John Lattimer

Dr. John Kingsley Lattimer (October 14, 1914, in Mount Clemens, Michigan - May 10, 2007 in Teaneck, New Jersey) was a urologist who did extensive research on the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations, becoming the first medical specialist not affiliated with the United States government to examine the medical evidence related to the John F. Kennedy assassination.^[1] Dr. Lattimer studied at Columbia University and was chairman of the urology department at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University for 25 years.^[2] He wrote 375 papers helping to establish pediatric urology as a field and is credited with developing a cure for renal tuberculosis.^[1]

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US Army Doctor, World War II

During World War II, Dr. Lattimer served as an army physician and treated D-Day casualties in the field. Lattimer was attached to General Patton's Third Army and participated in Patton's drive across France. Lattimer frequently related a story where, on the occasion of Patton's first crossing of the Rhine River, he observed Patton stop in the middle of the bridge and urinate over the side into the river. Later, Lattimer treated high-ranking Nazis at the Nuremberg war crime trials including Herman Goering and he served as general medical officer at the Nuremburg Trials, attending to the medical needs of the war crimes defendants.^[3]Albert Speer^[2]

Author of Biography of Nazi Leaders

In 1999, Lattimer wrote Hitler’s Fatal Sickness and Other Secrets of the Nazi Leaders based largely on this experience.^[1] In this book he theorized that Hitler exhibited the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, which he demonstrates with examples of his deteriorating signature and photographs of Hitler clutching objects to prevent his hand from trembling. Lattimer further proposed that Hitler's discovery of his illness was a factor in postponing Germany's attack on England in late 1940 and directing his attention towards Russia.

Professor of Urology, Columbia University

After the war, Lattimer spent 25 years at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he was a professor and chairman of the urology department.^[1] His patients included Katharine Hepburn, Charles Lindbergh, Dmitri Shostakovich, Itzhak Perlman and Greta Garbo.^[3]

Investigator into Kennedy Assassination

The Kennedy family chose him in 1972 as the first nongovernmental expert to examine evidence taken at Kennedy's autopsy.^[1] Lattimer performed ballistic tests and other research to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald was likely the sniper who shot and killed President John F. Kennedy from the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. Lattimer frequently performed a demonstration of Oswald's shooting, firing three well-aimed shots within 8.3 seconds with a rifle identical to Oswald's and under the same firing conditions. By doing so Lattimer intended to disprove that Oswald was unable to perform such a feat. He continued to perform this demonstration well into his late 80s. Lattimer owned Oswald's Marine shooting record which he said showed that Oswald was an excellent shot. In 1980, Dr. Lattimer wrote a book: KENNEDY AND LINCOLN, Medical & Ballistic Comparisons of Their Assassinations (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980) in which he did an investigation of both presidential assassinations and supported the findings of the Warren Commission.^[3] In his book, Lattimer theorized that President Kennedy's arms exhibited the "Thorburn Position" with elbows extended and arms folded inward, as a neurological reaction to the bullet wound to his spine.

Collector of Military Artifacts

Lattimer resided in Englewood, New Jersey.^[3] His 30-room Englewood home contained an extensive collection of military paraphernalia, including "medieval armor, Revolutionary and Civil War rifles and swords, a pile of cannonballs, World War II machine guns and German Lugers, and drawings by Adolf Hitler."^[1]

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