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In reply to the discussion: 10 Facts about Lee Oswald that make 70% of Americans Wonder... [View all]zappaman
(20,606 posts)The myth of the Oswald 'Coke' bottle
It now seems almost an unchallenged part of Lee Harvey Oswald folklore that he was holding a bottle of Coca-Cola when confronted by DPD Patrolman Marrion Baker and Building Operations Supervisor Roy Truly on the second floor of the TSBD shortly after the shots in Dealey Plaza. Indeed, there have been published comments and discussions claiming that this was somewhat odd since Oswald preferred Dr Pepper to Coca-Cola.
If those researchers who have written that Oswald was holding a bottle of Coca-Cola when challenged by Baker had taken the trouble to go back to the primary sources they would have learnt that this is yet another myth.
Consider the following brief exchange during Baker's Warren Commission testimony as he describes that meeting:
MR BELIN: "Was he carrying anything in his hands?"
MR BAKER: "He had nothing at that time." (3H 251)
Roy Truly confirms this in his own testimony:
MR BELIN: "Could you see whether of not Lee Harvey Oswald had anything in either hand?"
MR TRULY: "I noticed nothing in either hand."
MR BELIN: "Did you see both of his hands?"
MR TRULY: "I am sure I did, I could be wrong, but I am almost sure I did." (3H 225)
We have some added confusion here in Marrion Baker's FBI statement of 23rd September 1964 (CE 3076). This was apparently written down at Baker's dictation and includes the words 'I saw a man standing in the lunch room drinking a coke.' Those last three words, however, have been crossed through and initialled by Baker.
Lee Harvey Oswald, as far as I am aware, was never asked any similar question and there were no other eyewitnesses to this.
The origin of this widely-believed myth may come from the testimony of Mrs Robert A Reid, a TSBD Clerical Supervisor who occupied an office on the second floor. In her testimony, she describes that she ate an early and hurried lunch in the second floor lunchroom at around noon and then went downstairs to street level where she watched the passing motorcade. She does not describe what she saw but she mentions hearing three shots. She stated that she thought 'they came from our building' but then ran into the building to 'get out of this line of shots.' She ran up the front stairs to her second floor office.
MR BELIN: "And then what did you do?"
MRS REID: "Well, I kept walking and I looked up and Oswald was coming in the back door of the office. I met him by the time I passed my desk several feet and I told him: 'Oh, the President has been shot, but maybe they didn't hit him.' ..... He had gotten a coke and was holding it in his hands ..... The only time I had seen him in the office was to come and get change and he already had his coke in his hand ..... " (3H 274).
Mrs Reid's journey on foot from the front of the TSBD to her office had subsequently been timed by stopwatch at approximately two minutes, showing that she encountered Oswald after his meeting with Baker and Truly. (3H 275). Later in her testimony, she stated that the coke bottle he was holding was full. (3H 278).
http://spot.acorn.net/jfkplace../09/fp.back_issues/25th_Issue/myth.html