reason I can recall.
Mr. Jenner. Your brother Lee was living at home during this time?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Was he working after school, or making any effort to earn some money?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; he was not. He might have on occasion mowed somebody's lawn or something like that, where he would have a little spending money, or something. But nothing frequently, consistently.
Mr. Jenner. I see.
Proceeding with you, at the end of the school year '50-'51—I assume you continued working there the summer of '51?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And did you reenter school that fall?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I did.
Mr. Jenner. Where?
Mr. Oswald. Arlington Heights High School.
Representative Ford. May I ask a question?
During this 1-year period that you worked for the A&P, Mr. Oswald, were you the principal source of income for your mother, Lee, and yourself?
Mr. Oswald. Mother was working. Whether or not I was making more than she was at that time, I do not know.
Representative Ford. She was working spasmodically or regularly during this period?
Mr. Oswald. I believe almost regularly, very little off. I cannot recall right now what she was doing. I think perhaps during this period she was selling insurance.
Representative Ford. While she was in this occupation, who took care of Lee?
Mr. Oswald. Well, no one did. Lee was, of course, at school. When he returned home from school in the afternoon, he managed for himself, until I or my mother returned home from work.
Representative Ford. He was 9 or 10?
Mr. McKenzie. Eleven years old.
Representative Ford. Thank you.
Mr. Jenner. I think Representative Ford's question may have been induced by the fact you said that at about this time of which we are speaking your mother was having trouble retaining her position or obtaining positions. I assumed from that, perhaps incorrectly, that there were gaps, there were times when she was not employed, and, therefore, did need you to remain out of school to help. Is that a fair statement?
Mr. Oswald. I would say that is a fair statement and generally so. A little more comes to mind there.
I believe, perhaps, that she might have been selling insurance. I think she was acting at that time as what you would call a hostess or a welcoming party for the city of Fort Worth. In other words, she went out and met new people coming into Fort Worth—something along that line. And apparently it wasn't very much money, very little. And I think during this period also she was trying to locate other types of work that would perhaps earn her more. I believe that would be more accurate to what I really had in mind, there.
Mr. Jenner. But during all of the period, from the divorce of your mother and Mr. Ekdahl, proceeding from that time forward, she again returned to what she had been doing prior to the marriage—that is, working to sustain the family?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Mr. Jenner. And if I may use the expression you did, Lee was left to shift for himself during the daytime, get to school, get back to school, and be around until either you boys returned to the home or your mother returned to the home?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Mr. Jenner. Because he didn't have anybody particularly assigned or who undertook to care for him?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir.
I might say you mentioned "you boys." Of course at this time John was in the Coast Guard, so it was either myself or my mother.
Mr. Jenner. And particularly during the year you were employed at the A&P, and your mother was also employed, then certainly during that period there was no one even available to take care of him, is that correct?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. What were your hours?
Mr. Oswald. My hours varied somewhat. We had different types of shifts for different days. Normally perhaps from 7 to 4 or 5 o'clock, and on the weekends—stock day was Wednesday, when all shipments came in, to restock the store. That was Wednesday and Saturday. Usually they were long days. I worked from 7 o'clock to 8 o'clock or 9 o'clock at night. And on Saturdays practically always after the store was closed, we did the cleanup, and rewaxing the floors and sometimes it was anywhere from 10 to 10:30 at night, and perhaps even 11 o'clock before I was home.
Mr. Dulles. Did Lee's school at that time keep him until about 4 o'clock, do you know?
Mr. Oswald. I believe, sir, that would be—he was, of course, at that time, attending West Ridglea Elementary School. I believe it would be about 3 o'clock, because I believe high school at that time—we were getting out at 3:40. And I believe the elementary school was either 40 minutes or an hour earlier.
Mr. Jenner. You attended Arlington Heights High School for the school year '51-'52?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Mr. Jenner. And what about the year '52-'53?
Mr. Oswald. July 1952 I joined the Marine Corps.
Mr. Jenner. And in July 1952, when you joined the Marine Corps, what do you recall was your status as far as your schooling was concerned?
Mr. Oswald. I completed my junior year in high school.
Mr. Dulles. Did you enlist for 3 years?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And your brother was still in the Coast Guard?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; he was still in the Coast Guard at that time.
Mr. Jenner. And, at that time, I take it your brother Lee was attending Arlington Heights High School? That would be 1952?
Mr. Oswald. Just a minute, please.
In 1952 Lee was 13 years old. He would be attending W. C. Stripling Junior High School then.
Mr. Jenner. I see. For the school year 1951–52?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir. Junior high school there was from the seventh to the ninth grades. And as soon as he was through with his sixth year, he started attending W. C. Stripling Junior High School.
Mr. Jenner. As soon as he finished the sixth year at Ridglea Elementary School, he entered W. C. Stripling High School, as a seventh grader?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir—junior high school.
Mr. Jenner. Now, the condition that you described as to Lee shifting for himself during the daytime, when your
