 1963:

…” The recent acts of the Dallas Police Department serve as a warning of what can happen when local police forces act autonomously from other municipal, state, or federal authorities. The deaths of Vice-President Johnson and presidential aide Ken O’Donnell serve as a stark warning to this nation of what can happen when there is no oversight of local police…”

Editorial in the Atlanta Journal dated December 3, 1963:

“… It should be obvious to anyone who views this situation with clear reason that the federal government is once again overreaching its authority.

Let it be clear that the deaths of Vice President Johnson and Ken O’Donnell were a tragedy but an avoidable tragedy.

What harm was there in allowing Dr. Rose to conduct his autopsy? Barely 24 hours and the body of our late president would have been on its way back to Washington. Instead, the representatives of the federal government blundered badly and that blundering caused the second tragedy of November 22nd.

And yet, rather than admit that mistakes were made the Federal government chooses to use the police chief and the officers of the Dallas Police Department as scapegoats for the incompetence of their own Secret Service. They would rather see a local police department crippled rather than admit any of their own did anything wrong…”

The second of the two editorials had been submitted by presidential candidate George Wallace.

And in Dallas and more and more throughout the country in various neighborhoods signs appeared on front lawns.

FREE THE DALLAS 25​

 

[Geon]

Chapter Eight – Plans and Politics​

Austin, Texas, the Governor’s Mansion; 10:00 a.m. C.S.T.:

Governor John Connally swore and threw down the morning paper. He had just finished reading the editorial written by George Wallace. The Governor of Alabama had made sure his editorial was copied in a dozen different major southern newspapers. All the better to highlight his views on the need for local police autonomy and a tough “law and order” stance in his platform.

He looked at his political campaign advisor. “Wallace is striking and striking fast. He wants to paint himself as Mister Law and Order. And you can bet this message will be picked up by the police unions in every southern state.



The political advisor nodded. “Governor, I think we need to move up your announcement of your candidacy. With Wallace making early statements like this we need to move and move now.”

“An earlier announcement, such as when,” asked the Governor?

“I would recommend today. You have an upcoming speech in Houston at a Democratic fund raiser there later tonight. I recommend a surprise announcement then. Hopefully that will take Wallace off balance.”

Governor Connally considered for a moment then said, “Alright, set it up. I’ll make my announcement tonight. But I don’t think I should respond directly to Wallace’s editorial. You know full well if we come out against the Roundup, we run the risk of losing support from Kennedy and the rest of the DNC. And if we come out in favor of it, we run the risk of losing most of the police departments and their families in the south.”

“I agree sir. The less said about the Dallas 25 the better for now. Rather we need to emphasize your positive record with the people of Texas since you were elected governor.

Connally nodded and the two started to discuss the remarks he would make that night becoming the second Democrat to toss his hat into the presidential election ring.

Washington, D.C.; Attorney General’s office; 11:00 a.m. E.S.T.:

Attorney General Robert Kennedy’s reaction mirrored that of Governor Connally as he threw the newspaper on the desk.

“Wallace is portraying us as the villains here,” he commented to his aide.

“We need to get on top of this and get the trials of those police officers done as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if this drags on, we’re going to have real problems later.

“Do you think Connally will run,” the aide asked?

“It’s not a matter of if but when. I agree with Carl Albert. We’re just starting to see the sharks gather,” said Kennedy.

“You know there is talk he is considering you as his VP,” the aide commented.

“Yes, and I’m not certain I want to be,” replied Robert shaking his head.

After a moment’s thought Bobby continued. “Both Jack’s death and that of his friend Ken, as well as Johnson has gotten me thinking about life and death. And also, about family. I think of John, Jr. He’s going to grow up without his dad whom he adored. I think of Jackie and Lady Byrd both now widows and about Ken’s wife as well.” Bobby shook his head. “I think for now I am going to keep my hat out of the ring this time. I need to reconnect with Ethel and my family. Maybe when my term as Attorney General ends the family and I can do some traveling. I think that for now this Kennedy needs to put family first.”

----------------------------------------------------------
I have two questions. Who would likely be Connally's chief political advisor and who was Kennedy's chief aide as Attorney General?

 

[Geon]

[Disclaimer: Grace Baptist Church and Rev. Eckridge are fictional.}

Grace Baptist Church (near Montgomery, Alabama; 7:10 p.m. E.S.T.:

Grace Baptist Church was one of the oldest churches in the area. Established in 1887 it had a congregation of 257, most of them rural black people.

