5A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018
Cooper: Some believe they know skyjacker’s identity
COOPER’S CODES
Continued from Page 1A
Cracked by Rick Sherwood, an
Army Security Agency veteran who
lives in Indiana.
‘Smoking gun’ and
‘confession’
The two typed letters surfaced
within the past year through a Free-
dom of Information Act request filed
by Colbert.
The first letter was sent to the
Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times,
New York Times and Washington
Post shortly after the jump. Each copy
included a mishmash of alphabetical
letters and numbers that a member
of the investigative team, Rick Sher-
wood, recognized as Army “code
speak” used during the Vietnam War.
Sherwood, of Indiana, is an Army
Security Agency veteran who once
served as Rackstraw’s air traffic
controller.
Upon decoding the text, Sherwood
said the hidden messages name the
three military units that Rackstraw
served in during the war: the Army
Security Agency, the 371st Radio
Research Unit and the 11th General
Support Company.
According to retired Col. Ken
Overturf, Rackstraw is the only per-
son known to have joined all three
units, two of them top secret until the
1980s. It was Overturf’s old Army
code book that was used to verify
Sherwood’s decryption.
Colbert has called this letter,
which included information that only
the hijacker would know, “the smok-
ing gun.”
“The fact that you have things in
the letter that say it’s Cooper, defin-
itively, and you have Rackstraw’s
units, definitively, being the only
ones (mentioned) — and he being the
only one that would know those units
to put them down — what does that
tell you?” Colbert asked. “Cooper is
Rackstraw.”
The Oregonian letter, mailed sev-
eral months later, is the one Colbert
calls the “confession.”
Sherwood’s deciphering of odd,
repetitive phrases yield “I’m Lt. Rob-
ert W. Rackstraw” and the act he
committed: “hijacking one jet plane.”
“Rackstraw is definitely D.B.
Cooper,” Sherwood said. “There’s no
doubt in my mind.”
Astoria connection
Is Cooper a romantic folk hero
who, with one bold act, bucked the
system and gave the U.S. govern-
ment, then embroiled in Vietnam,
a lesson in humility? A smug low-
life seeking vengeance and infamy?
The anonymity of the slickly dressed
outlaw — who wore a dark suit and
sunglasses, smoked a cigarette and
spoke calmly as he threatened the
lives of the passengers and crew —
has allowed him to be whatever Coo-
perites want him to be.
In his narrative of the skyjacker’s
whereabouts before the dive, Col-
bert suspects that Rackstraw, now a
Letter No. 5
Letter No. 5 was sent to the Seattle
Times, Los Angeles Times, New
York Times and Washington Post.
The FBI confiscated all but the
Washington Post’s copy. Sherwood
broke the code using the Post code
and a recovered code from the LA
Times.
The letter points to Rackstraw’s
three military units in Vietnam: Army
Security Agency, the 371st Radio
Research Unit and the 11th General
Support Company.
The Washington Post copy came
with a few codes.
Sherwood said Letter No. 5 was the
“key to the code itself.”
First: “CCCCCCC”: C(3) x 7 = 21
ASA = A(1)+S(19)+A(1) = 21
“ASA” = Army Security Agency
Second, the paper’s name was
condensed to “Wash Post.” W(23)+
a(1)+s(19)+h(8)+P(16)+o(15)+s(19)
+t(20) = 121
Top Secret = T(20)+o(15)+p(16)+
S(19)+e(5)+c(3)+r(18)+e(5)+t(20)
= 121
Finally, the code 717171684*
42 + *(if * is 8) = 50
371st = 11+s(19)+t(20) = 50
Photos by Thomas Colbert
D.B. Cooper letter No. 2.
