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

Mr. Jenner. And that would be before this last week in June when Mr. Gregory visited your home?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Dulles. What is Mr. Gregory's profession, do you happen to know?

Mr. Oswald. He was a consultant geologist. On this first occasion that Lee spent 1 or 2 hours talking with Mr. Gregory, and at the end of this occasion, Mr. Gregory gave Lee a letter to the effect, which I did read——

Mr. Jenner. Did your brother Lee exhibit this letter to you?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, he did.

Mr. Jenner. Have you seen the letter from the time that you read it to the present time?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir, I have not.

Mr. Jenner. And as far as you know the letter doesn't exist. You don't know whether it exists?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Would you please recite the content of it as you now recall it?

Mr. Oswald. That it stated that Lee Harvey Oswald was competent to speak and write the Russian language fluently. That is my general remembrance of this letter.

Mr. Jenner. Was it signed? Did it have a signature?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, it did.

Mr. Jenner. Was it on a letterhead?

Mr. Oswald. I believe it was, sir.

Mr. Dulles. Was Mr. Gregory a Russian by origin as far as you know?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, he was.

Mr. Jenner. Did your brother tell you that?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, he did.

Mr. Dulles. Was he a naturalized American, or don't you know?

Mr. Oswald. This I do not know, sir. But during this conversation, he told me about Mr. Gregory to the extent that he had come from Russia approximately——

Mr. Dulles. This is your brother now?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, talking to me. Approximately 40 years prior to that time.

Mr. Jenner. So he had been in this country for approximately 40 years?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. It was not long after that conversation in which your brother Lee reported these things to you that Mr. Gregory visited at your home the last week in June of 1962, is that correct?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, approximately the last week in June 1962.

Mr. Dulles. Did your brother tell you where he had gotten to know Mr. Gregory?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, he had.

Mr. Jenner. Would you please relate that?

Mr. Oswald. Through the lady at the Texas employment agency.

Mr. Jenner. He had gone to the Texas employment agency and had an interview with that lady?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. In charge of the agency?

Mr. Oswald. One of the personnel working within the agency.

Mr. Jenner. Did your brother say to you that she had suggested Mr. Gregory as a possible source?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. With regard to employment?

Mr. Oswald. That she had volunteered to call Mr. Gregory on his behalf to set up an appointment where Lee could go by and see him and talk with him in relation to employment.

Mr. Jenner. Did your brother indicate that that was his first acquaintance or knowledge of the fact that a person named Peter Gregory existed?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; he did.

Mr. Jenner. And he said that to you affirmatively?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. In the course of that conversation, did your brother report to you any recommendations by the lady in charge of the agency with respect to his contacting any other persons who were of Russian derivation or who could or might speak Russian and be of possible assistance to your brother in obtaining employment?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir, he did not.

Mr. Jenner. The conversation was confined to a Mr. Peter Gregory?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And have you now given us all you can recall as to that conversation?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, I have.

Mr. Jenner. And Mr. Gregory visited your home the last week in June or at least approximately then?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. He came alone to the best of your recollection?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And it was a visit, intended as a visit with Lee and Marina primarily?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. You were present when he came to your home?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, I was.

Mr. Jenner. Did he exhibit any acquaintance, prior acquaintance with Lee or with Marina?

Mr. Oswald. He certainly recognized Lee. He did not recognize Marina.

Mr. Jenner. Was he introduced to her?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, he was.

Mr. Jenner. On that occasion?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, he was.

Mr. Jenner. In your presence?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And it is your impression that he was not acquainted with her prior to that time?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. Or she with him?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Dulles. Could I ask one question here. Do you know of any other close friends of Lee's?

Mr. Oswald. At that time, sir, I was not aware of any others.

Mr. Dulles. The Fords you met later, I believe, did you not?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, that is correct.

Mr. Dulles. And are they Russian or is one of them Russian?

Mr. Oswald. His wife is originally from Russia.

Mr. Jenner. How did you discover that, Mr. Oswald?

Mr. Oswald. That Mrs. Ford was Russian?

Mr. Jenner. Yes.

Mr. Oswald. I believe Marina told me.

Mr. Jenner. Representative Ford has asked that that subject be inquired into also, sir.

Mr. Dulles. Won't you pursue it then if you wish, in whatever way?

Mr. Jenner. Would you relate to us to the best of your recollection the names of Lee's friends or associates from his return to this country in June 1962 up to and including November 22, 1963?

Mr. Oswald. The only ones I was aware of, sir, other than members of the family, was Mr. Peter Gregory and his son, Paul Gregory.

Mr. Jenner. May I stop you at that moment. You say his son Paul Gregory. Did you come to meet Paul Gregory as well as Peter?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I did.

Mr. Jenner. On some occasion subsequent to this last week in June of '62?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I did.

Mr. Jenner. Had you known that there was a Paul Gregory at the time Peter Gregory visited your home in June of '62?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir. He might possibly have mentioned his son at that time, but I do not recall that he did.

Mr. Jenner. You don't have any specific recollection of it?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not.

Mr. Jenner. When did you meet Paul Gregory?

Mr. Oswald. Approximately 2 or 3 days later.

Mr. Jenner. Under what circumstances?

Mr. Oswald. Mr. Peter Gregory and Mr. Paul Gregory both came to the house.

Mr. Jenner. And this is the second occasion of Mr. Gregory being in your home, to which you have already alluded?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.

Mr. Jenner. And what was the purpose of their visit at your house on that occasion?

Mr. Oswald. To meet with Lee and Marina again, and to the best of my remembrance, for his son, Paul Gregory, who was attending either the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma University, or Oklahoma State University, at which he was studying the Russian language.

And I believe at this time he stated he was a junior at the university, and that he wanted to be around others who spoke the Russian language, besides his father, to improve his language, or his knowledge of the Russian language.

Mr. Jenner. Was that stated in your presence?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir, it was.

Mr. Jenner. In this case, you now identified?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner. By Paul Gregory?

Mr. Oswald. That is correct.

Mr. Jenner. Did he attempt to converse, or converse with Lee, and/or with Marina in Russian on that occasion?

Mr. Oswald. He did with both.

Mr. Jenner. And on both occasions did Peter Gregory confer or talk with Lee and Marina or either of them or both of them in Russian?