Although it was nearly Christmas, with Governor Wallace’s announcement of his presidential run the Southern Christian Leadership Council had decided to step up the drive to register rural black voters. The church had become a center for voter education and recruitment to register. It’s pastor, Daniel Eckridge, was a firm believer in the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tonight Rev. Eckridge was conducting an orientation session for twenty members of his congregation who had volunteered to go door to door urging members of the congregation and others in the area to come to meetings at the church and to ride down to Montgomery together to register.

The session had gone well, and the group was preparing to return to their homes. Pastor Eckridge was saying goodbye to those who had attended the session and preparing to lock up the church for the night.

At that moment an old Buick came speeding up the country road the church was located on. With tires squealing it swerved into the church parking lot. As Rev. Eckridge turned to see the speeding car something flew out of the window on the passenger side of the car. It landed on the top front step just below Rev. Eckridge’s foot. The car quickly sped out of the church parking lot.

As the car departed Rev. Eckridge and those with him looked down and had enough time to see a bundle of four sticks of dynamite the fuse almost burned to the end.

Rev. Eckridge yelled for the others to get back and reached for the sticks hoping he had enough time to throw the makeshift bomb away.

Too late.

The explosion destroyed the front of the old church building and caused the timbers and brick to cave in on those who had a moment to run back into the building.

The sound of the blast brought people from the surrounding area. Black and white would work together throughout the night to dig out the survivors from the bombing. Of the twenty people at the church seven, including Pastor Eckridge were killed in the blast, 10 were seriously injured.

And in the Buick speeding away from the disaster two men congratulated each other. They and others had decided that with Wallace’s announcement that he would run for president a message needed to be sent to make it clear black people were not welcome at the polls.

It was the first of several “messages” that would be sent over the next several months.

 

[Geon]

[Warning: I have tried to be as careful as possible with the use of words here, but the term "negro" was commonly used at the time in the south and elsewhere to refer to black people. ]

Chapter Nine: Reactions to Different Incidents​

Montgomery, Alabama; the Governor’s Mansion, December 5, 1963; 10:30 A.M. (EST):

Governor George Wallace was sequestered with his political advisors to discuss the church bombing outside Montgomery which had occurred two days ago. He was concerned how this could taint his presidential campaign.

His state attorney general, Richmond Flowers, Sr. was reviewing what they knew about the bombing. “There’s no question this has Klan involvement Governor. The problem is that even if we do find and bring the persons responsible to trial it’s unlikely that you’d find a jury in Alabama that would convict them.”

“Find one anyway,” said Wallace unexpectedly sharp in his tone. “I’m running on a law-and-order platform here. How is it going to look if I am speaking out against violence in our cities and yet tolerating church bombings in my own state?”

“And there’s another thing,” he continued. “Like it or not the number of negro voters is growing. If we can’t show them that we’re on top of this, it could look very bad for us come primary time. We need to deal with this now or we’re cooked before we start.”

“That could end up alienating a lot of your base who expect you to crack down on these negro agitators,” warned one of his advisors.

“If we make it clear that we support the policy of segregation now and segregation forever that should keep our white voters happy,” declared Wallace. “On the other hand, we need to show the law-abiding negroes that they have nothing to fear from us and that they are protected under Alabama law the same as everybody else.”

“And” Wallace continued, “We also need to consider, the Attorney General of the United States has already said the F.B.I. will be investigating this. If we’re seen as even looking like we’re trying to cover this up, then you know Kennedy has the power to make things really tough for us come primary time. He may even decide to run himself.”

“I haven’t received any word when the F.B.I. will arrive to start their investigation,” said the Attorney General. “It may be a few weeks before they do,” commented one of the advisors. Hoover is still in Dallas coordinating the investigation of the assassination and the incident on Air Force One. Word is he’s under a lot of pressure from Washington to get that taken care of first.”

“All the more reason we need to jump on this before the F.B.I. arrives,” declared Wallace. “Get our people into the area and talk with the survivors and anyone living near the church. Give this priority Richmond. We need to get this taken care of now before it bites us at the polls later.”

 

[Geon]

Dallas, Texas; Outside of Dallas Police Department; 2:00 p.m. C.S.T.:

At 2 p.m. a crowd started to gather outside the Dallas Police Department. Called the March for the Dallas 25 it had been hastily planned over the last few days.

The make up of the crowd was a mixture of off duty police officers including members of the police and fire departments and representatives of their respective unions. With them were close family members of the arrested officers, wives, children, parents, siblings, and friends and neighbors. There were several members of the newly renamed – and growing – Dallas Patriot Council. And finally, there were several citizens who were there simply to support the arrested police officers and by extent the Dallas Police Force.

