The P.H.O.T.O. (VOL 1) The Search
* * * * *
A spontaneous GASP erupted from all three men who stood watching the “CD." as the image became perfectly clear!!
What they were seeing was impossible!! The man's face that finally emerged in the picture was not LEE HARVEY OSWALD!!
Suddenly there was a voice in the background on the photograph that spoke, “Hurry up Tony, get Oswald’s camera and get them pictures!!
The scene on the screen moved a bit, as if the holder of the camera shifted positions and then was heard, “Shit, Bill hold still, the distance has to be perfect or the guys at the lab can’t get the heads to perfectly match.”
The “Lee Harvey Oswald look-a-like” spoke up and replied, “Come on Tony, get the damn picture, this gun is gettin’ heavy. We got to get this film back to the lab….”
Sarge remembered the lines - ‘be not afraid of greatness, some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ He thought to himself, ‘we have just had greatness thrust upon us. This easily is the most fantastic, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing historical 30 seconds witnessed by any American in the history of the United States; and we did nothing, it was just thrust upon us.’
After the television screen went blank they just stood there – did they see what they thought they saw? Spook said to the others, "That WAS the famous picture of Lee Harvey Oswald holding the rifle he used to shoot President Kennedy, I know it was. I’ve seen that picture too many times before!"
Sarge spoke next, “That ain’t right, it ain’t right, I’m telling you it ain’t right!”
Little ‘S’, as if awaking from a bad dream, nervously said, “Fellows do you realize what we have just witnessed?”
Spook said loudly, “Darn right, and Miss Lu I’m sorry for doubting you. That was amazing. No, there has to be a better word that means amazing times a thousand!”
Miss Lu had been standing behind the men as they watched the scenes unfolding on the “CD” and she could not understand what all the fuss was about. ‘It was just some guy holding a rifle in his yard, big deal, she though, they’ve surely seen enough guns in their time,’ but she said, “Guys, who was that man? You all seem to think he is special or something – who is he?”
Almost in unison they replied, “We don’t KNOW WHO HE IS!!”
Now Miss Lu was really confused. They seemed to know who he was when she put the photograph into the Edison, but yet they are saying now that they didn’t recognize him, “What do you mean you don’t know who he is, earlier you said you did?”
Captain Scarburg finally spoke, “Miss Lu, you have heard of President John F. Kennedy, right?”
“Yes I know of him, he was your President that was assassinated, right?”
“Good, now we are getting somewhere. What you just witnessed is earth shattering! The person that killed JFK has always been known to be Lee Harvey Oswald. He was shot and killed before his trial, but circumstantial evidence ‘proved’ he was the assassin.
One of the biggest pieces of this evidence that pointed to his guilt was this photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald holding that Italian rifle. The rifle was left on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas after the assassination. That rifle later proved to belong to Oswald and was further established as the actual weapon that killed the President.
Oswald always protested that the photograph was ‘doctored’ or faked, but no one believed him. Oswald protested vigorously that his head had, somehow, been superimposed upon someone else’s body. This body belonged to 'Bill', the person that was holding the rifle and newspapers.
Tests after tests were performed on the original, by our so-called government 'experts' and it was determined to be an authentic picture of Lee Harvey Oswald.
Today Miss Lu you have, with your CD, proved that Lee Harvey Oswald was right all along – the man on this CD, identified as ‘Bill’, was an Oswald imposter.
Your ‘CD’ PROVES Lee Harvey Oswald was framed for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
“Thank you Captain, I know you realize the importance of this one photograph, but you must remember we have been doing this day in and day out for months. We have heard and seen the innermost secrets of some of the world’s most famous leaders, actors and politicians
She continued, ”There are things that I have witnessed that you would never believe, so I’m not surprised that this picture is important.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
THE MOVIES
“Miss Lu, after this, I would believe the Earth is flat if you said so!” spoke Dr. Kim. “Tell me one thing, no I have two things. First, where did ‘the silver men’ get all these photographs and second does the method work on movie film?”
