Response to Critics
Dave Powers
When contacted by Donahue or Menninger prior to the publication of Menninger's book, most of the people in the follow-up car have remained silent about the Donahue theory, with one exception: Dave Powers.
Dave Powers, Kennedy’s friend and political advisor who was in the follow-up car right-hand jump seat during the assassination denied that Hickey fired the gun. Detractors of the Donahue theory point out that McLaren never tried to contact Powers while researching his book. In fact, there was no need to. Powers (along with all the Secret Service Agents in the follow-up car) was contacted prior to the publication of the Menninger book and presented with the theory. Powers was the only person to respond. His first statement was basically a “no comment” but that he “admired the pursuit” Donahue was doing on the theory. Several months later Powers stated that if Hickey had shot the gun, Hickey would have had to shoot him, Powers, first since Powers was standing up at the time to take pictures. That statement was untrue. Not only was Powers seated, he was also in the right jump-seat, whereas Hickey was on the left rear seat. When confronted with that evidence, Powers revised his statement to say that “someone a foot away or two feet away from me couldn’t fire the gun without me hearing it.”
His wording is a little curious. It implies without stating conclusively that the gun wasn’t fired. Perhaps it was fired, and perhaps he knew it. His statement would still be true.
Dave Powers and Kenny O’Donnell (the other civilian in the follow-up car) were reported to believe that the shots came from the Grassy Knoll, and Powers told friends that he did not tell the whole truth to the Warren Commission because the Kennedy family, along with everyone else, wanted to put the events behind them. (http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=7330)
The criticism that McLaren should have contacted Dave Powers while researching his own book was unfounded; Menninger had already done it. The real question is whether Dave Powers actually heard the AR-15 go off. Could he have lied about it? Certainly, especially if the Kennedy family wanted to be spared the embarrassment of an accidental “friendly fire” shooting. He lied to Menninger—or at least was mistaken—about “standing up” in the car at the time of the head shot. His statement that “he would have known” if the gun was fired was ambiguous, perhaps deliberately so. If his statements to his friends were correct, he did not tell the Warren Commission the whole truth as he knew it. Perhaps he didn’t tell his friends the whole truth, either, telling friends that he thought the shots came from “the grassy knoll” rather than the follow-up car.
Gerald's Blaine book The Kennedy Detail states how Kennedy's "Irish Mafia" of political advisors (Powers, O'Donnell, and O'Brien--but especially Powers) were often at odds with the Kennedy detail of the Secret Service, planning heavy-duty political trips that allowed for no time for the agents to rest and encouraging Kennedy to be "accessible" to the people, especially in the motorcades. The "accessibility," while perhaps politically advantageous, made it more difficult for the Secret Service agents to protect Kennedy. The accessibility is what made Kennedy order the agents off the back of the presidential limousine, and while not directly responsible for Kennedy's death was at least a contributing factor. I think it entirely likely that Powers would lie about the AR-15 not going off, in order to protect Kennedy's image from an embarrassing accident, and perhaps also to insulate himself from any criticism of his own weakening of JFK's protective force. It was Powers' job to promote Kennedy's image while Kennedy was alive, and I believe that he continued to do so after Kennedy's death by lying about the accidental shot. It happened, after all, at the height of the Cold War, and knowledge of an accidental shooting by JFK's own bodyguard would have caused international embarrassment.
At any rate, Powers was the only person to respond to queries regarding the Menninger book: first a “no comment” (while simultaneously praising Donahue for his work); second, “I was standing, and Hickey would have hit me first” (a completely untrue statement); third, an ambiguous “I would have known…”; and finally a flat denial. Powers was known to lie in order to save the Kennedy family from embarrassment (he lied about Kennedy’s Addison’s Disease). It’s not inconceivable that he would lie about this. Meanwhile, all the Secret Service agents in the follow-up car were completely silent on the matter when contacted about Menninger’s upcoming book.
