Warren Commission (08 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) — John Shaqi
Warren Commission (08 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (08 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. JENNER. I understand that, but the Commission is interested in the
impression you had then of Lee and the impressions you have now as
compared to then. We are trying to get the complete background of this
man in order to possibly arrive at the motive for this entire tragedy.
Mr. VOEBEL. It's hard to get what I was thinking of then, and how I
think now and separate the two; that's what I mean, because, of course,
at that time nothing like this had happened, and I didn't have in mind
trying to analyze Lee's personality or anything. You just don't go out
looking for something like that unless you have a reason.
Mr. JENNER. You heard the rumor, or read about them at any rate, that
Lee Oswald was studying communism when he was 14 years of age, did you
not?
Mr. VOEBEL. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Did you see any evidence of that when you were going around
and associating with Lee Oswald?
Mr. VOEBEL. No; I didn't.
Mr. JENNER. Did you put any credence in that?
Mr. VOEBEL. No; none whatever. As far as I know, I was the only one
that would enter his home, around that age, so I would be the only one
to know, and I can say for certain that the only things Lee would be
reading when I would be at his home would be comic books and the normal
things that kids read.
Mr. JENNER. Were you a voracious reader in those days?
Mr. VOEBEL. No.
Mr. JENNER. What do you say as to Lee Oswald, if you know?
Mr. VOEBEL. I really can't say for sure, but he did impress me, in the
time that I knew him and associated with him, that he wasn't a great
reader. We liked to fool around more than we liked to go to school, I
guess you would say.
Mr. JENNER. You would not consider that Lee was a good reader?
Mr. VOEBEL. No; I wouldn't. I know my studies always came hard to me,
even music when I first started with it.
Mr. JENNER. Are you still interested in music?
Mr. VOEBEL. Yes; I still play music.
Mr. JENNER. Would you say, in looking back to your acquaintance with
Lee, that he had a normal curiosity about things, the normal curiosity
of a young man of 13, 14, 15, or 16 years old?
Mr. VOEBEL. I would say that he had a normal curiosity, if I understand
then what you mean by that. It's just that he didn't seem to be able to
mix with people; that's all.
Mr. JENNER. Do you think that's a basic personality characteristic that
has remained in your mind all these years?
Mr. VOEBEL. Right. It seems to me like he did like things and wanted
to do things, but he just couldn't get himself to get with people, you
see, and you just can't do too much by yourself. To me, I think that
maybe his whole downfall was maybe a lack of communication with people.
Of course, I don't know the reason. I am not a psychologist. I can't
tell you why, but somehow I have that feeling because I knew Lee, and I
knew how he didn't like to mix with people.
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