And I would like to have the letter that he has from the State Department, and the name of the man that wrote it, because it is contrary to what I have.
He could have been, to use an American slang, shooting his mouth off, because he said if he went to Russia let him stay there, I would not help him--is what he said.
But then again he may have this very important letter from this man in the State Department, which is incorrect, from what I have.
Now, he claims-and if you would like to read that--and that is what I was trying to bring out.

The Chairman.

I think you will have to leave that to the wisdom of the Commission and its sense of fair play, and what is necessary, all facts considered.

Mrs. Oswald.

Well, I have had my say, gentlemen, and I will most graciously continue.
However, I am not too happy that I will not have counsel for my son, because I believe my son would also be entitled to counsel.

The Chairman.

Very well, you may continue.

Mrs. Oswald.

Now, I will start----

The Chairman.

Mrs. Oswald, may I introduce Congressman Ford, also a member of the Commission.
Now, Mrs. Oswald--Mr. Lee Rankin will be in charge of the hearing from this point on. He is our General Counsel, as you know.

Mrs. Oswald.

Yes.

Mr. Rankin.

Mrs. Oswald, will you proceed to produce the papers and tell us about them, and then I will ask the Commission after we get them, to permit us to substitute copies, and in accordance with your request we will let you be present at the time we make the photostats.

The Chairman.

You may start to tell your story in your own way.

Mrs. Oswald.

I have three different stories. I understand from Mr. Rankin's letter that my life is to be told from the very start, and so is Lee's life, from the very start. So which will I start first? I believe it would be easier for me and of more benefit to the counsel if I would continue with one life, the whole story, and then continue with the whichever way you would suggest I do it.

Mr. Rankin.

If you could start out and tell us within the period that Lee Oswald returned from the Soviet Union on, whatever you know about it, in your own way, and then we will go back to the other matters later.
Is that all right?

Mrs. Oswald.

Yes, sir--anything is just fine. I am willing to help in any way possible.
I wanted to state it clearly in the beginning.
I received a speedletter from the State Department stating that Lee would leave Moscow, and how he would leave and arrive in New York--on June 13, 1962. I was on a case in Crowell, Tex. I am a practical nurse. And I was taking care of a very elderly woman, whose daughter lived in Fort Worth, Tex.
So I was not able to leave and meet Lee.
Robert, his brother, met him, and Lee went to Robert's home.
Approximately about a week later--I could not stand it any more I called the daughter and had her come to take care of her mother, and took 3 days off, and went to Fort Worth to see Lee and Marina.
Marina is a beautiful girl. And I said to Lee, "Marina, she doesn't look Russian. She is beautiful."
He says, "Of course not. That is why I married her, because she looks like an American girl."
I asked her where he had met her, and he said he met her at a social function, a community function.
I said, "You know, Lee, I am getting ready--I was getting ready to write a book on your so-called defection.
"I had researched it and came to Washington in 1961, and, by the way, asked to see President Kennedy, because I had a lot of extenuating circumstances at the time because of the defection."
He said, "Mother, you are not going to write a book."

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