Wednesday, October 24, 1956: LHO enlists in the Marine Corps for six years, three years active and three reserve. His serial number is 1653230 (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 734, 760).
Robert Oswald: I feel very surely that the reason that Lee joined the United States Marine Corps was because of my service… and he wanted to follow… in my footsteps, in that same service, and frankly I believe that at that time… that he looked up to me… I would say within the family relation that Lee and I were closer than Lee and mother or Lee and John during our entire lifetime.
John Pic: He did it for the same reasons that I did it and Robert did it, I assume, to get from out and under… the yoke of oppression from my mother.
San Diego, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Depot
Friday, October 26, 1956: LHO arrives at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA and is assigned to the Second Recruit Training Battalion (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 658). His height is 5 feet eight inches and his weight is 135 pounds (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 656).
Tuesday, October 30, 1956: LHO takes a series of aptitude tests in which he scores above the Marine Corps average in reading and vocabulary and below average in arithmetic and pattern analysis. His composite general classification score is 105, 2 points below average and his preference of duty was Aircraft Maintenance and Repair (WCR, 681).
Wednesday, November 21, 1956: Robert Oswald marries Vada Marie Mercer.
Wednesday, December 5, 1956: LHO is treated for a cold.
Friday, December 21, 1956: LHO records a score of 212 with the M-1 rifle earning the "sharpshooter" classification. He would later train with a .45 Pistol and a Riot Gun (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 661). His overall marks as a recruit were 4.4 in both conduct and proficiency, with 4.0 being the minimum for an honorable discharge and 5.0 the highest possible score (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 658; 8 H 305, WCT Lt. Col. Allison G. Folsom Jr.).
Sunday, January 6, 1957: LHO is treated for Tonsillitis and Otitis Media.
San Diego, "A" Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Pendleton
Sunday, January 20, 1957: LHO is transferred to the Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Pendleton.
Thursday, February 7, 1957: LHO files his 1956 Federal Income Tax return showing an income of $772.46.
Wednesday, February 27, 1957: LHO goes on leave for 2 weeks, visiting Marguerite and Robert in Fort Worth (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 658; CE 1963, 23 H 799–800; Oswald with Land and Land, 82). For a discussion of a controversial photo of LHO which was likely taken on this leave see The Hunter Photo.
Jacksonville, FL, Marine Aviation Detachment, Naval Air Technical Training Command
Monday, March 18, 1957: LHO reports at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Jacksonville, FL, where he attended Aviation Fundamental School.
Tuesday, April 16, 1957: LHO sends a card to Marguerite for Easter which is postmarked Jacksonville, FL.
Friday, April 26, 1957: The First National Bank of Fort Worth lists Marguerite’s address as 3830 W. 6th St., Apt. 3, Fort Worth.
Thursday, May 2, 1957: LHO is promoted to Private First Class effective May 1st.
Friday, May 3, 1957: LHO completes courses at Jacksonville. His scores are 4.7 for conduct and 4.5 for proficiency and he is given a "confidential" security clearance. The same day, he leaves for Biloxi, Mississippi by train (Bugliosi, 550).
Biloxi, MS, 3381st Squadron, Technical Training School, Keesler Air Force Base
Daniel Powers: … my first impression of this individual is that he was somewhat, to use the term, "loner." He was an individual who was normally outside the particular group of marines that were in this attachment to Keesler… I felt that he was a somewhat… less matured than the other boys. I think that he was an individual that found it hard to come in close relationship to any one individual…
Tuesday, May 28, 1957: The National Banker's Life Insurance Company of Texas lists Marguerite's address as 3830 W. 6th, Fort Worth.
Wednesday, June 19, 1957: LHO finishes courses at Keesler where he earns scores of 4.2 for conduct and 4.5 for proficiency.
Thursday, June 20, 1957: LHO goes on 10 days leave and again visits the family in Fort Worth.
El Toro, CA, 4th Replacement Battalion, Marine Corps Air Station
Tuesday, July 9, 1957: LHO reports at El Toro as a replacement trainee awaiting assignment.
Thursday, August 22, 1957: LHO sails aboard the USS Bexar with a destination of Yokosuka, Japan.
