Mr. Jenner. When did that marriage take place, to the best of your recollection?
Mr. Oswald. 1944 or early '45.
Mr. Jenner. Were you present on that occasion?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I was not.
Mr. Jenner. Had you become acquainted with him prior to the time of the marriage of your mother to Mr. Ekdahl?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I certainly did.
Mr. Jenner. Would you indicate the general circumstances?
Mr. Oswald. Well, we was residing at Dallas, Tex. I don't recall the address. It was Victor Street.
Mr. Jenner. When you say "we"——
Mr. Oswald. It was my mother, John Edward Pic, myself, and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Residing at the Victor Street address, in Dallas, Tex. I recall that perhaps more numerous occasions he was there—now I can say three or four times he was around the house prior to the marriage.
Mr. Jenner. And what was the nature of your mother's employment, if she was employed, in the period immediately preceding the marriage of your mother to Mr. Ekdahl?
Mr. Oswald. I am sorry, sir, I don't remember.
Mr. Jenner. But she was employed?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir. I do recall that this was quite a large house. It was a two-story house. And she was renting apartments.
Mr. Jenner. Serving as a rental agent?
Mr. Oswald. No. She owned the house, to my knowledge—she owned this house. I believe there were two upstairs apartments.
Mr. Jenner. In addition to that, was your mother separately or independently employed—that is independently from——
Mr. Oswald. I believe so, sir. Where, I do not recall.
Mr. Jenner. And at that time all three of you boys were attending—would that be elementary school at that time?
Mr. Oswald. Elementary school, that is correct.
Mr. Jenner. In Dallas?
Mr. Oswald. Lee was not.
Mr. Jenner. I beg your pardon?
Mr. Oswald. This would have been prior to Lee's sixth birthday, I believe, and he would not be attending at that particular time.
Mr. Jenner. But you and your brother John were?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. Would you be good enough to tell the Commission as much as you can recall, especially of your early life—elementary school days. We are not going to probe into this in any great length. But we would like the background and flavor in which the family lived.
Start as early as you have any reasonable recollection.
Mr. Oswald. All right, sir.
I believe after my father's death in 1939, John was attending elementary school. We lived at the corner of Alvar and Galvez, in New Orleans, La. And the school was right across the street from us, elementary school.
John, of course, started——
Mr. Jenner. Excuse me, sir.
Did I ask you where you were born?
Mr. Oswald. No, you did not.
Mr. Jenner. Would you state that?
Mr. Oswald. I was born in New Orleans, La.
Mr. Jenner. All right.
Excuse the interruption.
Mr. Oswald. John attended the school approximately 2 years before I started elementary school. And during this time, the way I remember it, it was a frame building. But by the time I attended first grade it was a brick school building.
I do not recall attending for a very long period, because I believe——
Mr. Jenner. Do you recall the name of the elementary school?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not.
Mr. McKenzie. Mr. Jenner, if I may interrupt at this time—Robert, in giving this narrative, tie it down as closely as you possibly can to date, to names, to street addresses—just give us as complete detail as you possibly can.
Mr. Oswald. All right, sir.
Mr. McKenzie. The names of the school, the names of your teachers, and so forth, if you recall.
Mr. Oswald. I believe I was at the point that I don't recall attending this school very much. I perhaps was there the first full year. However, approximately around this time—this would be in 1941—mother placed John Edward and myself in a Catholic school, which I do not recall the name of, but it was located in Algiers, La.
Mr. Jenner. Is that a suburb of New Orleans?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. McKenzie. Just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans proper.
Mr. Dulles. Could I ask a question, Mr. Jenner?
In this school, did you live there, and spend the night there—you were living there all the time?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Dulles. Or were you going home?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; we were living there.
Lee, of course, at this time, was still very young, and he stayed with mother. I don't recall any address particularly at that time. We were at the Catholic school for approximately 1 year.
Mr. Jenner. That would take you to 1942.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
And, at that time we were moved by mother from the Catholic school and placed into the Bethlehem Orphan Home, in New Orleans, La.
We used to refer to it as the BOH.
Mr. Jenner. Excuse me, sir, if I interrupt you at that point.
That would be 1942?
Mr. Oswald. The best I can remember.
Mr. Jenner. Lee was only 3 years old. So the "we" did not include Lee, is that correct, sir?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct. It included John Edward and myself.
Mr. Jenner. As Mr. Dulles inquired of you at the Catholic school—was this an orphan home in which both you and John lived at the home?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.
Mr.
