Ruth Paine-Miss Innocent?

[Dealey Joe]

1996 Update:Possible Discovery of an AutomobileUsed In the JFK ConspiracyCopyright © 1997 by Richard Bartholomewhttp://www.acorn.net/jfkplace/09/fp.back_issue ... .html"Ruth and Michael Pentz":Beginning on Oct. 17, 1994, I received the following information in a series of letters, the first dated Oct. 8, 1994, from Robert E. Doran, a student of the JFK assassination, and possible witness to a "Paine" Rambler station wagon: Robert Edwin Doran.Mr. Doran wrote that he had just completed a cursory reading of my Rambler manuscript. He had obtained it the day before from Prevailing Winds Research. Doran said he may have one small piece of the puzzle concerning the "Paine / Rambler" that was seen in Dealey Plaza.He said that in the early 1960's he was stationed at Carswell AFB, at Fort Worth, Texas. He was assigned to a Heavy Bomb Wing and worked in an Armaments & Electronics Squadron. This was a maintenance support squadron for SAC nuclear bombers. The primary aircraft was the Boeing B-52. Doran said this assignment required a "Secret" level of security clearance for flight line access. For approximately eighteen months, Doran claims, he worked with an individual that he now believes to have been Michael Paine. Doran was his immediate supervisor.Doran said the individual in question at that time used another name. These events occurred in 1960 and early 1961, ending when Doran received an Honorable Discharge after completion of a four-year enlistment. He said he now feels that events he witnessed, involving "Michael Paine," were a part of a "security program" that was connected with military intelligence.Doran said he had recently seen a PBS TV special that included an interview with Michael & Ruth Paine. This reinforced his past associations with them, he said. Doran and his wife had spent some time in their house after duty hours. "The similarities between the 'Air Force couple' and the historic Paines are remarkable," Doran wrote.He said that I might be interested in "the fact that the Air Force couple owned a Rambler station wagon! It was about three to five years old and in very good condition. I remember this very well because of the kidding that we gave this individual about such a non-cool car."Doran said he had previously read about the Dealey Plaza Rambler. But he had always considered it to be one of those "tangents" that the JFK study takes at times. Doran said he never gave it much credence until he read my "thesis about the Paine / Rambler connection."He said he thought that I might be interested in pursuing this "if possible at this point in time." Despite my interest, and the impossibility of devoting sufficient time to it over the last two-and-a-half years, I still believe Mr. Doran when he said: "I promise you that this is not a 'crack pot' thing."There are aspects to his story that either test my belief in his honesty, or speak to the ultimate importance of investigating his allegations further. Doran added that another possible historical JFK figure was also assigned to his "shop." "His military record name," said Doran, "was Charles Melvin Coffey! Another of the "Spooks" as we refereed [sic] to them."A number of months before Doran's release date, several new "recruits" suddenly appeared in his work station. "These very young 'enlisted men' did not have the typical entry background into the USAF. Neither did the individual that I now consider to be Michael Paine. One of these 'new' individuals may have been Kerry Thornley!"Doran volunteered the following information about himself:Birth date: Jul. 4, 1937Place of Birth: Oakmont, Delaware County, Pa.USAF Enlistment: Mar. 1, 1957; sworn in at Frankfort Arsenal recruiting center, Philadelphia, Pa.USAF Serial Number: AF13608965 (later corrected as 13607965)Basic Training: Lackland AFB, TexasTechnical Training: June 1957, Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TexasAFSC: 4732, "Aircraft Electrical Systems Repairman" (specialist in auto pilot / compass systems)Clearance Rating: Secret (allowed flight line access)Permanent Assignment: Nov. 1957, Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, TexasWork Assignment: 7th Field Maintenance Squadron Electric ShopTransfer: Dec. 1958, 7th Armaments & Electronics Squadron Auto Pilot / Compass Systems ShopDoran reported that his duties were to bench test aircraft components for acceptance and serviceability. His shop had five people assigned to it in 1959. In mid-summer, 1960, his shop's assignments were combined with those of "flight line only," "Auto Pilot" personnel working in another building. They were housed in one work area in a different building which had much higher security.In about August 1959, according to Doran, a man named