JFK: The Anatomy of the Back Wound

On November 22, 1963, the distinct 'crack' of rifle shots rang out in Dallas, Texas. President John F. Kennedy was mortally wounded as he and his lovely wife, Jackie, rode in a motorcade through downtown Dallas. The news swept the country in a matter of minutes. Within hours, most Americans were intently watching the news coverage of the events in Dallas. As news spread, so did the rumors. Who? Why? How? These questions still ring strong in the minds of many Americans from all generations and all walks of life.

The Warren Commission, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, was created as a fact finding body into the assassination of President Kennedy. During it's tenure, over 25,000 witnesses were interviewed resulting in 26 volumes of evidence and information. Their conclusion was that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. They found no credible evidence of a conspiracy in the assassination of President Kennedy.

Since the assassination itself, countless rumors and speculations have resulted in over 2000 books on the subject, mostly conspiracy based. Most Americans hold a strong opinion about the assassination. Most believe in a conspiracy. Many conspiracy believers feel that the autopsy photos alone bespeak conspiracy. However, most people do not know how to properly interpret the photographs. For many, the location of President Kennedy's back wound is grounds for conspiracy. For many, the wound 'appears' to be too low to be where the autopsists put it. This is the focus of this essay.

There are two primary issues regarding the back wound that are subject to numerous debates. The Warren Commission found that one bullet entered President Kennedy at the base of the neck, between the junction of the neck and the upper back. In medical terminology, this is referred to as the 'cervicothoracic junction'. The neck is comprised of seven 'cervical' vertebrae. The mid-back consists of twelve thoracic vertebrae. Hence, the junction of the two anatomical regions is called the 'cervicothoracic junction'. For most viewers not familiar with human anatomy, the wound 'appears' to be in the upper back, or the upper thoracic region. Many theorists feel rather strongly that this wound is at the level of the second or third thoracic vertebra. If true, then the findings of the Warren Commission are patently wrong and the suggestion of conspiracy becomes apparent. This is due to 'The Single Bullet Theory'.

The Single Bullet Theory

Immediately following the assassination, the Dallas police gathered information pertaining to the origin of the shots. Several witnesses placed the origin of the shots at the Texas School Book Depository. Three spent bullet casings were found on the floor near a window overlooking the parade route. Several boxes were stacked up and around the area, providing a protected view for a sniper to sit. A 6.5mm M91/38 Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, complete with 4-power scope was found on the opposite side of the building. This, along with the majority of witnesses, suggested that only three shots were fired.

President Kennedy was wounded once in the back and once in the head. The autopsy confirmed that the President was hit twice from behind. Governor Connally suffered numerous wounds. He suffered a wound to the far right upper back/shoulder, shattering a portion of his 5th rib. A large exit wound was found just below and to the left of his right nipple. He also suffered a wound to the right wrist that broke the radius bone in the right wrist/distal forearm. Lastly, a slight wound was found about six inches up from the left knee, slightly to the middle. This wound was slight and only penetrated a short distance. Another, slightly lesser known wound, was a result of the shooting. James Tague, a witness and parade spectator, was hit with an unknown projectile on the left cheek causing a minor scrape or laceration.

Several bullet fragments were found inside of the Presidential limousine and were attributed to the fatal headshot to President Kennedy. One nearly intact and pristine bullet was found on a stretcher at Parkland Memorial Hospital. This nearly pristine bullet has since been called the "Magic Bullet" by conspiricists and 'single assassin' researchers for years. Since only three shell casings were found, three shots must be accounted for. The Warren Commission found that one bullet missed and the second bullet hit President Kennedy in the upper back, exited the lower neck, entered Governor John Connally seated in front and slightly to the left of President Kennedy, exited his chest, entered and exited his right wrist and lodged itself into his left thigh. They concluded that the last shot hit President Kennedy in the head. The one bullet that missed has been theorized to have hit a curb, sending one or more metallic fragments in the direction of Tague, scraping him on the cheek. The bullet was never recovered. Some believe that Tague was hit by debris from the curb itself.

Conspiracy theorists feel that it is unreasonable that one bullet could cause so much damage and remain relatively intact. The point is not to discuss the feasibility of the 'Single Bullet Theory', but any reader interested should consult Dr. John Lattimer's seminal text entitled "Kennedy and Lincoln", regarding the ballistic feasibility of Governor Connally's and President Kennedy's wounds. To date, Dr. Lattimer has conducted more tests than any other person or organization pertaining specifically to the wounds and the ammunition used. His work is still cited regularly within the research community. However, the purpose of this essay is to discuss the autopsy findings regarding the location of President Kennedy's wounds and not the intricacies within. The author felt some background was imperative to the new reader. However, it IS imperative that the wound be at or very near the C7/T1 level of the spine in order for the 'Single Bullet Theory' to be possible. Therefore, we will examine the possibility. However, one must become familiar with the anatomy of the spine and upper back.

The spine consists of four regions. They are the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebral regions, as well as the sacrum. The spine is the portion of the skeleton that houses the spinal cord. The sacrum is the tailbone and consists of numerous 'fused' vertebral segments. It is considered part of the spine because four pairs of spinal nerves exit through foramen (openings) in the bone.

The cervical spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae. These seven vertebrae sit between the base of the skull and the 'rib-bearing' part of the spine, or the thoracic region.

The thoracic vertebrae consist of twelve 'rib-bearing' vertebrae. These twelve vertebrae make up the majority of the length of the 'back' and are situated between the cervical and lumbar vertebrae.

The lumbar region consists of five large vertebra and are situated between the thoracic region and the sacrum.

A pair of 'spinal nerves' exit between every two vertebrae. There are 8 pairs of cervical nerves (one pair exits between the skull and the first cervical vertebra), 12 pairs of thoracic nerves, 5 pairs of lumbar nerves and 4 pairs of sacral nerves. A pair of spinal nerves consists of one 'left' and one 'right' nerve of the corresponding level.