oswsald learning russian

Folsom testimony speaking Russian

Testimony Of Allison G. Folsom, Lt. Col, USMC

The testimony of Allison G. Folsom, Lt. Col., USMG, was taken at 1:15 p.m., on May 1, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE. Washington, D.C., by Mr. John Hart Ely, member of the staff of the President's Commission.

Mr. ELY - Colonel, would you please stand up and be sworn?
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Colonel FOLSOM - I do.
Mr. ELY - My name is John Ely. I am a member of the legal staff of the President's Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy.
Staff members have been, authorized to take the testimony of witnesses by the Commission pursuant to authority granted to the Commission by Executive Order No. 11130, dated November 29, 1963, and Joint Resolution of Congress No. 137.
Under the Commission rules for the taking of testimony, each witness is to be provided with a copy of the Executive order and of the joint resolution and a copy of the rules that the Commission has adopted governing the taking of testimony from witnesses. I have provided you with these documents, is that correct?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is true.
Mr. ELY - Under the Commission's rules for the taking of testimony, each witness is entitled to 3 days' notice before he is required to come in and give testimony.
You did not have 3 days' notice. However, each witness can waive that notice requirement if he wishes, and I assume that your presence here indicates you are willing to waive that notice requirement.
Colonel FOLSOM - It is waived.
Mr. ELY - Would you state your full name, please?
Colonel FOLSOM - Lt. Col. Allison G. Folsom, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps.
Mr. ELY - What is your job in the Marine Corps, sir?
Colonel FOLSOM - My primary duty is head, Records Branch, Personnel Department, Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.
Mr. ELY - How long have you held this position?
Colonel FOLSOM - Approximately 3 years.
Mr. ELY - Could you give us something of an idea of your background--what you did before you entered the Marine Corps?
Colonel FOLSOM - I was a student.
Mr. ELY - And how long have you been in the Marine Corps?
Colonel FOLSOM - I entered active duty in the Marine Corps 5 August 1935.
Mr. ELY - Prior to the assassination of President Kennedy, had you ever heard the name Lee Harvey Oswald?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes.
Mr. ELY - Could you tell us in what connection that was?
Colonel FOLSOM - It was in connection with his record, which was requested by the Discipline Branch of Headquarters, Marine Corps, and, they advised me of his renunciation, I would guess, of his citizenship, and the fact that they were trying to effect his discharge.
Mr. ELY - I see. And that is the first time you had ever heard of him?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes, sir.
Mr. ELY - Did you ever meet the man?
Colonel FOLSOM - No.
Mr. ELY - All right. The primary reason that we have called you here, colonel, is not because of any contact which you have had with Oswald, but because of your position. We have here Oswald's Marine records, and we would like you to help us interpret some of the abbreviations, test scores and things like that.
Let me show you this document, which we will mark Folsom Deposition Exhibit No. 1, and ask you if you can tell us what it is.
(The document referred to was marked Folsom Deposition Exhibit No. 1 for identification.)
Colonel FOLSOM - It represents a photostatic copy of the official record held by the Marine Corps of Lee Harvey Oswald, former marine.
Mr. ELY - Our procedure now will be to go through the document which you have just identified. I have numbered the pages of this document in the upper right-hand corner.
We will ask you to explain things as we come to them. Starting on page 1 of Exhibit No. 1, first I wonder if you might tell us what Oswald's scores here under the category of Physical Profile mean.
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, the classification of "A" indicates that there were no physical defects at the time he was examined--the date, 24 October 1956, I assume, was upon his enlistment.
Mr. ELY - Yes; moving down the left side of page 1, we have the abbreviation "PEBD." Will you tell us what that stands for?
Colonel FOLSOM - Pay entry base date.
Mr. ELY - I note that the pay entry base date on Oswald's record has been changed from 24 October 1956 to 8 December 1956. Why would this be?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct. This was changed to reflect time lost due to misconduct, confinement, or intemperate use of drugs or alcohol. In this instance it was days lost due to confinement.
Mr. ELY - Also on page 1 it is noted that Oswald was a "UQ" class swimmer. What does that stand for?
Colonel FOLSOM - Unqualified.
Mr. ELY - Finally on page 1, at the bottom, there is written in the fact that among the documents inserted in the record are some relating to "SA" action.
Colonel FOLSOM - Supervisory authority action in a court-martial.
Mr. ELY - I show you now page 3 of this exhibit. Could you tell us generally what this page of the record is.
Colonel FOLSOM - Page 3 of the Marine Corps Enlisted Service Record constitutes a record of primary duty assignments, the organization to which the individual was attached, with the dates, and also shows conduct and proficiency markings.
Mr. ELY - In connection with these conduct and proficiency markings, could you tell us what the scale is on which these grades are assigned?
Colonel FOLSOM - The Marine Corps marks on a scale of from 0 to 5.0.
Mr. ELY - 5.0 is the maximum grade?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - And what would be the minimum satisfactory grade? Is there no minimum?
Colonel FOLSOM - No; there is none as such, because the markings are averaged at the end of the enlistment, and in accordance with existing regulations, the numerical quality of the markings determine the difference in the character of discharge between honorable and under honorable conditions.
Mr. ELY - Do you know what the minimum average for an honorable discharge would be?
Colonel FOLSOM - I believe was the question under honorable conditions?
Mr. ELY - Well, what would be the minimum for an honorable discharge?
Colonel FOLSOM - 40.
Mr. ELY - All right.
Now, I would like to take up some of these abbreviations specifically. I think the easiest way to designate this would be to go down the various columns on this page. Now, the column on the extreme left is labeled "organization." I shall ask you about the ones which I think might be unclear to somebody looking at this exhibit. There is an abbreviation here, after Oswald left Jacksonville, he was transferred to a unit abbreviated CASCO HQBN HQMC. Would you tell us what that stands for?
Colonel FOLSOM - That indicates he was attached to the Casual Company, Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, at that time.
Mr. ELY - Now, this would have been while he was----
Colonel FOLSOM - He joined on 4 May 1957.
Mr. ELY - Yes; I believe it was during the time he was at Keesler Air Force Base.
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; undergoing duty under instruction.
Mr. ELY - Moving to the "reason" column on this page, we have here an entry of 27 October 1957, which is abbreviated, "To Sk." What does that stand for?
Colonel FOLSOM - To sick. He was admitted to the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan.
Mr. ELY - And the entry directly below that one, which is abbreviated "To Du" would mean return to duty?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - The entry directly below the To Duty entry which is abbreviated "SEMIAN" would indicate what?
Colonel FOLSOM - That it was a semiannual marking.
Mr. ELY - In other words, this is an entry strictly for marking purposes?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - And the entry directly below that is abbreviated "To Cnfd."
Colonel FOLSOM - To confinement. In this instance, serving sentence summary court-martial.
Mr. ELY - Moving now to the next column, labeled "Primary Duty," one abbreviation which recurs is "DUINS." Could you tell us what that means?
Colonel FOLSOM - Duty under instruction.
Mr. ELY - And the entry of 12 September 1957 has an abbreviation which I believe refers to the sort of job which Oswald was performing. Could you tell us what that stands for?