Daniel Powers: I can remember that he taught me how to play chess going over, and he was quite a proficient chess player… and sometimes we would play 4 to 8 hours... And I got to a point where I beat him once in a while, and it would irritate him a little bit that someone beat him, but not to a point where he would get violent or anything of this nature, but he was real happy and pleased when he would win… like he was accomplishing something in his life… And he used to read quite a bit. I remember we got these paperbacks, and there was some good literature in these, and he would swap books back and forth, and he would never be reading any of the shoot-em-up westerns or anything like that. Normally, it would be a good type of literature; and the one that I recall was "Leaves of Grass," by Walt Whitman.
Saturday, August 31, 1957: LHO sends a postcard to Marguerite from Hawaii, where the Bexar had docked and the Marines had gone ashore.
LHO: Well only 1 day here but I have been having a lot of fun, 12 more days at sea to Japan. Love, Lee
Atsugi, Japan, MACS-1, Marine Air Group 11, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
Thursday, September 12, 1957: The Bexar docks at Yokosuka and LHO is assigned as a Radar Operator to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Atsugi, home of the U-2 Spy Plane.
Sunday, October 27, 1957: LHO shoots himself near the left elbow with a .22 pistol and is sent to the naval Hospital at Yokosuka. He would be charged with a violation of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for possessing an unregistered weapon and eventually face court-martial. Some of LHO’s shipmates thought that he might have shot himself purposely to avoid leaving Atsugi (Epstein, 72-73).
Paul Edward Murphy: One night in the barracks in Japan, I heard a shot in an adjoining cubicle. I rushed into the cubicle to find Oswald sitting on a foot locker looking at a wound in his arm. When I asked what had happened, Oswald very unemotionally replied, "I believe I shot myself". Oswald was at that time in possession of a small caliber pistol which he was not authorized to possess.
Tuesday, November 5, 1957: LHO has surgery to remove the bullet from his arm.
Saturday, November 16, 1957: LHO returns to active duty at Atsugi.
Wednesday, November 20, 1957: LHO embarks aboard the USS Terrell County from Yokosuka bound for the Philippines. Less than a week after setting up camp near Subic bay, LHO and his squadron are again ordered to board the USS Terrell County and they head toward Japan. After two days, they are sent back to Subic Bay where they await orders aboard ship. (Epstein, 74).
December, 1957: The Terrell County rendezvous with the Seventh Fleet in the South China Sea (Epstein, 74). Just after Christmas, LHO and his comrades return to the Philippines and set up a temporary camp at Cubi Point near Subic Bay (Bugliosi, 555). While at Cubi Point, LHO passed a test that made him eligible for a promotion to corporal, although he never achieved that rank.
Sunday, January 5, 1958, 7:00 PM: One of LHO's fellow Marines at Cubi Point, Private Martin Schrand, is found dead of a gunshot wound near a hangar where he was on guard duty at Cubi Point. A Marine Corps investigation found that the cause was an "accidental discharge" of Schrand's .12-gauge shotgun. The inquiry also ruled out "suicide" and added the "investigation disclosed beyond doubt that no other person or persons were involved in the incident." A reinvestigation of the incident by the Office of Naval Intelligence later concluded "Schrand’s death was accidental and the result of a malfunction in the receiver section of his weapon caused by an impact on the butt of the piece incurred in the course of conducting Manual of Arms evolutions." For more information see Swike, The Missing Chapter, Chapter 10.
Monday, January 13, 1958: LHO is treated for a cold and sore throat.
Wednesday, January 22, 1958: LHO and his squadron embark aboard an LST for Corregidor, about 40 miles away, where they again set up camp (Armstrong, 186). Actor John Wayne, who was filming in the area, would visit the camp where a photo of him was taken showing LHO in the background (Epstein, p. 76 and photo section).
Friday, March 7, 1958: LHO embarks aboard the USS Wexford County bound for Atsugi.
Tuesday, March 18, 1958: LHO arrives at Atsugi (ibid).
Friday, April 11, 1958: LHO is court-martialed and found guilty on the charge of having an unregistered weapon related to the October, 1957 shooting incident. He is sentenced to 20 days hard labor (suspended for 6 months if he stayed out of trouble), docked $25.00 a month for two months and demoted to private (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 663). He is also reassigned as a mess cook (Bugliosi, 556).
