Mrs. Oswald. The assassination of President Kennedy.
Mr. Rankin. You think that two Secret Service agents and Marina and Mrs. Paine were involved in that, in the conspiracy?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, I do. Besides another high official. I will tell you the high official I have in mind when we go through that part of the story, if you please.
Mr. Rankin. Well, now, could you tell us what you base that on—because that is a very serious charge.
Mrs. Oswald. It is a very serious charge, and I realize that. I base that on what I told you, the attitude of this man, and Mike Howard's attitude also.
Now, I have to continue.
Mr. Rankin. Have you described that?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes. I have to continue.
While at Six Flags, Marina was given the red carpet treatment. Marina was Marina. And it was not that Marina is pretty and a young girl. Marina was under—what is the word—I won't say influence—these two men were to see that Marina was Marina. I don't know how to say it. Are you getting the point? Let me see if I can say it better.
Mr. Rankin. You mean they were taking care of her, or were they doing more than that?
Mrs. Oswald. More than taking care of Marina.
Mr. Rankin. Well, now, describe what more.
Mrs. Oswald. All right, I will describe it for you.
I am not quite satisfied with the way I said that. Let me get my thoughts together.
I noticed that—and of course as I have testified, the way the man treated me—and I was told he was a body guard for Mrs. Kennedy. We were at Six Flags on November 24th, at Lee's death, and on November 26th Marina and I—before November 26th—Marina and I were very, very friendly, very loving, everything was "Mama"—"Mama has a big heart." And we planned to live together.
I had an insurance policy that had expired on Lee. I was not able to keep up the premium. And I had $863. But however I had not looked at the policy for some years, and I was not quite sure that it was in force. But otherwise I had no money and no job. I had given up my job to come to the rescue. So I was very anxious to get home and get my papers and let them see the copies of everything I had, and to find out if I had my insurance policy, if it was in force, and also get some clothes.
From the 24th until the 26th I lived in my uniform, gentlemen. I did not have any clothes at the Six Flags. Yet Robert Oswald was taken to his home a couple of times to get clothes. And when I wanted to go home and get clothes, they put me off. One time I broke down crying. I said, "I don't understand it. You won't do anything for me, yet you drove Robert all the way to Denton to get clothes."
So the night of the 26th they took me home, and I got my papers. I found that my insurance policy was in force. So I said to Marina, "Marina, we all right. Mama has insurance policy, $800. You stay home with baby and mama work, or mama stay home with baby and you work, and at least we have a start."
"Okay, Mama. I not want big house, Mama. I want small place."
And this is the girl that has never had anything, and she only wanted small things. Fine.
On the date of the 22d, approximately 10 o'clock—this was in the morning—I want to say something to Marina, and Marina shrugged me off and walked away.
Mr. Dulles. What date was this?
Mrs. Oswald. The 27th. That morning I had acted as interpreter for an FBI agent, and Mr. Mike Howard said, "Would you like us to get a Russian interpreter?" And he said, "No, Mrs. Oswald is doing fine." And he took the testimony from me as an interpreter. So, you see my daughter-in-law did understand English and answered me in her Russian broken English, because the FBI man was satisfied.
So when Marina shrugged me off, I thought right away that she thought—because I had to use the name Lee so many times—that I was hurting her husband, and maybe that is why she felt this way. So I thought maybe I am just imagining things. So I waited quite a while, I would say half an hour. I went to Marina again. And she walked away and shrugged me off.
So I walked into the living room, where my son, Robert Oswald, and the Secret Service were and I said to Robert, "Robert, something is wrong with Marina. She won't have anything to do with me."
He said, "I know why. Marina has been offered a home by a very wealthy woman"—all of this was done without my knowledge—"by a very wealthy woman who will give her children education, and she didn't know how to tell you."
I said, "Well, Robert, why didn't you tell me?"
Of course when I said it. I was emotionally upset. I said, "Robert, why didn't you tell me?"
He said, "Because just the way you are acting now."
I said, "What do you mean the way I am acting now? I am acting in a normal fashion. You are telling me that you are taking my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren away from me, and I have lost my son, and my grandchildren and daughter are going to live with strangers. This is a normal reaction."
"Well, that is why we didn't tell you. We knew you would take it that way."
And that is the last time I have talked to my daughter-in-law, Marina. And that is the rift between Marina and I. There is no rift, sir? We were going to live together. But this home was offered Marina—and I will present this in evidence.
Now, Mr. Gregory is involved—Mr. Gregory did all the Russian talking. They all knew better but me. And I have more to the story.
Yes, here it is.
And there are other offers Marina had—other offers.
So I was not able to be around Marina. The Secret Service saw to it. And they gloated.
Gentlemen, I am not imagining these things. These two men gloated of the fact that now Marina is going to be fixed—you know, she is fixed financially and otherwise.
Mr. Rankin. Is this Mrs. Pultz?
Mrs. Oswald. I didn't even read this, sir, believe me. This was handed to me by a reporter before I left, saying, "Mrs. Oswald, maybe these things"—because he knows the story. This has all been published publicly in newspapers, what I am saying. The Star Telegram could give you all I am saying here. It has already been made public in the paper, all of this. And he handed that to me. I never did see that article until the other day.
Mr. