President's Commission on the Assassination of - The Warren Commission (Complete Edition)

Now a girl will take care of the mother but the boy's mother is usually nothing and I am not going to be helped or supported.

I am going to take care of myself because that is the attitude and that was the attitude when I was sick.

Lee Harvey Oswald was the only one who has helped his mother at any time but I wanted to show mothers today cared and everything until they married. That was the type family we were, sir.

And this was the picture, Mr. Rankin, of the three children which is a happy life and he wanted to be in New Orleans.

Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, I am going to call your attention to Exhibit 258 which you just referred to and said maybe that is what you meant.

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, because I gave him this when he entered the home.

Mr. Rankin. This Exhibit 258 refers to the letter you received from me as general counsel for the Commission, and then a letter to the President, and your appeal to the President, is that right?

Mrs. Oswald. That is correct.

Mr. Rankin. And this is a copy you released for the press conference in Dallas. That is Exhibit 258. I offer Exhibit 258.

The Chairman. It may be admitted.

Mr. Rankin. If you will permit me, I will ask the court reporter to identify these pictures and I don't intend to offer them but then I will ask you each one by number so we can make it clear, and then return them to you, so you can tell us what they are about, is that all right with you?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, that is just fine, thank you.

Mr. Rankin. Now, Mrs. Oswald, I will hand you Exhibits 259 through 269, both inclusive, and ask you to take them starting with Exhibit 259 and referring to the exhibit in each case, tell the Commission what the picture is about.

Mrs. Oswald. 259 is of the three children, John Edward, Robert, and Lee and the three are smiling. In fact this picture was in a magazine because of the three good poses. It is hard to get three pictures alike.

Mr. Rankin. About how old are the children in that picture?

Mrs. Oswald. I know Lee was approximately going on 6 years old. There is 5 years difference in Robert so Robert would be 11, that is correct and John Edward would be 13. That is when they went to military school.

This is a picture of Lee at age 6 months.

Mr. Rankin. You are talking about Exhibit 260?

Mrs. Oswald. 260, yes, sir.

This is a picture of Lee at the Bronx Zoo, Exhibit 261 at age 13.

Mr. Rankin. That is the Bronx Zoo in New York?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Rankin. That is the Bronx Zoo in New York that you told us about.

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.

262 is a picture of Lee in Atsugi, Japan in 1958 showing his strength.

Mr. Rankin. That shows him in Marine uniform also, does it?

Mrs. Oswald. In his Marine uniform showing his muscles to his mother.

And this is a picture, Exhibit 263 taken in Corregidor 1957 in the wilderness.

Mr. Rankin. He is still in the Marines there?

Mrs. Oswald. Oh, yes, he is in fatigues, there. This is a picture taken August 19, 264 taken in California coming home on leave from Japan.

Mr. Rankin. 264 he is still in the Marines?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, he is still in the Marines August 19. This is a picture of Lee taken in Minsk, Russia June 1st, 1961, Minsk, USSR, Exhibit 267.

There is a picture of Marguerite Oswald, the mother taken in New Orleans.

Mr. Rankin. What is the number?

Mrs. Oswald. 265.

Mr. Rankin. Thank you. That is your own picture?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.

This is a Mother's Day card sent to me from Santa Ana, California on May 7, 1959 from Lee.

Mr. Rankin. That is Exhibit 266?

Mrs. Oswald. And this is Exhibit 268 which is a Christmas card I had sent Lee on his first Christmas away from home—he joined in October—that Lee had kept all these years in his sea bag, this was found in his sea bag he left with me.

This is a book of Christmas carols Exhibit 269 that was also found in Lee's sea bag.

Mr. Rankin. Now, Exhibits 259 to 269 both inclusive, are those all of the pictures that you were offering the Commission this morning?

Mrs. Oswald. I have many more pictures, I would be happy to show you but these are the pictures that your Mr. Jenner said he would like to have for the Commission.

Mr. Rankin. And that you were referring to when you offered them to the Commission?

Mrs. Oswald. Yes.

Mr. Rankin. Thank you very much and we would like to return them to you at this time.

The Chairman. We will return them to you, Mrs. Oswald.

Mr. Rankin. That is all I have, Mr. Chairman.

The Chairman. Well I think that will be all then. Thank you Mrs. Oswald and if you become too tired with your testimony, we know it has been a long and arduous task for you, but we appreciate your presence.

Now, Mr. Doyle.

Mr. Doyle. Sorry for the interruption, sir. Mrs. Oswald, do you care to make any comment to the Commission about the tape recording, the transcript of the tape recording of Mrs. Marguerite Oswald furnished to you by the Commission this morning? Do you care to make any comment about that?

Mrs. Oswald. Should I go all the way and make the comment?

Mr. Doyle. You make any comment you desire on that paper. I ask you whether or not you have any comment to make concerning that paper that you sent, that you were given?

Mrs. Oswald. I am concerned about one thing, Mr. Doyle, if I may just step over there and ask you a question.

The Chairman. You may step out in the hall and talk to Mr. Doyle.

Mrs. Oswald. Chief Justice Warren and Mr. Rankin, I have read this and it has upset me very, very much, that is what I was upset about. I have stated before in my testimony that at the end of the Six Flags I insisted upon going home and getting my important papers and I was ignored.

I wanted to testify. They put Robert on tape many a time and Marina continuously and I didn't have an interview. I have stated this previously, if you remember, and then finally a Mr. Howard put me on tape for about 5 or 10 minutes only, sir, and I had started with the defection because I was under the impression that we missed a bet when we didn't find out how Lee got to Russia and as far as I know, no reporter has been able to find out what ship he left on, and then Robert left the bedroom because he had the news that we could not get a minister, if you recall, and cried, and I said to Mr. Howard "Now all that I have left me because I see my son crying bitterly." I have stated these facts before, a very short interview.

This interview is supposed to have been by Mr. Howard, sir. The same Mr. Mike Howard that I have previously identified before on many occasions, and I swear before this Committee that now my life is more in danger which I have said before, because I did not give this testimony. This is the testimony that has been gathered by known facts because I have been a public figure.

I have had three press conferences, I have written for magazines and newspapers. I have not kept quiet, sir, as you know, so these things have been accumulated. I was not questioned and answered, sir. I have stated it before and I state it now. This is the same man who was sent to me in Fort Worth, Tex. that I have complained that I did not get protection, if you will recall. This is the very same man, sir. This is the same man that I have told you that gave my daughter-in-law a red-carpet treatment if you will recall along with the other one I identified in the picture. This is the man I have been sitting here complaining about. Here is my evidence. I am ready to have a heart attack. I was sick, sir, when I read it because I realize now how my life is in danger and I want to say this: Many people know about this, many people, sir, Mr. Jack Langdon of the Morning Times, Mr. Blair Justice of the Star Telegram and I immediately called Mr. Blair Justice of the Star Telegram when this man knocked on my door last week to protect me, and told Blair Justice that this was the man, there was an article written in the Star Telegram, not printed but about pointed every lie at the Six Flags I made it plain that the other one if he had a gun would have shot me in my prior testimony, Mr. Rankin you remember that, so I told Mr. Justice, I said "Justice I am scared to death. This is the same man that I am suspicious of that they have now sent to guard me," and as you know, sir, I was not protected.