Colonel FOLSOM - In this case he was a replacement trainee.
Mr. ELY - Well, that is the entry for 9 July 1957. That stands for replacement trainee. Could you tell us what the entry for 12 September 1957 is?
Colonel FOLSOM - It indicates that he joined Marine Air Control Squadron, No. 1, Marine Air Group 11, First Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force, care of "FPO" San Francisco. This is a mailing address for an organization in the First Wing which at that time was in Japan.
Mr. ELY - And what was the job that he performed?
Colonel FOLSOM - He was an aviation electronics operator.
Mr. ELY - All right. I think that with the help you have given us, anybody looking over this record which appears at page 3 and 4 of the Folsom Deposition Exhibit No. 1 could readily understand the progress of Oswald's service.

(TOP OF PAGE 306 IS CUT OFF.)

awarded his final MOS, he was awarded an MOS, that is a Military Occupational Specialty, of 6400. Do you know, Colonel, what that stands for?
Colonel FOLSOM - It is a basic MOS in aviation electronics, I believe.
Mr. ELY - Now, we have an entry at the bottom of page 5 of this exhibit which was later crossed out. Could you explain to us the meaning of that entry?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. This is an entry that is additional information as to promotion status on transfer to a new organization. This entry shows that Oswald achieved a composite score for the second 1958 testing period of 113. The reason it was deleted was due to his reduction from the rank of private first class to private pursuant to sentence of a summary court-martial.
Mr. ELY - Is there any way of evaluating his score of 113?
Colonel FOLSOM - It would be very difficult to reconstruct it. It is a composition of conduct and proficiency markings, time in service, and time in grade. And promotions are based on cutting scores established by Headquarters Marine Corps, which are promulgated to the field, and individuals holding the cutting score or higher may be promoted by their local organizations.
Mr. ELY - But the cutting score which is promulgated varies from time to time?
Colonel FOLSOM - It fluctuates. Well, it does not fluctuate--it is controlled by a staff agency at Headquarters, Marine Corps, to fulfill the needs of the Marine Corps by--in the varying grades.
Mr. ELY - Turning our attention now to page 6 of the exhibit, I notice here in the section labeled "Allotments" that toward the end of Oswald's Marine Corps career his mother received two allotments. These two allotments are designated differently in terms of purpose--one being given a "Q" designation and the other being given a "D" designation.
Can you explain what the difference is?
Colonel FOLSOM - The "Q" allotment is one where a portion of it is provided by the Government, and the other portion by the individual. It is a dependency allotment.
The "D" allotment, I believe, is an additional voluntary contribution.
Mr. ELY - The "D" allotment is one that the individual marine decides to send out of his pay?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - Immediately below the allotment section is the record of Oswald's firing of various weapons. We would like you to explain some of the abbreviations found in this record.
Under the column "Course" we see that at one point he fired the M-1 Rifle on a so-called "A" course, and, too, he fired it on a "B" course. Could you tell us what the difference is between those two courses?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; the "A" course is the standard marksmanship qualification course used by the Marine Corps for the M-1 Rifle. The "B" course is a shorter course-by that, less rounds of ammunition are fired.
Mr. ELY - But both of these courses are such that one can record a score?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; there are scores and adjective designations as a result of the scores.
In the case of the "A" course, Oswald obtained a score of 212 which would, under regulations in effect at that time, have made him a sharpshooter. However, the score of 212 was erroneously designated with the abbreviation "MM" for marksman.
When he fired the "B" course, he is rated "MM" or marksman, and this is a correct designation in accordance with the score fired.
Mr. ELY - Am I correct in stating that when he fired the "A" course he would have been still in basic training at San Diego?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes.
Mr. ELY - This was on the 21st of December 1958. Did you mention what the minimum score for sharpshooter would have been at that point?
Colonel FOLSOM - It would have been 210.
Mr. ELY - In other words, he was two points over the minimum for sharpshooter and the designation "MM" on his record was an error?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - Am I correct in stating that the "B" course firing to which you referred occurred on May 6, 1959, at El Toro, Calif.?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
Mr. ELY - His record also discloses that he fired a riot gun, a .45 caliber pistol, and at some times an M-1 rifle on a course designated "FAM." That stands for familiarization?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - And that means that no scores----
Colonel FOLSOM - No score is recorded. It is merely to familiarize the people with the operation of the weapon.
Mr. ELY - When you speak of ratings of sharpshooter and marksman, is it correct that the scale runs--marksman is the lowest, sharpshooter the next highest, and expert would be the highest category?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - Turning now to page 7 of the exhibit, which is titled "Military and Civilian Occupational Specialties and Education," I see hereabout halfway down the left column abbreviations for the courses taken by Oswald, first while he was at Jacksonville, and then while he was at Keesler Air Force Base. Could you tell us the meanings of these two abbreviations?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; at Jacksonville he was undergoing instruction in aviation fundamentals school, course "P." And at Keesler Air Force Base, he was undergoing a course of instruction in air control and warning operator's course. Both of these courses were of 6 weeks' duration.
Mr. ELY - I am a little curious about Keesler Air Force Base. Is that under the auspices of the Air Force rather than the Marine Corps?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; it is an Air Force School.
Mr. ELY - And do people from all branches of the service get trained there?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; we have cross training with all the other services.
Mr. ELY - All right. Now, moving further down page 7, we have the record of a Russian examination taken by Oswald on February 25, 1959. Could you explain to us what sort of test this was, and what the scores achieved by Oswald mean?