With a police force escort the crowd began its march toward the Dallas Federal Building. As they marched, they chanted, “Free the Dallas 25” and occasionally broke into singing “The Eyes of All of Texas Are Upon You.”

The marchers carried several signs of which the most prominent read:

JUSTICE FOR THE DALLAS 25!

and

WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT TELLING US?

and

PRESIDENT McCORMACK TELL US THE TRUTH!

​

When the marchers finally reached the Federal Building, they would remain there for the next hour chanting their now familiar slogan of “Free the Dallas 25.”

During this time several people would speak before the crowd. One of them was the head of Union of Police and Fire Fighters for Dallas, Texas:

“…Chief Curry and the other twenty-five officers are being held by the federal government not because of what they did wrong but what they did right. Everything they did back on November 22nd was in full accordance with Texas law. We demand not only their release but a full investigation of the incidents leading up to the shootings on Air Force One. The Secret Service needs to be held accountable for what happened not Dallas finest. And if our fellow officers continue to be held under such flimsy and false pretenses then you better believe this union will be a lot more than simple protesting...”​

Several of the arrested officers’ families also spoke of their loved ones presently in prison in glowing terms. They spoke of their good records on the force and of them being exemplary fathers and sons and some of them tearfully begged the federal government to reconsider its actions.

A member of the Dallas Patriots’ Council also addressed the crowd.

“The Federal government has been silent so far regarding both the assassination and the shooting aboard Air Force One. The question is why? Are they hiding something they don’t want the common citizen to know about? Why was the purported assassin moved out of Dallas to a federal facility? Do they fear something he might divulge to the Press? The people of Texas, the people of the United States deserve answers. And they deserve them now.”​

The crowd responded with loud cheers.

And listening to the demonstration several floors up J. Edgar Hoover summed up the fears of many in Washington. “This is going to get out of hand.”

 

[Geon]

Birmingham, Alabama; 16th Street Baptist Church; 7:00 p.m. E.S.T.:

With the bombing of Grace Baptist Church near Montgomery, Martin Luther King, Jr. felt a statement needed to be made. And he felt the best place it could possibly be made was in the church where barely less than 3 months ago another such bombing had claimed the lives of four young girls.

Dr. King knew the bombing near Montgomery had generated a lot of anger. But he also knew where that anger could lead. At all costs he felt it his duty and responsibility to ensure that rage did not become part of the movement. If it did, then everything that he and the SCLC were working for would be lost.

The church was the still being repaired after the bombing, but Dr. King chose to stand at the pulpit and point at the now boarded up windows as he made his remarks.

“This building still bears the marks of hatred. Hatred that killed those four little girls back in September. And now another church bears those marks and mourns the death of its pastor and seven members.​

How can we respond to this hatred? We must not respond with hatred. Rather as the Scriptures have said we must not repay evil for evil. But rather we must meet hatred with love and forgiveness. It is hard. It is very hard. But forgiveness is never easy. And yet, forgiveness is the only way forward. For if we let hate and anger consume us then all we are doing is showing ourselves to be unworthy of the prize we seek to win…”​

 

[Geon]

Washington, D.C.: 10:00 p.m.; A local bar:

It was after hours, after a very long day and Robert and his chief advisor and aide, Edwin O. Guthman were relaxing with a drink or two at Kennedy’s favorite bar.

The church bombing near Montgomery had generated calls from civil rights leaders for Washington to deal with this immediately. Kennedy had ordered Hoover to send an F.B.I. team to Montgomery no later than the end of the week. J. Edgar Hoover was still in Dallas supervising the investigation of both the assassination and the shootings on Air Force One but had promised to have a team in Montgomery within days.

Taking a sip of scotch Kennedy sighed. “Hoover told me we’ve had our first break in the hunt for Daniel Bradley. A waitress at a Howard Johnson’s in Oklahoma City says she is certain she waited on the man two days after he disappeared. And at least two other customers that were in the restaurant also identified a picture of the man. It’s the first real lead we’ve had on him in almost a week.”

Edwin nodded, “About time we got some good news in all this mess,” he said.

Robert took another sip of his scotch then asked Edwin, “What’s your take on this and Wallace’s reaction. I’m not saying Wallace was behind the bombing, but his rhetoric certainly seems to have been at least partially responsible for it?”

Edwin thought for a moment. Wallace’s reaction to the bombing had been surprising. He had called Washington to ask when an F.B.I. team could be sent to Alabama and promising the full resources of the state would be put in Kennedy’s hands to find those who did this.”

Edwin then sad, “So, on the one hand his rhetoric has been stirring up violence on the other he is anxious to have this case solved. The answer Bobby is politics pure and simple.”

