Chapter XXIV: Part 24

Mr. ELY. Finally for this document, turning to page 120, we have a rather imposing score sheet which relates Oswald's scores while he was in training at Jacksonville, Florida. Could you explain the meaning of these numbers insofar as you can?

Colonel FOLSOM. Well, the first column indicates the number of hours devoted to the subject. In the first instance, 37 hours to mathematics, two examinations were given, he achieved a score of 67 on the first and 54 on the second.

The last--the next column indicates his average score for that subject.

Twenty-five hours physics, score, 75 and 77.

Mr. ELY. Excuse me. Do you know whether those scores you just read are on a scale of 100?

Colonel FOLSOM. I do not know. But from the mathematics I would assume they are, particularly since they say that 62 is a passing score.

Mr. ELY. I see.

Now, getting back again to the column which is second from the right, which you say represents his average. It is his average on the previous test carried out to three digits without the decimal point.

Colonel FOLSOM. That is correct. This report was prepared on an electric accounting machine, and is a little difficult to interpret.

Mr. ELY. Yes. But I do see that that makes sense in terms of the individual scores.

Colonel FOLSOM. Do you want to go through all of these?

Mr. ELY. No; I don't think that will be necessary, now that you have explained the principle by which the scores are recorded.

Colonel FOLSOM. Under the heading "Indoctrination Test Scores" this is a test, an Army test battery, which in this instance was administered by the Marine Corps at a Navy installation. It consists of a reading and vocabulary, arithmetic computation, arithmetical reasoning, and pattern analysis. The "GC" is an abbreviation for "GCT".

These are raw scores.

Mr. ELY. The ones designated RV, AC, AR, and PA?

Colonel FOLSOM. And the scores indicated are raw scores, which converted to the Marine Corps scoring on the general classification test shows that Oswald achieved a score of 105 on this test battery, and a score of 106 on the Marine Corps test batter. So the correlation is quite close.

The column headed "B" indicates year of birth. And the "G" column indicates the number of years of schooling--in this case, nine.

Mr. ELY. All right.

Colonel, I would finally like to show you a document which has already been introduced in evidence before the Commission in connection with the testimony of Marguerite Oswald. It is, therefore, designated Exhibit 239.

This exhibit is a photostatic copy.

Could you tell us, Colonel, of what it is a photostatic copy?

Colonel FOLSOM. It is a Photostatic copy of the U.S. Marine Corps Scorebook for use with the U.S. Rifle, Caliber 30 M-1.

Now, this scorebook is issued to each individual at each time they are sent on the rifle range for qualification or requalification.

They are maintained by the individual and are used to provide the individual with a record of the idiosyncracies of the weapon, and the weather on the day that the entries are made. This is referred to in the Marine Corps as the zero of the rifle, because the sight settings are individual characteristics of the particular rifle used. That is, he may--this rifle may require a half a point more windage under the same wind velocity than another rifle, and that the scale by yards may require adjustment depending upon the range that is being fired.

Mr. ELY. This book, then, is used by the individual Marine prior to his firing for record in order that he can zero his weapon so that he will do well on his record firing?

Colonel FOLSOM. This is the purpose. And it should be maintained even on the day that he fires for record.

In this particular record, it would appear that the entries were rather limited. As a matter of fact, it was not adequately maintained for the purpose for which it was designed.

Mr. ELY. Is it possible, Colonel, to tell anything from this scorebook, assuming for the moment that it was accurately maintained, concerning the marksmanship of Lee Harvey Oswald?

Colonel FOLSOM. Well, yes. But very generally. For instance, at 200 yards slow fire--on Tuesday, at 200 yards slow fire, offhand position----

Mr. ELY. You are referring, are you not, to the page designated 22 in Oswald's scorebook?

Colonel FOLSOM. Right--well, 22 as opposed to 23. He got out in the three ring, which is not good. They should be able to keep them--all 10 shots within the four ring.

Mr. ELY. And even if his weapon needed a great deal of adjustment in terms of elevation or windage, he still would have a closer group than that if he were a good shot?

Colonel FOLSOM. Yes. As a matter of fact, at 200 yards, people should get a score of between 48 and 50 in the offhand position.

Mr. ELY. And what was his score?

Colonel FOLSOM. Well, total shown on page 22 would be--he got a score of 34 out of a possible 50 on Tuesday, as shown on page 22 of his record book.

On Wednesday, he got a score of 38, improved four points.

Do you want to compute these?

Mr. ELY. I don't see any point in doing this page by page.

I just wonder, after having looked through the whole scorebook, if we could fairly say that all that it proves is that at this stage of his career he was not a particularly outstanding shot.

Colonel FOLSOM. No, no, he was not. His scorebook indicates--as a matter of fact--that he did well at one or two ranges in order to achieve the two points over the minimum score for sharpshooter.

Mr. ELY. In other words, he had a good day the day he fired for qualification?

Colonel FOLSOM. I would say so.

Mr. ELY. Well, Colonel, as far as I can see, that is all the testimony that we need from you with regard to these records. No doubt there are ambiguities in the records which I have not caught. I have asked you about the ones that seemed most confusing to me.

Can you think of anything else that you would like to add for the record?

Colonel FOLSOM. No; I believe that the record is rather complete. There are no missing documents from this official record. The photostatic copy contains everything that is in the original record.

And I do not believe that there are any discrepancies, other than those clerical errors which have been noted on such items as the summary court-martial records.

Mr. ELY. But you cannot think of any errors which we did not mention during your testimony today?

