Living History with Pierce Allman
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- čas přidán 11. 12. 2014
- The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza presented an interview with Pierce Allman, a WFAA-Radio program director who was one of the first media representatives inside the Texas School Book Depository after the assassination. He is believed to have encountered Lee Harvey Oswald leaving the building. Moderator was Museum Associate Curator Stephen Fagin.
This presentation took place at the Museum on October 4, 2014 as part of the 2014 Living History Series. To see related films, photos, documents and oral histories from The Sixth Floor Museum's collection, visit our online collections database (emuseum.jfk.org). Or make a research appointment to explore the books, DVDs and other materials available in the Museum's Reading Room (www.jfk.org/go/reading-room).
Was saddened to learn Pierce recently passed away at age 88. His reaction of experiencing the JFK assassination was one of the best.
Three shots folks from the TSDB. Thank you Pierce for your accurate reporting...
I love these Living History videos from the Sixth Floor.
This is one of my favorites from the Living History series. 😊
Fascinating interview! I am so enjoying them all but Mr. Allman is an especially great communicator and no wonder you have him there at the museum. Another thing I noticed in listening is that the journalists of yesterday were so different than those so-called journalists of today who I feel are just an extension of a political party with an agenda. You can see the character and good decency in him. So refreshing to listen to! Thank you for this opportunity!
These oral history interviews are excellent
What a fine gentleman. I really enjoyed listening to this interview.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
It is amazing that Mr. Allman, who was right in the middle of this catastrophe, managed to maintain his composure throughout the course of his endeavors.
Why? Maybe he's a Stoic? Lol.
Too bad pres. Kennedy had to die that day in Dallas.
as cool as if he was among the key people at faa who had foreknowledge
I saw the newsroom footage. Allman was shook to the core..I can't imagine seeing that right before you😮
What a wonderful interview, thanks very much for this.
I have listened w/ great interest to a number of these "Living History" programs and this is IMO one of the very best.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Fascinating interview...thank you for sharing!
even if they didnt say so, you can just tell this guy worked in radio, just from his voice!
Yes, excellent voice. Too bad he got bumped during his one on-camera appearance on November 22!
Perfect voice. RIP Pierce Allman.
amazing Story Thank You so much
Interesting that at 32:00, Pierce Allman says that Oswald testified talking to him about finding a telephone. Robert McNeil from NBC news at that time has claimed exactly the same thing - that he was the man Oswald talked to. One of the countless small events in the panic we can never be sure of.
Or maybe it was James W. Powell. He was an Army Intelligence agent with the 112th who also rushed into the building looking for a phone. Oswald thought it was an FBI man, but if Powell flashed his credentials to Oswald....who knows
NBC fake news.
I will have to check out the story about Robert McNeil. If true, I suppose it is possible for Oswald to have directed more than one person to the phone.
@@geschoonover
...and then later he was with fake news PBS.
You can be sure MacNeil is bullshitting. Listen to the contents of the live call he made McGee on air in those moments.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Very classy guy. I wish this question had been asked: When Oswald was arrested and his picture was everywhere...it seems as if you didn't recognize him as the man that directed you to the phone...did you not recognize him?
I agree. I don't recall Mr. Allman commenting if in hindsight it was in fact Oswald he spoke to at the door when he was inquiring about a phone.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
@@waltonwarrior7428 He doesn't know if it was Oswald.
A truly wonderful and truthful gentleman.
There is something not quite right with the man story. From coming down Houston towards the corner of Elm he hears a shot almost as the car turns and furthers shots. He then is able to describe in much detail how JFK reacts to being hit by different shots, how Jackie reacts and how the security men act. ALL described just like we have all seen in the many home movies shot that day. How is that possible. Did he run along side the motorcade? He seems to have seen and heard everything that happened that day. And to round things off he bumps into Lee Oswald coming out of the TSBD.
His story is almost identical to that of Robert MacNeil, who later became anchor of the PBS News Hour. I suspect that Mr Allman is sincere but that his his own memories are blended with other accounts of the assassination. You can hardly blame him given the overwhelming nature of the event. I believe MacNeil was the one who bumped into Oswald since the timing of his call can be verified. With Mr. Allman, I get the sense that something's a bit.... off.