Edwin continued, “With both Jack and L.B.J. gone, the two front-runners who would have likely kept the White House for us in ’64 are gone. Now the field is wide open. Wallace sees a chance to grab the nomination. I doubt he’ll succeed but if he carries enough of the South, he will have enough votes to decide who will be nominated. That means he gets to write the platform and likely dictate policy for the next four years. You know if that happens that any chance for further civil rights legislation is dead until at least ’68.”

“And that will spell trouble,” Kennedy said somberly. “Right now, with King and his people still leading the movement things have stayed relatively peaceful. But if there is no change over the next four years and it is seen Washington is dragging its feet then more violent extremists may well take over the movement like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. And if that happens the term ‘long hot summer’ could take on a whole new meaning in the next four years.”

“On the other hand, you have Governor Connally running. He is portraying himself as the southern moderate. I would call him the anti-Wallace,” said Edwin. Then he shook his head, “Given the situation with the Dallas 25, I don’t see this ending well for him. Texas is very much a law-and-order state and the prosecution of 25 police officers is not going to sit well with the people of Dallas. You saw the coverage of the demonstration earlier today?”

“Yes, and it looks like the crazies are out with the simple honest people and the families of the officers, demanding answers. Answers we can’t give them yet,” Kennedy concluded.

“And it’s those crazies, the extremists on both sides of the color barrier we must watch out for. Groups like the KKK see a Wallace presidency as the means to halt desegregation and other civil rights legislation in their tracks. On the other hand, there are some militant black groups that are willing to take a more violent road to gain those rights and are just waiting for an excuse, like the Montgomery church bombing,” Edwin responded.

“Not a good picture to end the year on,” Kennedy said.

“No sir,” agreed Guthman. Then after a moment he said. “By the way, have you heard, it looks like Senator Humphrey will be declaring his candidacy in the next week or so. News is he’s already forming his election team.”

Kennedy looked mildly surprised. He had been so busy with both the investigations in Dallas and the church bombing he hadn’t had much time for other news. “Do you think he has a chance?

“In the northern industrial states, maybe, in the south, more problematic,” responded Guthman. If he doesn’t carry any of the south, then it depends whether Connally or Wallace do.”

After a moment Edwin Guthman asked, “Are you still planning not to run in ’64?”

Kennedy shook his head. Given the situation in Dallas and this potential time bomb we’ve got ticking near Montgomery I need to give all my energy to trying to keep these little blazes from becoming full-fledged conflagrations. And once my time as Attorney General is done, I intend to turn the office over to whoever wins in ’64. Edwin, after Jack’s death I really need to spend time with my family. I think we are all going to need a four-year breather before I decide when or if I am going to run in ’68.”

 

[Geon]

Warning! This section contains religious oriented material. I make no apologies for it given my background but if you are offended by said material feel free to skip this section.

Chapter 11: Further Thoughts and Meditations​

Grace Baptist Church, near Montgomery, Alabama, 9:00 a.m. EST: December 7, 1963:

In the parking lot next to the blasted front of the Grace Baptist Church, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was speaking with the families of those whose loved ones had died in the bombing a few days ago. Several hundred both black and white were gathered. Many from neighboring churches both black and white had come together when they heard about what happened and offered to help as they could. A rebuilding fund for the church had already raised $1,000.

Dr. King’s bodyguard had been concerned about this appearance, but King was adamant. “I cannot just send condolences. I must be there. I am a pastor, and my first duty is to offer comfort to the living.”

As he began his sermon, Dr. King remembered how the previous evening he had agonized over what to say. He would reveal later that during that evening – what King called his own dark night of the soul; he came to a realization. As he would explain in an interview later in 1970:

“I asked myself what I had to offer these suffering family members. What can I say to the that will matter? Speaking of some vague future hope where the rights of all would be respected didn’t seem to offer much hope to them. Then I remembered the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians, 15:19 which says, “If in this life only we have hoped in Christ we are of all people most miserable.” I realized a truth that for years I had neglected, namely that the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us hope not only for here and now but for the future.”​

In his sermon Dr. King not only talked of the resurrection hope but also of the need for forgiveness.

“In the scriptures we read we are not to overcome evil with evil but overcome evil with good. If we give in to hatred, if we give into fear, then we have given our enemies both spiritual and physical a victory over us.”

The sermon lasted for 45 minutes. As Dr. King concluded the service with a closing prayer a white man came up and asked to speak with him. Warily the bodyguards allowed him to do so after a nod from Dr. King.

