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

This chapter describes the extensive wound ballistics tests conducted by the U.S. Army Chemical Research and Development Laboratories at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, on behalf of the Warren Commission. It details the qualifications of the testing scientists, the general conditions under which the tests were performed, and a series of experiments designed to simulate the wounds sustained by President Kennedy and Governor Connally during the assassination. The chapter covers tests on bullet penetration and stability, simulations of the neck, chest, wrist, and head wounds, and concludes with expert testimony on hairs and fibers found on key exhibits.

The Testers and Their Qualifications

At the request of the Commission, the Wound Ballistics Branch of the U.S. Army Chemical Research and Development Laboratories at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, conducted an extensive series of tests. The tests were performed by Dr. Alfred G. Olivier under the general supervision of Dr. Arthur J. Dziemian, with consultation from Dr. Frederick W. Light, Jr. Dr. Olivier received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1953 and has been engaged in wound ballistics research at Edgewood Arsenal since 1957, currently serving as chief of the Wound Ballistics Branch. Dr. Dziemian, chief of the Biophysics Division, holds a Ph.D. from Princeton (1939) and has been engaged in wound ballistics work at Edgewood Arsenal since 1947, with prior research fellowships in physiology and anatomy. Dr. Light received both his M.D. (1930) and Ph.D. (1948) from Johns Hopkins, worked as a pathologist, and has been studying the pathology of wounding at Edgewood Arsenal since 1951. All three scientists testified before the Commission.