“Let me say first, Dr. Kim, I do not know where the photographs came from. A lot of them were here when I arrived, and our ‘captors’ bring more in all the time.
As far as film, yes. We work on teams here, and there was a team dedicated to reproducing sound from old silent film. The old silent films dates back into the twenties, and yeah, they were able to put sound to them too.
“Wait a minute, Miss Lu, if you can only put, maybe 30 seconds on a ‘CD’, how do the ‘silver men’ handle moving pictures?” asked Dr. Kim.
“See that machine over there? It’s called a ‘Motion Decelerator’ she said, pointing to another grey metal machine. That gadget is like a copy machine – you run the film in and it copies frame by frame, or a series of multiple frames of the movie as photographs onto a CD, then we run that CD through this machine,” she motions toward a different gadget, “called, yeah, you guessed it: a Motion Accelerator. Next into the Magnetic Synchronizer, and then we send them through the same ‘Edison” that you have already witnessed; however, notice there is a smaller slot on the Edison for CD insertions. The ‘movies’ come out on another CDs, we put them in the baby TV and just sit back, watch and listen.”
The Captain asked, “what if you were trying to reproduce the whole, or just part, of a movie file?”
“Oh, simple, all you have to do is flip this little switch here on top, (pointing to a little silver toggle-type switch) and it will produce one photograph, the whole thing, or only certain scenes within.”
“Miss Lu,” said Spook, “you are making me nervous. Where do you store the film?”
“Nervous? Why would I make you nervous? She said.
“I’m sorry Miss Lu," Spook ashamedly said, “I did not mean YOU were making me nervous, it was the implications of what you just said.”
“That’s okay, I just want to help – the films are stored in that 5-drawer filing cabinet, next to our fancy copy machine. They are filed by their names or titles.”
Dr. Kim, Sarge and the Captain all jumped, as if shot out of a cannon, and bolted to the aforementioned filing cabinet.
Miss Lu just stood there, frozen in the moment, and watched three grown men act like Mommy had just called them in for cake and ice cream! ‘What-in-the-devil are they up to!’ she wondered.
Little ’S’ got there first - yelled, “It’s got to be in the bottom drawer!” swiftly jerking it open. “W”, “X”, “Y”, “Z”, damn, surely it’s got to be here!
Yes...! Yes...! Here it is...! Oh, thank you God...! Thank you! “Z” and he held the little metal can up to his mouth and kissed it.
Miss Lu said to herself, ‘those guys are crazy, what have they found ‘Zorro’, Zombie, Zogilla!’
“What have you found, Captain?”
* * * * *
“Zapruder...! Zapruder...! Oh heavens Zapruder!” he kept saying holding the metal canister of film high above his head and dancing around the room with the other two joining in, all chanting “Zapruder... Zapruder... Zapruder...” as last they finished yelling and all started to laugh.
The Captain, breathlessly, asked the other two, “Should we? Come on tell me, should we?”
“Damn straight, are you kidding? Responded Sarge, “who would ever get a another chanc
e like this?” Spook heartedly agreed.
The Captain hurried over to Miss Lu and between breaths asked, “Can you run this through one of your machines so we see which frames we want copied?”
“Sure,” that’s the way we do it, unless we do the whole film. Remember the ‘Motion Decelerator’, it will do the trick.”
She took the small 8mm roll of Kodak film, walked over to yet another metal pin ball looking machine and inserted the roll of film, applied pressure to a circular ‘start’ button and the tape began to play on a built-in TV. The TV screen lay flat on top of this device and the object that controlled the films advance was a small metal knob that she controlled. They all huddled around the machine, peering down at the TV screen, straining their eyes trying not to miss any images.
In a moment or two the scenes that they all wanted to see appeared. “Stop!” Stop right here. Can you copy frames 190 through frames 320? And run them through the Edison?” said the Captain.
“Sure, just give me a minute to separate those frames and then I will run them through the ‘Edison’, she said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
DEALEY PLAZA, DALLAS, TEXAS, USA
As soon as Miss Lu had the selected frames of film-processed thought the Motion Decelerator the Magnetic Synchronizer and back into the Motion Accelerator she placed the film into the ‘Edison’ and announced to her waiting audience that the ‘show was about to begin.'