The man approached with tears in his eyes and spoke. “Dr. King I have something you need to know.” Then he bent forward and whispered something to Dr. King. After several minutes Dr. King nodded. He asked, “Are you willing to tell this to the proper authorities? The man still in tears nodded. “Please forgive me. And ask the good Lord to forgive me!” Dr. King replied, "He already has son.”

And then Dr. King invited the young man to meet the loved ones of those who had died when he had driven the car that the dynamite bomb had been thrown from.

Like King, they too forgave him.

 

[Geon]

The news that one of the bombers of Grace Baptist Church had been turned himself in flashed around the country. By 6 p.m. that evening it would be broadcast by every major network.

In Montgomery, a little after 4 p.m. the mayor and police chief of that city both got a phone call from Governor Wallace. His message was clear. The young man was to be kept safe and away from the press. “If anything happens to him between now and the trial, I will hold you personally responsible,” Wallace said to the police chief.

In Washington, Bobby Kennedy was elated that a break had come so swiftly in the bombing case and called both Governor Wallace and the Alabama Attorney General to both congratulate them and to warn them that the trial had best be seen as fair to all sides, “the nation will be watching,” Bobby had warned as he concluded both calls.

In Dallas, Hoover was also happy with the news that they had an early break in the Montgomery church bombing case. He quipped to one of his agents, “Maybe we should hire Dr. King to train our agents how to interrogate people!”

By the end of the day the suspect was giving names and meeting times for the local cell of the Klan where the bombing had been planned. That night a group of 5 men would be arrested and charged with planning and implementing the crime.

Governor Wallace would release a statement in time to be read on the evening news that the arrest was the beginning of a campaign to ensure the safety of all citizens of Alabama from terror from agitators of any race. A comment that caused Bobby Kennedy to nearly choke on his drink as he listened to the statement from his office in Washington!

 

[Geon]

First, my apologies to Mr. Buckley, I have nowhere near the ability to turn a phrase as he did. Secondly, this is a brief tribute to Tony Dow who was the big brother to an entire generation - go in joy.
--------------------------------

Chapter Twelve: The Pulse of the Nation​

From the Wall Street Journal; December 8th, 1963 an editorial by William F. Buckley, Jr.:

In Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, the chief protagonist of the story, Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by three spirits which show him the true meaning of Christmas. For the past the past two and a half weeks the people of America have also been haunted by not three but two spirts, their names are uncertainty and anxiety.

These are two ghosts that we as Americans are all too familiar with living as we do in the shadow of the Cold War. But, for the most part we have managed to put them aside and ignore them as we get on with our lives.

But the events of November 22nd have cast a whole new light on these two specters.

Our uncertainty now comes from a mistrust of what we are hearing out of Washington. It has been over two weeks and still a clear picture has not emerged of the events that occurred in Dealey Plaza and on Love Field.

This is unnerving to Americans who have come to expect that questions and problems are expected to be answered or resolved quickly. Perhaps we had hoped that such matters would be resolved in the same amount of time as it might take Wally Cleaver to resolve a problem he has with a date, or as Rick Nelson might resolve how to deal with a problem at school. As much as we would wish it otherwise the difficulties of our lives cannot be solved in a neat 30-minute period as they are on Leave it to Beaver or Ozzie and Harriet.

In the November 22nd assassination of President Kennedy and the shootings of Vice-President Johnson and presidential aide Ken O’Donnell we have a complex situation. And complex situations by their very nature require more then 30 minutes to unravel and understand.

Unlike on television and in movies where the heroes and villains are usually easily identifiable and the motives for each are quickly understood, in the present situation the American public is faced with ambiguity piled upon ambiguity.

Who are the players in the present drama? Is it as some believe the K.G.B.? Is it Cuba in the form of either a pro-Castro faction or an anti-Castro faction which seeks revenge for the bungled Bay of Pigs fiasco? There is even the fear that this may be the result of shadowy figures operating to defend what President Eisenhower called the military industrial complex.

The fact that as of yet so little information has been released to the American people has caused many to speculate not only on the groups just mentioned being responsible but has also provoked more bizarre speculations on the people responsible for the November 22nd tragedies.

Of course, this feeds into our second specter, anxiety. Anxiety by its very definition is not a fear based on any one thing but rather an overall dread and feeling that things are not as they are supposed to be.

We have a gnawing fear that we cannot trust those who give us information. Likewise, we have a growing dread that we are being carried along by events that are totally out of our control by forces we do not understand.

And as our anxiety grows it causes us to further fuel uncertainty by adding to the various speculations from our own anxious minds.

Worse, this sort of anxiety can also produce a third specter, one named distrust, which can grow like a canker among us sapping any confidence we might have in our institutions.