Friday, May 2, 1958: LHO trains with the riot gun.
Wednesday, May 7, 1958: LHO trains with the .45 pistol (ibid).
Tuesday, May 27, 1958: The National Banker's Life Insurance Company of Texas lists Marguerite's address as 3006 Bristol Rd., Fort Worth.
Friday, June 20, 1958: LHO has an altercation with Sargent Miguel Rodriguez at the Bluebird Café in Yamoto allegedly spilling a drink on him and cursing.
Friday, June 27, 1958: LHO is court-martialed for the Rodriguez incident and found guilty of “wrongfully using provoking words” and sentenced to twenty-eight days’ confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of fifty-five dollars out of one month’s pay (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 683). He would now also have to serve the 20-day sentence from his first court-martial (8 H 308, WCT Lt. Col. Allison G. Folsom Jr).
Sunday, June 29, 1958: LHO reports to the brig to begin his sentence. He would spend the next 45 days there.
Sunday, July 13, 1958: LHO's previously approved extension of overseas duty is canceled (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 665). Also in July, he is given ratings of 1.9 in conduct and 3.4 in proficiency (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 658).
Tuesday, July 29, 1958: The First National Bank of Fort Worth lists Marguerite’s address as 3006 Bristol Rd., Fort Worth.
Wednesday, August 13, 1958: LHO is released from the brig.
LHO: I’ve seen enough of a democratic society here in MACS-1. When I get out I’m going to try something else.
Sunday, September 14, 1958: LHO sails with his unit from Yokosuka for the South China Sea aboard the USS Skagit. It is possible that the Skagit’s departure was delayed until the 16th.
Tuesday, September 16, 1958: LHO reports to sick bay where he starts treatment for gonorrhea.
Friday, September 19, 1958: The Skagit arrives in Kaohsiung, Taiwan where LHO and his shipmates spend two days unloading supplies (Parker, vol. 2, Part 2-Freedomland 1949-59).
Wednesday, September 24, 1958: The Skagit arrives in Hong Kong (Parker, vol. 2, Part 2-Freedomland 1949-59).
Tuesday, September 30, 1958: LHO and his unit are at Pingtung, Taiwan. Sometime during their stay there, LHO is found “shaking and crying” while serving on guard duty by Lieutenant Charles R. Rhodes, who responds after hearing gunfire. LHO tells Rhodes that he had seen “men in the woods and that he challenged them and then started shooting.” Rhodes suspects LHO staged the incident with the hope of being sent back to Japan (Epstein, 81).
Sunday, October 5, 1958: LHO returns to Atsugi .
Monday, October 6, 1958: LHO is transferred to general duty in anticipation of his return to the states.
Tuesday, October 7, 1958: LHO reports to the Naval Hospital at Atsugi (CE 1961, 23 H 797) for treatment of his gonorrhea which has resisted antibiotics (Donabedian Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 602–604).
Monday, October 13, 1958: LHO is released from the Hospital (CE 1961, 23 H 797).
Sunday, November 2, 1958: LHO departs from Yokosuka aboard the USS Barrett bound for San Francisco (ibid).
Saturday, November 15, 1958: LHO arrives in San Francisco (ibid).
Sunday, November 16, 1958: LHO is at Treasure Island Naval Station while awaiting leave (ibid).
Wednesday, November 19, 1958: LHO goes on leave (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 686) staying with Marguerite in Fort Worth and visiting Robert and his wife Vada (Oswald with Land and Land, 89).
Friday, December 5, 1958: Marguerite is injured when a jar falls on her nose while working for the King Candy Company at the Fair Ridglea Department Store.
Saturday, December 6, 1958: Marguerite is treated by Dr. Morton Goldberg for her injury.
Monday, December 8, 1958: LHO opens an account at the West Side State Bank in Fort Worth with an initial deposit of $200.00.
Marguerite again sees Dr. Goldberg.
Thursday, December 11, 1958: King Candy files a report on Marguerite’s injury with the Industrial Accident Board of Texas. Her address is listed as 3006 Bristol Rd.