Colonel FOLSOM. No; I do not.

Mr. ELY. All right.

In that case, Colonel, on behalf of the Commission, I want to thank you very much for giving your testimony. It has been very helpful.

TESTIMONY OF CAPT. GEORGE DONABEDIAN

The testimony of Captain George Donabedian was taken at 2:15 p.m., on May 1, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C., by Mr. John Hart Ely, member of the staff of the President's Commission.

Mr. ELY. Will you stand and be sworn?

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Captain DONABEDIAN. I do.

Mr. ELY. Please be seated.

My name is John Ely. I am a member of the legal staff of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy.

Staff members have been authorized to take the testimony of witnesses pursuant to authority granted to the Commission by Executive Order No. 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and joint Resolution of Congress No. 137.

Under the Commission's rules, each witness is to be provided with a copy of the Executive order of the joint resolution, and a copy of the rules that the Commission has adopted governing the taking of testimony from witnesses.

Is it correct that I have provided you with copies of these documents?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Yes.

Mr. ELY. Under the Commission rules, also, each witness is entitled to 3 days' notice before he is required to come and give testimony.

You were not given 3 days' notice.

However, each witness can waive that notice requirement if he wishes, and I assume by your presence that you are willing to waive that notice requirement.

Captain DONABEDIAN. I do.

Mr. ELY. Would you state your full name, please?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Captain George Donabedian, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy.

Mr. ELY. And what position exactly do you hold?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Staff medical officer, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.

Mr. ELY. You are an M.D., is that correct?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Yes; I am.

Mr. ELY. How long have you held the position of staff medical officer?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Since July 1959.

Mr. ELY. Prior to the assassination of President Kennedy, had you ever heard of Lee Harvey Oswald?

Captain DONABEDIAN. No; I had not.

Mr. ELY. You, like Lieutenant Colonel Folsom, were called in to give us some help in interpreting the records of Lee Harvey Oswald--in other words, your testimony does not stem from any personal contact with the man.

Captain DONABEDIAN. Right.

Mr. ELY. I will show you now a document which I have just labeled "Donabedian Deposition Exhibit No. 1."

(The document referred to was marked "Donabedian Deposition Exhibit No. 1" for identification.)

Mr. ELY. Doctor, could you tell us generally what this document is?

Captain DONABEDIAN. This is taken from the health record of the marine.

Mr. ELY. It is, in other words, a photostatic copy----

Captain DONABEDIAN. A photostatic copy of a medical document which each military person has. We have the physical examinations on entrance, and any other illnesses that he may develop during his service, which diseases are recorded and the treatments are recorded, and the inoculations he receives.

Mr. ELY. I have numbered the pages of this exhibit in the upper right-hand corner. Because it was previously part of a larger document, Commission Document 82, the pagination of Donabedian Deposition Exhibit No. 1 runs from 132 through 171.

Doctor, I would like, first, to refer you to an entry made on page 147 of this exhibit, and dated July 12, 1958.

Could you explain it?

Captain DONABEDIAN. "Bleeding from the rectum. For the past 1 month has noticed bleeding on paper after bowel movement. This a.m., one to two drops bright red blood dropped into stool. Bowel movement light brown and very hard. Examination."

Mr. ELY. The copy at that point becomes illegible.

Captain DONABEDIAN. "Slight irritation and moderate." Anyway, they gave him treatment with mineral oil.

Mr. ELY. And what was the overall diagnosis?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Hemorrhoids was the diagnosis.

Mr. ELY. And what did you say the treatment was?

Captain DONABEDIAN. The treatment was mineral oil, rectal suppository.

Mr. ELY. All right. I would like to show you now an entry which is on page 40, but which is chronologically later than the one to which we just referred, and that is the entry dated----

Captain DONABEDIAN. 10-6-57. "Urethritis acute. Nonvenereal."

Mr. ELY. Before we get into that, could we discuss the entry of 10-10-58?

Captain DONABEDIAN. "Sigmoidoscopy." I don't know what this number is, unless the number of the procedure. They discharged this man on 10-13-58.

Mr. ELY. Do you believe that relates to the hemorrhoids?

Captain DONABEDIAN. He may have had some trouble with the lower bowel, or possibly some more bleeding, and they looked inside the rectum and the sigmoid to determine if there was any cause of the bleeding.

Mr. ELY. I would like at this point to refer you to pages 152 through 156 of this exhibit.

I shall let you proceed to explain what these mean without questioning.

Captain DONABEDIAN. On 9-10-58, slight burning on urination. "Has urethral discharge."

Mr. ELY. Well, if you cannot read it, there is no point----

Captain DONABEDIAN. Then they took a smear.

Mr. ELY. What is the purpose of a smear?

Captain DONABEDIAN. A smear is to diagnose the cause of the infection, the cause of the discharge, to see what type of bacteria was present.

And on 9-23-58, report of a urethral discharge sensitivity test. A culture was taken and reported staphylococcal hemolytic. And the sensitivity test to determine what drug we have that will affect that particular bacteria that is causing this. And erythromycin was the drug of choice.

On page 154, on 16 September 58 he evidently went to one of the outlying dispensaries, and they said "Send to the mainside for smear," which means he was sent to the mainside dispensary to get the smear taken.

September 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They sent him to the lab for a smear.

And here it says, "Gram negative, diplococci intra- and extra-cellular morphological resembling neisseria gonococci."

Mr. ELY. Could you tell us, Doctor, generally, what that means?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Well, this resembles the gonococcus bacteria which causes gonorrhea. And it says here morphologically resembling this germ--since the only legal diagnosis would be to have a culture made to prove this or disprove it.

