The testimony of Vance Blalock, accompanied by his parents, was taken
on April 7-8, 1964, at the Old Civil Courts Building, Royal and Conti
Streets, New Orleans, La., by Mr. Wesley J. Liebeler, assistant counsel
of the President's Commission.
Vance Blalock, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified
as follows:
Mr. LIEBELER. My name is Wesley J. Liebeler. I am a member of the legal
staff of the President's Commission investigating the assassination
of President Kennedy. Staff members have been authorized to take the
testimony of witnesses by the Commission, pursuant to authority granted
to the Commission by Executive Order No. 11130, dated November 29,
1963, and joint resolution of Congress No. 137. I understand, Vance,
that Mr. Lee Rankin, who is general counsel of the Commission, wrote
you a letter last week----
Mr. BLALOCK. That is right.
Mr. LIEBELER. And told you that I would be in touch with you concerning
the taking of your testimony. I understand that Mr. Rankin enclosed
with that letter a copy of the Executive order and of the resolution of
Congress to which I have just referred, as well as a copy of the rules
of procedure adopted by the Commission governing the taking of the
testimony of witnesses. Did you receive that letter and those documents?
Mr. BLALOCK. Yes; I did.
Mr. LIEBELER. We want to inquire very briefly of you concerning an
event which occurred some time in the summer of 1963 here in New
Orleans. We understand that you were present at a meeting, a chance
meeting, between Lee Harvey Oswald and Carlos Bringuier. Before we get
into the details of that, however, would you state your full name for
the record.
Mr. BLALOCK. Vance Douglas Blalock.
Mr. LIEBELER. Let the record show that your mother and father are here
in the room with us. How old are you, Vance?
Mr. BLALOCK. I am 16.
Mr. LIEBELER. Where were you born?
Mr. BLALOCK. Lake Charles, La.
Mr. LIEBELER. Where do you live now?
Mr. BLALOCK. Metairie, La.
Mr. LIEBELER. How long have you lived there?
Mr. BLALOCK. Less than a year.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you go to school?
Mr. BLALOCK. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. Where?
Mr. BLALOCK. East Jefferson High School.
Mr. LIEBELER. What grade are you in at East Jefferson High School?
Mr. BLALOCK. Tenth.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know Carlos Bringuier?
Mr. BLALOCK. I have met him once.
Mr. LIEBELER. How did it happen that you met him?
Mr. BLALOCK. I went downtown with my friend, Philip Geraci. We went to
a store to return funds that Philip had collected for the organization
this man had had, and while I was there I met Carlos. That is how I met
him.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you have anything to do with these funds that were
collected by your friend Geraci?
Mr. BLALOCK. No, sir; I didn't.
Mr. LIEBELER. That was entirely his operation?
Mr. BLALOCK. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember where you went that day with Philip?
Mr. BLALOCK. Yes, sir; we went to Decatur Street, I believe it is. I am
not sure. The store is the Casa Roca.
Mr. LIEBELER. What organization was it that Bringuier was running? Do
you know?
Mr. BLALOCK. I couldn't say the Spanish name. The American name of it
is the Cuban Student Revolutionary Organization.
Mr. LIEBELER. Can you tell me approximately when that was?