Warren Commission (11 of 26): Hearings Vol. XI (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (11 of 26): Hearings Vol. XI (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. JENNER. Did you have the impression there was a personal
selflessness, that is a--I will put it in terms of disregard or rather
this way--that as far as his physical person was concerned, he wasn't
concerned about life in the sense that he wanted to continue to
maintain life in his body?
Mr. THORNLEY. No; I think he wanted physical happiness. I think this
is why he didn't do something like just join the Communist Party.
I believe he felt that was dangerous. I think he wanted to live
comfortably. But I think if it came to a choice between the two, or
to put it this way, more relevant to events that developed later, I
think if it became to his mind impossible for him to have this degree
of physical comfort that he expected or sought, I think he would then
throw himself entirely on the other thing he also wanted, which was the
image in history.
I don't think that--I think he wanted both if he could have them. If he
didn't, he wanted to die with the knowledge that, or with the idea that
he was somebody.
Mr. JENNER. Did you have the impression at any time that he, in turn,
embraced a realization that he was lacking in ability to accomplish the
former, that is, personal comfort and status, that is that he felt that
there was a lack of ability, capacity, training, education on his part?
Mr. THORNLEY. When I knew him, I don't think he had the vaguest thought
in that direction. I do definitely, of course, based solely upon what
I have read in the newspapers, think he came to that moment, after
returning to the United States from the Soviet Union. I think he was
getting panicky.
Mr. JENNER. In our discussion you can see it is important to me
to obtain your thinking, uninfluenced to the extent you can do it
by subsequent events. Of course complete lack of influence is not
possible, but I am seeking your views as to your state of mind prior to
November 22.
Mr. THORNLEY. All right. I would say that prior to November 22, I felt
that he had gradually become disillusioned with the United States for
many reasons, at the bottom was also his conviction, well, in fact,
his disillusionment with the United States in the Far East probably
contributed to some extent to his conviction that the Communists would
eventually prevail, the Communist culture would eventually prevail in
the world, and I then had the feeling that he certainly--I thought he
would probably stay in Russia, for example, forever.
I didn't know what he was doing there. I realized from what I read at
that time that he was not--he did not have Russian citizenship. He was
staying there as an immigrant. I expected him probably to adjust to
Russian life and that would be the last that the Western World would
ever hear of Oswald.
Everything Oswald has ever done has surprised me.
Mr. JENNER. Please elaborate on that.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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