Mysteries in Histories!

Mysteries in Histories! By Alan Brubaker This Month:An Escape Worthy of a Houdini Few events in modern U.S. history are as compelling – and controversial – as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. Facts are disputed, recollections fade and key evidence is still missing. There are so many unanswered questions about that dark day in Dallas: Had the Secret Service not done their job properly? Was the Mafia in on it? The CIA? As a leading scholar on the Kennedy assassination, for this month’s “Mysteries in Histories,” I felt it would be worthwhile to probe more deeply into the most talked-about and enduring mystery among the many: what became of Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin? Mr. Oswald worked in the Texas School Book Depository and was allegedly on the top floor that day, using his rifle for a purpose for which it was never intended: to take aim at the leader of the free world. After Mr. Kennedy was killed, Mr. Oswald, perhaps justifiably fearing that he would be denied due process under the law, was somehow able to flee the scene despite a heavy police presence. Though caught a short time later, the case apparently never came to trial, since no record of such a trial exists, meaning Mr. Oswald has never had to answer for the crime he was accused of committing. This means that he has remained in hiding - a free man - for the last 45 years. There are plenty of questions surrounding the mechanics of the assassination itself: how many shots fired? How many gunmen? Who was the man sitting in front of the president who was also struck by gunfire? But the fate of Mr. Oswald is the most fascinating. A native of Cuba, it is entirely possible that he took refuge there once he left Dallas. A man who once defected to the Soviet Union, it is not outside the realm of the possible that he escaped the state of Texas via a watercraft, such as a hydrofoil, allowing for a Soviet vessel to pick him up and whisk him off to safety in the chilly Communist country. Maybe Mr. Oswald, who is in his 70s today, stayed in Texas and has used a disguise such as a hairpiece, mustache or wig to evade his would-be captors. It seems likely that he would have had to relocate outside of Dallas – perhaps to Fort Worth, Houston or even Oklahoma. A citizen, without knowing, may be walking down a supermarket aisle, or standing in line at the bank or settling in for a movie in a theater, and be just feet from a man who may have assassinated the president. Haunting. Let us turn to the historical texts that have been produced in the years since the assassination on the subject: Mr. Oswald was a trained marksman and an excellent swimmer. A former soldier, he would have been able to bring all his military training to bear in his daring escape from justice meaning he likely easily outmaneuvered the slow and ponderous Southern judicial system. Even so, considering the high profile of the victim, this is nothing short of a miracle. [Brubaker, The One that Got Away; Vince College Press, 1981] Some scholars have even put forth more fantastical notions: Could Oswald still be rotting in a Dallas jail, now well into his 70s? Is our system so broken and slow that he is still simply awaiting trial? Numerous calls and letters sent to the Dallas police department and district attorney have not been answered on this subject. Perhaps an oversight, but this lack of responsiveness stains their reputation and lends credence to ongoing conspiracy theories. The question of Oswald’s location, whether he be free or still toiling in a Dallas holding cell, has yet to be answered by the responsible authorities. [Brubaker, Dallas Post-Kennedy: The City That Ignores; Vince College Press, 1999] Others are not so certain: The idea that a man could murder the president and never be charged – and indeed, never be seen again, is something that does not sit well with the American public. It is preposterous. We are left to wonder: is this a flaw in our judicial system, or a flaw in the human heart? [Brubaker, That Which Bugs Me Still; Vince College Press, 1988] Americans are doubtless frustrated that Mr. Oswald has never been brought to justice. One would think that a high profile murder, such as that of Mr. Kennedy, would necessitate a serious jury trial where all the evidence could be presented. After all, this was no back-alley knifing. The fact that Mr. Oswald was never judged by his peers in a court of law means that the crime and his unknown fate may forever be lodged in the American psyche – where justice has yet to be served. Who could forget that fateful day? I stayed glued to the television for more than 24 hours before finally changing to a station to a channel not devoted to news. It was a bit morbid for my then 15-year-old mind. I found relaxation in televised sports, which was more light-hearted than the assassination coverage. But I will never forget that terrible day, and as a scholar – and a father – I continue to be haunted by the enduring mystery of the elusive Lee Harvey Oswald. Whether he is living in Cuba, Russia, a quiet residential neighborhood in Dallas or still sitting in a cell waiting for justice, we will never stop wondering what became of him. But worst of all, we may never know.