Having diagnosed the problem, we now seek a cure. And the cure for both uncertainty and anxiety comes in the form of knowledge and understanding. We need to demand a truthful accounting starting from the government in Dallas to the government in Washington and perhaps even the government in Moscow. Only thus can we banish the two specters of uncertainty and anxiety and the potential specter of distrust.

 

[Geon]

Dallas, TX; City Hall, the Mayor’s Office; 12:30 p.m. C.S.T.:

In the mayor’s office Mayor Cabell was meeting with the head of the Police and Firefighters Association, the union that represented public safety personnel in Dallas.

“According to my sources,” the mayor was saying, “It’s likely the trials won’t start until after the Christmas holidays. And I think I have enough clout to ensure that the arrested officers will be able to be home with their families for those holidays.”

“That does save us the trouble of having to raise and post bail for all of them Mr. Mayor, thank you,” the union president said with gratitude.

“However, it only puts off the problem,” he continued. “The Feds are likely to want to move the trial out of Dallas, so there won’t be a sympathetic jury for the officers and Chief Curry. We’re afraid this trial will be used by the government to make scapegoats of all of them and frankly, the Association can’t allow this.”

Mayor Cabell shook his head. “I don’t know if there is much, I can do beyond what I have done. Frankly, I had to pull in every favor I had among the legal community to arrange the Christmas leaves.

The union president nodded. “Yes, Mister Mayor and don’t think the organization doesn’t appreciate what you’ve done. We’ve had a very cordial relationship since you came to office. But if this thing does come to trial the rank and file of the Dallas Police Department won’t be happy. We won’t stand for seeing men, many of them with impeccable records have their careers and lives destroyed by Washington because Washington won’t accept the blame for what happened. If the trial does go forward, I must tell you the Union is fully prepared to display its displeasure in the form of a city-wide strike.”

The mayor looked shocked and then said, “If you do that you could plunge Dallas into total chaos.” “Mister Mayor, believe me we don’t want to take this step. This isn’t about money or pensions or anything else we’ve discussed in the past. It is about simple justice. If the government decides to try the Dallas 25 and Chief Curry the Association will order a full strike of all its members,” concluded the Union president.

 

[Geon]

A half hour after the president of the Police and Fire Department Union left the mayor’s office Earle Cabell was on the phone with governor Connally.

“They mean business Mr. Connally,” concluded Mayor Cabell as he outlined the situation.

“Do they understand the seriousness of the charges against the officers in question,” Connally asked?

“Yes sir, they do, and they consider this a whitewash by the Federal government, an attempt to lay the blame at the feet of the DPD who they will claim were simply doing their duty,” replied the mayor.

“You know Mister Mayor, if they do strike you could threaten to simply fire everyone who walks off their jobs and charge them with endangering the public safety," commented the governor.

The mayor responded with clear anger in his voice. “Governor, do you hear yourself? Do you know what it would mean if I not only fired every single police officer and fire fighter who went out on strike and charged them with endangering public safety? Let me paint a picture for you sir! First, we would have to call in the National Guard to maintain order and fight fires. Most of these National Guard troops have no experience with law enforcement or firefighting techniques. Secondly, a strike and subsequent firings would leave the Dallas Police and Fire Department depleted for the foreseeable future. It could be months if not years before we could fill every position. Third, the crime rate in Dallas would skyrocket. That would be unacceptable to the people of Dallas. And with the arrests of so many officers the Dallas court system would be choked with both criminal cases and civil cases from angry loved ones for years to come.”

“And if what I’ve just outlined happens governor that will be a disaster for everyone. The people of Dallas lose because of the lack of proper police and fire protection. I lose because it is likely the citizens of Dallas will boot me out of office so fast my head will spin! And you lose too sir, because it is unlikely you can expect the citizens of Dallas will support a governor, not to mention a presidential candidate who allowed National Guard troops to occupy their city. And you might remind your friend the Attorney General in Washington, that as Dallas goes so likely also goes Texas in the next election!”

Governor Connally was silent on the phone for a moment. Then he said, “Earle I understand your concern. Right now, it looks like you’ve bought us some time to consider our options through the Christmas holidays. Let’s see what we can do to diffuse this during this time. I promise you I will talk with Robert Kennedy. Perhaps some deal can be worked out to avert this mess.”

Mayor Cabell had composed himself enough to say, “That is all I can ask Governor Connally. Please keep me informed. I will do my best to try and diffuse things here if I can.”

“That’s all anyone can ask Earle. Take care,” said Connally and ended the conversation.

