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
While in New Orleans, in order to go to Arlington Heights school,
which is one of the ritziest schools in New Orleans, all the wealthy
people go there, and we happened to live in the vicinity--Lee wanted a
two-wheel bicycle, sir, and I bought him one. So when school opened,
Lee went to school on a two-wheel bicycle. Can you picture this. A
16-1/2-year-old boy going to school on a bicycle, when all the other
children had their own cars? Just picture this. My children never did
want anything, and particularly Lee.
Mr. RANKIN. How did he get along with his brothers?
Mrs. OSWALD. Well, now, at this time he didn't know too much about his
brothers. John Edward had been in the service since age 17, so it has
been a number of years, other than leaves. And Robert had just finished
his 3-year hitch. So you see the brothers have had nothing to do with
Lee since age 13 actually--otherwise than visits. Because when Robert
came back, then Lee joined the Marines.
Now, this is the U.S. Marine Corps acceptance. And it says "I am
very pleased to notify you that your son, Lee Harvey Oswald, has
successfully passed the mental, moral, and physical examinations," and
so forth. My son was a marine. And I understand a very important marine.
He was in electronics. I have read--one of the marines that was with
him said when he defected to Russia they had to change the system. He
must have had a real responsible position, if Lee defected to Russia,
and all the systems had to be changed. I don't know if this is correct.
But this man made the statement, sir.
Mr. RANKIN. Did he have any courts-martial that you knew about while he
was in the Marines?
Mrs. OSWALD. I did not know until what came out in the paper. And I
have discussed that with several high officials, marines, and so on and
so forth. A lot of men, they tell me, carry a gun. And if you did curse
an officer, that is done sometimes, too--that is not anything criminal.
I mean we all get provoked at some particular time. I am not taking
up for the boy. I don't know what happened. But I know I myself would
be guilty of that, if someone pushed me, that I may curse him. And I
am sure it is done quite often. And I understand that Lee slashed his
wrist. I find that from the paper.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you know anything about that? How that happened?
Mrs. OSWALD. No, sir--otherwise than what I know in the paper. I do not
know, sir.
Mr. RANKIN. What about a man that was killed, that was one of his
buddies in the Marines?
Did you ever know anything about that?
Mrs. OSWALD. No. This is the first time I have heard about that. I
haven't even read that in the paper. I did not know about that. If I
can help you in any way--his picture in the Marines--there are names of
the men on the back. I do not know what they mean. But the names of the
men are on the back of picture, sir.
The CHAIRMAN. When was it that he slashed his wrist--in the Marine
Corps?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account