And here for his treatment they gave him penicillin, it looks like 400,000 units, four times a day, for 3 days, and said "Return on Monday in the p.m., for a repeat smear."

Then on September 30, 1958, "Still has profuse discharge, somewhat clearer, received course of penicillin ending 2 days ago."

In other words, he had finished getting his penicillin. So for this profuse discharge, they treated him with chloromycetin capsules, one, four times a day, and return Monday for smear and culture.

Then on September 22----

Mr. ELY. I believe the last item was September 20.

Captain DONABEDIAN. Then September 22, 1958, urethral discharge, and it says "September 23" underneath--"urethral discharge, smear and culture."

The smear showed many pus cells, no organisms noted. The culture showed micrococcus pyogenous vas aurens. This is the type of bacteria that gives a dark-greenish color discharge.

Mr. ELY. Does either the results of the smear or the results of the culture say anything about whether or not Oswald had gonorrhea, or can we tell?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Not in this one.

The one above here, we assume he had gonorrhea--on the 16th.

Mr. ELY. We would assume he had it, even though, as you pointed out, you could not prove it in court, because it was determined by a smear rather than a culture?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Most of the doctors use this. They may take a smear, and they find that--intra and extracellular diplococci, they treat the patient for gonorrhea.

Now, the treatment for his micrococcus pyogenous is "continue chloromycetin," I guess it is four times a day. Yes; it was four times a day. And then continue four times a day. And something was given. And they wanted him to return again. I cannot tell what this is. Instructions, probably. Some instructions were given.

On September 29, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They took a smear. And that was--"many pus cells were noted, no organisms were noted."

The note underneath is "good response to therapy, has been doing much heavy lifting." They must have given him light duty for 3 days. "To repeat smear, 1 week."

October 6, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge. They took a smear. The report was "moderate amount of pus cells, few gram positive cocci."

This is not gonorrhea. "Heavy discharge with occasional burning. Has been doing heavy lifting recently."

"Some heavy discharge with occasional burning of the urination"--although this says dysurea--"has been doing heavy lifting recently."

October 24, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge, and they gave him pyridium, one tablet five times a day--one gram five times a day.

No--"return in 5 days."

They just gave him pyridium, and "d" means to duty, and return in 5 days.

"Smear, few pus cells, some mucus threads noted, occasional gram positive cocci noted."

The next date is hard to tell. Something--"qid for for 5 days."

The next thing is hard to tell.

Mr. ELY. All right. That entry is illegible.

Captain DONABEDIAN. Page 156. He was admitted to the sick list, 9-16-58, diagnosis, "urethritis acute due to gonococcus." This is No. 0303. And in handwriting----

Mr. ELY. That is my handwriting, so we will disregard that.

Captain DONABEDIAN. The chief complaint is urethral discharge. "Present illness. Patient complains of a slight discharge and a stinging sensation on urination. Past history--previous venereal disease. Physical examination, essentially negative, except for thick mucco burn discharge from the urethra. Laboratory. Smear reveals gram negative intra- and extra-cellular diplococci having a morphology resembling gonorrhea."

Unless they took a culture to grow the germ out, they could not absolutely be certain.

Mr. ELY. You mentioned that under this previous history column it mentioned "previous VD." Does that mean that Oswald had had it prior to this time?

Captain DONABEDIAN. At another time, in his past, whenever that would be. It could have been while he was in the service, although we didn't notice in these records. But he could have had it before he came in the service. VD could be any venereal disease. There are five different kinds.

Mr. ELY. But you have not seen any reference in his medical records to any prior case during his military career?

Captain DONABEDIAN. No; except those that we reported within those dates.

Treatment was procaine penicillin, 900,000 units, intramuscularly for 3 days.

Now, you remember when we read the other report it looked like 400,000 units. It is most apt to be 900,000 units.

Mr. ELY. It should be noted page 156 contains typewriting rather than handwriting as the other one did. And I believe this entry on page 156 is something of a summary.

Captain DONABEDIAN. This is a summary. He was admitted on 9-16-58, and discharged on the same day. But they readmitted these VD cases for statistical purposes, so we can keep track of how many people have been in contact with this. And he was sent to duty under treatment and observation.

Mr. ELY. Would it be fair to say, Doctor, summarizing your testimony as to these few pages, that this looks, as far as we can tell, like a typical case of gonorrhea?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Yes; it does.

Mr. ELY. Nothing extraordinary about it? But it certainly does seem that he did have gonorrhea at this point?

Captain DONABEDIAN. Right.

Mr. ELY. These medical records also contain entries relating to the gunshot wound received by Oswald in connection with the .22-caliber pistol he had stored in his footlocker. I believe those entries are self-explanatory. Also, in filling out his own forms on physicals, Oswald made reference to a mastoid operation which he had had when he was a child. This, also, I think, is something we don't have to go into at this point.

Doctor, I will ask you, in conclusion, if you, in looking through his medical records, have noticed anything which we have not mentioned which seems to you extraordinary--anything over and above the normal marine's complaints.

Captain DONABEDIAN. No; not offhand. He had a sore throat, which many boys have in the service. He had a cold. And he had one other infection, otitis media, in 1957.

Mr. ELY. That reference appears at page 150.

Captain DONABEDIAN. And they give him penicillin, 600,000 units, 5 days.

I see nothing else.

Mr. ELY. In that case, Doctor, we will thank you very much for helping to explain these records for us.

