Background of Lee Harvey Oswald
Having found no on-scene assistance, the Commission undertook a chronological investigation beginning with Oswald’s 1959 defection. He was young, inexperienced, poorly educated, and—though capable of secretive, self-reliant action—ill-suited to be selected as a conspirator.
Secretary of State Dean Rusk testified on June 10, 1964, that he had seen no evidence linking the Soviet Union to the assassination, calling such an act “an act of rashness and madness” that would jeopardize everything for a country interested in correct state relations, particularly given mutual respect between Khrushchev and Kennedy. The Commission accepted Rusk’s estimate but examined all known facts regarding Oswald’s defection, residence, and return.
Oswald decided to defect while stationed in Japan, where he began studying Russian. In February 1959 he scored “Poor” on an Army Russian aptitude test. He financed the trip through Marine Corps savings—$3,452.20 after nearly three years—and reached Moscow from New Orleans for less than $1,000. After applying for Soviet citizenship in October 1959, he was reportedly told his visa had expired and he would have to leave Moscow within two hours. He slashed his left wrist—a matching scar was found at autopsy, and Soviet hospital records confirm treatment October 21-28, 1959. The Commission interpreted the suicide attempt as evidence that initially, no undercover relationship existed between Oswald and the Soviet Government.
Oswald appeared at the American Embassy in Moscow on October 31, 1959, declaring his wish to renounce U.S. citizenship. Consul Richard E. Snyder declined to accept the renunciation but took his passport and handwritten note. Coached-agent behavior seemed unlikely: Oswald openly told officials he had volunteered to share Marine Corps radar knowledge with the Soviets—an act that would have destroyed any intelligence value—and left his expatriation technically incomplete. Compared with Section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Oswald attempted three of four methods of surrendering citizenship but succeeded in none—inconsistent with careful Soviet coaching.
The CIA advised that the 2-month-22-day interval between Oswald’s arrival in Moscow and acceptance for residence was unexceptional. Sent to Minsk in early January 1960, he received a job at the Byelorussian Radio and Television Factory earning 700 to 900 rubles monthly, an apartment at 60 rubles rent, and a 700-ruble monthly subsidy from what he later identified as the MVD. The CIA confirmed subsidizing foreign defectors was standard. Marina met Lee in March 1961; they married April 30, 1961. The Commission reasoned Soviet authorities would not have permitted Oswald to marry and take a Russian wife to the United States if they contemplated using him as an agent; her lack of English and unfamiliarity with America made her a poor companion for covert work.
Oswald wrote to the American Embassy in Moscow on February 5, 1961, requesting readmission—ending fifteen months of silence. He and Marina traveled to Moscow in July 1961 without required prior permission, consistent with normal Soviet practice for a citizen on an internal passport; the unauthorized travel, while technically a violation, was unlikely to have been treated severely. Exit visas issued in late December 1961; the Oswalds left in June 1962 after their second daughter’s birth. The five-and-a-half-month processing time was consistent with comparable cases.
Associations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Community
After returning, the Oswalds settled in Fort Worth, contacting approximately 30 Russian-speaking residents, mostly well-educated professionals, several in oil. They met Peter Paul Gregory, who introduced them to George Bouhe and Anna Meller, and through them to others. Relationships were strained; Marina stayed with various members during marital separations, while Lee resented their help. By the end of 1962 the relationship had largely dissolved; after the Oswalds moved to New Orleans in April 1963 only sporadic contact occurred. The Commission found no subversive affiliation among these individuals.
George De Mohrenschildt, a Russian-born, University of Texas-educated petroleum engineer, was the notable exception. He continued to see the Oswalds until shortly before their New Orleans departure. At an April 1963 meeting, De Mohrenschildt joked about General Walker—shot at by Oswald on April 10—asking whether Oswald had taken a potshot. Oswald’s face changed markedly, and the De Mohrenschildts left shortly afterward, never to see the Oswalds again. The Commission found no evidence linking them to subversive organizations.
Ruth and Michael Paine of Irving were not part of the Russian-speaking community but became important in the investigation. Ruth Paine, a Russian-speaking Quaker active in East-West cultural exchange, met the Oswalds at a February 1963 party. She and Marina became friendly; Mrs. Paine housed Marina and her daughter while Oswald sought work in New Orleans, drove them there in May 1963, and brought them back to Irving in late September. Marina lived with Mrs. Paine through the October 20, 1963 birth of her second daughter and remained until the assassination. Mrs. Paine was interviewed by FBI agents on November 1 and 5, but did not then know Oswald’s Dallas address, though she knew his telephone number. On November 10 she discovered a draft of Oswald’s letter to the Soviet Embassy describing his Mexico City meetings; she decided to deliver it if agents returned, but they did not before November 22. On November 19 she learned Oswald was living in his roominghouse under an assumed name but did not report it, believing the FBI already knew. The Commission thoroughly investigated the Paines’ backgrounds and finances, finding no evidence of disloyalty.
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