John Simpkin,
- at the Education Forum [ Dennis Duane David - JFK Assassination Debate - The Education Forum ] wrote: Dennis Duane David graduated
from high school in 1955. He spent a term at the University of Illinois before
joining the United States Navy in 1956. He attended the Hospital Corps School
at Maryland and later overseas in North Africa. On his return to the United
States he became an Administrative Technician at the Bethesda Naval Hospital.
When John F. Kennedy was
assassinated on 22nd November, 1963, his body was taken to Bethesda. That
evening he was asked to type a memorandum for a FBI agent, that said that four
bullet fragments had been removed from Kennedy's head.
A few days after the
assassination, David found William Pitzer, head of the Audio/Visual Department
at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, working on a 16-mm film, slides and black and
white photos of the Kennedy autopsy. David noted that those materials showed
what appeared to be an entry wound in the right frontal area with a
corresponding exit wound in the lower rear of the skull.
On 22nd November, 1963, an
autopsy was carried out by Dr Joseph Humes on the body of John F. Kennedy. A
few days after the assassination, a colleague, Dennis D. David, found Pitzer
working on a 16-mm film, slides and black and white photos of the Kennedy
autopsy. David noted that those materials showed what appeared to be an entry
wound in the right frontal area with a corresponding exit wound in the lower
rear of the skull.
Jerrol F. Custer, an X-ray
technician at the hospital, later stated that Pitzer had photographed the
proceedings, including the military men who attended the Kennedy autopsy. It
was also rumoured that Pitzer had copies of Kennedy's autopsy photographs.
According to Dr. Joseph
Humes, Pitzer was not present at the autopsy. However, he admitted that the
Bethesda Naval Hospital was equipped with closed-circuit television. This was
the responsibility of Pitzer and over the years had used these facilities to
make instructional movies. It is therefore possible that Pitzer had secretly
made a 16-mm movie film of the autopsy on President Kennedy’s body, without being
present in the autopsy room when it was carried out.
William Pitzer decided to
retire in 1966. He told friends he had been offered a good job working for a
network television station. It is believed that he intended to make a programme
about the Kennedy assassination. On 29th October 1966, Lieutenant Commander
William B. Pitzer was found dead at the Naval Medical School, Bethesda.
Investigations by the Naval Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation later concluded that a gunshot wound to the head had been
self-inflicted.
Dennis
Duane David is a member of this forum. Has anyone got any questions for him?
In 1965, via an inservice program I was selected and promoted
to Ensign (01), Medical Service Corps, U.S.Navy. Date of promotion was 2 Dec
1965. I left Bethesda the next day for schooling at New Port, R.I., spent 15
weeks there, then reported to Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Il. In 1967, was
transferred to Third MAW, El Toro, Ca. In 1968 was assigned to First MAW, Da
Nang, Viet Nam. In 1969, I was Administrative Officer, Naval Dental Clinic,
NAS, Mfs.,Tn. for a 2 year tour. In 1971, I reported to the Naval Health Care
Administration School, NNMC. Bethesda, Md. for duty underinstruction at The
Gerorge Washington University. Where I earned my batchelor's degree. Upon
completion of schooling I was assigned duty on Commandant, Ninth Naval
District, Great Lakes staff. In 1973, I was assigned duty as Executive Officer,
Naval Dental Research Institute at Great Lakes. I retired from there July 1, 1976
with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. I moved to Hoopeston, Il. where I took a
position as Personnel Director, for Stokely-Van Camp, Co. After 10 years there,
I resigned, opened my own business (a furniture refinishing/repair and Antique
shop). I operated that until January 2001 when I closed my ship and retired
permanently. My wife passed away in October 2005, so now I spend most of my
time enjoying my 13 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, playing bridge,
fishing, and whatever else I may decide to do when I wake up each morning.
1)
I not only saw them, but held them in the palm of my hand. There were four
pieces of grey lead. The sizes of the pieces were
(2) Were you ever able
to identify the man who got you to type up the memo? Do you know which
government agency he represented?
(2)
I do not recall the name of the man who ask me to type the memo. I believe he
was identified to me as a SS agent.
(3) Could you tell us
about the time you discovered William Pitzer with photographs and film of the
JFK autopsy?
(3)
It was on the Monday, after the post-mortem. I had stopped in to see Bill,
about another matter, when I walked into his office, he had a hand-operated
film editor on his desk. He also had some B&W and Color photos of the
autopsy on his desk. There was a 16mm film in the editor. We looked at perhaps
the first three feet of the film. I don't remember our exact conversation, but
I do remember we both felt that there was a frontal entry wound in the right
forehead near the hairline.
(4) Do you believe
William Pitzer was murdered?
(4)
I have read the autopsy report, the Investigation report of Bills death, and
other material. I am not convinced he committed suicide, nor am I convinced he
was murdered.
Were the film and photos that you viewed such that you were able
to see any of the surroundings, such as the onlookers who were present? Other
than the entrance wound, was there anything else that you recall seeing that
left an impression?
What did Pitzer say about the photos and film?
What was his demeanor? Did he realize the magnitude of what he had at the time?
Did you?
In the film and the
pictures I saw only the body was shown. It did show hands that moved the body
but no picture showed faces, etc. Some of the surroundings were visible but
quite honestly we paid little attention to that. The body and the wounds it had
sustained were our focus. Bill only commented as to the location/magnitude of
the wounds, that the temple wound appeared to be an entrance wound. I did
wonder at the tracheotomy incision, considering the size and location of the
exit wound in the parietal/occipital area. It seemed to me that the tracheotomy
was an exercise in futility. Bill's demeanor, hard to say, I know we both got
teary eyed. Magnitude of what we saw???? We saw what we felt was a frontal
entry wound in the right forehead with a large exit wound in the rear of the
skull of a President we both admired and liked. How Bill felt when the Warren
Report came out, I do not know. I felt disgusted and very, very angry but I was
also afraid to say anything, and didn't until my talk with the Waukegan Sun
reporter. Even then I would not allow my name to be made public.
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