Colonel FOLSOM - The test form was Department of the Army, Adjutant General's Office, PRT-157. This is merely the test series designation.
Now, under "understands" the scoring was minus 5, which means that he got five more wrong than right. The "P" in parentheses indicates "poor." Under reading he achieved a score of 4, which is low. This, again, is shown by the "P" in parentheses for "poor."
Mr. ELY - This 4 means he got four more questions right than wrong?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
And under "writes" he achieved a score of 3, with "P" in parentheses, and this indicates he got three more right than he did wrong.
His total score was 2, with a "P" in parentheses meaning that overall he got two more right than wrong, and his rating was poor throughout.
Mr. ELY - Page 7 also summarizes the results of the battery of classification and aptitude tests taken by Oswald upon his entry into the Marine Corps, specifically on October 30, 1956. This battery was composed of six examinations. Oswald's scores I see range from as low as 92 to as high as 125.
Could you, Colonel, tell us about these six categories, what they are, and what Oswald's scores in each of them means?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. I will take this in sequence.
The "RV" indicates reading and vocabulary, and the score, Roman numeral II-125 indicates that he was in the second category. Categories throughout the test battery run from I to IV, with IV being the highest.
The abbreviation "AC"---arithmetical computation--and the score Roman numeral III-108, indicates that he dropped into the third class.
"AR" is arithmetical computation, Roman numeral III-90, indicates that he was at the bottom of the Grade 3 in this area.
"PA" indicates pattern analysis, Roman numeral III-94 indicates that he was the bottom portion of the third group in this category.
Now, these four areas are grouped into a general classification test score, the abbreviation "GCT" represents that definition. And as a result of Oswald's composite scores, he was graded as a Grade 3, Roman III-103. At that time, Marine Corps average, I believe, was 107.
Mr. ELY - Would you explain the one designated "RCT"?
Colonel FOLSOM - The abbreviation "RCT" is--represents radio code test. There are three scores in this, ranging from one to three, with one being the highest. The minimum, or the range in Grade III is from 90 to 109. As Oswald achieved 92, he was in the bottom, practically, of Group III.
Mr. ELY - Which is the lowest group.
Colonel FOLSOM - Which is the lowest.
Mr. ELY - Now, directing your attention to page 8, which is a summary court memorandum: this relates, I believe, to his first court-martial, and in general is self-explanatory. I want, however, to ask you about one sentence which to me seems to be in error.
According to the notation made here on page 8, under the title "Convening Authorities Action Dated," it states that that part of Oswald s sentence confining him at hard labor for 20 days would be suspended "for 6 months at which time, unless the suspension is sooner vacated, the sentence to confinement at hard labor for 20 days will be remitted without further action."
However, turning our attention down to Section 11, page 8, it was noted that on June 27, 1958, which would be the time of his second court-martial, "Confinement at hard labor for 28 days vacated on June 27, 1958."
So the way it is worded it says that the confinement would be vacated. Am I correct in assuming, Colonel, that what it really means to say is that the suspension of the sentence was vacated?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
However, there appears to be an error here, since the original sentence was for 20 days, and not 28 days, as shown under the subject entry.
Mr. ELY - Right.
So I suppose we have a typographical error, substituting 28 for 20 and we also have a misleading sentence in that it implies that the sentence was vacated rather than that the suspension of the sentence was vacated.
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
Mr. ELY - However, Colonel, what did happen is that when he was court-martialed the second time, they then sentenced him to both the sentence for the second court-martial and at that time gave him the sentence that he received in connection with the first court-martial?
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, that portion of it--unexecuted portion of the first sentence.
Mr. ELY - That is correct. Thank you.
On page 9 of the exhibit we have some records relating to the second court-martial. At this point, again, I think the page is in general self-explanatory. However, under the section marked "Findings" on each charge, and specifications, there is the notation that on Charge II he was found not guilty, and then it goes on to say, "On specification of" Charge I. Am I correct in thinking that is a typographical error and that it should be that on the specification of Charge II, he was found not guilty?
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct.
Mr. ELY - So the record should read, on page 9, that Oswald was found guilty on Charge I, which was a violation of Article 117 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Similarly he was found guilty on the specification under Charge I, which was wrongfully using provoking words to a staff noncommissioned officer. However, on Charge II, which was a violation of Article 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, he was found not guilty, and he was similarly found not guilty on the specification of that charge which was assaulting a staff noncommissioned officer by pouring a drink on him.
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
Mr. ELY - Turning now to page 10 of the exhibit, the title of which is "Administrative Remarks" I note entries dated April 14, 1958, indicating that a request for an extension of Oswald's overseas tour had been received and approved. Must such a request come from the marine whose overseas tour is involved?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. This must be a voluntary request from the individual concerned.
Mr. ELY - In other words, then, Oswald wanted to stay overseas longer than he was scheduled to have been over there?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes.
Mr. ELY - I note, also, on page 10 that this extension which had been approved was later canceled, on July 13, 1958.
Is there any way of determining from this record what the reason for this cancellation was?
Colonel FOLSOM - No; other than knowledge of the system, which indicates that the local commander withdrew his approval of the extension as a result of the disciplinary action.
Mr. ELY - So we might guess that because this followed his second court-martial, that was the reason?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes; and it followed it very closely.