El Toro (Santa Ana), CA, MACS-9, Third Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station
Monday, December 22, 1958: LHO is assigned to MACS-9 in El Toro, CA where he would work on a radar crew engaged in aircraft surveillance (WCR, 684). His actual duty station is an old blimp base near Santa Ana (also known as the Lighter Than Air base or LTA), a short distance from El Toro and under its administration (8 H 290, WCT John E. Donovan; Epstein, 85). Although he probably toyed with the idea for some time, LHO’s time at Santa Ana seems to mark the beginning of the planning phase for his defection to the Soviet Union. He overtly studied the Russian language, received Russian literature through the mail and became fascinated by all things Russian.
Nelson Delgado: … very quiet, intellectual young man. A loner, who liked to listen to classical music and play chess… He didn’t like the immediate people over him…All of them weren’t as intelligent as he was in his estimation… They’d be talking about…politics, which came up quite frequently during the break…and I would say…Oswald had them stumped about four out of five times. They just ran out of words, they couldn’t come back, you know…He thought himself quite proficient with current events and politics…He used to cut up anyone who was high-ranking, and make himself come out top dog.
Kerry Thornley: My first memory of him is that one afternoon he was sitting on a bucket out in front of a hut… with some other marines. They were discussing religion… It was known already in the outfit that I was an atheist. Immediately somebody pointed out to me that Oswald was also an atheist. The first thing he said to me was with his little grin “What do you think of Communism?” And I replied I didn’t think too much of Communism… and he said “Well, I think the best religion is Communism.” And I got the impression… that he said this in order to shock. He was playing to the galleries I felt.
December 29, 1958: Marguerite again visits Dr. Goldberg and is told she has suffered no partial or permanent disability.
Wednesday, February 11, 1959: LHO files his 1958 Federal Income Tax return which shows $980.09 in income from the USMC.
Wednesday, February 25, 1959: LHO takes a Russian language proficiency test scoring “poor” in all categories (8 H 307, WCT Lt. Col. Allison G. Folsom Jr.; Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 662). However, as Vincent Bugliosi points out "since the test was designed to assess the proficiency of native speakers and students at the military’s rigorous language schools, and Oswald had apparently acquired the language entirely on his own, his grades were not that bad. He apparently had the rudiments of the language and a base on which to build (Bugliosi, 559).
James Anthony Botelho: Oswald subscribed to a newspaper printed in Russian, which I believe he said was published in San Francisco. It was common knowledge that [he] had taught himself to speak Russian. Oswald used expressions like "da" and "niet" around the squadron. Some of his fellow Marines kidded him by calling him "Oswaldskovich… At times Oswald referred, seemingly seriously, to "American capitalist warmongers."
Richard Dennis Call: During this time, Oswald was studying Russian. For this reason, many members of the unit kidded him about being a Russian spy; Oswald seemed to enjoy this sort of remark. At that time, I had a phonograph record of Russian classical pieces entitled "Russian Fireworks." When I would play this record, Oswald would come over to me and say "You called?" I had a chess set which contained red and white chessmen; Oswald always chose the red chessmen, making some remark to the effect that he preferred the "Red Army." In connection with this general joking about Oswald's interest in Russian, he was nicknamed Oswaldskovich."
Monday, March 9, 1959: LHO is promoted to private first class for the second time (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 744; CD 81.1, p. 392). Also on the 9th, LHO again trains with the riot gun (CD 82, 46).
Thursday, March 19, 1959: LHO applies for admission to the Albert Schweitzer College in Churwalden, Switzerland. LHO never attended the college and his application may have been a contingency to use during his defection in the event he was questioned regarding his purpose in traveling to Europe.
Monday, March 23, 1959: LHO takes the General Education Development test from the Armed Forces Institute and passes scoring a “satisfactory” rating.
Tuesday, March 24, 1959: The National Banker's Life Insurance Company of Texas lists Marguerite's address as 313 Templeton Drive, Fort Worth.
Saturday, March 28, 1959: The Albert Schweitzer College writes LHO informing him that he has filled out the wrong application and they are sending the correct one.