(2)
(-)
(-)
(6)
(-)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(12)
(13)
(-)
(20)
(-)
(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(34)
(35)
(36)
(38)
(39)
(43)
(44)
(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(61)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(162)
L
KATU
KOMO
KING
KOIN
KIRO
KGW
KRCW
KOPB
KPTV
KPDX
KCPQ
TBS
KZJO
ESPN
ESPN2
NICK
DISN
FAM
FMC
LIFE
ROOT
FS1
SPIKE
COM
HIST
A&E
TLC
DISC
NGEO
TNT
AMC
USA
FOOD
HGTV
FX
CNN
FNC
CNBC
BRAV
TCM
SYFY
RFD
(2)
(4)
(5)
(-)
(7)
(-)
(3)
(10)
(12)
(-)
(13)
(20)
(22)
(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(34)
(35)
(36)
(38)
(39)
(43)
(44)
(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(61)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(162)
6 PM
7698QA2753 — can be broken
down thus: 47+Q(17)+A(1) = 65;
11th GS =
11+t(20)+h(8)+G(7)+S(19) = 65
“11th GS” = 11th General Support
Letter No. 6
Letter No. 6, also typed, was sent
to The Oregonian and dated March
28, 1972:
In the sentence “I want out of the
system and saw a way through
good ole Unk,” the phrase “through
good ole Unk” becomes “by hijack-
ing one jet plane”:
D.B. Cooper letter No. 1.
through(97) + good(41) + ole(32) +
Unk(46) = 216
ing that, from then on, it would only
accept the money or the parachute.
Colbert has accused the FBI of delib-
erately ignoring his evidence.
When The Daily Astorian asked
the 74-year-old Rackstraw in an
email exchange if he wrote the typed
Cooper letters, he did not respond
directly. Instead, he mocked the
media and Colbert, and threatened
legal action if his name was used.
“Notwithstanding, you will never
get the truth from me personally,” he
wrote.
While putting the case together,
Colbert brought his proof before
Jack Schafer, formerly with the FBI’s
behavioral analysis program.
Schafer said he was initially a
skeptic because “it was a lot of cir-
cumstantial evidence.”
The codebreak, which in his view
goes beyond circumstantial, changed
his mind. “I’m a believer now that
Rackstraw’s probably Cooper,” he
said.
SCHEDULE
W EDNESDAY E VENING
A
Los Angeles Times:
San Diego area resident, spent time
in Astoria during the summer of ’71
under the alias “Norman De Winter.”
North Coasters remember De
Winter, who claimed to be a Swiss
baron, as a smooth-talking char-
latan who grifted his way through
the social scene, taking people’s
money and promising a holiday trip
to his European estate. Then he, too,
disappeared.
No contemporaneous photo of
the baron has been found, however,
to corroborate Colbert’s claim that
Rackstraw — regardless of whether
he is Cooper — is De Winter.
Colbert does, however, point to
a remark by senior investigator Jon
Campbell of the South Carolina Law
Enforcement Division: The odds of
Rackstraw, De Winter and Cooper —
three master criminals with aviation
training — all operating in the same
general area and seeming to show up
when the others go missing are van-
ishingly small.
The FBI once named Rackstraw a
person of interest in the Cooper inves-
tigation but cleared him. The bureau
closed the case in 2016, announc-
THE DAILY
ASTORIAN
“371st” = 371st Radio Research
Unit
by(27) + hijacking(72) + one(34) +
jet(35) + plane(48) = 216
Also: “And please tell the lackey
cops D.B. Cooper is not my real
name” becomes “I’m Lt. Robert W.
Rackstraw.”
And(19) + please(58) + tell(49) +
the(33) + lackey(57) + cops(53) =
269
I’m(22) + Lt.(32) + Robert(78) +
W.(23) + Rackstraw(114) = 269
Evening listings
WEDNESDAY
A UGUST 8
A - Charter Astoria/ Seaside - L - Charter Long Beach
6:30
7 PM
7:30
8 PM
8:30
9 PM
9:30
10 PM
10:30
11 PM
11:30
Jeopardy!
Wheel of Fort
KATU News at 6 (N)
Fortune CMA Fest Performances by the top stars of country music. (N)
KATU News (N)
(:35) Jimmy Kimmel
KOMO 4 News (N)
Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy!
