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

Mr. Oswald. That is right.

Mr. Jenner. Following November 22, 1963, you saw a good deal of Marina, did you not in those few days? You were guiding her and advising her?

Mr. Oswald. That is right.

Mr. Jenner. And you already testified that on at least one occasion, or maybe two, that you had taken her to your brother's grave in the cemetery.

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; on quite a few other occasions also.

Mr. Jenner. In addition?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Dulles. And in your memorandum or diary—I don't know how we described that, but I think variously as memorandum or diary.

Mr. Jenner. I would say memorandum, except the last pages a diary.

Mr. Dulles. In your memorandum you have recounted certain problems in connection with the funeral arrangements. Is there anything else you would like to add to that?

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

Mr. Jenner. On the basis of your participating in the course of events subsequent to November 22, and your continuing presence at the Inn, and advising your sister-in-law, Marina, do you have an opinion as to whether the Secret Service or anyone else was overly influencing Marina? Or even that they were attempting to influence her?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I believe that—perhaps I did not get the full statement there. I believe you included anyone, including the Secret Service agents.

Mr. Jenner. Could we confine it to the Secret Service first?

Mr. Oswald. All right.

In answer to that part of the question, I would say I felt like they were not attempting to influence Marina.

Mr. Jenner. Would it be your impression that they were trying to be completely fair, even leaning over backwards? Or do you have any impression in that respect?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I do have an impression and opinion on that.

Mr. Jenner. Would you state it?

Mr. Oswald. That I felt at no time during our stay at the Inn of the Six Flags during the week of November 25, 1963, including Sunday, November 24, 1963, that the United States Secret Service agents that were present at one time or another did anything other than to be extremely helpful to Marina, and not to the point of attempting to affect her judgment or to, so to speak, put words into her mouth, or in any way lead her with relation to the events that had occurred on November 22, 1963, or prior events that she had recorded on her tape recording interview in the Inn of the Six Flags, or the events that happened Sunday, November 23, 1963, until the time she left the Inn of the Six Flags.

In other words, they conducted themselves in a highly admirable way at all times.

Mr. Jenner. Now, would you give us your same opinion with respect to the FBI?

Mr. Oswald. As I testified yesterday, sir; I was of the opinion on the first and the second interview—and I refer to the first interview as I did yesterday as an attempted interview, and I referred to the second interview, to the best of my recollection it was the second interview, at which time the FBI, in my opinion, kept Marina Oswald in an interview to the extent that it had almost entirely exhausted her.

Mr. Jenner. Is this the occasion you related to us yesterday, or is this another one?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; this is the second occasion, when there was an interview.

Mr. Jenner. Would you please tell us about that, and when it occurred?

Mr. Oswald. This interview occurred approximately Wednesday night, November 27, 1963.

Mr. Jenner. Where?

Mr. Oswald. At the Inn of the Six Flags, at which time the FBI agents and Mr. Tom Kelley, of the United States Secret Service, left the room that we had been staying in with Marina Oswald and went to the adjoining set of rooms that was located, of course, right next to the room we had been staying, and commenced an interview. It is my understanding that Mr. Kelley was not present at this interview.

However, he was in the adjoining room to that set of rooms, and that he was not permitted to be within the immediate interviewing area.

I do not recall the exact length of this interview. But as the night progressed, it became at least apparent to me that due to the state of Marina Oswald at that time, considering all the things that had occurred, and the difficulty that she was having producing enough milk for the baby Rachel, that they were extremely disregarding her own personal welfare at this time.

And I did go to the adjoining rooms, and I believe Mr. Kelley opened the door. And at that time I related to him that the babies had awakened, and that they needed their mother, Marina Oswald.

He immediately informed the interviewers in the next room. And as my memory serves me, Mr. Kelley turned to me and stated he was glad I did that, and I stated to him that the babies were still asleep, and I did it on the very purpose of stopping the interview, too, to the length and the nature of Marina's welfare, and to the extent that that was quite late at night.

Mr. Dulles. Were you present during the whole interview?

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I was not. I was in the adjoining rooms, keeping an eye just in case the babies did wake and so forth.

Mr. Dulles. Was there an interpreter present at that time?

Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.

Mr. Dulles. Was that FBI or Secret Service interpreter?

Mr. Oswald. To the best of my memory, sir, that was Mr. Lee Gopadze of the United States Secret Service.

Mr. McKenzie. Mr. Gopadze was participating in the interview?

Mr. Oswald. That is right.

Mr. Dulles. But only as interpreter.

Mr. Oswald. That is right.

Mr. Jenner. Do you have an opinion as to whether Marina was or is involved in any plot or conspiracy in connection with this affair?

Mr. Oswald. May I have the first part of that question again?

(The reporter read the question.)

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

Mr. Jenner. Do you have an opinion to the contrary?

That is, that she is not?

Mr. Oswald. I am of the opinion, sir, that she is not involved in any conspiracy or was involved in any way with the event that took place on November 22, 1963.

Mr. Jenner. Thank you.

Mr. Dulles. Could I ask a question there?

Do you have any opinion as to whether any American security service, Secret Service, FBI, CIA, were in any way involved in any conspiracy or plot or otherwise involved in this whole affair?

Mr. Oswald. Sir, you are asking me of my opinion?

Mr. Dulles. Only your opinion, yes—obviously if you have information or any evidence we would like to have it.

Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not have any evidence or information along that line. I do have an opinion, sir, qualified to this extent. That it is very difficult for me to feel that Lee Harvey Oswald acted entirely on his own without any assistance whatsoever.

Now, whether this assistance was from my—from any member of any government agency, or just individuals, I do not know. I do feel like he had assistance of one nature or another, sir.

Mr. McKenzie. Robert, that does not answer Mr. Dulles' question. And I want you to answer his question fully.

Mr. Dulles. My question was really directed toward any security agency of the United States Government.

Mr. McKenzie. If I may state your question, Mr. Dulles, to Mr. Oswald—his question was whether or not any security agency of the United States Government, whether it be the FBI, the Secret Service, the CIA, or any Government agency, had any part in a conspiracy or plot dealing with the events of November 22, and what your opinion is concerning the same.

Mr. Dulles. That is correctly stated.

Mr. Oswald. All right.

I would correct my answer to this extent, sir. I would be of the opinion that no agency of the United States Government was in any way involved with the assassination of the President of the United States on November 22, 1963.