He then is able to describe in much detail how JFK reacts to being hit by different shots, how Jackie reacts and how the security men act.: He really only described how Kennedy reacted to getting hit the first time - by the 2nd bullet - and Allman said he didn't see Kennedy get hit by the 3rd bullet, but then he did see Jackie get out of her seat and Clint Hill jump on the car, as so many others did.
McNeil (of the McNeil/Lehrer Newshour) made the exact same claim. He claimed to have asked a young man in the TSBD where the phone was immediately after the assassination-and McNeil was also a journalist with a crew cut.
I wonder if this is a thing: when people heard the 2nd shot, they usually have said that that's when they started cluing in that it was gunfire, and they experienced a shock or disbelief as it sunk in that someone was apparently shooting at the President. It would be so easy to lose (track of) a couple or 3 seconds at that point, then upon hearing the 3rd shot, be left with the impression afterwards that the 2nd and 3rd were super close together. We're only talking about a difference of a couple seconds anyway, which is pretty minute.
I mean, we know it was about 5.5 seconds or so. And about some people hearing the sounds one almost on top of the other, well, we know that a number of witnesses mentioned the echoing off the underpass. This could easily explain why James Tague thought it was after the 2nd shot that he got hit on the cheek by something. It's very likely the 1st shot indirectly caused his cheek wound, but the echo would easily make it seem like the 2nd shot.
It's interesting about the spacing of the shots; so many people say they thought the 2nd and 3rd were closer together than the 1st and 2nd. As Inspector Clouseau would say, fact! we know from the Zapruder Film that the space between the 2nd and 3rd shots was around 5.5, seconds, so it would seem that the space between the 1st and 2nd might have been more than 5.5 seconds; Connally estimated it at between 5 to 10 seconds.
Considering that the 1st shot was estimated to have been when Kennedy's head was basically lined up with the traffic mast arm and the TSBD 6th floor window, and considering that we basically know when the 2nd shot happened - and knowing how fast the car was moving - it seems there must have been at least 4 or 5 seconds. It does seem that the shots would have been pretty much even; mind you, we're only talking about a difference of a couple seconds or so, which is nothing.
In fact, some people did think the shots were more evenly spaced; like James Jarman who was the closest to the shots, being right there below the 6th floor window.
28:03 For anyone who wants to get into the business of broadcast journalism … Kids, take some notes. This is how it’s done - even still today.
Ever since I was a kid I was only three when he was killed but my dad took us to Washington DC when I was still very young standing at JFK's grave I went into a souvenir shop and bought a small copper bust of him I've always been an hammered with him he was so inspirational told us we could do better and be better such an inspiring man.
weird, 6th Floor Inc. saw no reason to interview
Norman Similas
Both Pierce Allman and Bob MacNeil tell the exact same story about briefly talking to Oswald outside the Depository, almost verbatim. One of them is lying...
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Have to say that his initial report was about as professional as one could imagine. These days you'd have 100 sources spitting every rumor they heard, everyone wanting to be first to be right so accuracy be forgotten.
He told what he saw, heard and what could otherwise be confirmed. That's it. Really impressive and I know exactly what he means when he talks about "intellectually processing" information. It's that thing we can do where in a fraction of a second we can put hundreds of data points together seemingly subconsciously, definitely faster than if we were tasked to do it in a "normal" setting. Some call this "time slowing down" or whatever but it's real. There are random moments where you have to make split second choices and the hundreds of scenarios brought out from each possibility play before you.
Maybe that's all that intuition is?
I love these interviews but one question he said all the shots came from the front and from the 6th floor and only 3 shots?? Mis spoke or did i hear him wrong
You heard right.
There's no way you can convince me Oswald wasn't involved in some way, but you also can't convince me he was the only one.
I thought the same thing ... however, I believe he meant his front (while standing across from the TSBD building). He could have said "the shots came from my front."
That' what I heard also. Hmmm. I think I'll go back and listen again.
In an other interview he said: One man, one gun, 3 shots, talking about the TSBD. My opinion too! I would say: One man, his plan, one gun, 3 shots!
Interesting interview !