Mr. ELY - Now, we will move all the way over to page 26, and I want to ask you about only one entry here--actually it is two entries relating to one event.
On January 19, 1959, the record discloses that Oswald departed El Toro for Yuma, Arizona, and that on January 26, 1959, he returned to El Toro from Yuma.
Is there any way of telling from this record for what purpose he went to Yuma?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. The record shows that he departed MCS, MCAS, El Toro, for ADEX, 1-59, which is a designation for an air defense exercise, the first one held during 1959.
Mr. ELY - Turning to page 27, I just want to clear up one detail that might be confusing to somebody who has been in the Army rather than in the Marine Corps.
It is here noted that Oswald was, at least for part of his career, private, first class, and at the same time his pay grade was "E-2". Am I correct in asserting that in the Marine Corps a private is an E-l, a private first class is an E-2, your E-3 is a lance corporal, and your E-4 is a corporal?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct. This is under the new rank structure.
Mr. ELY - Turning now to page 36 of Folsom Deposition Exhibit 1, I want to ask you about only one abbreviation here. This is one that is indicated for both the periods June 27, 1958 through June 30, 1959 and July 1, 1958 through July 24, 1958. It is an abbreviated CNF SSCM. What does that stand for?
Colonel FOLSOM - Confined, serving sentence--it should be summary court-martial, but let me look at the record.
Mr. ELY - You mean there should be three "S's"?
Colonel FOLSOM - I just want to be sure somebody didn't goof and ring a special in here.
Yes--serving sentence, summary court-martial.
Mr. ELY - Turning now to page 106 of the exhibit, we have here a document relating to the high school level general educational development tests which were taken by Oswald on March 23, 1959. Page 106 reports the scores received by Oswald on each of these five tests, and also converts each score into a so-called United States percentile.
However, it does not make clear what the five areas in which Oswald was tested were. Could you tell us what they are?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. The high school "GED" test covers five areas. One, English literature; two, English composition; three, social sciences; four, physical sciences; five, mathematics.
Mr. ELY - Is it the case that those five that you have just read off were read in the same order as they are numbered on the score sheet?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. The battery is administered in the sequence in which it appears on the report.
Mr. ELY - And am I correct in asserting that on this test Oswald received a rating of satisfactory?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct. I believe USAFI rates as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Mr. ELY - Right.
Well, that is not entirely clear. We have a rating code printed in the lower right-hand corner.
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, they have two passing ones--satisfactory, and "D" with distinction, and "U", unsatisfactory.
Mr. ELY - So he could have received a higher rating than he did?
Colonel FOLSOM - This is correct.
Mr. ELY - Finally for this document, turning to page 120, we have a rather imposing score sheet which relates Oswald's scores while he was in training at Jacksonville, Florida. Could you explain the meaning of these numbers in-sofar as you can?
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, the first column indicates the number of hours devoted to the subject. In the first instance, 37 hours to mathematics, two examinations were given, he achieved a score of 67 on the first and 54 on the second. The last--the next column indicates his average score for that subject. Twenty-five hours physics, score, 75 and 77.
Mr. ELY - Excuse me. Do you know whether those scores you just read are on a scale of 100?
Colonel FOLSOM - I do not know. But from the mathematics I would assume they are, particularly since they say that 62 is a passing score.
Mr. ELY - I see.
Now, getting back again to the column which is second from the right, which you say represents his average. It is his average on the previous test carried out to three digits without the decimal point.
Colonel FOLSOM - That is correct. This report was prepared on an electric accounting machine, and is a little difficult to interpret.
Mr. ELY - Yes. But I do see that that makes sense in terms of the individual scores.
Colonel FOLSOM - Do you want to go through all of these?
Mr. ELY - No; I don't think that will be necessary, now that you have explained the principle by which the scores are recorded.
Colonel FOLSOM - Under the heading "Indoctrination Test Scores" this is a test, an Army test battery, which in this instance was administered by the Marine Corps at a Navy installation. It consists of a reading and vocabulary, arithmetic computation, arithmetical reasoning, and pattern analysis. The "GC" is an abbreviation for "GCT". These are raw scores.
Mr. ELY - The ones designated RV, AC, AR, and PA?
Colonel FOLSOM - And the scores indicated are raw scores, which converted to the Marine Corps scoring on the general classification test shows that Oswald achieved a score of 105 on this test battery, and a score of 106 on the Marine Corps test batter. So the correlation is quite close.
The column headed "B" indicates year of birth. And the "G" column indicates the number of years of schooling--in this case, nine.
Mr. ELY - All right.
Colonel, I would finally like to show you a document which has already been introduced in evidence before the Commission in connection with the testimony of Marguerite Oswald. It is, therefore, designated Exhibit 239. This exhibit is a photostatic copy.
Could you tell us, Colonel, of what it is a photostatic copy?
Colonel FOLSOM - It is a photostatic copy of the U.S. Marine Corps Scorebook for use with the U.S. Rifle, Caliber 30 M-1.
Now, this scorebook is issued to each individual at each time they are sent on the rifle range for qualification or requalification.
They are maintained by the individual and are used to provide the individual with a record of the idiosyncracies of the weapon, and the weather on the day that the entries are made. This is referred to in the Marine Corps as the zero of the rifle, because the sight settings are individual characteristics of the particular rifle used. That is, he may--this rifle may require a half a point more windage under the same wind velocity than another rifle, and that the scale by yards may require adjustment depending upon the range that is being fired.
Mr. ELY - This book, then, is used by the individual Marine prior to his firing for record in order that he can zero his weapon so that he will do well on his record firing?