CMA Fest Performances by the top stars of country music. (N)
KOMO 4 News (N) (:35) Jimmy Kimmel
NBC News (N)
KING 5 Special (N) KING 5 News
Evening
World of Dance "The Duels 3" (N)
Reverie "Point of Origin" (N)
KING 5 News (N) (:35) Tonight Show
KOIN Local 6 (N) Evening News (N) Extra
Ent. Tonight
Big Brother (N)
TKO: Total Knock Out (N)
SEAL Team "Never Get Out of the Boat" News (N)
(:35) Colbert
KIRO 7 News (N) Evening News (N) KIRO 7 News (N) Ent. Tonight
Big Brother (N)
TKO: Total Knock Out (N)
SEAL Team "Never Get Out of the Boat" KIRO News (N)
(:35) Colbert
KGW News at 6:00 p.m. (N)
Tonight Cassidy
Inside Edition
World of Dance "The Duels 3" (N)
Reverie "Point of Origin" (N)
KGW News (N)
(:35) Tonight Show
Modern Family
Modern Family
The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs
Burden of Truth "Still Waters" (N)
Supergirl "Triggers"
News at 10 (N)
Friends
Two and a Half
Two and a Half
Journeys in Japan Business (N)
PBS NewsHour (N)
The Outback "The Dry Season" (N)
Mexico "Mountain Worlds" (N)
The Ganges "The Gangetic Plain"
Nova "Making North America: Origins"
6 O'Clock News (N)
Family Feud
Family Feud
MasterChef "Frying Tonight" (N)
To Hell & Back "Patrick Molloy's" (N)
10 O'Clock News (N)
News (N)
Page Six TV
Mike & Molly
Mike & Molly
Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory FOX 12's News (N)
9 O'Clock News (N)
Family Guy
American Dad!
The Game
The Game
Modern Family
Modern Family
Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory MasterChef "Frying Tonight" (N)
To Hell & Back "Patrick Molloy's" (N)
Q13 NEWS AT 10 (N)
News (N)
The Simpsons
Family Guy
Family Guy
Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Full Frontal (N)
Conan
Friends
Friends
Mom
Modern Family
Mom
Modern Family
Q13 News at 9 (N)
Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Two and a Half
Two and a Half
(4:00) MLB Baseball (L)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt (N) SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
(9:00) To Be Announced
Around the Horn Interruption
First Take The hottest topics in sports are debated.
The Loud House
The Loud House
The Loud House
The Loud House
Double Dare
Double Dare
To Be Announced
Friends
(:35) Friends
StuckM./ Raven’s. Stuck in Middle
Bunk'd
Bug Juice (N)
Andi Mack
Raven's Home
BigCity/ BigCity
Big City Greens
Bizaardvark
Bug Juice
Andi Mack
Stuck in Middle
The Waterboy (1998, Comedy) Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Adam Sandler.
Alone Together (N) Alone Together (N) Bride Wars (2009, Comedy) Anne Hathaway, Bryan Greenberg, Kate Hudson. The 700 Club
(5:00) The Longest Ride (‘15) Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson. (:40) The Longest Ride (2015, Romance) Scott Eastwood, Alan Alda, Britt Robertson.
(:20) FXM Presents Parental Guidance (‘12) Marisa Tomei, Billy Crystal.
Grey's Anatomy "Don't Let's Start"
Grey's "Could We Start Again, Please?" Escape Polgygamy "Escaping Wedlock" Esc.Polygamy "Rebel With a Cause"
(:05) Esc.Polygamy "A Risky Reunion"
(:05) Esc.Polygamy "Forbidden Love"
(4:30) BIG3 Basketball
Football Oregon East-West Shrine Game
Triathlon 2017 Island House Invitational Double Play (N)
Basketball Junior NBA World Championship (L)
NFL Films
MLB Whiparound (L)
TMZ Sports (N)
Skip and Shannon: Undisputed Opinions on the biggest sports topics of the day. Basketball
Shooter (2007, Action) Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Mark Wahlberg.
Yellowst "A Monster Is Among Us" (N) Transporter 2 (‘05, Act) Jason Statham.
