Parkland Hospital, Inside Trauma Room One | Voices from the Oral History Collection

This is a compilation of oral histories featuring individuals on staff at Parkland Memorial Hospital the weekend of the assassination in 1963. President Kennedy was rushed to the facility on November 22, where he was later pronounced dead. Oswald too, received emergency treatment for a gunshot wound he would die from. Incidentally, it was the same hospital where Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, a murder witnessed by many on live television, later died from cancer complications on January 3, 1967.

[phill.]

I'm glad this is an oral history without any controversey or divisive opinions.

[JFKJustTheFacts]

Even though they lost the man, no one can deny that these men and women were heroes. They gave everything they had in the face of insurmountable odds. That's inspiring and admirable. Regardless of whether you trust their testimonies or not.

[RANDY]

The assassination of JFK takes me back to when I was a 7 year old boy living in NYC in the 3rd grade when we was interrupted by a teacher coming in our class room whispering in my teacher's ear telling her that JFK had been shot my teacher broke down and she cried in front of the class and told us that we have to go to the Auditorium so all classes went to the Auditorium and our principal told us that our President JFK had be shot and that the school is dismiss for the day, this was around 1pm EST on a Friday we were in shock, I ran home to tell my mother like she didn't know lol, a very sad day in America that I will never forget.

[LePubPattaya]

I was there two weeks ago and watched as the old hospital building was being demolished.
I can understand that Parkland is now a major medical site, but it would have been nice to save the building for history.

[spockboy]

I read that they recently tore Parkland Memorial Hospital down. Piece of history.

[ronniebishop]

I was spending the night with a friend and late at night I heard on the radio that Bobby Kennedy had been killed in Los Angeles. I told my friends parents at breakfast and they didn’t want to believe it.

[oleradiodudea.m.]

Sad. Glad I saw Tx Book Depository and Parkland.

[chipps]

President Kennedy never made it to Parkland.A terrible day for this country.

[ronniebishop]

I was 13 on a Friday and we spent all weekend in trauma, trying to figure out if this was the start of a war with Russia. Because Kennedy had been in hot relationships with them, and Cuba. And then Jack Ruby killed Oswald and antennas shot up with another awful thought? You know what that was!!!

[sammyday]

The hospital (at least this infamous trauma room area and ambulance entrance) were still there when I visited on May 20, 2023.

[CatDaddySteve]

Dr Caracco was the very first Dr to receive John followed by Dr Perry

[davidpeek]

the Warren Commission not interview any of the Dallas doctors?

[Sbhas]

Amen Praise The Lord Praying In Jesus Name Amen

[THEREALMOONA]

Man Jackie Kennedy is one the strongest son of guns in the world. Salute to her. For real. They don’t make em like her anymore.

[stewartj]

I had always read it was George Burkley who yelled, “give him some steroids!”. I bet Burkley said that to Carrico, and carrico ordered it, leading this doctor to believe it was carrico’s idea.

[DavidRowbotham-gukz]

The singer meatloaf is in these photo's, check out his story.

[ronniebishop]

At this point in my life, I don’t believe anything these people have to say, because they are changing their stories from what they said the first day? 😅

[WallyBernhardt]

I know Meatloaf and Dennis Quaid were in the parking lot at Parkland that day. I was five and was at my aunts house and was watching TV in the basement when I heard the news, I went up and told my mom and aunt and they didn't believe me.

[stewartj]

Crenshaw and his book…lol, good grief. The one doctor who wasn’t in the room very long, and most doctors don’t even recall seeing him there, has the most to say. He was just a junior resident at the time. Dr. Jones said “I don’t remember Dr. Crenshaw in the room.” Dr. Jenkins said “I dont remember him in there at any time, but he may have been.” “Neither do I” said Dr. Baxter.
Dr. Perry said “I feel sorry for him, I thought about suing him, but when I saw him on tv promoting his book, my anger melted. He has to know that what he said is false. And he knows the rest of us know that. You have to pity him, what a way to end his career. His story is filled with half truths and insinuations. And those of us who know him know he is desperate. He is a pitiful sight.”
The only other doctor who still believes the head wound was on the rear of the head is Dr.Robert McClelland., Dr Perry said “I am astonished Bob would say that, I guess a last point is that Bob and Groden (conspiracy author) are such good friends I believe it has changed his attitude, I’m sure he thinks he saw that and has developed it in his mind, but his memory is just completely wrong and the autopsy photos and X-rays prove that”. Dr. Jenkins said, “Bob is an excellent surgeon, I hate to say Bob is mistaken but that is clearly not right”. Mcclelland was taken to the national archives in 1988 for the Walter Kronkite documentary “the men who killed Kennedy” to view the autopsy photos, and saw the head wound on the side, and agreed that is what he saw that day, and said “that shows how even a trained observer can make an error in a moment of urgency”. The reason for this discrepancy is obvious if you have seen the autopsy photos, jfk had a lot of hair, and since he was laying on his back, all the blood and brain matter drained down and dripped off the back of his head, it really does look like a rear wound from the photo, before all the blood and brain matter was cleaned up.

[EsmaelGonzales-yt]

I don't care what anyone says, it was JFK's misfortune that this happened to him, in this evil town, then to be transported to what seemed like the most unprepared bunch of doctors, whose hospital equipment was not even satisfactorily set up to be able save a dog involved in a hit-and-run accident! And, if u notice, these doctors did not come close to describing JFK's wounds to his head! There was a video once, which of course we wont ever see now, that showed the big portion of JFK's skull&brain tissue, on the back of his head, fall into a medical pan that was resting on a small cart at the head of the medical bed on which he was laying! His eyes were open, staring straight up at the ceiling, no pain visible on his face! The doctors don't mention at all that JFK's skull was nearly blown off, at the back of his head! That clearly indicates that he was shot from the front! The video clearly showed that the back of his head, with plenty of brain tissue, was falling out! Why did these incompetent doctors cover that up, inspite of the video evidence!? RIP, JFK! May those responsible for that act on November 22nd, 1963, be burning in hell for taking such a leader from us! 🙏🙏