Colonel FOLSOM - This is the purpose. And it should be maintained even on the day that he fires for record.
In this particular record, it would appear that the entries were rather limited. As a matter of fact, it was not adequately maintained for the purpose for which it was designed.
Mr. ELY - Is it possible, Colonel, to tell anything from this scorebook, assuming for the moment that it was accurately maintained, concerning the marksmanship of Lee Harvey Oswald?
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, yes. But very generally. For instance, at 200 yards slow fire on Tuesday, at 200 yards slow fire, offhand position----
Mr. ELY - You are referring, are you not, to the page designated 22 in Oswald's scorebook?
Colonel FOLSOM - Right--well, 22 as opposed to 23. He got out in the three ring, which is not good. They should be able to keep them--all 10 shots within the four ring.
Mr. ELY - And even if his weapon needed a great deal of adjustment in terms of elevation or windage, he still would have a closer group than that if he were a good shot?
Colonel FOLSOM - Yes. As a matter of fact, at 200 yards, people should get a score of between 48 and 50 in the offhand position.
Mr. ELY - And what was his score?
Colonel FOLSOM - Well, total shown on page 22 would be he got a score of 34 out of a possible 50 on Tuesday, as shown on page 22 of his record book. On Wednesday, he got a score of 38, improved four points. Do you want to compute these?
Mr. ELY - I don't see any point in doing this page by page.
I just wonder, after having looked through the whole scorebook, if we could fairly say that all that it proves is that at this stage of his career he was not a particularly outstanding shot.
Colonel FOLSOM - No, no, he was not. His scorebook indicates--as a matter of fact--that he did well at one or two ranges in order to achieve the two points over the minimum score for sharpshooter.
Mr. ELY - In other words, he had a good day the day he fired for qualification?
Colonel FOLSOM - I would say so.
Mr. ELY - Well, Colonel, as far as I can see, that is all the testimony that we need from you with regard to these records. No doubt there are ambiguities in the records which I have not caught. I have asked you about the ones that seemed most confusing to me.
Can you think of anything else that you would like to add for the record?
Colonel FOLSOM - No; I believe that the record is rather complete. There are no missing documents from this official record. The photostatic copy contains everything that is in the original record.
And I do not believe that there are any discrepancies, other than those clerical errors which have been noted on such items as the summary court-martial records.
Mr. ELY - But you cannot think of any errors which we did not mention during your testimony today?
Colonel FOLSOM - No; I do not.
Mr. ELY - All right.
In that case, Colonel, on behalf of the Commission, I want to thank you very much for giving your testimony. It has been very helpful.

