Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Charles Brehm
Charles F. Brehm (January 14, 1925 – August 11, 1996) was a very close witness to the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.
Brehm was a World War II veteran who served in the United States Army Rangers who fought and was wounded at the Omaha Beach invasion at Pointe du Hoc, France, during D-Day. He later also served during the Korean War.
Charles F. Brehm and his 5-year-old son, Joe, were standing in the Dealey Plaza north infield grass, a few feet south of the south curb of Elm Street. They were across the street from Abraham Zapruder and the Dealey Plaza grassy knoll. Both Brehm and Joe can be clearly seen in the Zapruder film.
When the presidential limousine turned from Main Street onto Houston Street, Brehm and his son watched from the northwest side of the intersection. After watching the turn, Brehm and Joe quickly ran northwestward across the "north infield grass" towards the south curb of Elm Street. They hoped to catch another glimpse of the President. They were standing close to the south curb, directly across the street from Bill and Gayle Newman and their two boys. The location was about 20 feet northeast from close assassination witnesses Jean Hill, and Mary Moorman, as the limousine rounded the 120-degree slow turn from Houston Street onto Elm Street. The movie-filming "babushka lady" was standing nearby to Brehm's right backside.
Brehm said President Kennedy was approaching him, and was only 30 feet (9.1 m) away, when his son began to wave to President Kennedy. President Kennedy started to wave back, then Brehm heard the first shot he remembered hearing. Kennedy did not start waving until Zapruder film frame Z-171, which was after live oak tree branches and foliage had already temporarily hidden the President from Z-162 to Z-208 from being seen by anyone in the Texas School Book Depository's sixth-floor window.
Brehm stated to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that "he could see the President's face very well, the President was seated, but was leaning forward when he stiffened perceptibly. He seemed to stiffen and come to a pause. The first shot Brehm remembered hearing was also the first shot that impacted the President. The President reacted immediately to the impact."
When the President was 15 to 25 feet (4.6 to 7.6 m) away, just past Brehm's location, Brehm remembered hearing a second shot that struck President Kennedy in the head. Brehm watched the President's "hair fly up, ripple, and bits of brain and bone went flying, and then roll over to his side." President Kennedy "slumped all the way down".
On the third anniversary of the assassination, Brehm stated that he was "more than satisfied" with the Warren Commission's findings. Although he was not called to provide testimony to the commission, Brehm stated: "I see no reason why I should be called. I did not see the man who shot him. I did not see the shots fired. I don't feel that anything I would have said would have had any bearing on their outcome." He described books then-recently published by Warren Commission critics as "nothing but cheap sensationalism".
Hub AI
Charles Brehm AI simulator
(@Charles Brehm_simulator)
Charles Brehm
Charles F. Brehm (January 14, 1925 – August 11, 1996) was a very close witness to the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.
Brehm was a World War II veteran who served in the United States Army Rangers who fought and was wounded at the Omaha Beach invasion at Pointe du Hoc, France, during D-Day. He later also served during the Korean War.
Charles F. Brehm and his 5-year-old son, Joe, were standing in the Dealey Plaza north infield grass, a few feet south of the south curb of Elm Street. They were across the street from Abraham Zapruder and the Dealey Plaza grassy knoll. Both Brehm and Joe can be clearly seen in the Zapruder film.
When the presidential limousine turned from Main Street onto Houston Street, Brehm and his son watched from the northwest side of the intersection. After watching the turn, Brehm and Joe quickly ran northwestward across the "north infield grass" towards the south curb of Elm Street. They hoped to catch another glimpse of the President. They were standing close to the south curb, directly across the street from Bill and Gayle Newman and their two boys. The location was about 20 feet northeast from close assassination witnesses Jean Hill, and Mary Moorman, as the limousine rounded the 120-degree slow turn from Houston Street onto Elm Street. The movie-filming "babushka lady" was standing nearby to Brehm's right backside.
Brehm said President Kennedy was approaching him, and was only 30 feet (9.1 m) away, when his son began to wave to President Kennedy. President Kennedy started to wave back, then Brehm heard the first shot he remembered hearing. Kennedy did not start waving until Zapruder film frame Z-171, which was after live oak tree branches and foliage had already temporarily hidden the President from Z-162 to Z-208 from being seen by anyone in the Texas School Book Depository's sixth-floor window.
Brehm stated to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that "he could see the President's face very well, the President was seated, but was leaning forward when he stiffened perceptibly. He seemed to stiffen and come to a pause. The first shot Brehm remembered hearing was also the first shot that impacted the President. The President reacted immediately to the impact."
When the President was 15 to 25 feet (4.6 to 7.6 m) away, just past Brehm's location, Brehm remembered hearing a second shot that struck President Kennedy in the head. Brehm watched the President's "hair fly up, ripple, and bits of brain and bone went flying, and then roll over to his side." President Kennedy "slumped all the way down".
On the third anniversary of the assassination, Brehm stated that he was "more than satisfied" with the Warren Commission's findings. Although he was not called to provide testimony to the commission, Brehm stated: "I see no reason why I should be called. I did not see the man who shot him. I did not see the shots fired. I don't feel that anything I would have said would have had any bearing on their outcome." He described books then-recently published by Warren Commission critics as "nothing but cheap sensationalism".