Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Oswald’s Adoption of Marxism

Oswald fully adopted Marxist beliefs after joining the Marines, and his pro-Soviet sympathies became widely known in his unit: associates called him “comrade” or “Oswaldskovitch,” he consistently chose red chess pieces citing a preference for the “Red Army,” studied Russian, read Russian-language newspapers, and followed developments in the Soviet Union. Associate Jerome Thornley testified Oswald held an “irrevocable conviction” in the correctness of his Marxist beliefs that could not be shaken by years of formal argument. This conviction was demonstrated in an incident after Thornley read Oswald’s suggested copy of George Orwell’s 1984: when Thornley joked that a revolution would fix the stupid mandatory parade requirement, Oswald screamed “Not you, too, Thornley” in visible distress, interpreting the comment as a criticism of his political views, and the two never spoke again.

Associate Testimonies on Oswald’s Marxism

Associate testimonies further detail Oswald’s ideological positions: Lieutenant Donovan testified Oswald believed there were grave international injustices, had a specific interest in Latin America and Cuba, opposed the Batista regime, and sympathized with Fidel Castro, though he never expressed a desire to personally address injustices or identify as a Communist. Fellow Marine Carlos Delgado testified Oswald believed the U.S. government was fundamentally flawed and offered little to its people, but did not support the Communist way of life; the two often discussed Cuba, imagining themselves as Cuban military or government leaders leading expeditions to free other Caribbean islands.