Oswald. That is one part. That is the beginning of it, Mr. Dulles. I have much more. That is the beginning of it, sir.
Mr. Dulles. Did he join at 18 or 17?
Mrs. Oswald. He joined at age 17. I signed the paper. You will please forgive me when I make mistakes, and if you will correct me.
Now, at age 15½ Lee was a member of the Civil Air Patrol.
Do you have that information, gentlemen?
I don't think you have.
Now, just a minute. I am sorry—this morning, when they were copying my papers. I put this in my bag.
I have a picture right here—this is Lee at age 15½ in the uniform of the Civil Air Patrol. This is before the recruiting officer. We are going back.
And this is what helped Lee to make up his mind to join the service.
The Chairman. Go right ahead, Mrs. Oswald.
Mrs. Oswald. At age 15½ or so, Lee joined the Civil Air Patrol. He went on an airplane, on flights and everything. I got him the uniform, with Robert's help. This young man—now, I do not know his name. He is from New Orleans. And I am checking on these things. I have to do research on all of this, and do it alone.
This young man and Lee were very friendly. The young man that gave Lee the idea of—went to Beauregard School with him, and he and Lee joined the Civil Air Patrol together. That is the way I wish to state this. And he often came to the house. So there is a close friend of Lee. Lee is not supposed to have any friends.
Mr. Rankin. Did he have any girl friends, too?
Mrs. Oswald. No. Now, neither did Robert or John Edward. No, sir. Neither of my boys had girl friends until after about age 17.
Mr. Rankin. Did he have other close friends, boy friends, besides these that you recall?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir, I would not say he had—unless during working—he was working at this time, and I was working during the day. But I mean at the house this young man came to the house, and several of the other young men, as I told you before.
Now, we are at the Civil Air Patrol.
And that is why Lee went to the Marine Corps, is because of the Civil Air Patrol. He wasn't in the Civil Air Patrol long.
Mr. Rankin. Now, up to this point, you haven't told us anything that caused you to think he was an agent, have you?
Mrs. Oswald. Well, maybe, sir, I am not doing a very good job of what I am saying.
Mr. Rankin. What do you think you have said that caused you to think——
Mrs. Oswald. I have said that a Marine recruiting officer came to my home, and that Lee then continued reading Robert's manual by heart, and started reading communist literature. He is preparing himself to go into the Marine service—at age 17—this year before he actually joined the service. I am saying he is already preparing himself.
Mr. Rankin. To become an agent?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, I think with the influence of this recruiting officer.
Mr. Rankin. You think the recruiting officer inspired him——
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir, influenced this boy.
Mr. Rankin. ——to read the communist literature?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir—and Robert's Marine book.
Mr. Rankin. Is there anything else you base that on, except what you have told us?
Mrs. Oswald. About him being an agent?
Mr. Rankin. Yes.
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir, when I get through the whole story.
Mr. Rankin. I mean as far as the recruiting officer.
Mrs. Oswald. No. Otherwise than Lee's attitude. Lee read this manual. He knew it by heart. I even said, "Boy, you are going to be a general, if you ever get in the Marines."
Mr. Rankin. And you base the idea——
Mrs. Oswald. He had the idea.
Mr. Rankin. He was being prepared to become an agent, and inspired by this recruiting officer?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rankin. By what you have told us about his reading the communist literature and this one pamphlet, and also the manual of the Marine Corps?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir. And then living to when he is age 17 to join the Marines, which I knew, and which he did at age 17 on his birthday.
Mr. Rankin. Now, what else do you base your idea that he was—ever became an agent or was going to become an agent on?
Mrs. Oswald. Many, many things. We always watched—it is "I Led Three Lives"—the program—Philbrick. We always watched that. And when Lee returned from the service and the Marines, the three days—that program was on, and he turned it off. He said, "Mother, don't watch that, that is a lot of propaganda."
It has been stated publicly that the FBI did not know—didn't have Lee on the subversive list—I am probably not saying this right, gentlemen—but the rightwing in Dallas. I don't know anything politically. The FBI and Secret Service had a list of names in Dallas of people that had to be watched, and Lee Harvey Oswald was not on that list. That would lead to believe there was some reason he was not on the list.
Mr. Rankin. Who did you get that from?
Mrs. Oswald. From the newspapers and all over. And there has been a lot of comment about this all through.
Now, I don't say it is correct. But what I have explained to you before—my way of thinking has to go with this, because I know the boy and the whole life, and you do not, sir.
Mr. Rankin. Well, I want to try to find out all you know about it.
Mrs. Oswald. Fine. And I want you to.
Also, Lee's letters—and I have them in the hotel—I didn't bring them, because I thought we were through, and you have the copies—most every letter from Lee tells me something.
When Lee is coming back from Russia he says, "I plan to stop over in Washington a while."
Lee says in the letter, "Marina's uncle is a major in the Soviet Union."
"I am an American citizen and I will never take Soviet citizenship."
If you will read every letter—if you think he is an agent—every letter is telling his mother—"If something happens to me, Mother, these are facts."
I might be elaborating. But I think my son is an agent. And these things piece by piece are going together, as far as I am concerned.
Representative Ford. When did you first think he was an agent?
Mrs. Oswald. When Lee defected. And I have always said