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Very professional!
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Did anybody ever interview the men in the window in the 5th floor? they would surely know if someone above them was shooting?
Yes, the men in the window on the 5th floor were interviewed & stated they heard the bolt action click 3 times.
Yes, there is a video of all three, each.
Where?@@louf7178
Read the book "Blood Splatter, Driving the Stake Through the Heart of Conspiracy Deniers" 60 years of lies destroyed in 60 seconds.
Ted Cassidy was also the first voice of and the opening narrator of The Incredible Hulk.
I had no idea Ted Cassidy was working in Dallas and was associated in any way with the assassination.
Grow up
"The guy with the football is no longer next to the president." Of course he was with LBJ.
I thought the only media people locked in the TSBD were Alyea and Biffle. Oh well.
Allman appears briefly on air with Jay Watson explaining he was locked inside the TSBD.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
Jim Lehrer says he was the blond crew cut guy who talked to Oswald
Bob McNeil
For years I thought the voice was Dan Rather..ok.
That's interesting that Ted "LURCH" Cassidy was a WFAA radio reporter in Dallas that day and a year later became LURCH on ADDAMS family!!!
Oswald wasn't breathless or in a hurry? Maybe he wasn't on the sixth floor at all...
The old red courthouse , not schoolhouse .
I love this channel but I’m sorry this is the worst interview I’ve seen about 11/22/63. Very little recollection about what he saw, I suspect not much, and more about what’s he heard since from others.
The 'I spoke with Oswald at the entrance of the Depository' was Bob MacNeil's experience. This Allman guy repeated it, almost verbatim. I think he putting us on...
He has a perfect radio voice and projects the politician-like demeanor of a public personality. I'm just not sure how much substance is behind those traits. He was amazed at how calm Oswald could be just a few minutes after shooting the president, but he doesn't seem to consider the possibility that Oswald was calm because Oswald didn't do the shooting. The incongruity between the descriptions of Oswald being so calm in the lunch room and on encountering Mr. Allman and the descriptions of him being nervous while trying to catch the bus home is hard to reconcile. The topic will always draw interest because every scenario seems completely improbable.
Great observation.
It’s because Oswald DIDNT DO IT!
If Oswald was so lily white, why shoot J.D. Tippett?
@@jude999 Oswald certainly wasn't "lily white." He had a less than honorable discharge from the military if I remember correctly and had defected to our nation's primary enemy. He'd been an activist for communist systems of government. I think he was a bit of a kook no matter what happened.
I also think that while the Warren Commission may have gotten details wrong, the central thesis of their report that Oswald acted alone and shot the president is about as likely as any theory. On the other hand, "about as likely" is not the same as "met the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt." I don't absolutely know what happened, and I'm unsure enough to be willing to consider all kinds of ideas.
Let's say that Oswald was a kook who was innocent of the assassination. In that case, he was minding his own business going into the lunch room to buy a soda. A police officer runs into the room, puts a revolver against his stomach, and demands to know who he is. He escapes being arrested or possibly being shot because Roy Truly identifies Oswald as an employee. They leave, but as Oswald hears talk and realizes what has happened, he becomes paranoid and decides that he'll be accused again and again. He's an okay enough worker, but he's not dedicated to being a book depository employee. He decides to leave the building before another police officer points another gun at him. He gets back to his rooming house while still in a paranoid panic and grabs his revolver. He's walked a few blocks down the street when another police officer stops him. He talks to the guy through the window briefly, but now the guy is getting out of the cruiser to question him further. He decides that they are just going to keep accusing him, so he pulls out his revolver and just starts shooting.
Again, I can accept Oswald's being guilty of the assassination as easily as I can accept any other theory. In that theory, he shoots Officer Tippett because he's killed one man already that day and feels that he might as well kill another. That I can accept that theory doesn't mean that I can't look for strengths and weaknesses in other theories. To me, his killing Officer Tippett is not strong evidence for or against his killing the president.
Mr. Allman says Oswald was calm and not out of breath when he met him in the lobby of the building. He didn't mention smelling gun smoke when he met Oswald. Mr. Allman stated he believes Oswald was the assassin. There should have been the smell of gun smoke around him after firing a rifle.
