LewRockwell One of the most indelible images of November 22, 1963 is the Secret Service (SS) confrontation with Dallas medical officials concerning the removal of JFK’s body from Parkland Hospital. That scene has been recounted in hundreds of books and articles about the assassination and had its most vivid portrayal in Oliver Stone’s movie “JFK”. It has left an impression on the public memory that would be hard to erase or alter. But is it an accurate account of events?
CONFRONTATION AT PARKLAND
The conventional retelling of the Parkland confrontation goes something like this: The Secret Service had taken custody of JFK’s casket and intended to leave Parkland Hospital for Love Field and the flight back to Washington. But Earl Rose, the Dallas medical examiner, steadfastly refused to release the body claiming (correctly) that Texas law required an autopsy after any murder. At that point, SS Agent Roy Kellerman and several staunch JFK associates (who were part of the casket removal team) strongly dissented and attempted to persuade Rose–rather forcefully at times–to make an exception in this case; Rose still refused. After much arguing and even some serious threatening (with a show of weapons?), Earl Rose was shoved aside and the SS contingent with JFK’s casket briskly departed Parkland.
This is a dramatic scenario but is it a full account of that confrontation? Well, NOT exactly. It is true that the Secret Service and several close Kennedy confidants wanted to leave Parkland Hospital with JFK’s casket shortly after Kennedy was pronounced dead (at 1:00) and that medical examiner Earl Rose asserted that Texas law required an instate autopsy. A clear stand-off ensued. Dr. Kemp Clark, the head of neurosurgery at Parkland (who signed President Kennedy’s death certificate), at first attempted to mediate the stand-off by pleading with Rose to step aside and let the casket team (and Mrs. Kennedy) leave Trauma Room One and return to Washington. Rose steadfastly refused. Failing that, a telephone call was (reportedly) placed to Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade for a legal opinion on the matter. (Wade would later visit Parkland that afternoon to check on his close friend, John Connally.) Wade advised Earl Rose that, given the extraordinary circumstances, he (Wade) had no objection to an immediate casket exit; yet Rose remained unpersuaded.
…
Read Full Article Here…(lewrockwell.com)
Home | Caravan to Midnight (zutalk.com)
Live Stream + Chat (zutalk.com)
