JFK Assassination Hearings - John & Nellie Connally (Part IV)
JFK Assassination Hearings - John & Nellie Connally (Part IV)
(05:01:43) Shot opens with recognition by Chairman LOUIS STOKES of Representative CHRISTOPHER DODD to question former Texas Governor JOHN CONNALLY and his wife NELLIE CONNALLY, Dodd asks Nellie to recollect the few moments of the actual shooting, what direction she turned, when she heard the second shot, when JFK's reaction was, etc, then asks if Nellie heard a third shot (05:03:55) Nellie: "I did hear a third shot" (05:04:30) Dodd asks for John's recollection of the same moment - John says he heard one shot and not the second, but rather felt a bullet penetrate him, then heard a second shot which he identifies as what Nellie heard as the third shot (05:06:10) John states he remained conscious after being shot and that he remembers hearing JAQUELINE KENNEDY say "They have killed my husband" and then, "in an incredulous voice" : "I've got his brains in my hand" and then he remembers hearing ROY KELLERMAN (?) tell the car driver "get out of hear fast" (05:06:51) Dodd asks John how much time elapsed between his feeling he was shot and his hearing the first shot - John originally says it was a matter of seconds, then says 6,8, 10 seconds but tells Dodd it wasn't instantaneous and couldn't have been a second and Nellie agrees (05:08:11) Chair recognized FLOYD J. FITHIAN to question witnesses, he asks John if the two shots he heard sounded exactly alike - John says yes - Fithian asks if he heard an impact noise anywhere from the first shot - John says no (05:09:14) Fithian confirms Nellie's account that three shots fired, first through JFK's neck, second through John, third explodes JFK's head all over car (05:10:00) Fithian asks if John can differentiate between rifle and gun shot - John humorously responds that he could and gives his interpretation of the way the two different shots sound - John then further describes the shots he heard for Fithian (05:11:36) Representative SAWYER confirms that John is familiar with rifles as an experienced hunters and goes on to deduct that a bullet traveling from a Mannlicher-Carcano, at twice the speed of sound would hit John before he heard the shot - John agrees and says this is how he knows he wasn't hit by the first shot because he heard it fired, he then recollects hearing what have been the third shot and seeing the results - John goes on to give convincing speech that he and Ms. Connally may not be able to give exact times to the events but the particulars, like how many shots were fired, are indellibly etched in their minds, he goes on to make the analagy of their strong memories to those held by any American who he claims will always be able to give you details of what they are doing when they heard JFK had been assassinated (05:15:50) Sawyer radiantly thanks Connallys for their testimony (05:16:20) Representative ROBERT W. EDGAR asks questions of comparison between the on-goings and security of a motorcade in Houston that the Connallys and JFK participated in the day before the assassination and the infamous motorcade in Dallas - John compares the two (05:20:00) Edgar asks if there are any recurring problems associated with the John's injuries - John gives a description of the injuries to his chest and wrist and explains his recovery from them which was essentially full with no lingering complications - Nellie interjects a joke about his wrist (05:22:22) Edgar confirms that John believes all his injuries are from one bullet - John in confirming this explains how he thinks it is that his wrist lined up with the shot traveling through his chest (05:24:05) Representative WALTER FAUNTROY recognized to question witnesses, asks if the first shot they both agreed upon hearing was the one that caused JFK's neck injury - John answers that he only knows the first shot did not hit him and he answers for Nellie and says that she believes that the first shot she heard was the one that hit JFK's neck, Nellie adds that the medical analysis later determined that the shot that hit JFK's in the neck would not have killed him and explains his movement she witnessed at the time (05:26:10) Representative FLOYD FITHIAN asks if Nellie remembers seeing John when she first saw JFK get hit - She answers no (05:26:35) The Connallys have the opportunity to suppliment their testimony - John puts his hand over the microphone to have a semi-private consultation with Nellie over what to talk about but decide have nothing further to say so John thanks committee and voices hope they can clear up the conspiracy aspect of the assassination but ultimately believes there will always be unanswered questions - John adds that he thinks a determined assassin will always stand the chance to get the job done, that the secret service was not lacking in their protection of JFK (05:32:17) Stokes thanks the Connallys (05:33:00) Hearings recess until later in the afternoon (05:33:10) Enters the voice of SANDFORD UNGAR and shot changes from hearing room to him, he sums up testimony of the Connallys and introduces panel JEREMIAH O'LEARY of the Washington Star and PAUL HOCH of the Assassination Information Bureau - discuss/debate the signficance of the Connallys' testimony, its relation to the single bullet theory and a cover up conspiracy (05:47:27) Ungar closes out coverage (05:47:35) PBS credit to Ford Foundation (05:48:05) Off air shot of Ungar and then camera crew and court house crew with background noise of the set up (05:50:11) Black screen with crew talking in background (05:52:00) Woman correspondent, DENISE BAKER COLEMAN, does botched introduction (05:52:24) Retake of correspondent's introduction to house commmittee hearings - again it is botched (05:53:15) Third take goes further but is again botched (05:54:10) Forth take botched (05:55:00) Take five - botched (05:55:35) Take six - botched (05:56:39) Final take is aced - short summary report for news show of what the house committee's mission is in the hearings (00:57:10) Black screen