1964
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT EDWARD LEE OSWALD RESUMED
The President's Commission met at 10 a.m. on February 22, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.
Present was Allen W. Dulles, member.
Also present were Albert Jenner, assistant counsel; and William McKenzie, attorney for Robert Edward Lee Oswald.
Mr. Dulles. The Commission will come to order.
We will continue the hearing of Mr. Robert Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. Thank you, sir.
Have you now recited for us all of the occasions on which any agent of the FBI called or visited with you prior to November 22, 1963?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I have.
Mr. Dulles. And your answer would include any other Government investigatory bodies, would it? I mean you didn't have the Secret Service at this time?
Mr. McKenzie. In answer to your question, Mr. Jenner, and to Mr. Dulles' further question, Robert has told me there was one other agency that he does recall at this time.
Mr. Jenner. Why don't we have him recite it, and then see if it is pertinent.
Or, may I suggest, Mr. Chairman, we might go off the record and see what it was.
Mr. McKenzie. It was Immigration and Naturalization.
Mr. Jenner. Fix the date, please.
Excuse me.
There was one other Government agency that interviewed you?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Jenner. Would you give the time, please?
Mr. Oswald. To the best of my recollection, this was approximately January or February of 1962, at my residence in Fort Worth, Tex., approximately 7 o'clock or 7:30 p.m. The gentleman had called my home from Dallas, Tex.
Mr. Jenner. Had he called you?
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; he had called my home, and my wife had talked to him, and he asked if it was satisfactory if he came over to ask us some questions and some background information in regard to Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. Was this a week day or a Sunday?
Mr. Oswald. This was a week day, sir.
My wife——
Mr. Jenner. How did you become informed of this?
Mr. Oswald. My wife called me at my office, sir. And she advised the gentleman on the phone unless I said to the contrary it was certainly satisfactory for him to come that night, which he did, at approximately 7 or 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Jenner. And you were there?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I was there, and my wife was present.
Mr. Jenner. Did he give you his name, and do you recall what the name was?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; I am sure he did give his name, but I do not recall what his name was.
It was a rather brief meeting and conversation that we had, and it was with regards to the possibility or inquiry into the possibility of having Lee's wife, Mrs. Marina N. Oswald, brought to this country, with Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. As best as you can, would you reconstruct the conversation?
Mr. Oswald. This gentleman did take notes or perhaps he did have a form outlining various questions that he needed answers to. I do not recall any specific questions. However, I did state to him, after three or four questions, in regards to Lee Harvey Oswald being in the Soviet Union, and quite surprised, I do recall, myself that he was not aware of the reasons why—or the reported reasons why Lee had gone to the Soviet Union.
And I suggested to the gentleman at that time that he perhaps contact the FBI and I specifically mentioned Mr. Fain by name—he said he was acquainted with Mr. Fain of the FBI Bureau, and that he would get the background information from Mr. Fain in regards to Lee Harvey Oswald.
I believe, sir, to the best of my remembrance that he stated at that time he was not aware of the situation, and he thought this was just an "ordinary" case of bringing an immigrant in from the Soviet Union to the United States.
Mr. Jenner. And when he said that, what person did you have in mind?
Mr. Oswald. Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. That is the person to whom you thought he was referring, was Marina?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Dulles. And this was after, as I recall, your correspondence showed that they were planning to come back, was it not?
Mr. Oswald. That is correct, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Could you give us a little more of your recollection as to the thrust of his inquiries, the subject matter of his inquiries?
Mr. Oswald. I believe, sir, the best of my recollection on that would be directed to us at that time about Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. Of what nature—her age?
Mr. Oswald. I do not recall any specific questions, sir.
Mr. Dulles. Did they inquire about the marriage? That would be one of the things they would inquire about. Because it would be the marriage to an American that would give her the preference. I was wondering if that might have been the subject of the inquiry—whether you had evidence that she was married to your brother.
Mr. Oswald. No, sir; I do not recall that specific question, but perhaps this ground was covered. It was just a general background on Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. But it did relate to Marina N. Oswald? You recall that much?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir; it did.
Mr. Jenner. And the questions were directed toward her and about her specifically?
Mr. Oswald. More so than Lee Harvey Oswald. Some questions were addressed to me by the gentleman in relation to my brother, Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. Jenner. And the inquiries of the agent—he inquired of you as to whether you were the brother of Lee Harvey Oswald, did he?
Mr. Oswald. I am sure he did, sir.
Mr. Jenner. I am just trying to reconstruct the scene for you.
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. And whether your brother Lee Harvey Oswald was then in Russia, and had been in Russia?
Mr. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner. Whether he was married,