Captain DONABEDIAN. Thank you.

AFFIDAVIT OF JAMES ANTHONY BOTELHO

The following affidavit was executed by James Anthony Botelho on June 3, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
_County of San Benito, ss_:

I, James Anthony Botelho, 820 West Alisal Street, Salinas, California, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from January 8, 1957, to January 8, 1960. I served with Lee Harvey Oswald from about March to September 1959, while we were both attached to Marine Air Control Squadron No. 9, Marine Corps Air Facility, Santa Ana, California.

Oswald once mentioned to me that he would like to go to Cuba to train Castro's troops because of the money he would earn.

I shared a room with Oswald for approximately two months prior to his discharge. He was unusual in that he generally would not speak unless spoken to, and his answers were always brief. He seldom associated with others.

Oswald subscribed to a newspaper printed in Russian, which I believe he said was published in San Francisco. It was common knowledge that Oswald had taught himself to speak Russian. Oswald used expressions like "da" and "niet" around the squadron. Some of his fellow Marines kidded him by calling him "Oswaldskovich". Once, when I called him up "Oswald", he requested in a serious vein, that I refer to him as "Oswaldskovich". At times Oswald referred, seemingly seriously, to "American capitalist warmongers."

At times I discussed Communism and Russia with Oswald. My impression is that although he believed in pure Marxist theory, he did not believe in the way Communism was practiced by the Russians. I was quite surprised when I learned that Oswald had gone to Russia.

Generally, Oswald's uniforms were clean but not neat; they were either unironed or sloppily ironed.

As far I know, Oswald seldom left the post. On one occasion he and I went to a movie in Santa Ana; on other occasions we walked around Santa Ana.

Although Oswald did a good deal of reading, I do not remember what sort of books he read. We both enjoyed classical music. I still have some of the classical records we purchased together. I recall that he particularly enjoyed Tchaikovsky's "Russian War Dance". Oswald played chess with both me and Call. Oswald was not a very good chess player, although he was better than I was.

It was my impression that Oswald was quite intelligent. He performed his job no better and no worse than the average Marine; he made no effort to obtain perfection. His superiors had to "keep after him" in order to get him to finish the job he had been assigned. This surveillance made him all the more belligerent. In my opinion, one was likely to get better results from him by treating him politely.

I do not recall Oswald's engaging in any fights, except for nonbelligerent recreation around the barracks.

It is my impression that Oswald's clearance was taken away from him; for this reason, I believe he was made company clerk at Santa Ana. I believe that before Oswald requested his hardship discharge, the Sergeant Major was planning to take steps to "straighten Oswald out."

Although Oswald may have drunk at times, I never observed him to be intoxicated.

I do not remember Oswald's studying Spanish or German nor do I recall any remarks concerning his religious beliefs.

I remember Oswald's having a date with a girl who spoke Russian. I believe Oswald liked the girl a great deal, but he was for some reason unable to get in touch with her thereafter. I have no recollection of his receiving any visitors.

Signed this 3d day of June 1964, at San Juan Bautista, Calif.

(S) James Anthony Botelho,
JAMES ANTHONY BOTELHO.

AFFIDAVIT OF DONALD PETER CAMARATA

The following affidavit was executed by Donald Peter Camarata on May 19, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
_County of Santa Cruz, ss_:

I, Donald Peter Camarata, 601 Burlingame Avenue, Capitola, California, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That Lee Harvey Oswald and I were concurrently stationed at the following military installations while we were both members of the United States Marine Corps: Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi; the Marine Air Stations at El Toro and Santa Ana, California, and possibly the Naval Air Station at Jacksonville, Florida. Although I served in the Far East, Oswald and I were not in the same unit at that time.

While in the Marine Corps, I heard from other Marines that Oswald was studying Russian. I personally observed that Oswald had his name written in Russian on one of his jackets, and played records of Russian songs so loud that one could hear them outside the barracks.

Either en route back to the United States or subsequent to my return, I heard a rumor to the effect that Oswald had been in some way responsible for the death of Martin Schrand. I have no personal knowledge of any such involvement. I do not remember who told me of this rumor, and am not even certain that I heard it from more than one person.

Oswald seldom, if ever, left the post in the company of other Marines. I would not characterize Oswald as an extremely unfriendly person; he simply did not often choose to be with his fellow Marines off post.

Oswald was not particularly prone to fighting. Although he apparently resented the orders of his superiors no more than does the average Marine, he was more outspoken than average in his resentment. However, he generally followed such orders.

Although I have no firm impression of the level of Oswald's intelligence, he was a man who attempted to make other people believe he was intelligent.

I know from rumor that Oswald received a newspaper printed in Russian. I was informed by my fellow Marines that one of his superiors--either the First Sergeant or a Lieutenant--asked Oswald why he read this paper.

I have no recollection of Oswald's studying or speaking either Spanish or German: of any remarks on his part concerning Communism, Russia, or Cuba: of his religious beliefs: of any abnormal attitude toward women on his part; or of his receiving any visitors.

Oswald was nicknamed "Oz".

Signed this 19th day of May, 1964, at Santa Cruz, Calif.

(S) Donald Peter Camarata,
DONALD PETER CAMARATA.

AFFIDAVIT OF PETER FRANCIS CONNOR

The following affidavit was executed by Peter Francis Connor on May 22, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CONNECTICUT,
_County of New Haven, ss_:

I, Peter Francis Connor, 27 Flaum Drive, West Haven, Connecticut, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That, while I was in the Marine Corps, I was stationed at Atsugi, Japan, with Lee Harvey Oswald.