Mom
Mom
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
South Park
The Daily Show (N) The Office
American Pickers "On the Road Again" American Pickers "Queen of Fortune" American Pickers "Superhero Heaven" American Pickers (N)
(:05) Amer. Pickers "Texas Treasures"
(:05) American Pickers "The Superfan"
OzzyandJack "I Am Ice Cream Man"
OzzyandJack "Grand Ole Osbournes"
OzzyandJack'sDetour "Lizard of Oz"
OzzyandJack "Florida Finale" (N)
Wahlburgers "Wahl of America" (N)
(:05) Wahlburgers (N)
(5:00) My 600-lb Life "Tanisha's Story"
My 600-lb Life "Schenee's Story" Schenee is desperate to start a family.
Dr. Pimple Popper "This Cyst Persists" Dr. Pimple "A Lipoma Jackpot" (N)
Dr. Pimple Popper "This Cyst Persists"
Misfit Garage "Orange You Glad"
Misfit Garage "Pound Town"
Misfit Garage "Barter Bucket" (N)
Misfit Garage "The Cooler" (N)
Rockin' Roadsters "Ride Again" (N)
Misfit Garage "The Cooler"
Monster Fish "Jungle Jaws"
Monster Fish "Russian Giants"
Parks "Olympic and Everglades" (N)
Yellowstone Live "Battle of Giants" (N) Wild Frontier "America's Badlands" (N) Ameri. Parks "Olympic and Everglades"
War of the Worlds (‘05) Dakota Fanning, Tom Cruise.
NCIS:NewOrleans "If It Bleeds, It Leads" NCIS: New Orleans "Means to An End" Edge of Tomorrow (2014, Sci-Fi) Emily Blunt, Noah Taylor, Tom Cruise.
(4:00) The Godfather (1972, Drama) Al Pacino, James Caan, Marlon Brando. The Godfather II (1974, Drama) Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino.
Law&Order: SVU "Maternal Instincts" Law&Order: SVU "Melancholy Pursuit" Law&Order: SVU "Catfishing Teacher" Suits "Revenue Per Square Foot" (N)
The Sinner "Part II" (N)
(:05) Law & Order: S.V.U. "911"
Guy's Grocery Games
Guy's Game "Triple D Takes on Triple G" Guy's Game "Frozen Food Fight"
Game "Supermarket Rematches" (N)
Guy's Grocery Games "Cheesiest"
Guy's Grocery Games "Cheesy Special"
Property Brothers
Property Bros. "Changing Direction"
Property "Mistress of Her Domain"
Buying and Selling "More for Less" (N) House Hunters (N) House Hunters (N) FlipVrgn "A Flipping Family Affair" (N)
Lucy (2014, Action) Morgan Freeman, Analeigh Tipton, Scarlett Johansson.
Pacific Rim (2013, Action) Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba.
Pacific Rim (2013, Action) Idris Elba.
Cuomo Prime Time
CNN Tonight With Don Lemon
CNN Tonight With Don Lemon
Anderson Cooper 360
Cuomo Prime Time
CNN Tonight With Don Lemon
Hannity
The Ingraham Angle
Fox News @ Night
Tucker Carlson Tonight
Hannity
The Ingraham Angle
Shark Tank
Shark Tank
Shark Tank
Shark Tank
Shark Tank
Paid Program
Wives "Rebuked, Reunited, Renewed"
The Real Housewives
The Real Housewives "Ship Happens" The Real Housewives (N)
The Real Housewives
Watch What (N)
Real Housewives
(5:00) Maytime (‘37) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy. Rose Marie (‘36, Musical) Nelson Eddy, James Stewart, Jeanette MacDonald. Naughty Marietta (‘35) Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, Jeanette MacDonald.
New Moon (‘40)
Resident Evil: Afterlife (‘10) Wentworth Miller, Ali Larter, Milla Jovovich.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (‘10, Act) Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Jake Gyllenhaal.
Movie
Face Off
Dude Ranch
Cowboy Moments W. Rodeo (N)
Equestrian Nation Equestrian Nat.
Rural Eve. News ReMastered
Cowboy TV
Dude Ranch
Cowboy Moments Product Showcase
DEL’S O.K. TIRE
GET TO THE POINT.
Expert Service. Guaranteed.
(503) 325-2861
35359 Business 101
Astoria, OR 97103
MON - FRI 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
SAT 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
tirefactory.com/astoria
Same local owners, friendly service and guarantees on warranties.