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. I take it you had none; that is, any impressions as to his
interests?
Mr. THORNLEY. No, therefore, I had none; correct.
Mr. JENNER. Did you ever play chess with him?
Mr. THORNLEY. No.
Mr. JENNER. Did you ever see him playing chess with anyone else?
Mr. THORNLEY. Just now you mentioned the word "chess" as a definite
association; I think he did play chess. I can't place the person.
This--there were some other people in the outfit who played chess.
There is one name I have been trying to remember for a long time, and I
think it starts with "Win" something. "Winter" something. I'm probably
way off base there. But a tall blond corporal, I believe, played chess
and a couple of other men in the outfit played chess. At that time, I
guess at that, I knew how to play chess. I have never been particularly
interested, though, in the game so I don't--I am pretty sure I didn't
play chess with him.
In fact, come to think of it I had just been cured of playing chess 3
months before that; somebody beat me in about six moves and I stopped
playing for about a year. It wasn't me.
Mr. JENNER. While at El Toro did Oswald become engaged in any physical
altercations with anybody?
Mr. THORNLEY. No; definitely not to my knowledge. Never got into any
fights or even any hot personal argument over anything, that I know of.
Mr. JENNER. What was your impression, if you had one then, as to his
disposition in that regard?
Mr. THORNLEY. I had the impression that he avoided violence.
Mr. JENNER. While you were at El Toro do you recall whether Oswald ever
went off the base on liberty?
Mr. THORNLEY. As far as I know he didn't.
Mr. JENNER. Were there any discussions on the base as to what, if
anything, Oswald did?
Mr. THORNLEY. Not in my presence.
Mr. JENNER. What, if anything, Oswald had done off the base on liberty?
Mr. THORNLEY. Not in my presence.
Mr. JENNER. Was there ever any discussion of Cuba and Castro and that
problem?
Mr. THORNLEY. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. All right; tell us all about that.
Mr. THORNLEY. Well, at that time I and Oswald were both, and a couple
of other men in the outfit, were quite sure that Castro was a great
hero.
Mr. JENNER. Why?
Mr. THORNLEY. Well, he was liberating Cuba from Batista and, of course,
we had heard all about Batista and what an evil man he was, which I am
sure was true, and most of us had read some of the things written by
Castro, some of Castro's promises--such as he would take no part in the
government after the revolution, such things--so we had the definite
impression--I remember there was one Puerto Rican boy, myself, Oswald,
a couple of others who had quite an admiration for Castro, and thought
the pro-Communist statements he was or might be making at the time,
were made simply to guarantee a little more independence for his island
because it was located so close to the United States.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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