Oswald had the reputation of being a good worker. I observed that he was not personally neat. I remember that while Oswald was in Japan, he wore an expert rifleman's medal.

I never heard Oswald make any anti-American or pro-Communist statements. He claimed to be named after Robert E. Lee, whom he characterized as the greatest man in history.

Although Oswald engaged in several fights--one of them with a Robert Demurs--I have no recollection as to how good a fighter he was.

Oswald did not choose to associate with his fellow Marines, nor did they choose to associate with him. He often responded to the orders of his superiors with insolent remarks.

I have no recollection to how much Oswald drank.

I was of the opinion that Oswald was intelligent. He read a great deal, but I do not remember what sort of books he read.

Oswald was nicknamed "Harv." This was a shortened version of his middle name; for some reason it upset him to be called by it.

I have no recollection concerning Oswald's religious beliefs, his attitude toward women, or what he did off post.

Signed this 22d day of May, 1964, at West Haven, Conn.

(S) Peter Francis Connor,
PETER FRANCIS CONNOR.

AFFIDAVIT OF ALLEN D. GRAF

The following affidavit was executed by Allen D. Graf on June 15, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF NEW YORK,
_County of Erie, ss_:

I, Allen D. Graf, 31 East Utica Street, Buffalo, New York, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from 1948 to 1961. While stationed in California, I was Lee Harvey Oswald's Platoon Sergeant.

Oswald often complained about the Marine Corps; he seemed to me to resent all military authority. He also seemed narrow-minded, refusing to listen to the views of others.

Once, at the rifle range, I had a long discussion with Oswald concerning why he found it difficult to adapt to the Marine Corps. He explained that his mother had had a great deal of trouble during the depression and that when he was young, he had often not had enough to eat. He felt that he had been forced to accept responsibility at a premature age. He remarked that he was tired of being "kicked around."

Oswald never gave to me any indication of favoring Communism or opposing capitalism.

It was difficult to judge the level of Oswald's intelligence, because he seldom stated his opinions. However, with regard to his job in the Marine Corps, Oswald learned quickly.

Oswald went to a great many movies, and did not often engage in sports.

It is my recollection that Oswald enjoyed firing a rifle, and scored in the "high expert" range.

Oswald did not drink excessively, and kept his temper--if indeed he had a temper--in check.

I have no recollection of Oswald's studying foreign languages; of where he went when he had time off; of his reading habits or religious beliefs; or of any nicknames for him. Nor do I remember his having any dates.

Signed this 15th day of June, 1964, at Buffalo, N.Y.

(S) Allen D. Graf,
ALLEN D. GRAF.

AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN RENE HEINDEL

The following affidavit was executed by John Rene Heindel on May 19, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF LOUISIANA,
_Parish of New Orleans, ss_:

I, John Rene Heindel, 812 Belleville Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from July 15, 1957, until July 15, 1961. I was stationed at Atsugi, Japan, with Lee Harvey Oswald.

I recall that Oswald was often in trouble for failure to adhere to rules and regulations and gave the impression of disliking any kind of authority.

While in the Marine Corps, I was often referred to as "Hidell"--pronounced so as to rhyme with "Rydell" rather than "Fidel." This was a nickname and not merely an inadvertent mispronounciation. It is possible that Oswald might have heard me being called by this name; indeed he may himself have called me "Hidell." However, I have no specific recollection of his either using or hearing this name.

Although I generally regarded Oswald as an intelligent person, I did not observe him to be particularly interested in politics or international affairs.

While in Japan, Oswald drank a good deal, at times becoming intoxicated. He was willing to do so because he did not greatly care whether or not he got back to the post on time.

Oswald did not often talk back to his superiors, but was likely to complain about their orders when he was alone with his fellow Marines.

Oswald generally went on liberty by himself; I therefore do not know what his activities off post were.

I do not recall Oswald's being called by any nicknames.

Although our Marine Air Group was sent to Formosa for a period of time, I am unable to remember Oswald's being there.

Signed this 19th day of May, 1964, at New Orleans, La.

(S) John Rene Heindel,
JOHN RENE HEINDEL.

AFFIDAVIT OF DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY, JR.

The following affidavit was executed by David Christie Murray, Jr. on May 15, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF FLORIDA,
_County of Duval, ss_:

I, David Christie Murray, Jr., 1419 Pinewood Road North, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from approximately October, 1956, to October, 1959. I served with Lee Harvey Oswald in MACS-9 at the Lighter Than Air Station at Santa Anna, California. Part of the time I was stationed at Santa Anna, I was married and therefore during that time lived off the base. While at Santa Anna, I served also with a Marine named Nelson Delgado, whom I had previously known while I was stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina. My impression is that at this time Delgado was an immature person with few original thoughts.

Oswald did not often associate with his fellow Marines. Although I know of no general explanation for this, I personally stayed away from Oswald because I had heard a rumor to the effect that he was homosexual. I personally observed nothing to support this rumor, and am not sure that I heard it from more than one person. Oswald seldom, if ever, went out with women; this may have been one of the reasons I came to the conclusion that he might have been homosexual.

Oswald complained about orders given him more than the average Marine did. He was a person who was never satisfied with any event or situation. He was quietly sarcastic. Though he tried to be witty, in my opinion his attempts at humor failed. However, he--unlike Delgado--was not a show-off; he did not seem to want to be the center of attention.

I regarded Oswald as quite intelligent, and, prior to the assassination of President Kennedy, was of the opinion that he had received a college education. I am under the impression that he told me that he was a college graduate, but I may have come to this conclusion because he once spoke to me of going to Officer Candidate School.

Oswald was not personally neat, but he performed his job well. When I knew him, he was studying Russian. He often made remarks in Russian; the less intelligent members of the unit admired him for this.

I do not recall Oswald's making any remarks on the subject of religion. Nor do I recall his drinking. Although I do not remember his getting into any fights, he had a "chip on the shoulder" personality which would be likely to involve him in fights. I do not remember his studying either Spanish or German.

Although I recall that Oswald read a great deal, I do not remember what sort of books he read. He played chess a good deal, particularly with Richard Call. I have no recollection of his enjoying music. Nor do I remember his making any trips off post, or his subscribing to a Russian newspaper.

Most of his fellow Marines called Oswald "Lee." I do not remember his being called "Oz".

Signed this 15th day of May, 1964, at Duval County, Fla.

(S) David Christie Murray, Jr.,
DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY, JR.

AFFIDAVIT OF PAUL EDWARD MURPHY

The following affidavit was executed by Paul Edward Murphy on May 16, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
_County of Orange, ss_:

I, Paul Edward Murphy, 1706 South Evergreen Street, Apartment C, Santa Ana, California, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from June, 1956, to September, 1959. I was stationed at Atsugi, Japan, and thereafter at Santa Ana, California, with Lee Harvey Oswald.

The unit which was stationed at Atsugi spent four to six weeks in Okinawa late in 1957. It also spent some time in the Philippines, where it was at times at bases at Subic Bay and Cubi Point. Another trip took it to Corregidor.

Oswald was self-contained and withdrawn. He complained about orders he had received from superiors, but followed them.

Although Oswald did not normally expound to me his political or ideological views, I am of the opinion that he was generally in sympathy with Castro.

One night in the barracks in Japan, I heard a shot in an adjoining cubicle. I rushed into the cubicle to find Oswald sitting on a foot locker looking at a wound in his arm. When I asked what had happened, Oswald very unemotionally replied, "I believe I shot myself". Oswald was at that time in possession of a small calibre pistol which he was not authorized to possess.

While at Santa Ana, Oswald had a subscription to a newspaper printed in English which I believe was titled either "The Worker" or "The Socialist Worker." Members of the unit saw copies of this paper as they passed through the mailroom; when the paper was identified as being directed to Oswald, few were surprised. I do not recall Oswald's receiving other literature of a Socialist nature.

I remember that Oswald could speak a little Russian, even when he was overseas. I have no recollection of his studying either Spanish or German.

Oswald was proficient at his assigned job, but he was below average in the areas of discipline and military courtesy. He was, however, personally quite neat.

Although Oswald drank, he did not drink excessively. His temperament was such that he would push companions to the verge of fighting him, but seldom, if ever, actually took the step of engaging in a fight.

It is my opinion that Oswald was of average intelligence. He read a great deal at the library at Atsugi. I do not recall what sort of books he read. He also went to the movies a great deal. I have no specific recollection of his appreciation of classical music, although I remember that Oswald--like everyone else--watched Dick Clark's American Bandstand on television. Oswald also played chess.

I have no recollection concerning Oswald's religious beliefs.

I can recall Oswald having no dates while stationed at Santa Ana. While overseas, however, Oswald had an active social life as most other Marines. Oswald seldom left the post at Santa Ana; I do not know where he went on those occasions when he did leave.

Oswald was nicknamed "Harvey" after "Harvey the Rabbit", a movie which was then circulating. So far as I know, Oswald acquired this nickname for no reason other than that it was his middle name.

I do not recall Oswald's receiving any visitors.

Signed this 16th day of May, 1964, at Santa Ana, Calif.

(S) Paul Edward Murphy,
PAUL EDWARD MURPHY.

AFFIDAVIT OF HENRY J. ROUSSEL, JR.

The following affidavit was executed by Henry J. Roussel, Jr., on May 25, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF LOUISIANA,
_Parish of Baton Rouge, ss_:

I, Henry J. Roussel, Jr., 2172 Elissalde Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That while in the United States Marine Corps I served for approximately three or four months with Lee Harvey Oswald in MACS-9 in Santa Ana, California.

On one occasion I arranged a date for Oswald with my aunt, Rosaleen Quinn, an airline stewardess who, because she was interested in working for the American Embassy in Russia, had taken a leave from her job in order to study Russian. I arranged the date because I knew of Oswald's study of the Russian language. I also arranged a date for my aunt with Lieutenant John E. Donovan. I am under the impression that prior to studying Russian, Oswald had studied German.

I recall no serious political remarks on the part of Oswald. On occasion, however, Oswald, when addressing other Marines, would refer to them as "Comrade." It seemed to me--and, as far as I know, to my fellow Marines--that Oswald used this term in fun. At times some of us responded by calling _him_ "Comrade." Oswald also enjoyed listening to recordings of Russian songs.

My recollection of Oswald is to the effect that he was personally quite neat, and that he stayed to himself. Oswald complained about orders that he was given, but no more than did the average Marine. I regarded Oswald as quite intelligent, in view of the fact that he had taught himself two foreign languages. I do not recall Oswald's having any dates other than the one which I arranged for him with my aunt.

I do not remember Oswald's getting into any fights. I have no recollection concerning Oswald's reading habits, religious beliefs, or trips off the post. I do not remember his reading a Russian newspaper, and do not recall his having any nicknames. (I was nicknamed "Beezer.") I do not remember Oswald's having his name written in Russian on his jacket, and have no recollection of any visitors received by Oswald.