She laughed, and told them to get their popcorn ready. “I’m flipping the switch, Lights... Sound ... Action... (Imitating a movie director)!!”
The little TV screen began to glow. The images appeared but were not distinctly seen. The scenes were becoming clearer and clearer.
Immediately the assassination footage of President John F. Kennedy was being viewed on the TV.
It was the famous Zapruder film showing the black Lincoln convertible, Jacqueline in her pink suit, President Kennedy waving to the crowd as they happily journeyed down Elm Street in Dealey Plaza. Dallas, Texas.
“Who is this Zapruder that we are watching? Which one is he?” she asked pressing the ‘Freeze’ button to await an answer.
Dr. Kim answered, “Oh! Miss Lu, he is not in the film. Abraham Zapruder arrived at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas just a few minutes before President John F. Kennedy arrived on the morning of November 22, 1963.
Zapruder had a Kodak Kodachrome II 8 mm home movie camera and came with Marilyn Sitzma, his receptionist that worked in his office. He climbed upon a concrete pedestal and began filmed 26.6 seconds and 486 frames of the President’s motorcade as it traveled down Elm Street, driving from left to right directly in front of his camera.
At frame 190 Lee Harvey Oswald fired the first shot with his Italian bolt-action rifle. It struck the rear of the President’s head.
He chambered, aimed and fired two more 6.5 mm Carcano bullets killing the President.
By frame 320 Secret Service Agent Clint Hill is seen getting upon the rear of the limousine as it speeds off under an overpass to Parkland Memorial Hospital where the President was pronounced dead! Please, Miss Lu, (anxiously begging) restart the film, please.”
Miss Lu pressed the restart button, the film continued. A man’s voice could be heard saying, “Here they come!” A woman’s voice behind the man said, “Take your time, I’ll balance you so you don’t fall.” In the background can be heard shouts and cheering and suddenly from the left of the motorcade can be heard the very audible ‘crack’ sound of a rifle being fired.
The motorcade passes behind a road sign and just as it emerges another ‘crack’ is heard coming NOT from the same direction but THIS SHOT comes from behind and to the right of the camera.
The President falls backward and to his left grasping at his throat. Voices on the screen are screaming “Get down" “What’s happening?” Someone screams, “They’ve shot the President!” “(Indistinct yelling)”(Indistinct screaming) Agent on limousine’s trunk yelling, “Go! Go! Get going!”
Quickly in succession are two more “cracks” of a rifle are heard but…. these two come from the same direction as the first shot.
Then the motorcade speeds off….
The screen slowly goes dark again…and again absolute silence. Finally Miss Lu says, “Well tell me what was that? I saw your President Kennedy getting shot and the car speeding off. What was so important about that? I’ve seen that film before?”
* * * * *
This time Sarge pipes up, “Little Lady, it had previously been ‘proven’ that President Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, a lone assassin, who fired three shots with an Italian Carcano rifle from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. I have heard many Italian Carcano rifles fired and three of those shots sounded like a Carcano coming from the left of the cameraman, Mr. Abraham Zapruder. Left would be back toward the Texas State Book Depository.
There was an extra rifle shot in there!!
It sounded, to me, as if it came from behind and to the right of Mr. Zapruder. It’s report sounded like a 30 ought six (30-06). The Carcano uses a 6.5 mm bullet and the 30-06 uses a 7.62 mm; when fired the two have two totally different sounds. Three of the shots heard sounded the same; one was different.
My conclusion: There were two shooters in Dealey Plaza on 22 November 1963 and two different people shot President John F. Kennedy!”
“Damn, Pop! I have always trusted our Government, but I agree with you, that one shot was not a Carcano. I also agree with you, it came from behind and toward that ‘Grassy Knoll’. There was another shooter involved that day, why did our Government cover that up?”
Spook threw in his two cents, “This is unbelievable! Four shots, no doubt about it, three from the left and one from the right rear. What are we going to do about this?”
