Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

第二章 With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

Chapter II details forensic examinations of items linked to Lee Harvey Oswald, including counterfeit Hidell documents (Selective Service notice, Certificate of Service), a vaccination certificate, a Fair Play for Cuba Committee card, an unsigned Russian-language note, and the homemade paper bag found on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The chapter also introduces wound ballistics experiments conducted to evaluate whether the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle and Western Cartridge Co. bullets found at the scene could have produced the wounds sustained by President Kennedy and Governor Connally.

The Hidell Certificate of Service

Forensic experts examined the Hidell Selective Service System Notice of Classification and Certificate of Service and concluded both were counterfeits produced from photographs of Oswald’s genuine documents, with the original typed and handwritten material opaqued out of the negatives using a red opaque substance. The signature “Alek J. Hidell” was identified as Oswald’s handwriting, while the signature “Good Hoffer” was illegible but not inconsistent with Oswald’s writing. A photograph of Oswald was inserted into the lower left corner of the Hidell notice, and new information was typed into the resulting blanks, substituting values such as “GR” for “Blue” (eye color), “BROWN” for “Brn” (hair), “5’9”“ for “5’11”“ (height), and “155” for “150” (weight). On the Certificate of Service, the words “ALEK JAMES HIDELL” were typed in place of Oswald’s name, with sidelight photographs revealing the words had been stencil-typed at least twice before ribbon-typing to check centering. A photo of Oswald was inserted in the signature space for the local board, and dates “OCT. 13 1958” and “OCT. 12 1961” were typed in for the beginning and end of active service, though the impression was faint and other stenciled dates appeared under microscopic examination. Vertical and diagonal indentations resembling a capital “H” appeared in the signature blank, possibly made by a sharp, non-inking instrument. Experts concluded the counterfeiting required only elementary photographic knowledge and modest practice—perhaps half a dozen attempts—with retouching practice possible using the balance of negatives found at the Paine garage.