Signed this 25th day of May, 1964, at Baton Rouge, La.

(S) Henry J. Roussel, Jr.,
HENRY J. ROUSSEL, Jr.

AFFIDAVIT OF MACK OSBORNE

The following affidavit was executed by Mack Osborne on May 18, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF TEXAS
_County of Lubbock, ss_:

I, Mack Osborne, 2816 43rd Street, Lubbock, Texas, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That while I was in the United States Marine Corps, I served in Marine Air Control Squadron 9 in Santa Ana, California, with Lee Harvey Oswald. Prior to his discharge, I shared a room with him.

Oswald was at that time studying Russian. He spent a great deal of his free time reading papers printed in Russian--which I believe he bought in Los Angeles--with the aid of a Russian-English dictionary. I believe he also had some books written in Russian, although I do not remember their names.

I once asked Oswald why he did not go out in the evening like the other men. He replied that he was saving his money, making some statement to the effect that one day he would do something which would make him famous. In retrospect, it is my belief--although he said nothing to this effect--that he had his trip to Russia in mind when he made this statement.

Although Oswald did not directly talk back to his superiors, he did the tasks assigned him poorly and complained about them to his fellow Marines.

My recollection is that Oswald was a radar operator of average ability. Although he was personally clean, he scored quite poorly on barracks inspections.

Although Oswald was not openly hostile to his fellow Marines, when they asked him to participate in their activities, he would refuse, stating that he had something else to do. He thereby encouraged others to leave him alone.

Oswald drank only in clubs located on the post. He explained to me that he did not drink off the post because while stationed in Japan, he had been court-martialed for hitting a sergeant with a beer bottle. I do not recall his having any fights while at Santa Ana. However, I remember Oswald's telling me of a fight with a brig guard, as well as of the fight with the sergeant, in Japan.

I do not recall Oswald's studying either Spanish or German. I do not recall any remarks on his part concerning Communism, Russia, or Cuba. Because of the fact that he was studying Russian, fellow Marines sometimes jokingly accused him of being a Russian spy. In my opinion he took such accusations in fun.

Although I did not regard Oswald as particularly intelligent, I got the idea that he thought he was intelligent and tried verbally to suggest to others that he was.

Oswald read a great deal, although I do not remember what sort of books he read. He also watched television and played chess. I have no recollection of any interest in music on his part. Although he would discuss religion with others, he was noncommital as to his own opinions.

Oswald seldom, if ever, went out with women. I suspect that this was part of his program on saving money. He seldom left the post, although sometimes when I returned from weekends, he would tell me that he had been to Los Angeles--implying that he had simply gone to break the monotony.

I do not recall Oswald's having any nicknames. He was simply called "Oswald" or--by those who knew him well--"Lee Harvey".

I have no recollection of Oswald's receiving any visitors.

Signed this 18th day of May, 1964, at Lubbock, Tex.

(S) Mack Osborne,
MACK OSBORNE.

AFFIDAVIT OF RICHARD DENNIS CALL

The following affidavit was executed by Richard Dennis Call on May 20, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA
_County of Northampton, ss_:

I, Richard Dennis Call, R. D. 1, Hellertown, Pennsylvania, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That I served in the United States Marine Corps from September, 1956, to December, 1959. From December, 1958, to December, 1959, I was stationed with Marine Air Control Squadron #9, Lighter Than Air Station, Santa Ana, California. During this time I made the acquaintance of Lee Harvey Oswald. I lived in the ensign hut next to, and was on the same radar crew as, Oswald. I estimate that I talked to some extent with Oswald each day during the period that we were stationed together.

It was very difficult to evaluate Oswald's personality because he never talked about his life prior to joining the Marine Corps or about what he did while in the Marine Corps. Although by the usual standards I was just an acquaintance of Oswald, I probably was one of his best friends.

Oswald once dated an airline stewardess who was learning Russian.

Oswald spent a great deal of time reading. I do not remember what he read, because he never talked about it. He also spent a great deal of time playing chess. I played chess with him about once a week; we were of approximately equal ability.

Although members of the unit often had discussions on foreign affairs, Oswald seldom, if ever, participated.

During this time, Oswald was studying Russian. For this reason many members of the unit kidded him about being a Russian spy; Oswald seemed to enjoy this sort of remark. At that time I had a phonograph record of Russian classical pieces entitled "Russian Fireworks." When I would play this record, Oswald would come over to me and say "You called?" I had a chess set which contained red and white chessmen; Oswald always chose the red chessmen, making some remark to the effect that he preferred the "Red Army." In connection with this general joking about Oswald's interest in Russian, he was nicknamed "Oswaldskovich." However, I do not recall Oswald's making serious remarks with regard to the Soviet Union or Cuba.

On one occasion, Oswald remarked to me that he had been awarded a scholarship to Albert Schweitzer University and that he planned to attend, remarking that they taught English at Schweitzer.

I believe Oswald generally remained on the post; I do not remember anyone's going on liberty with him. Sometimes he and I went to the base movie theatre.

Oswald was not enthusiastic about his job, and performed about as well as the average radar operator.

Although I sometimes observed Oswald drinking in the Enlisted Men's Club, I do not remember his ever becoming intoxicated.

Oswald complained about the orders he was given, but no more than did the average Marine. However, it was my opinion that the Staff Non-Commissioned Officers did not think of Oswald as capable. In my opinion, this attitude was a result of the fact that Oswald did not try to hide his lack of enthusiasm.

