It is a true measure of what the man meant to so many just by seeing the quantity and quality of responses to his sad passing, especially in relation to Harry Livingstone (total crickets, even with my circulating his virtues and history far and wide [passed away February 2015]) and even Vince Bugliosi (passed away 6/6/15)], at least in the online JFK research community, where the ratio seemed to be 10 to 1 in the "good riddance, bug man" category. With regard to Gary, I would say the ratio is 10 to 1 in respect of the man and his value to the community, no matter what side of the case you were on.
In fact (and I made this analogy on Facebook), Gary reminds me of the character in the Chuck Norris movie Missing in Action II that APPEARED to be a traitor yet, the whole time or, at least, near the end, actually was on "our side" (pro-conspiracy) after all. Yes, he definitely was the spokesman for the LN side in all those pro-LHO-did-it-alone television specials, worked for the Sixth Floor Museum, and seemed to have a hand in the overall bias of the books and views coming out of that place, but he also always seemed to give hints, both covert and overt, that his heart was in the pro-conspiracy camp (the "agent" of unknown repute in the plaza, Badge Man, the right rear of JFK's head being gone, etc.). I vividly remember his scathing review of Gerald Posner's book "Case Closed" in either late 1993 or early 1994 in the late Jerry Rose's journal The Third Decade wherein he said (and I remember this part word for word) that Posner "has given history a sham of a book", hardly the words of a "lone-nutter."
And yet the reputation lingered.
I think it was also because Gary was tired of all the silly nonsense stories and theories out there and sought (with Dave Perry) to eliminate them.
Gary was always nice to me and I have fond memories of his mailing me a free, unsolicited copy of "JFK: The Dallas Tapes" on VHS back in 1999 and never failing to politely answer my messages. I saw him briefly in Dallas on 11/22/97 and he was very gracious.
RIP, Gary
(and I am sorry for ripping off your fantastic line about a certain "suspect"---"James I-am-not-in-any-Files"; brilliant!)
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
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