Warren Commission (01 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (01 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
My sister, Mrs. Charles Murret, 757 French Street, knows of the
complete story. And so does my brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Murret, who
also said, "Let him join, let him go. If he wants to go so badly, let
him join the Marines."
I, at that time, was living at 126 Exchange Place, which is the Vieux
Carre section of the French Quarter of New Orleans.
And, by the way, the papers said we lived over a saloon at that
particular address.
Gentlemen, if you have this information, that is just the French part
of town. It looks like the devil. Of course I didn't have a fabulous
apartment. But very wealthy people and very fine citizens live in that
part of town, and there are hotels and saloons, and courtyards where
the homes are.
So I was very upset.
There was a colonel on the street that I stopped--I didn't know him--I
said, "Sir, I would like to talk with you." I told him about the
boy wanting to join the Marines and I didn't know what to do. I was
frantic. And he was insistent that I let him join the Marines at age 16.
So he advised me, "Well, if he doesn't want to go to school, let him
join the Marines. It is done all the time."
Now, I was not too happy about this situation.
Now, a recruiting officer from the Marine Reserve in New Orleans, La.,
was in my home the next day when I arrived from work, with Lee, in
uniform, in the home when I got into the home. He introduced me to him
and he said, "Mrs. Oswald"--he didn't tell me what to do. He was very
vague about the thing.
I said, "No, Lee is too young, age 16, to join the Marines. They are
liable to send him overseas."
He said, "There is less delinquency in Japan and those places than we
have here."
He saw nothing wrong with it.
What he was doing was telling me to falsify his birth certificate, but
not in plain words. He was telling me it would be all right for the boy
to join the Marines. He came to my home personally.
So I went to an attorney with Lee, because--here is the thing.
Lee's birth record is in New Orleans. And I knew that the Marine Corps
could easily check on this child, age 16--his birth record. So in order
to have a happy situation, so I could work, and to see Lee, I went to
an attorney and paid $5 and said that I lost Lee's birth certificate,
and kind of motioned to the attorney. I knew it would not stand up.
I bought Lee a duffle bag and everything, and Lee went--we told him
goodby, and Lee was going to join the Marines.
I had to accept that, gentlemen. There was no other way I could do, but
accept the fact to let him go.
Mr. RANKIN. Who was that attorney?
Mrs. OSWALD. Mr. Clem Sehrt.
Mr. BOGGS. What did Mr. Sehrt allegedly tell you?
Mrs. OSWALD. Pardon?
Mr. BOGGS. What did Mr. Sehrt tell you?
Mrs. OSWALD. Mr. Sehrt is a family friend.
Mr. BOGGS. I know Mr. Sehrt very well.
Mrs. OSWALD. He said according to attorney ethics that he would not be
able to advise me. Before you came in, sir, I had stated that.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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