I have no recollection of Oswald's studying either Spanish or German.

It was difficult to tell how intelligent Oswald was, because of his refusal to communicate. It was clear, however, that Oswald _wanted_ to be thought of as intelligent.

Nelson Delgado was at this time devoutly religious. Another Marine from California, who at that time was interested in Zen Buddhism, had an idol of Buddha solely for the purpose of making Delgado angry. He succeeded in this attempt. Oswald enjoyed this successful attempt to anger Delgado.

Oswald's reactions to everything were subdued and Stoic.

Oswald's hardship discharge came as a surprise to the members of the unit; we had not known of it long in advance. I have no recollection of Oswald's receiving any visitors.

Signed this 20th day of May, 1964, at Helltown, Pa.

(S) Richard Dennis Call,
RICHARD DENNIS CALL.

AFFIDAVIT OF ERWIN DONALD LEWIS

The following affidavit was executed by Erwin Donald Lewis on June 6, 1964.

AFFIDAVIT

PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
_Orange County, ss_:

I, Erwin Donald Lewis, 9682 Mystic Lane, Anaheim, California, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

That while I was in the United States Marine Corps, I served in Marine Air Control Squadron #9 in Santa Ana, California, with Lee Harvey Oswald. I knew him only casually as a working acquaintance.

Oswald, a radar operator, was very quiet, kept to himself, and did not appear to have any close friends. To the best of my knowledge, he seldom left the base.

It was a matter of common knowledge among squadron members that he could read, write, and speak Russian.

I know from personal observation that he read the "Daily Worker." I heard--although of this I am not completely certain--that he had a subscription to that publication.

Signed this 6th day of June, 1964.

(S) Erwin Donald Lewis,
ERWIN DONALD LEWIS.

TESTIMONY OF MARTIN ISAACS

The testimony of Martin Isaacs was taken on April 16, 1964, at the U.S. courthouse, Foley Square, New York, N.Y. by Mr. Wesley J. Liebeler, assistant counsel of the President's Commission.

Martin Isaacs, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:

Mr. LIEBELER. My name is Wesley J. Liebeler. I am an attorney on the legal staff of the President's Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. Staff members have been authorized to take the testimony of witnesses by the Commission pursuant to authority granted to the Commission by Executive Order No. 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and Joint Resolution of Congress No. 137.

The Commission has also established rules of procedure governing the taking of testimony from witnesses, and under those rules of procedure each witness is to be furnished with a copy of the Executive order and joint resolution to which I referred, as well as with a copy of the rules governing the taking of testimony.

The Commission will provide you with a set of those documents.

Under the rules governing the taking of testimony, each witness is entitled to 3 days' notice before he is required to appear and give testimony. I don't know whether you actually received 3 days' notice or not, but----

Mr. ISAACS. They told me yesterday about it. It's quite all right.

Mr. LIEBELER. Each witness is able to waive that notice, and I presume that you do wish to waive it.

Mr. ISAACS. I waive, yes.

Mr. LIEBELER. Thank you, sir.

We want to inquire briefly of you today concerning any contacts which you or your office may have had with Lee Harvey Oswald and his family upon Oswald's return from Russia in approximately June of 1962.

Before we get into the details of that testimony, however, would you state your full name for the record?

Mr. ISAACS. Martin Isaacs.

Mr. LIEBELER. Where do you live, sir?

Mr. ISAACS. 1669 Grand Avenue, Bronx, New York.

Mr. LIEBELER. Where are you employed at the present time?

Mr. ISAACS. I am employed by the Special Services Welfare Center, Department of Welfare, City of New York, 42 Franklin Street.

Mr. LIEBELER. Were you so employed in June of 1962?

Mr. ISAACS. Yes, sir.

Mr. LIEBELER. When and where were you born, Mr. Isaacs?

Mr. ISAACS. I was born in Hungary, December 12, 1904.

Mr. LIEBELER. When did you come to the United States?

Mr. ISAACS. I was about 2 or 3 years old. I don't recall exactly.

Mr. LIEBELER. Are you presently a citizen of this country?

Mr. ISAACS. I am a citizen, yes; derivative citizenship.

Mr. LIEBELER. Your parents?

Mr. ISAACS. My father became a citizen, and, of course, I received derivative citizenship.

Mr. LIEBELER. How long have you employed by the department of welfare?

Mr. ISAACS. Since May 12, 1934.

Mr. LIEBELER. And this is the Department of Welfare of the City of New York; is that correct?

Mr. ISAACS. That is right.

Mr. LIEBELER. Do you recall personally coming into contact with Lee Harvey Oswald and his family?

Mr. ISAACS. I do recall coming into personal contact; yes, sir.

Mr. LIEBELER. Would you give us the best recollection that you have concerning that event?

Mr. ISAACS. I was told by our intake, I believe it was, that the family was in the Welfare Center. If I recollect correctly, I think the Travelers Aid Society sent them here. I am not positive about this.

My worker, Mr. Lehrman, as I remember, was not available at the time to go in and see the family. I believe he was in the field at the time. He is a social investigator in the Department of Welfare. I went in to ascertain whether I could expedite getting the information that would be needed to help this family return to Texas.

Mr. LIEBELER. You had been informed at that time that they desired to return to Texas?

Mr. ISAACS. Yes; the intake worker, I can't remember who it was at the moment--I am sorry, I don't remember the name of the worker who handled the family inside of our intake--told us that this family was in the office, and I think we obtained sufficient information at the time to make a clearance to determine whether the family is actually a repatriated family.