The Bubbletop

[Steve McGuire]

I have always heard it explained that the bubbletop to Kennedy's car was removed at Love Field because "it had quit raining". Assume for a moment that it hadn't quit raining...what was the conspirator's plan B to kiill JFK? Shooting through the bubbletop doesn't sound too plausible so what would have happened to their well-laid plans? Was it really just an act of nature that allowed the assassination to proceed? Never heard anyone comment on this.

[kenmurray]

JFK And The Bubbletop:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fJrnxzowSE

[bob franklin]

At the very least the top would've provided a great deal more forensic evidence as to the direction & number of shots, provided any photographic/video record were allowed to survive.

[Dealey Joe]

I doubt very much if the Bubble top was used, seldom if ever.It had stopped raining so why would they use it.The top was used in order to make JFK visible even in bad weatherand not as a protective device in my opinionI think there was also a hard top.

[Barney]

10/14/10Members; the plan would have aborted had the " bubbletop" been used that day on the motorcade. There were radiomenat Love Field, along the route to downtown, and in the Plaza, to alert the various shooter teams of any sudden route orother changes in the motorcade configuration or using the special top. One must understand however, this special Linc.stretch limo, the longest ever produced by the specialty auto company hired, was not armor plated, nor was the topbulletproff lexan like used in bank teller windows. Any thick windshield however would cause bullet defections.

[Barney]

Just began reading a very good book by Jim Bishop, " The Day Kennedy Was Shot" pub. in 1968 by Funk & Wagnalls. It waswritten and published much to the anger and chagrin of Bobby and Jackie Kennedy, who refused adamantly to endorse thebook in any way, or to permit their family and friends to give interviews under threat of banishment from the clan.Mr. Bishop had met a number of times with Pres. Kennedy when he was writing for various newspapers and magazinesabout the Camelot White House years. He and Kennedy got along well, and Kennedy suggested that he compile his articlesinto a book before the 1964 election campaign.Bishop mentions that thte "Bubbletop" for this 21 ft. long 1961 Linc. limousine was in 4 sections that had to be screwedand bolted down to the bed of the car, so it was not a quick nor easy task to perform. Thus, there was virtual constantcontact from the Sec. Service officers in Ft. Worth, and the Kennedy guys, as to whether or not this top would be used.The final word came from Kennedy aide Ken O'Donnell, to not use the top unless it began to rain all over again by the timeAir Force One arrived at Love field and the start of the assembly of the official motorcade began. Mrs. Kennedy expressedthe desire that the top be on the car when in room 850 of the Texas Hotel in Dallas, but Jack Kennedy declined since it wouldbe hot in the car, and he wanted the people along the streets to see him and his beautiful wife Jackie up close and personal.It was his opinion, that on the campaign trail, so much security hampered the campaign efforts, distancing him from thosehe wished to woo into voting for him, and he was also very mindful that he had only beaten VP Dick Nixon by about 120,000votes in the election.

[Barney]

Other interesting facts about Kennedy's 1961 Linc. Limo was not only its length, 21 feet, but that it had special leather upholsterydesigned by Jackie, it had room for 7 passengers, the driver, secret service agent associate, two on the jump seats and three onthe back row seats. Jack had access to dual sidepanel telephone system where he could communicate with the secret service members, the White House, and to anywhere in the world, via White House telephone switchboard patching of calls. This veryspecial limo also had seat elevator motors below the seat, where the Pres. could raise or lower his position in the limo so thathe and the crowds lining the streets could see better. People who are JFK haters and detractors, forget that he was a very kindman, perhaps due to his own many physical illnesses since being a youth, that he often had the limo stop to greet school children,Boy Scout groups, and also in Dallas, at the entrance to a Catholic cathedral on the way to his death in Dealey Plaza. His one most obvious fault was his love of beautiful young women, but always being wealth, handsome, charming, witty, how can anyonereally fault such a man for liking women and them adoring him. Barney

[Dealey Joe]

I kina like girls myself and I aint rich or pretty. Cell phone tecknology was very poor in 1963, I just wonder how that worked?What I can't find anyone who knows is "Who had the Football"

[katisha]

JoeBugliosi says Warrant Officer Ira D. Gearhart had the football. (Four Days in November, p12)Yeah, I know, I know, but no-one's ever said he got every fact wrong - more like just ignored any inconvenient ones Might give you somewhere to start looking, anyway.

[Dealey Joe]

Thanks KatishaThat is something I have always wondered about.I would like to know more aout it like where he was ect.Your's is the first answers I have received about this andI have asked it several times in different places.I also would like to know about the technology in 1963, cell phones and all