Jenner. From your long acquaintance with him, and your intimate knowledge of his physical characteristics in that respect, do you have an opinion as to whether he was instinctively right-handed or instinctively a left-handed person?
Mr. Oswald. I would say he was instinctively a right-handed person.
Mr. Jenner. In all the years you were with him, you had opportunity to see him react instantaneously without having time to think about using his right hand or left hand?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Did you observe him on many occasions?
Mr. Oswald. Yes. I have never known him to use his left hand in any manner when an occasion would require that he use either hand—instinctively went to his right hand.
Mr. Jenner. Was he a coordinated person in the use of his right hand? Some are not coordinated athletically.
Mr. Oswald. My opinion of this, sir, would be that he was coordinated to the extent that looking at myself and many, I would compare us as two peas in a pod. Quite fast, well coordinated.
Mr. Jenner. He was dextrous?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And well coordinated?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And you had an opportunity over the years to see him engage in athletics, did you?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. During your youth, as a young man, in any event, did you and your brother John and Lee have an interest in guns, rifles, pistols, cap guns, firearms generally?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; we certainly did. I would say this.
Mr. Jenner. Now, this includes all three of you?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I understand that.
Of course John and I, when we attended military school, we had more of an opportunity to become acquainted with firearms. We certainly played with cap pistols, rubber guns, et cetera, when we were young. Lee did the same thing.
However, I would say this. Mother did not like firearms.
Mr. Dulles. We will recess now until 2 o'clock this afternoon.
(Whereupon, at 12:30 p.m., the President's Commission recessed.)
Afternoon Session
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT EDWARD LEE OSWALD RESUMED
The President's Commission reconvened at 2 p.m.
Mr. Dulles. The Commission will come to order.
Mr. Dulles. Mr. Jenner, will you please continue?
Mr. Jenner. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Reporter, would you read the last question and answer we have so we can orient ourselves.
To refresh your recollection, Mr. Oswald, I had commenced to examine you with respect to the interests of yourself, your brother John, and your brother Lee in firearms, even at the children's stage. And you had indicated developments in that area as you became older.
I think you reached the point where, as an example, you said of course your brother John and yourself had attended military school.
Mr. Oswald. And, also, I believe, sir, the question referred to all three of us.
Mr. Jenner. Yes.
Mr. Oswald. To what extent we were familiar with firearms.
To elaborate, at military school John was by far the better shot of the two of us. He was on the school rifle team. And, at this time, I was 10 years old—when I first attended there. My hunting instinct came alive.
Mr. Jenner. Hunting?
Mr. Oswald. Hunting instinct came alive, and at the first opportunity I started hunting squirrels and so forth there in Mississippi. I did this on practically every occasion I had. John was on the rifle team. And up to that time, a number of years after that, we never had a firearm in the house. My mother didn't like them. She was scared of them. And after we moved to 7408 Ewing Street, none of us owned a rifle, even a .22, or a shotgun, or any type of firearm. And when I wanted to go hunting from there, I had various friends that had rifles that I would borrow, and I would go to the west side of Fort Worth, and Benbrook, and do my squirrel hunting.
I don't recall at anytime during that period that Lee went with me. I don't know that John did—because approximately this time he had reached the age of 17, at which time he joined the U.S. Coast Guard.
Mr. Jenner. This is when you moved over to Ewing Street in Fort Worth?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Up to that time, had you and Lee at any time gone hunting?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not recall any time that we went hunting at that time.
Mr. Jenner. This was 1948–49. So he was 9 to 10 years old?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Had, to your knowledge, Lee gone hunting or used firearms or played or been interested in firearms with you or with your brother?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir. To my knowledge I don't remember any time he went hunting with myself or my older brother John. As I stated, there was no firearms in the house.
He liked cap pistols, like any other kid. And to the extent that we didn't even own a BB gun.
Mr. Jenner. Had you ever had BB guns around your home?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Had you boys ever owned one?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Jenner. By this time, I assume you had shot one.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Owned by one of your pals or somebody around the neighborhood?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And Lee had what you would describe as a normal interest in firearms?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. That every boy has?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. But not beyond that?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Were there any pistol or rifle ranges around that you boys attended?
Mr. Oswald. No,