 

[Geon]

Following the conversation with Mayor Cabell, Governor John Connally first poured himself a drink then called in Preston Smith, Lieutenant Governor, and John’s campaign manager. After reviewing the conversation that he had just had with Mayor Cabell he asked, “So, how does this affect us? It seems to me we are stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.”

Preston Smith nodded. “If the police and fire departments strike then we will have to send National Guard troops in to maintain order. If we do that then we can kiss Dallas goodbye and possibly the rest of Texas. On the other hand, if we come down on the side of the union then we will lose any support from Kennedy and that could hurt us badly come the convention.

“R.F.K. isn’t his older brother. But his voice will still count come primary time, especially in the northeastern states. If we can’t make a strong showing there, we can forget about the nomination,” concluded Smith.

Connally nodded. “Wallace has already scored some major points with how quickly his state police apprehended the men behind that church bombing. Even though we both know it was Dr. King who was chiefly responsible Wallace is taking a lot of credit for this.” Connally shook his head. “If we don’t find a way to diffuse this situation, we could be looking at Wallace taking the South, including Texas. And we both know what that means.

“Which means,” said Preston, “that you need to get on that phone with Kennedy and see if we can’t find a way to work some deal that will allow you to walk away from this without smelling to high heaven. You need to remind Mr. Kennedy that if Wallace is nominated or has enough votes to stall the nomination then any chance of passing any civil rights legislation goes down the tubes at least for the next four years.”

Governor Connally nodded in agreement. Then he reached for the phone to dial Washington.

 

[Geon]

Washington, D.C. Attorney General’s Office, 1:50 p.m. E.S.T.:

Kennedy listened patiently to Governor Connally over the next fifteen minutes as the Governor outlined his predicament.

Then Kennedy patiently explained, “John, I know this puts you in a bad situation, but honestly right now I don’t see anything we can do that won’t be seen in a negative light up here. I don’t know if you’ve been paying much attention, but the northern press is demanding an investigation of what they are calling a “southern good-ole boy network in Dallas. Papers from the New York Times to the Cleveland Plain Dealer to the Chicago Tribune are demanding federal investigation of the Dallas Police Department. If we can’t come up with answers for them, we’ll be hurt just as bad come election time in general as a police strike in Dallas would hurt you in particular.”

“I understand that Mr. Attorney General, but if the strike occurs and I must send the Guard into Dallas that is going to play into the hands of kooks on both sides of the political fence. And it’s unlikely the folks in Dallas will ever forgive me, in which case, like it or not, the Convention in Atlantic City is going to have to deal with a strong Wallace presence perhaps even a Wallace nomination” Governor Connally replied.

“And that would likely be a disaster for us,” agreed Kennedy. “Look John, I haven’t endorsed anyone yet, but my brother liked you. I’ll do what I can to try and calm the waters here but there needs to be justice for both my brother, for Lyndon Johnson, and Ken O’Donnell. We can’t just let what happened in Dallas slide.”

After a moment Kennedy said, “Let’s let this Christmas season go by and hope for a cooling down period in Dallas. I’ll talk with Mayor Cabell and see if we can find some way to calm things down there without compromising and making promises we know we won’t be able to keep. I promise you I will keep you up to date with what’s happening.”

Connally wasn’t happy with what he was hearing but he could only push so hard. So, he thanked the Attorney General and said goodbye.

No sooner had Kennedy hung up the phone then his aide, Edwin Guthman came in with his face white. In his hand he held a folder. “We have a new problem,” Guthman said. “The F.B.I. lab just got back to us with an update on the trajectories of the bullets that struck Johnson, O’Donnell and two of the DPD officers. And worse, the coroner who conducted the autopsies on Johnson and O’Donnell confirmed it. At least three of the bullets that hit Johnson and O’Donnell came from one of the Secret Service agents’ guns.”

Kennedy felt a headache coming on.

 

[Geon]

(Thank you Calbear for some of the information you gave here!)

Elsewhere, in a map room at the Pentagon, a group of admirals were examining a map of Haiphong harbor.

The operation dubbed Hangman’s Noose was in its final planning phase. Now the admirals were looking at the order of battle that phase would take.

The President had ordered a complete blockade of Haiphong harbor which included mining the entrance points. The operation was slated to begin on January 25th of next year once the details were worked out.

The objective would be to starve Viet Cong forces in the south of needed supplies. The President would announce on January 23rd a total naval blockade of North Vietnam. After January 25th as in Cuba any ship approaching the blockade line had to stop and submit itself to search. Any contraband discovered and the ship would be seized or ordered to turn around and return to its point of origin. Any ships that tried to run the blockade would be given one warning shot. Any who refused to heed this would be fired upon.

