Posted on by Mr. Holga

Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012

Monday, July 2, 2012, marks the beginning of my Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012 for my book, Death by Holga: 11.22.63. Initially, I was calling this jaunt around the country my Southwest by Southwest Tour, because of the airline I am using. But they are not paying me for any endorsement, so that title has been nixed.

Starting on Monday and ending Friday, I will be making eleven stops to photograph the people, places and things associated with the Kennedy assassination.

Here is my itinerary:

  • Monday, July 2
  • Tuesday, July 3
    • Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, IL
      Lee Harvey Oswald’s original gravestone
    • Chicago, IL
      Jack Ruby’s grave – Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters as Oswald was being transferred to the county jail.
      Karyn Cookie Kupcinet’s grave – Kupcinet is rumored to have been killed for her silence in the Kennedy assassination.
      Klein’s Sporting Goods – Klein’s is the business that sold the rifle to Lee Harvey Oswald via mail order.
    • Fly to Detroit, MI
  • Wednesday, July 4
  • Thursday, July 5
    • Waynesville, NC
      Kennedy Limo Driver William Greer’s grave
    • Athens, GA
      Kennedy’s Secretary of State Dean Rusk’s grave
    • Commerce, GA
      Warren Commission Member U.S. Senator Richard Russell’s grave
    • Fly to Tampa, FL
  • Friday, July 6
    • Tampa, FL
      Kennedy’s Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman’s grave
    • Fly to Dallas

I have a very tight schedule. I will be traveling most of the time with a very limited amount of time for sleeping and showering. It will be just me, a camera bag and a small carry-on bag. I expect to walk off the plane to the rental car bus, which will take me to my waiting car. I have Gold Plus Rewards status with the car rental agency I will be using, so there will be no waiting in lines for my ride.

Important Stops

Other than President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, whose graves I have already photographed, these are the most important stops for my book. Because the list of people, places and things associated with the Kennedy assassination is nearly endless, I have chosen to focus on the most important and iconic photographs for my book. My goal is to photograph everyone in Kennedy’s limo and some of the people at the Texas School Book Depository, Dealey Plaza and on Air Force One.

Names in italics are those that I still need to find and photograph.

The completion of the Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012 will mean that I have enough photographs to start assembling my book, Death by Holga: 11.22.63.

Bonuses

There are a few perks along the way. While in Chicago, I will be stopping by the Hemingway birthplace home in Oak Park, IL. Hemingway is my favorite author and I would love for my next book to be Death by Holga: Hemingway.

Also in the Chicago area, while I am photographing the graves of Jack Ruby and Karyn Kupcinet, I have the opportunity to get the graves of film critic Gene Siskel, The Brady Bunch actor Robert Reed, Where the Sidewalk Ends poet Shel Silverstein and mob boss Al Capone. I don’t know if I have time for all of these, but I will sure try.

Find a Grave

I am using Find a Grave (findagrave.com) for most of my grave hunting. Find a Grave is a great resource for locating graves of famous and not-so famous people. If Find a Grave does not have a particular grave listed, a request can be made to have a local Find a Grave volunteer, like myself, find and photograph it.

I have created a virtual cemetery of all the people I will try to find on my Kennedy Assassination Tour Summer 2012. Click here to view my virtual cemetery.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

I will be updating my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages during this trip. I will have lots of down time in airports to make regular updates. Please follow along and send me a message or two. My tour is a one man adventure and I could use the company. Cheers.