Mr. Specter.

Could that missile have traversed Governor Connally's chest without having him know it immediately or instantaneously?
Commander HUMES. I believe so. I have heard reports, and have been told by my professional associates of any number of instances where people received penetrating wounds in various portions of the body and have only the sensation of a slight discomfort or slight slap or some other minor difficulty from such a missile wound. I am sure he would be aware that something happened to him, but that he was shot, I am not certain.

Representative Ford.

Would that have been the potential reaction of the President when first hit, as shown in 385?
Commander HUMES. It could very easily be one of some type of an injury--I mean the awareness that he had been struck by a missile, I don't know, but people have been drilled through with a missile and didn't know it.

Mr. Specter.

Dr. Humes, under your opinion which you have just given us, what effect, if any, would that have on whether this bullet, 399, could have been the one to lodge in Governor Connally's thigh?
Commander HUMES. I think that extremely unlikely. The reports, again Exhibit 392 from Parkland, tell of an entrance wound on the lower midthigh of the Governor, and X-rays taken there are described as showing metallic fragments in the bone, which apparently by this report were not removed and are still present in Governor Connally's thigh. I can't conceive of where they came from this missile.

Representative Ford.

The missile identified as Exhibit 399.
Commander HUMES. 399, sir.

Mr. Specter.

Doctor Humes, would you have an opinion as to whether the wounds on Governor Connally's wrist and thigh were caused by the same bullet?
Commander HUMES. In reading the description of the fragmentation that was found, fragments were found in the wrist, one fragment was found imbedded in his femur, I would feel it was definitely within the realm of possibility that the same missile could have produced both of those injuries.

Mr. Specter.

Those are all my questions, Mr. Chief Justice.

The Chairman.

Are there any other questions? If not, thank you very much, Commander. You have been very helpful to us, indeed.
Commander HUMES. Thank you very much, sir.

The Chairman.

Thank you.

Mr. Specter.

Commander Boswell.

Mr. Mccloy.

May I ask one more question?

The Chairman.

Of course you may.

Mr. Mccloy.

Earlier in the afternoon we had taken out of cellophane bags here the clothing of the President.
Commander HUMES. Yes, sir.

Mr. Mccloy.

And amongst them was the shirt.
Commander HUMES. Yes, sir.

Mr. Mccloy.

From your examination of the wounds, of the defects, I guess you would call it in the shirt Commander HUMES. Yes, sir.

Mr. Mccloy.

Would you from examining the tissues of that shirt have any conclusions as to how that wound, how that missile passed through the shirt? Was it from the rear to the front, or from the front to the rear?
Commander HUMES. As I examined that exhibit today, sir, the threads are fragmented and distorted in such a fashion which would indicate to me that the missile passed through the shirt from the rear to the front.

Comdr. J. Thornton Boswell

Testimony of Comdr. J. Thornton , Medical Corps, Boswell

U.S. NAVY

The Chairman.

Commander Boswell, will you raise your right hand and be sworn, please?
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you give before this Commission will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?