An Outline of Marina Oswald's testimony to the Warren Commission Monday, February 3, 1964 from volume I, pages 1 - 29
Location: 200 Maryland Ave. NE., Wasington, D.C.
Present:
- Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman
- Senator John Sherman Cooper
- Representative Hale Boggs
- Representative Gerald Ford
- Allen W. Dulles
- J. Lee Rankin, general counsel
- John M. Thorne (Marina's attorney)
- William D. Krimer, interpreter
- Leon I. Gopadze, interpreter
Marina Oswald
- Full name, Marina Nikolaevna Oswald. Maiden name, Prussakova.
- She lives with Mr. Jim Martin and his family at 11125 Ferrar St., Dallas.
- She has 2 girls: June, age 2, & Rachel, age 3 months.
- They had their own home in Russia.
- Came to U.S. with her husband Lee June 13th 1961 or 1962 (probably '62).
- from Moscow via Poland, Germany, and Holland by train. From Amsterdam to New York by ship. Flew from NY to Dallas.
- $$ for the trip given by the American Embassy in Moscow.
- $$ given to Lee by his brother Robert.
Lee and Marina met with Robert Oswald in Dallas, stayed with him and his family in Fort Worth for 1 - 2 months.
Then lived with Lee's mother, Marguerite, in Fort Worth for about 3 weeks.
- Lee didn't love his mother. "She was not quite a normal woman."
Then rented an apartment on Mercedes St.
Lee found work as a welder near Mercedes St. where they lived. Income about $200 a month; $1.25 an hour.
Lee read books from the library, mostly history.
Marina doesn't recall seeing any guns when living on Mercedes St.
Lee loved their kids.
Lee lost his welding job.
Russian friend, George Bouhe, helped Lee find work in Dallas, $1.40 an hour
While living in Fort Worth, became friends with Russian Peter Gregory, through him met others.
- Gali Clark
- Mrs. Elena Hall
- George Bouhe
- Anna Meller
- Anna Ray
- Katya Ford
- George De Mohrenshildt
Lee and Marina didn't own a car.
When Lee moved to Dallas, Marina stayed in Ft. Worth with Elena Hall for about 1 1/2 months. Marina never paid her any money.
Lee rented a room at the YMCA in Dallas at first, then shortly after got an apartment.
Then Marina and Lee got an apartment in Dallas on Elsbeth St.
- Gary Taylor helped them move.
- Marina didn't observe any guns.
- $60 a month rent.
Lee took English courses or typing courses 3 days a week.
They moved from Elsbeth St. apartment to an apartment on Neely St.
They fought, Lee wanted her to move back to Russia, but she didn't want to.
With the exeption of George De Mohrenschildt, Lee didn't like Marina's Russian friends. He said they were traitors for leaving Russia.
While living on Neely St. Lee had a rifle and a revolver.
Before the General Walker shooting, Lee was preparing.
- Lee took photos of Walker's home.
- Lee didn't want Marina in his room.
Marina thinks he practiced shooting at a range at Love Field.
Lee asked Marina to take photos of Lee holding his rifle and pistol.
- "I asked him then why he had dressed himself up like that, with the rifle and the pistol, and I thought that he had gone crazy, and he said he wanted to send that to a newspaper. This was not my business--it was a man's business."
- Marina had forgotten she took two photos, at first thought there was only one.
Lee tried to shoot General Ed Walker.
- Marina found a note from Lee telling her that if he is arrested, he left her money in the mailbox. He later destroyed the note.
- Lee got home very late that night, he looked pale, she didn't ask him about it.
- Lee told Marina he had buried the rifle (the police have dogs).
- Lee said Gen. Walker was a bad man; the leader of a fascist organization. "He was very sorry that he had not hit him."
- Lee had planned it for two months.
- When the De Mohrenschildts came over, George said, "Lee, how is it possible that you missed?" George was smart and probably guessed Lee had done it.
- George De Mohrenschildt "is simply a liberal, simply a man. I don't think that he is being accused justly of being a communist."
Days later Lee lost his job. Marina insisted he find a job in New Orleans where he had relatives (the Murrets).
- Lee liked the Murrets, but didn't like that they were all religious.
She thought Lee was writing some kind of memoirs, as he had written about his life in the Soviet Union. But she never read it.
Marina stayed with Mrs. Ruth Paine while Lee went to New Orleans looking for work.
- Met Ruth Paine through their Russian friends.
- Ruth Paine was studying Russian.
- Ruth invited Marina to stay with her. In exchange Marina gave Ruth Russian language lessons.
- Lee didn't like Ruth Paine; thought she was stupid.
Lee found work in New Orleans. Ruth Paine helped Marina move to Magazine Street in New Orleans with Lee.
While in Ft. Worth, about August 1962, the FBI visited and questioned Lee. According to Lee, the FBI wanted him to notify them if some Russians try to recruit him for work.
In New Orleans, Lee got a job at the Louisianna Coffee Co.
- He didn't like the job.
- $1.35 an hour (approx.)
- Worked from May to the end of August.
- Was then unemployed for a time.
Marina wrote to the Soviet Embassy requesting permission to return. While in New Orleans she wrote again, stating that Lee wanted to come with her.
After he lost his job, Lee became active in the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.
- He was the only member of this organization.
- He was arrested in a demonstration incident.
Lee had a rifle when they lived in New Orleans.
- He would sit on the porch at night with his rifle, with a scope on it.
- He wanted to hi-jack a plane to Cuba, wanted the papers to write about it. But Marina talked him out of it.
Lee didn't like the U.S.
- There are fascist organizations here.
- Hard to get an education.
- Hard to find work.
- Medical expenses are high.
- Lee thought that in 20 years he would be prime minister.
Some Communist leader (probably from New York) sent Lee a letter, and Lee was very happy.
Marina would make fun of Lee and his crazy ideas.
Their Russian friends didn't visit them when they lived in New Orleans.
On Sept. 20th or 21st Ruth Paine helped them move to Ruth's house with her station wagon.
- The rifle was transported in the car.
- Marina later found the rifle wrapped in a blanket in the garage.
Lee took a bus to Mexico City, and visited both the Russian and Cuban Embassies. (His plan was to go to Cuba, and Marina could join him there later.) But the people at the embassies were too bureaucratic, so he came back. (took about a week)
Lee rented a room in Dallas, and looked for work.
One of Ruth Paine's neighbors worked at the School Book Depository, and got Lee a job there (Marina doesn't remember his name).
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