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Correspondence between Gordon Arnold and Mary Seymore dated 11/30/1963
Correspondence between Gordon Arnold and Mary Seymore dated 11/30/1963

Correspondence between Gordon Arnold and Mary Seymore dated 11/30/1963

Object number2006.003.0013
Date11/30/1963
ClassificationsDocuments
Author Gordon Arnold
ObjectLetter
Credit LineGordon Arnold Family Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumPaper
Dimensions9 1/2 x 6 in. (24.1 x 15.2 cm)
Collections
DescriptionOne page handwritten letter and envelope. Correspondence between Gordon Arnold and Mary Seymore dated November 30, 1963. The letter from Gordon Arnold to his wife Mary Seymore is on cream stationery with an image of a hotel building and "The Vance Downtown Motor Hotel on Stewart and Seventh Ave. Seattle 1, Wash" in blue at the top of the sheet. Contents of the letter, exactly as written: "Dearest Mary: I am in Seattle Washington now but I still have to go to Tacoma, Wash to get to McCord Air Force base. Sat I'm going to try and get some movie picture of the world fair. If it doesn't cost too much. Doug gave me movie film I can sure use it. I still haven't opened your package yet. The trip up was long but it passed pretty good. You should have seen the mountains covered with snow, the foggy ground around bodies of water and the sunset at 28,000 ft. Wish you could have been with me. Will write when I get to permanent assignment. I'll love you always, Gordon" The envelope is also on Vance Motor Hotel stationery and is postmarked 3:30 PM 30 Nov 1963. "Nov. 29, 1963 #1" written in pencil in lower right corner. Left edge is torn open. Gordon Arnold claimed to have been in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, positioned on the grassy knoll. According to his story a bullet was fired at the president from some point over and behind Arnold's left shoulder. He hit the ground. He said two police officers confiscated the film from his camera. He then left to take up his military post in Alaska. His story remains highly controversial.
Curatorial Commentary
In 2006, the widow and son of the late Gordon Arnold recorded an oral history with the Museum and donated a collection of his 1960s correspondence and material. This November 30, 1963, letter, written by Arnold to his future wife, is interesting because it contains no mention of Arnold's alleged eyewitness account of the Kennedy assassination just one week earlier. However, Arnold later admitted that he was deeply disturbed by his experience in Dealey Plaza and rarely spoke of it. - Stephen Fagin, Associate Curator