Those guns then and today use smokeless powder. There would have been no smoke or smoke smell from firing the rifle.
Being calm observation should put some doubt that oswald was the assassin.
This guy is not one of the Allman Brothers. He is not a ramblin' man.
Nice to see him in a Willis photo.
Class act
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.
The car did slow down
Yes, and the follow-up car and nearest left motorcycle much more.
This gentlemen had me until he said "no evidence to the contrary..." Has he heard of Lee Bowers? S.M. Holland?
The shots took at least 8 seconds. Pay atteniton.
18:46 last scene of world that JFK saw
this man has been told what to say, kennedys car has gone past him on the corner and he then says the second shot he sees the presidents hands come up to his throat. totally impossible from where he was standing, then he decides to explain about what the president is wearing [eg, back brace] how would he know that at that time. once again impossible then he goes on to say how the president fell in the car WOW ! what eyesight this man has but it gets better, his hearing then becomes super human from the corner of houston/elm he hears vince hill say to the driver [greer] go go go. please america wake up , once the truth is hidden it means they don't want you the people to know.
I believe it was known that a back brace was always worn after his injury.
how old is he?
born 1932
“I’m a little bit shook right now, Jay.” 🙃
He needs to interview the man who wrote “The Girl on the Stairs”, Barry Ernest. It will make you totally rethink the 6th floor shooting theory. It’s possible that Oswald shot Tippit, of course, or that could’ve been one of the fake Oswalds.
Hearing him speaking it occurred to me that a firecracker HAD BEEN THROWN from the 6th floor window to distract the agents. And as they all looked back, except Hill, the grassy knoll shooters could do their thing. Maybe someone from the Dal Tex building as well
wait... no credible evidence....? and "if you were there that day" as if his interpretation and recollections are the only opinions credible. What an insult to all the other witnesses whether they agree or not. And how could the man on the steps (sitting on the wall behind him) see Oswald on the sixth floor window unless Oswald was hanging out of the dirty window 1/4 open with a gun? If Oswald was visible to that man he would have been quite visible to everyone else. Sorry, but that is not "credible" to me. WC were not allowed ??? Cronies.
I know really? No credible evidence? How can these people be so unaware of all the credible evidence that has been brought out in the past couple of decades. I believe the 6th floor museum presses these witnesses to stick with the Warren Commission. One exception being Cyril Wecht.
53:40 "...can you imagine Nov 22, 1963 with today's media? ": Can you imagine a 47 story building covering one square block coming down at free-fall speed...and 94% of Americans knowing nothing about it to this day? And the media failing to show it in 20 subsequent annual "celebrations" of the event?
@@wallacebell4311 Here's your sign. Stupid beyond belief.
What about the elderly guy lookin for a toilet oswald outside with bill shelly 5-10 mins
Someone should let Pierce know that minorities are allowed to be seen and heard in the USA.
I was, lets see....27 years old. Uh, no, 26 years and 3 months. Hold on, maybe I was actually 27. Let me think about it.😂
By far the greatest tragedy of the 20th century changed History personally I think even more so than 9/11 or Pearl harbor or even the death of FDR I don't think we'll ever recover we lost our innocence idealist without illusion self-describes JFK.
He said Qswald was calm when he saw him. Well yes, that was because he hadn’t shot anyone. He also believes that Oswald got from the snipers nest on the sixth floor to the building entrance in two minutes. Really? Sorry, but I don’t buy it.
Not much value in this interview lies and conjecture.
LIARS
Nothing against Jackie but she did not sound smart. She knew how to dress.
So he runs from the vicinity of Elm and Houston after shots were fired to the grassy knoll area, sees the Neumans on the grass then runs to the Book Depository and sees Oswald at the doorway. In the meantime Oswald is supposed to have scurried down four flights of stairs to a lunchroom, retrieved a coke from a machine and opened it, briefly encountered officer Baker, descended anothier two flights then crossed the main floor to the front door.
I don't buy it.
He told the FBI in Janary of '64 he went from where he was on Houston & Elm "immediately and directly into the Book Depository" when he saw the man at the doorway steps...At that time the FBI told him it was Oswald.