In 1992, the American Congress ruled that all documents related to President Kennedy’s death should be released within 25 years: and when President Trump raised no objection last October, that is essentially what happened. Except, of course, that there were still numerous redactions. (Did you really believe it would be otherwise? *sigh*)
Arguably one of the most interesting set of documents released has a specifically crypto angle. Flight Sergeant David F. Christensen claimed that in the run up to Kennedy’s death, he had intercepted an encrypted communication between certain individuals in the Cuban Government and an individual well known in the organized crime world, plotting the assassination. His attempts to get the intercept to NSA were thwarted, causing him (he claimed) to have a mental breakdown, a divorce, etc etc.
Conversely, others say that this never happened; that searches of the files revealed nothing (“recognizing that most records from this period no longer exist“); that Christensen suffered from alcoholism and family problems, etc etc.
I can’t judge either way: but I thought it would be good (a) to include links to the various NSA scans and (b) to properly transcribe the letter Christensen wrote. Which is what I did here. 🙂
Links to the Various NSA Scans
jfk00205.pdf
jfk00232.pdf
jfk00244.pdf
jfk00234.pdf
Mr. Blakey stated that he did not know who the crime figure is: Christensen’s
supervisor, Sgt Praeter (actually “Prater”) refused to send this
traffic to NSA and this, he alleges, eventually caused him to have
a mental breakdown.
jfk00257.pdf
jfk00258.pdf
jfk00259.pdf
jfk00262.pdf
(Please let me know if I’ve missed any out, thanks!)
The Letter Itself
The letter from Christensen to his former colleague Sgt Michael B. Stevensen at “Corry” Field, Florida is included here:
jfk00235.pdf (redacted), and
docid-32270296.pdf (unredacted) [thanks to Byron Deveson for this link!]
David F. Christensen
V.A. Hospital
Sheridan, WY 82801Nick,
Well after 13 1/ 2 years I finally found out your whereabouts. Dam, its
been a long time since Kirknewton, Scotland, and the beer we drank on the
beach and the club. Had to get your address from the outfit in Texas.Nick, whatever happened to Sgt Prater. If you know his whereabouts please.
send me his address. How in the hell have you been doing?Nick, I had a nervous breakdown. Plus in 74 my leg shattered in over a
hundred places. Things have really gone to hell for me. I’m working with
the vets benefits counseler, who is a ex 203. Speaking of 203’s where the hell
is Frenchy? You know the little guy. What I’m going to say is no longer
classified, so don’t get all shit shook. I’ve done checked it out.Christ, you remember the position I worked at, in Sgt Praters section, don’t
you? You remember about a month or 6 weeks before I left Scotland, when I picked
up a link mentioning the assassination of President Kennedy. How hard I tried
to get it sent out, and because of that fuckin Forney and Delaughter they wouldn’t
send it to NSA. Since I have learned that the man’s name; most mentioned was
number 4 in a certain branch of organized crime at the time. Was number 2 last
year. I will send you a form for proof of claim. This guy here “the 203” says
I should be getting a service connected disability for my nerves. The “link was”
Lisbon to Tangiers you remember. How I got my ass chewed for not dropping the
link. Have learned that this branch of crime often will put out a feeler of
forthcoming things. By sending it as a practice message.Nick it really broke me up after Nov. 22, 63. Especially when I had it all
before hand. It was first like the 202’s said, Ha. I was nuts when the Russians
first came out with the ITI & B’s. Later proved them wrong didn’t I. That was
another first for us as I recall. Duane Bruntz from Baker trick put up a good
support of my claim. I’m sending you this certified so to make sure you get it.
As I recall you should be able to B.S. them good enough to help me. I know it
cost me a divorce and every thing from my wife. Christ, you remember Marlene,
don’t you? That good looking little 1/2 Indian girl from N. Dak. Nick when
you get this form send it back to me and I’ll let the vets benefit guy to send
it in. Being a M.Sgt I think you know how to bull shit pretty good . Also do
you know Sgt Harley and Sgt Willy Hendrickson’s address. I guess old Garnett K.
Tatum retired. Wonder what gehto, he is living in, Ha!What in the hell are you doing in Florida, any how? Be sure to put
emphasis on my nerves going to hell and not giving a shit about my work after
the interception of the message.Y Y Prosign
Your old buddy from the Berkely Bar
Suggestions for filling in the redacted gaps (and there are certainly many gaps here) will be gratefully received, thanks!
As to the “Prosign” line (Prosigns were groups of Morse code letters run together without any pauses between them), I know that VY = very, YF = wife, YL = young lady, but what does YY mean?
What happened to David F. Christensen?
Apart from knowing (from his letter) that he married Marlene from North Dakota and was in a V.A. Hospital in Sheridan WY, I have little biographical information on David Frederick Christensen. The only grave I found for that name was in Arlington National Cemetery for an infant (born 22 Nov 1957, died 23 Nov 1957, son of O. E. Christensen), and who was therefore not the same person at all.