Sarge quickly answered, Spook I don’t know right now but believe-you-me we WILL find more answers. This isn’t the end, this is just the BEGINNING!”
* * * * *
“Speaking of beginning…hummm…Miss Lu….” said the Captain, “everyone in this outfit has a nickname, and since your joining up with us you must have one too. Ling means ‘Bell’ in Chinese, so I'm going to dub you 'Tinker.' Yep, from now on you are ‘Tinker.’
Ling Lu had the most puzzled look on her face. “What does he mean when he called me ‘Tinker?’ Is ‘Tinker’ bad? Or Good?”
Sarge laughed, “That’s good. ‘Tinker's’ real good.”…and…
Sarge though, ‘Now we are back up to Four...!’
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
SARGE PACKS HIS RUCKSACK
The things that Tinker had shown amazed and mystified them, but it did one additional thing too. It had consumed most of the day! Sarge looked down at his watch – 1800 hours (6pm). ‘We got to get moving’, he thought.
Motioning to Tinker he said, “Tinker’ where are the blueprints, plans, directions or whatever to all of this equipment? Did the ‘silver men’ keep records? These gadgets are too big and bulky for us to do anything with. We are going to destroy this whole building and all the equipment when we leave, and that has got to be pretty soon.”
Tinker answering Sarge said, ‘les hommes en argent’ were worse than the German Nazis during WWII. They kept records on everything, and microfilmed it all too. Everything is in that black filing cabinet with the funny looking symbols on front (pointing to a cabinet over in the corner of the room).
"Spook how about getting out to that white disc thing up above the power plant and get a reading on where that thing is aimed. That might come in handy if we ever figure this whole thing out," directed Sarge.
“Roger, Sarge!” Spook was running out the door as he finished saying the word ‘Sarge’.
“Son, go get the rest of the Composition C4 and let’s charge this place up. Lets fire up every piece of equipment in this building! Put a couple of sticks on that generator and one on that big round white thing outside too. When you're through we are going to ‘Cut a Chogie’ (move out quickl
y), and we’re going to blow this place to hell!”
The plans all along had been for the team to find Pac Toul. Once there, if any information or equipment was found that was believed useful they were to return with it.
If that proved to be impossible, all was to be destroyed; otherwise it might fall into the wrong hands. If the choice was available, their means of escape was to follow the river northward toward the Thailand border, cross over and make contact with our people over there. Now that Spook was with them this would be easier with his personal knowledge of Thailand and his ability to speak their language.
Sarge snatched open the filing cabinet, removed all its contents and stuffed them into his rucksack. He had to throw away nearly all his personal items; his soap; shaving gear; poncho; extra “dry” socks; a blanket and his toothpaste.
One object in his rucksack he wouldn't discard – he thought it might come in handy later - the Russian colonel’s Tokarev 7.62 x 25 mm revolver.
‘Hell, it all belonged to Uncle Sam anyways, he’ll never miss it and he’s a good Uncle he’ll issue me more (if I live long enough),’ he thought grunting as he swung the heavy ‘ruck’ upon his back.
Sarge and Tinker were swiftly stepping down the stairs two steps at a time as they heard the sound of boots striking the Mahogany floor heading toward them. Looking toward the front door they recognized Spook running back to report the completion of his assignment.
As Sarge finished tightening the straps on the ruck he hollered at Little ‘S’ who was upstairs finishing the C4 and had now moved out onto the mezzanine. “Kill all the lights upstairs Son, and meet us downstairs when you get done.” The lights on the ground floor did not need to be turned off - they had never been switched on.
The large area downstairs was getting dark as the sun began setting on another miserable Cambodian day. The group quickly walked toward the last rays of daylight streaming in the large hole in the western wall; all that could be heard was the heavy thuds of the footfalls of the G.I. issue Army boots.
* * * * *
Standing in the ‘door’ they gazed out amidst the mangled remains of the well, the twisted Ma Deuce machine guns and the faint trail of blue smoke still filtering up from the aftermath of the previous explosions. Sarge wondered, ‘what was next.’