That stat about JFK's motorcade route change blew my mind

I was digging into the JFK assassination rabbit hole last weekend and found a detail I never caught before. The motorcade route was changed just 10 days before the visit, and the new route went right past the Texas School Book Depository. I stumbled on this in a forum post that linked to a 1963 Dallas newspaper archive showing the original planned route. It took me maybe 2 hours to verify it against the Warren Commission report online. Still not sure what to make of it, but it definitely threw me. Anyone else find a small detail like this that shifted how you see a big event?

3 comments

3 Comments

samjohnson17d ago

Whoa, that's a pretty wild rabbit hole to fall into. It's one thing to hear about the assassination but actually digging into the route change yourself, that's heavy. Respect for taking the time to verify it against the report, that kind of detail can really make you wonder about the whole thing.

evaallen16d ago

Nah I gotta be real with you, I think this one gets way overblown. Route changes happen all the time for presidential visits, it's not some secret conspiracy every time. I spent maybe 15 minutes looking into it and found that the original route was changed because of rain and construction delays, pretty boring stuff. The book depository was just a natural spot on the new route since it was a main street. People see a detail like this and want it to mean something bigger but sometimes a simple explanation is all there is.

adamgreen6d ago

Funny you mention this, I actually came across a podcast interview with a former Secret Service agent who talked about route planning back then. He said route changes were pretty common, but what stuck with me was that the new route through Dealey Plaza was actually a last minute compromise because the original plan went through a narrow street that was tough to secure. It kind of made the whole thing feel less sinister but still creepy how it all lined up.

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