There was a risk, to be sure. There was always the chance the Soviets or the Red Chinese would retaliate. But the gamble was that neither the Soviet Union nor China was willing to risk starting World War III over Vietnam.

The list of ships that would participate in the blockade was impressive to say the least. They included Kitty Hawk and Oriskany which were already on duty in that area. To them would be added Constellation, Hancock, Kearsarge, Ranger, and Ticonderoga.

Of course, there was still the possibility of supplying the Viet Cong via China. If that were tried then Operation Hangman’s Noose called for phase II, namely bombing convoys entering North Vietnam from China after they had crossed the Sino-Vietnamese border. Phase two also called for bombing supply routes on the Ho Chi Minh trail to ensure as few supplies as possible reached the Viet Cong.

If the plan worked, then the North Vietnamese would be forced to come to the negotiating table and accept the present status quo and the Viet Cong would be starved out of existence. And best of all no further U.S, troops beyond the number presently stationed in Vietnam would need to be deployed there.

At least that was the hope.

 

[Geon]

Chapter 13: Requests​

Washington, D.C.; Attorney General’s Office; December 10, 1963; 9:30 a.m.

Edwin Guthman entered Robert’s office in time to hear Robert on the phone. And from the tone of Kennedy’s voice, he was less than happy with the conversation.

Robert Kennedy waved his aide toward a seat in the office. Then after a moment he said, “This goes against my better judgement Jackie, but if this is what you want, I’ll see what I can do to arrange things.”

After a moment Kennedy simply said goodbye and hung up the phone. Shaking his head, he looked up at Edwin and said simply, “Jackie wants me to arrange for her to meet with Oswald.”

A look of surprise came over Edwin and he blurted the most obvious response, “Why?”

“She wants to look the man in the face who murdered her husband. She wants to hear from him why he did what he did.” Kennedy sighed, “I gave her over a dozen reasons why I didn’t think that was practical or wise, but you know Jackie. In the end I realized it is her right to face the man who murdered her husband and the father of their children.”

Guthman shook his head, “So when are you arranging this meeting?” Bobby smiled, “Not for a few months at least. I think Jackie needs time to heal. I think if she accepts the offer of becoming the White House Social Director, it will give her something to do and take her mind off Dallas.”

Edwin nodded in agreement then said, “I’ve got some news about Oswald and his trial. First, Mr. Bailey has yet to enter a plea for Oswald. He says he wants to wait for the results from the physical and psychological evaluations to come back before he decides. In the meantime, the judge has set February 15th as the tentative trial date for Oswald. Bailey has agreed to that date. He’s also asked that Oswald be given the right of visitation with his wife, Marina.”

Kennedy thought for a moment and then said, “No, they can exchange letters if they want, but no visitation rights yet. Not until we’re certain that Marina is not an agent of some type. Interviews with her by the F.B.I. have so far produced nothing but I don’t want to give an opening for Oswald passing information to whoever was his control if the Soviets are involved here.”

Guthman nodded then said, “I took the liberty of taking some of the taped conversations we’ve made of Oswald’s talk with the guards and other prison personnel and had a psychologist evaluate them for some sign of what the doctors who are examining Oswald might be looking for. In a word he thinks Oswald is a – in his words - psychopathic narcissist.”

“That’s a new one,” commented Kennedy.

“As he explained it to me Oswald has sought attention all his life, he didn’t get it from his mother, he didn’t get it when he joined the Marines, he didn’t get it when he defected, and finally he didn’t get it when he tried to start that one-man Fair Play for Cuba Committee. His life has been centered around seeking approval and attention for himself. The assassination may have been a means by which Oswald was saying loudly to the world, here I am notice me. But while that might be considered abnormal it wouldn’t be considered insanity according to the legal definition of the word.”

“Let’s hope the judge see it that way,” Kennedy replied. “The insanity defense rarely pans out, but it is so broadly defined that one judge might have a different view of things over another regarding it. I don’t want to see Oswald spending time in a mental institution and then getting out after a few years because the doctors there give him a clean bill of health.”

“And one other thing Edwin, I’ve decided we are not going to ask for the death penalty here. Killing Oswald won’t bring back Jack. And it would make Oswald into a martyr that other would-be assassins might look at. No, I want him to get life in prison with absolutely no possibility of parole. I want him to have to face what he’s done for the rest of his life. That I think is a far worse punishment then death for him. He wants attention, well he’s gotten it, but when this trial is over, I want him to languish until his name is forgotten by everyone and is remembered only as a brief name in the history books at best!”