Learning Russian

Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« on: June 26, 2012, 12:41:46 AM »

One of the main issues concerning Oswald was where, when, and how he learned to speak and read the Russian language. The WC knew from witness testimony that Oswald spoke and read Russian perfectly, but they avoided the question of exactly where, when, and how he acquired this ability. And this is crucial to understanding the man we know as Lee Harvey Oswald. Prior to joining the Marines this 17-year old teenager's highest academic accomplishment was completing the 9th grade at Beauregard Jr. High in New Orleans (he also attended Arlington Heights HS for a few weeks in Ft. Worth, TX prior to joining the Marines). Oswald didn't learn Russian in junior high, but could he have learned Russian in Boot Camp or IRT training where he lived, worked, and bunked with the same group of Marines on a daily basis thru Feb, 1957? Could he have learned Russian while attending Aviation Fundamentals school in Jacksonville, FL or at the radar school in Biloxi, MS where, once again, he worked, lived, and bunked with fellow Marines thru June, 1957. Could he have learned Russian during his 2-week trip aboard ship while sailing to Japan during Aug-Sept, 1957? During his first year in the Marine Corps, Oct, 1956 thru Sept, 1957, Oswald was with fellow Marines on a daily basis who could easily corroborate his whereabouts and yet not a single Marine saw Oswald studying Russian.

Oswald arrived in Japan in Sept, 1957. One of the first people he met was Zack Stout (El Dorado, KS), and later George Wilkens (Brooklyn, NY), two Marines (and their group) who were with him each and every day and night. Contrary to popular belief, Oswald and his group did not spend most of their time on base in Atsugi. Most of their time was spent on various islands in the South China Sea setting up remote radar locations and living in tents. Not a single one of these Marines ever saw Oswald speaking, reading, or having anything to do with the Russian language (thru Oct, 1958). These were the Marines who worked and lived with Oswald 24 hours per day, but you will not find their testimony in the WC volumes (Stout, Wilkens, etc). The WC completely and totally avoided Marines who worked with, lived with, and befriended Oswald in Japan. What the WC did was to interview a few Marines who barely knew Oswald in Japan. During his second year in the Marine Corps, thru Oct, 1958, Oswald was close friends with several Marines who could easily corroborate his whereabouts and work habits. And, once again, not one of these people said that Oswald had the slightest interest in the Russian language.