Wednesday, May 6, 1959: LHO scores a 191 on his second and final qualification test at the rifle range, earning the “marksman” designation.
Thursday, May 7, 1959: LHO sends Marguerite a Mother’s Day card postmarked Santa Ana, CA.
Saturday, June 6, 1959: LHO writes to Robert.
LHO: Dear Robert, Well, I just got back off a short maneuver, to Camp Pendleton. The C Rations are still lousy, in case you’ve forgotten. How is the baby and how is Vada? Well, pretty soon I’ll be getting out of the corps and I know what I want to be and how I’m going to do it, which I guess is the more important thing in life. I know I haven’t written in a long time please excuse me. Well, there really isn’t too much news here, but I would like to hear from you and the family. Write soon Your brother. Lee xxx
Friday, June 19, 1959: LHO sends his registration fee to the Albert Schweitzer College with a cover letter.
LHO: Enclosed please find the registration fee of twenty-five dollars which I understand is to be placed toward my normal college fees and expenses. I am very glad to have been excepted for the third term of your college next year and am looking forward to a fine stay. Any more information on the school or even the students who will attend next year would be appreciated. Thank you.
Monday, July 6, 1959: In response to a letter from Marguerite describing an injury she sustained at work, LHO visits the Red Cross on base. This marks the beginning of his plan to obtain a dependency discharge from the Marine Corps and he requests the assistance of the agency in obtaining the necessary affidavits (Armstrong, 240).
Wednesday, July 8, 1959: LHO replies to Marguerite’s letter describing her injury and lays out a course of action for her to follow.
LHO: Dear Mother Received your letter and was very unhappy to hear of your troubles, I contacted the Red Cross on the base here, and told them about it. They will send someone out to the house to see you, when they do please tell them everything they want to know, as I am trying to secure an Early (hardship) discharge, in order to help you. such a discharge is only rarely given, but If they know you are unable to support yourself than they will release me from the U.S.M.C. and I will be able to come home and help you. The Red Cross cannot give you funds of any kind they can only give you me. and only If you make to right impression on them. Only if they know you cannot and are no receiving help from any other kin, and only if they know you are in dire need now! please tell them I will be able to secure a good job, as this is important, also send me the names of some actual business’s that I may write Them and get an acceptance letter. This last point is not required but it would help my case for a hardship discharge if and when I bring it before my commanding office. Just inform them I have been your only source of income. Lee
July 10, 1959: The Albert Schweitzer College writes to LHO acknowledging receipt of his deposit (CE 235 16 H 634).
Wednesday, July 22, 1959: LHO opens two allotments for Marguerite from his Marine Corps pay as a part of his plan to obtain a dependency discharge.
Friday, July 24, 1959: Mrs. Marguerite Childs of Fort Worth files an affidavit in support of LHO’s dependency discharge (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 730). The same day, John B. Knight of Fort Worth files a similar affidavit (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 731).
Tuesday, July 28, 1959: Marguerite files an affidavit in support of LHO’s plan for a dependency discharge stating that due to her injury she has no income and no one else to support her.
Tuesday, August 11, 1959: Marguerite is living at 3124 West Fifth Street in Fort Worth (CD 1066, p. 543).
Monday, August 17, 1959: LHO applies for a dependency discharge from the Marine Corps because of Marguerite’s injury at King Candy.
Friday, August 28, 1959: The Dependency Discharge Board recommends that LHO be given a dependency discharge.
Friday, September 4, 1959: LHO is transferred out of MACS-9 to H & HS MCAS Squadron which would process his discharge (Folsom Exhibit No. 1, 19 H 659). The same day, he applies for a passport at the Superior Court in Santa Ana (CE 1114, 22 H 77–79). Also on the 4th, LHO writes Marguerite telling her of his coming discharge and that he should arrive in Texas on the 14th. Also on the 4th, according to a notarized letter to the Department of the Navy, Marguerite is living at 3124 W. 5th St. in Fort Worth (CD 81.1, p. 382).
Thursday, September 10, 1959: LHO's passport is issued (CE 1114, 22 H 77; CE 946, 18 H 161).
Friday, September 11, 1959: LHO is released from active duty in the US Marine Corps on a dependency discharge and transferred to the reserves.
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