recall it myself at the moment.
Did your mother and Mr. Ekdahl have occasion during this 3-year period, plus the summer school, to visit you and John in the military academy?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; they did. I recall Mr. Ekdahl coming there with mother and Lee in a 1939 Buick at that time, that I recall. I don't recall many occasions that Mr. Ekdahl was there. I might state that at Christmas time I believe on each year that we were up at the military school that we returned home. By home, I mean Fort Worth, or wherever they were living. One year I believe it was Benbrook, Tex., outside of Fort Worth.
Mr. Jenner. Now, would you be good enough, having mentioned that, to state for the record where your mother and Mr. Ekdahl resided during the period of time you were at the military school?
Mr. Oswald. I believe the first year——
Mr. Jenner. Chronologically.
Mr. Oswald. The first year that we attended there, Mr. Ekdahl was on the road quite a bit. And they had during the winter of 1945 gone to Boston, where they stayed, I would say, for approximately 6 months. I understand Mr. Ekdahl had been married and had a son by a prior marriage, and they had lived together, all of them—Lee, my mother, Mr. Ekdahl, and his son—in Boston. But that he was on the road quite a bit. And I recall a picture of mother and Lee in Arizona.
Mr. Jenner. Living in Arizona?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; not living. On one of the trips.
Mr. Jenner. I see.
Representative Ford. One of the trips with Mr. Ekdahl?
Mr. Oswald. Ekdahl, and mother and Lee had gone along with him. Whether this was a business trip or a vacation trip, I don't recall.
Mr. Jenner. I see.
Following their living for 6 months in Boston, where did they live thereafter, during that period of time, until the divorce?
Mr. Oswald. I believe after they left Massachusetts, they moved to Benbrook, Tex., and resided at Benbrook, Tex.
Mr. Jenner. And where is Benbrook with respect to Dallas?
Mr. Oswald. It is—well, with respect to Fort Worth, that to me would be easier to say, it is just a little ways northwest of Fort Worth, on the edge of the city limits of Fort Worth now. At this particular time it was just more or less a wide spot in the road. The house—I recall going there, perhaps this was during Christmas leave from the academy—the house was a good sized stone home that had some acreage with it. There was a creek that was perhaps 400 or 500 yards behind the house. I remember, I believe, right before we arrived on this first occasion, Lee had found a skunk out there. He didn't know what a skunk was, but he found out.
Mr. McKenzie. Benbrook is a suburb of Fort Worth.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, Benbrook is a suburb of Fort Worth.
As I indicated, at that time——
Mr. Jenner. Could you fix the year?
Mr. Oswald. This would be—I feel certain that this was the first year that we were in military school, and the first Christmas.
Mr. Jenner. The first Christmas. That would be Christmas 1945.
Mr. Oswald. Pardon me. Let me back up earlier.
They were in Massachusetts at that time.
This would be the second year.
Mr. Jenner. I take it, then, the first Christmas, 1945, included the period when your mother, Mr. Ekdahl, and Lee resided in Boston with Mr. Ekdahl's son by a former marriage.
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. And that the living in Benbrook, Tex., followed the termination of the stay in Boston?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
But I do recall now the first Christmas that I was at the military school, because they were so far away, and it was impractical to travel that distance in that length of time—that John went with some friends of his that he made at the academy and stayed at their home—I don't recall where.
I remember I went with one of my friends and stayed at his home during Christmas.
Mr. Jenner. These were friends of yours in the academy?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct. And their parents agreed to that—because they didn't want us to stay up in the academy at Christmas time more or less by ourselves. They wanted to have us with them.
Mr. Jenner. You seem to have a rather vivid recollection of the Benbrook, Tex., home. I take it that during a summer vacation you lived in Benbrook, Tex., with your mother and Mr. Ekdahl and Lee.
Mr. Oswald. This particular house I refer to, a native stone home—I believe that is correct.
Mr. Jenner. So that you did have at least two summers at home while you were at the military academy, and the third summer your mother asked you to stay during summer school, and you did not come home?
Mr. Oswald. She asked us, and it was the intent that we stay. But at the last moment we did not go to summer school that year at the academy. We did come to Fort Worth.
Mr. Jenner. I see.
Mr. McKenzie. Mr. Jenner, may I interrupt you please?
Robert, when did you leave, or when did your mother sell the house on Victor Street in Dallas. Tex., if you recall?
Mr. Oswald. I believe she sold it at the time that they moved to Boston, Mass.
Mr. McKenzie. That was some time prior to Christmas of 1945, is that correct?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
If I may ask this, sir: If someone would furnish me the date of the divorce. I believe this would help tie down some other dates.
Mr. McKenzie. Off the record.
(Discussion off the record.)
Mr. McKenzie. I want to assure the Commission and counsel that the copy of the transcript of Robert Oswald's testimony will not be given to the press until such time as the Commission makes its final report—if at that time.
Representative Ford. I think that is most important, that we don't indicate that they will never be given to the press.
Mr. Dulles. No. That was made clear before you came in—that this would be available for use in connection with the report in any way that the Commission saw fit.
Mr. Jenner. Is it all right to proceed, sir?
Mr. Dulles. Yes, please, Mr. Jenner.
Mr. Jenner. The second residence, then, was—I mean the second one during this particular period we were talking about, was in Benbrook, Tex.
How long, or over what period of time did your family reside in Benbrook, Tex.?
Mr. Oswald. I would say at least approximately