So where, when and how could Oswald have learned the Russian language during his 2 years in Japan while serving with fellow Marines--from October, 1956 (joined Marines) thru October, 1958 (MACS 9)?

In November, 1958, after a two-week voyage at sea (and leave time), Oswald arrived at MACS 9 in Santa Ana, CA. He immediately began to speak Russian, read Russian literature, listen to Russian records and soon became friends with Nelson Delgado. Oswald dated Rosllyn Quinn, who had been studying Russian using the Berlitz method of instruction in preparation for her career, and was surprised at his command of the Russian language. Oswald passed a Russian language test and appeared interested in everything related to communism as he prepared for his upcoming "defection" to Russia in Oct, 1959. However, after Oswald arrived in the Soviet Union, and during the next 2 1/2 years, this 20 year old "defector" never spoke a single word of Russian (per Anita Zeiger, Oswald's neighbor in Minsk--now living in Buenes Aires, Argentina). And why would Russian-speaking Oswald live two and a half years in the Soviet Union and speak only English?? For the same reason English-speaking Marina Prusakova Oswald, after moving to the USA, spoke only Russian.

Neither the WC nor anyone else has been able to pinpoint the location, school, or time frame where Oswald studied, or could have studied, Russian. But there was one man, the head of the Slavic Language Dept at Yale University, who offered his opinion based upon a handwritten letter that Oswald wrote to United States Senator John Tower. In December, 1963 Professor Vladimir Petrov wrote to Senator Tower and explained, "I am satisfied that letter (handwritten) was not written by him. It was written by a Russian with an imperfect knowledge of English." If the Yale professor was correct, and if the letter was written by Oswald, then the man we know as Lee Harvey Oswald was a native speaking Russian with an imperfect knowledge of English. Naturally, neither Professor Vladimir Petrov nor his letter to Senator Tower were published by the Warren Commission. The WC conspicuously avoided the question of where, when, and how Oswald learned Russian. Now it is up to researchers to learn the truth.

« Last Edit: June 27, 2012, 11:57:28 PM by Clark »

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TLR

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2012, 07:51:32 AM »

Good post, Clark. An imporant issue I haven't spent enough time on. Allegedly Marina didn't speak any English, so Oswald would have to talk to her in Russian. But I'm convinced Marina did speak English. Where Oswald learned Russian so quickly is a mystery, but it may have something to do with Armstrong's Harvey & Lee theory.

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“We’ve seen revealed one conspiracy after another. Anybody would have to be a fool nowadays to dismiss conspiracies. Perhaps we lived in a fool’s paradise before the Kennedy assassination.” - Robert MacNeil of PBS

Clark

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2012, 12:06:15 PM »

TLR-

In 1959 eighteen year old Marina Prusakova met the first American "defector" (Robert Webster) in Moscow and talked with him, in English, for hours. A year and a half later Marina met the third American "defector" (Oswald) in Minsk. The organization responsible for Marina learning to speak English (in the Soviet Union-in the middle of the cold war), placing her in cities hundreds of miles apart in order to meet the 1st and 3rd American "defectors," directing her (IMO) to marry Oswald within days of their first meeting, and arranging for her to leave the Soviet Union (IMO), is obvious.

In 1959 nineteen year old Russian-speaking Lee Harvey Oswald left the USA en route to the Soviet Union. The organization responsible for planning his "defection," directing his travels thru Helsinki (the only place to obtain a Soviet visa in 1-2 days), renouncing his US citizenship, meeting with CIA asset Priscilla Johnson (Hotel Metropole-Moscow), and arranging for his return to the USA with a Russian wife is obvious. Oswald and Marina (IMO) were two very young, but well-trained, cold-war spies.

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Clark

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2012, 03:27:03 PM »

Many LN's speculate that LHO may have learned Russian at the Monterey School of Languages (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center; http://montereylanguagecapital.org/dli.htm). But one look at Oswald's "time line" thru age 19, during his years in the Marine Corps, shows this to be impossible.

The Defense Language Institute website states, "With a faculty of over 1700, DLIFLC today offers courses in two dozen languages and dialects. Basic course lengths are from 26 to 64 weeks, depending upon the difficulty of the language taught. While a basic Romance language program lasts 26 weeks, language instruction in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic lasts eighteen months." A "basic" course in Russian would last 18 months and include numerous students, instructors, written documentation, etc. There is not and has never been any indication whatsoever that LHO attended this school. Nor is there any indication whatsoever that he studied Russian during his 4 weeks in high school, or his 3 years in junior high, nor in grade school. The single most important question about LHO's background is where and how he learned to speak Russian.

« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 10:31:43 PM by Clark »

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TLR

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2012, 03:38:35 PM »

^^ I've never heard any lone nutter claim that. They generally believe that LHO learned Russian from listening to records and reading magazines in his spare time. Which is possibly more absurd than the single-bullet theory.

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TR Marion

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2012, 06:47:54 PM »

I have always found it very hard to believe that this young man taught himself Russian, especially since it also has a completely different alphabet.

« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 06:54:12 PM by TR Marion »

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HarryHampton

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2012, 12:26:06 AM »

Is it documented anywhere just how well he spoke Russian in 1959?

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TradeMart1

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2012, 06:38:45 AM »

Of course Oswald is just a disaffected misfit savant, incapable of holding menial jobs, but able to speak a very difficult language more fluently than very highly educated people.

A ruse perhaps?

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echelon

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2012, 12:18:53 PM »

Quote from: TLR on June 26, 2012, 07:51:32 AM

... but it may have something to do with Armstrong's Harvey & Lee theory.

Yes. Just to summarise, Armstrong claims:

"Two young boys, Lee Harvey Oswald and an eastern European refugee who spoke Russian and was given the name 'Harvey Oswald', were selected by the CIA for inclusion in a super-secret project known as MK-ULTRA. The plan was to merge the identity of a Russian-speaking refugee with that of American born Lee Harvey Oswald over a period of many years. If the merging of identities was successful the CIA could then place a native Russian-speaking young man, with an American identity, in the Soviet Union as a spy. The young man known to the world as 'Lee Harvey Oswald' successfully defected to the Soviet Union in 1959 and returned to the United States with a Russian wife in 1962. A year and a half later this young man was set-up as the 'patsy' in an elaborate scheme engineered by career CIA officials to assassinate President John F. Kennedy."

I'm not saying I concur with this position, not yet anyway. I'm still ploughing through Armstrong's 1,000-odd pages. But there are a lot of very strange coincidences, if that's what they are.

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Clark

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2012, 12:32:46 PM »

echelon-

Interesting post. Do you have any thoughts as to where and how the man killed by Jack Ruby could have learned to speak Russian prior to joining the Marines? It seems obvious that his ability to speak Russian was the main reason that he was sent/defected to the Soviet Union. If we knew the answer as to how and when he learned to speak Russian I believe we would have a much better understanding of Oswald, his background, and his probable connections to US intelligence agencies.

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echelon

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2012, 12:48:25 PM »

Clark -

I'm not really in a position to answer this fully, yet, other than to say that Armstrong's hypothesis is that there were two separate people who were merged into one composite identity. One person was born in America, the other in Eastern Europe (probably Hungary). The latter was a refugee who came to the US after the Second World War and would probably have spoken Russian.

Therefore, if you accept the hypothesis, the American Oswald doesn't have to have learned Russian at any stage as his alter-ego would have been used when Russian was required.

The whole purpose of all this was to support a "false defector" programme.

Perhaps others who have ploughed through more of Armstrong's book can chip in here.

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Clark

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2012, 02:21:32 PM »

ECHELON-

will look forward some day to your thoughtful and considered opinion.........

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Fast Eddie

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2012, 07:59:17 PM »

Quote from: echelon on July 02, 2012, 12:48:25 PM

Perhaps others who have ploughed through more of Armstrong's book can chip in here.

Plowing is the right word for getting through Armstrong's massive missive! I need some stronger mules. There's a lot in there. And a lot of hard dense ground. But, there's a huge amount of documented material, especially about the two different Oswalds and the two different Marguerites. It is a hell of a reconciliation of disparate facts that, so far at least, cannot stem from one LHO and his momma.

In any event, Armstrong's breakdown of material leaves little time for LHO to learn Russian.

And so far it's leaving me little time to digest before I consume some more.

(Haiku finis):
Assassination contemplation duties call.
I put on my yoke.

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HarryHampton

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2012, 12:50:31 AM »

MK Ultra and composite doubles is a little too James Bond for me.

The truth will be simpler than that.

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echelon

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Re: Where did Oswald learn Russian?

« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2012, 05:42:11 AM »

Quote from: HarryHampton on July 03, 2012, 12:50:31 AM

MK Ultra and composite doubles is a little too James Bond for me.

The truth will be simpler than that.

Probably you are right, Harry.

But.

I think we can all agree that the intelligence services have got up to some pretty strange and out-of-this-world things over the years. I think most of us can agree that Oswald was connected in some way with the intelligence services. Therefore, from a logic point of view it follows that he could have been involved in some strange and out-of-this-world things in the years preceding the assassination. Some of which he may not even have been aware of.

This does not mean that all the strange intelligence affairs that come to light were directly connected with the assassination. But there may be lots of floating detritus for researchers to bump into, and we do need to examine them carefully.