Michael David Pentz was assigned to the 7th A&E Squadron Auto Pilot shop. Doran claimed Pentz did not have a "normal entry" into the Air Force. "He had not been through the Lackland Air Force Basic Training center nor a USAF Technical Training school, as far as I could determine."Bob Doran described Pentz, who preferred to be called David, as about 27 to 30 years old (which he later changed to "mid-twenties), Caucasian, small build, about five feet, six inches tall (later changed to 5'-7"), 140 lbs, with light brown hair. He did not smoke. He was from the Northeast, but never indicated to Doran exactly where. "He was a very tight lipped individual," Doran said, "especially about personal information." The only exception to this, according to Doran, was a personal conversation in which Pentz confided to Doran that he and his wife "were having deep sexual problems...."According to Pentz's wife, "Ruth Pentz," he had some previous "engineering" courses in college. They had two pre-school children, according to Doran, "ages about 2 & 4 years old." (Doran later wrote that his own wife remembers "Ruth" Pentz as "Katie, as in Kathryn" Pentz. He admitted that his wife's memory is better than his, but Bob Doran still remembers the name as "Ruth.")Doran described Katie/Ruth as "about 30 years" old, "slender build and perhaps 5'-7" [later changed to 5'-8"], being somewhat taller" than Michael. "She wore horn rimmed glasses that made her look older," said Doran. "She said that she was a registered nurse and was working at a hospital/clinic in Fort Worth. She was from the southeast area of Pennsylvania, again only vague references as to where. She was self described as belonging to some kind of 'Friends' organization [Doran later changed this to 'The Brethren' religious organization"]. She described this as being similar to the 'Quakers.'"Doran later said Katie/Ruth was an RN, requiring a Texas nursing license, and that she "worked the floor" at "All-Saints Hospital, in Fort Worth," during 1960-61. He also said his own wife received her original LVN nurses training there in 1959, and worked in the "OR ( surgery ) at the same period" that Katie/Ruth Pentz was there.Bob Doran and his wife visited the Pentzes at their "rental" house, "in the River Oaks area," on several occasions. The Dorans "did not socialize with them," however, because of "differences in background and having no children...."Doran described their Rambler as a "station wagon style with a factory chrome luggage rack on the top rear of the roof. It was a 'light off colored Green', that looked a dirty grey in poor light. The car was about five years old but looked in excellent shape." Doran, in a later correction, said he only saw the car in the dark on a few occasions, was uncertain about the hue and concluded, "I will have to settle for 'a light grey'."Doran said he saw Ruth and Michael Paine in separate interviews on the PBS Frontline program titled "Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald," which aired on Nov. 17, 1993. In the 1970s, Doran had seen a picture which he described as showing Michael Paine "leaving the 1964 Warren Commission...." "But after seeing both, although thirty three years older," said Doran , "I am absolutely convinced that they are the same Air Force 'odd couple' that I knew in 1959 -1961."Bob Doran later found and sent me his military service record, which corroborated his military background as presented in his letters.I have omitted many other verifiable details of Bob Doran's story for the purpose of future identification of any misinformation or disinformation pertaining to his allegations. I have also omitted some promising leads and many of his thoughts which, as Doran himself readily admits, are "rambling," speculation and "personal diatribe."None of Mr. Doran's basic, concrete information has been followed up by myself or, to my knowledge, anyone else, except for a cursory check of Fort Worth telephone directories for the name Pentz during the years 1960-61. That brief check, though inconclusive, was negative.Nonetheless, I feel that Mr. Doran and his allegations deserve to be investigated at greater length. My impression is that he is honest and has witnessed potentially astounding and crucial details of the assassination conspiracy. It is also apparent to me that his intense curiosity and interest in solving the assassination have cluttered his story with information of varying quality from secondary sources which will take time, but perhaps not great effort, for an erudite researcher to sift through.I strongly sense that Bob Doran, like most witnesses from that time and place, has answers to questions he does not know are being asked, and answers to questions which are not yet being asked.