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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. II - Page 349« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Comdr. James J. Humes)

Mr. Specter.
When I ascertained the nature of the President's wounds, having had the facilities of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology offered to me by General Blumberg, the commanding officer of that institution, I felt it advisable and would be of help to me to have the services of an expert in the field of wound ballistics and for that reason I requested Colonel Finck to appear.
Mr. Specter.
Tell us who else in a general way was present at the time the autopsy was conducted in addition to you three doctors, please?
Commander HUMES. This, I must preface by saying it will be somewhat incomplete. My particular interest was on the examination of the President and not of the security measures of the other people who were present.
However, the Surgeon General of the Navy was present at one time or another. Admiral Galloway, the Commanding Officer of the National Naval Medical Center; my own commanding officer, Captain John H. Stover of the Naval Medical School, Dr. John Ebersole, one of the radiologists assigned to the Naval Hospital, Bethesda, who assisted with X-ray examinations which were made. These are the chief names, sir; that I can recall.
Mr. Specter.
What time did the autopsy start approximately?
Commander HUMES. The president's body was received at 25 minutes before 8, and the autopsy began at approximately 8 p.m. on that evening. You must include the fact that certain X-rays and other examinations were made before the actual beginning of the routine type autopsy examination.
Mr. Specter.
Precisely what X-rays or photographs were taken before the dissection started?
Commander HUMES. Some of these X-rays were taken before and some during the examination which, also maintains for the photographs, which were made as the need became apparent to make such.
However, before the postmortem examination was begun, anterior, posterior and lateral X-rays of the head, and of the torso were made, and identification type photographs, I recall having been made of the full face of the late President. A photograph showing the massive head wound with the large defect that was associated with it. To my recollection all of these were made before the proceedings began.
Several others, approximately 15 to 20 in number, were made in total before we finished the proceedings.
Mr. Specter.
Now were those X-rays or photographs or both when you referred to the total number?
Commander HUMES. By the number I would say they are in number 15 to 20. There probably was ten or 12 X- ray films exposed in addition.
Mr. Specter.
What time did this autopsy end?
Commander HUMES. At approximately 11 p.m.
Mr. Specter.
What wounds did you observe on the late President, if any?
Commander HUMES. The wounds which we observed on the President were excuse me, at this point might I use the charts which I have prepared? Would that be appropriate?
Mr. Specter.
Yes; would you like to start with the neck wound?
Commander HUMES. All right, sir.
I might preface my remarks by stating that the President's body was received in our morgue in a closed casket. We opened the casket, Dr. Boswell and I, and the President's body was unclothed in the casket, was wrapped in a sheet labeled by the Parkland Hospital, but he was unclothed once the sheet was removed from his body so we do not have at that time any clothing.
Mr. Specter.
Dr. Humes, before you identify what that represents let me place Commission Exhibit No. 385 on it so it may be identified.
(The drawing was marked Commission Exhibit No. 385 for identification.)
Commander HUMES. When appraised of the necessity for our appearance before this Commission, we did not know whether or not the photographs which we had made would be available to the Commission. So to assist in making our testimony more understandable to the Commission members, we decided to have made drawings, schematic drawings, of the situation as we saw it, as we recorded it and as we recall it. These drawings were made under my supervision and that of Dr. Boswell by Mr. Rydberg, whose initials are H. A.
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