Dave Powers
When contacted by Donahue or Menninger prior to the publication of Menninger's book, most of the people in the follow-up car have remained silent about the Donahue theory, with one exception: Dave Powers.
Dave Powers, Kennedy’s friend and political advisor who was in the follow-up car right-hand jump seat during the assassination denied that Hickey fired the gun. Detractors of the Donahue theory point out that McLaren never tried to contact Powers while researching his book. In fact, there was no need to. Powers (along with all the Secret Service Agents in the follow-up car) was contacted prior to the publication of the Menninger book and presented with the theory. Powers was the only person to respond. His first statement was basically a “no comment” but that he “admired the pursuit” Donahue was doing on the theory. Several months later Powers stated that if Hickey had shot the gun, Hickey would have had to shoot him, Powers, first since Powers was standing up at the time to take pictures. That statement was untrue. Not only was Powers seated, he was also in the right jump-seat, whereas Hickey was on the left rear seat. When confronted with that evidence, Powers revised his statement to say that “someone a foot away or two feet away from me couldn’t fire the gun without me hearing it.”
His wording is a little curious. It implies without stating conclusively that the gun wasn’t fired. Perhaps it was fired, and perhaps he knew it. His statement would still be true.
Dave Powers and Kenny O’Donnell (the other civilian in the follow-up car) were reported to believe that the shots came from the Grassy Knoll, and Powers told friends that he did not tell the whole truth to the Warren Commission because the Kennedy family, along with everyone else, wanted to put the events behind them. (http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=7330)
The criticism that McLaren should have contacted Dave Powers while researching his own book was unfounded; Menninger had already done it. The real question is whether Dave Powers actually heard the AR-15 go off. Could he have lied about it? Certainly, especially if the Kennedy family wanted to be spared the embarrassment of an accidental “friendly fire” shooting. He lied to Menninger—or at least was mistaken—about “standing up” in the car at the time of the head shot. His statement that “he would have known” if the gun was fired was ambiguous, perhaps deliberately so. If his statements to his friends were correct, he did not tell the Warren Commission the whole truth as he knew it. Perhaps he didn’t tell his friends the whole truth, either, telling friends that he thought the shots came from “the grassy knoll” rather than the follow-up car.
Gerald's Blaine book The Kennedy Detail states how Kennedy's "Irish Mafia" of political advisors (Powers, O'Donnell, and O'Brien--but especially Powers) were often at odds with the Kennedy detail of the Secret Service, planning heavy-duty political trips that allowed for no time for the agents to rest and encouraging Kennedy to be "accessible" to the people, especially in the motorcades. The "accessibility," while perhaps politically advantageous, made it more difficult for the Secret Service agents to protect Kennedy. The accessibility is what made Kennedy order the agents off the back of the presidential limousine, and while not directly responsible for Kennedy's death was at least a contributing factor. I think it entirely likely that Powers would lie about the AR-15 not going off, in order to protect Kennedy's image from an embarrassing accident, and perhaps also to insulate himself from any criticism of his own weakening of JFK's protective force. It was Powers' job to promote Kennedy's image while Kennedy was alive, and I believe that he continued to do so after Kennedy's death by lying about the accidental shot. It happened, after all, at the height of the Cold War, and knowledge of an accidental shooting by JFK's own bodyguard would have caused international embarrassment.
At any rate, Powers was the only person to respond to queries regarding the Menninger book: first a “no comment” (while simultaneously praising Donahue for his work); second, “I was standing, and Hickey would have hit me first” (a completely untrue statement); third, an ambiguous “I would have known…”; and finally a flat denial. Powers was known to lie in order to save the Kennedy family from embarrassment (he lied about Kennedy’s Addison’s Disease). It’s not inconceivable that he would lie about this. Meanwhile, all the Secret Service agents in the follow-up car were completely silent on the matter when contacted about Menninger’s upcoming book.