Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (05 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Dr. OLIVIER. Fired at a distance of 70 yards.
Mr. SPECTER. And was there anything protecting the wrist at the time of
impact?
Dr. OLIVIER. Not protection but there was again clothing, this time
suit material or suit lining, at least suit material and shirt. I am
not sure about the lining. I can tell you. I have it right here. Suit
material, suit lining material, and shirt material.
Mr. SPECTER. I now hand you a photograph marked as Commission Exhibit
855 and ask you what that represents?
Dr. OLIVIER. This is a photograph taken from the X-ray, Commission
Exhibit 854.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you describe for the record the details of the
injuries shown on 854 and 855, please?
Dr. OLIVIER. This is a comminuted fracture of the distal end of the
radius. It was struck directly by the bullet. It passed through, not
directly through but through at an oblique angle so that it entered
more proximal on the dorsal side of the wrist and distal on the volar
aspect.
Mr. SPECTER. How does the entry and exit compare with the wound on
Governor Connally which you observed on the X-rays?
Dr. OLIVIER. In this particular instance to the best of my memory from
looking at the X-rays, it is very close. It is about one of the best
ones that we obtained.
Mr. SPECTER. Is there any definable difference at all?
Dr. OLIVIER. I couldn't determine any.
Mr. SPECTER. It is close, you say?
Dr. OLIVIER. Yes. If I had both X-rays in front of me if there was a
difference I could determine it, but from memory I would say it was for
all purposes identical.
Mr. SPECTER. I now hand you a bullet in a case marked Commission
Exhibit 856 and ask if you have ever seen that before?
Dr. OLIVIER. Yes. This is the bullet that caused the damage shown in
Commission Exhibits Nos. 854 and 855.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you describe that bullet for the record, please?
Dr. OLIVIER. The nose of the bullet is quite flattened from striking
the radius.
Mr. SPECTER. How does it compare, for example, with Commission Exhibit
399?
Dr. OLIVIER. It is not like it at all. I mean, Commission Exhibit 399
is not flattened on the end. This one is very severely flattened on the
end.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the velocity of the missile at the time it struck
the wrist depicted in 854 and 855?
Dr. OLIVIER. The average striking velocity was 1,858 feet per second.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have the precise striking velocity of that one?
Dr. OLIVIER. No; I don't. We could not put velocity screen in front of
the individual shots because it would have interfered with the gunner's
view. So we took five shots and got an average striking velocity.
Mr. SPECTER. When you say five shots with an average striking velocity,
those were at the delineated distance without striking anything on
those particular shots?
Dr. OLIVIER. Right, and after establishing that velocity, then we went
on to shoot the various arms.
Mr. SPECTER. And what was the exit velocity?
Dr. OLIVIER. On this particular one?
Mr. SPECTER. If you have it?
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