Perhaps Cipher Mysteries readers with access to proper databases will be able to find out more about former USAF Flight Sergeant David F. Christensen, who was listed here as working at the USAF listening station at RAF Kirknewton in Scotland. As normal, feel free to leave comments below. 🙂
*** UPDATE ***
Here is a link to an online memorial to David Frederick Christensen (he died in 2008):
David passed away Monday, December 22, 2008 at his home in Killdeer, ND. David Frederick Christensen was born January 26, 1942 to Ole and Hazel (Lodnell) Christensen in Dickinson, ND. He grew up on a ranch near Halliday and attended schools, graduating from Halliday High School in 1960. David and Marlene Burr were married in 1960 and to this union two sons were born, Michael and David. David enlisted in the US Air Force and served with the Radio Intelligence in the Scotland Unit. He was honorably discharged in 1963. He then returned to the home ranch in the Halliday area. David began working in the oilfields, which took him to various places in the western United States. He enjoyed rodeos, playing pinochle and time spent with his family. David is survived by his two sons; Michael (Bobbie) Christensen, Rapid City, SD and David (Georgette) Christensen, Apple Valley, MN; a first cousin, Patricia (Pat)( Phil) Braeger, Watertown, SD; six grandchildren, Haley Christensen, Tyler Christensen, Jordan Christensen, Justin Christensen, Benjamin Christensen and Kendra Christensen. He is preceded in death by both parents.
Nick,
See: https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32270296.pdf
Byron: That seems to take care of the gaps nicely. I’m sure to be wrong, but wasn’t Christensen from up the Hudson near East River. Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano, old buddies from the Bronx? surely would have known what was going down after Castro went cold on the deal with Hoffa. I think James Elroy gives a fair coverage of how events might have played out in his great yarn American Tabloid; his case scenario seems to have it all squared away for me.
Byron Deveson: thanks very much for that, that’ll let me fill in all the blanks with 100% accuracy. 🙂
Searches for David Frederick Christensen lead to this grave (he died in 2008):
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115870312/david-frederick-christensen
SSN: 501-46-6954
:%s/Michael/Nicholas/g ?
Milongal: oops, will fix this evening, thanks. 🙂
Is anything else cocked up? This Dave enlists at about 19, a lad from Hicksville North Dakota and just graduated from highschool; suddenly promoted to airforce Sgt. working radio intercepts in a highly classified overseas station. He is out and gone a month after picking up mafia intel on JFK‘s death and is rewarded with an honourable discharge at just 21 years of age. Sounds odd, though not beyond possiblity.
Nick:
According to the International Code of Signals ‘YY’ means: ‘I wish to communicate by VHF radiotelephony on frequency indicated.’
David Christiensen’s ‘Frenchy’ comes without explanation so whether he was another Kirknewton beach loving buddy with USAF SS station we’re not to know. Frenchy may have been a man named Daniel Carswell who was a CIA contracted radio intercept expert given the trade name of David Christ for his bugging mission in Cuba. Upon very early release from an Havana custodial vacation, he is subsequently said to have been seen around Dallas on the day of days, prior to his travelling between Boston, New York and DC a few days later. Nothing much is known of his post assassination activities and his name often comes up in association with the Christiensen missive and no wonder. We might ask ourselves whether or not the well laid out, and acceptably punctuated letter of ’77 could have been put together by a Dakota farm boy without making so much as a single spelling error (dam).
I think that young Dave may have gotten his wires crossed due in fact to an innocent misunderstanding of an inquiry directed between two high ranking miitary men in Hawaii and Washington on a re-routed secure link. It seems also to have been a case of over fertile imagination after the fact on Dave’s part and his refusal to accept the logical explanation given him by his overseer who knew, but would not reveal full details. When the hit went down on the President as t enlisted man had prophesised, it no doubt drove him to a point of distraction that he could not deal with. I’m pretty sure his earth shattering intercept occurred well before the JFK hit and the mob names involved were undoubtedly Jimmy Di Natale out of Jersey and Nick Santora, who might have been No 4, though later went on to become the Philadelphia Don. NB: Old Jimmy ‘The Brute’ was Kellyanne Conway’s grandad, so release of the JFK stuff by her boss, the Don, might just have been well timed, should the true detail of pop’s suspected (coincidental) involvement come up in a forthcoming bio…I might just jump in and get it out first, unless Mike Cohen can come up with some acceptable dis-incentive.
Cigar smoking little Nicky Scarfo and not big Nick Santora may have been the other guy nominated for the mistaken intercept, though one can’t be certain when dealing with flawed intelligence. They were buddies with Kellyanne‘s old grand pop, so they’re all guilty by association in the eyes of the law, if in fact a crime was committed.
…at their instigation.
From an article here, about a USAF cryptographer:
http://www.telegram.com/news/20171105/those-who-serve-air-force-veteran-still-keeps-crypto-room-secrets
“At his post as a cryptographer, Mr. Voellings said, he had to follow myriad rules and regulations as pilots dropped classified material down a chute to him – some that could mean life or death for soldiers. He would give them a receipt when he received the message and check how it was coded, as a “deferred”, “routine” or “priority” message, he said. YY was code for “flash,” he said, which meant an emergency.
“Your heart is pounding,” he explained. “You can’t let that delay you and you have to make sure you follow instructions and immediately punch it in the time clock. Any delay is on you. It’s in your hands and it could mean World War III is going to start. We were close to war more than once. If the commander doesn’t get the message, who are they going to hang? Me.”
i take this to mean that Sgt Christensen was stressing the importance of his message to his old friend, that his situation is an emergency and to reply as soon as possible.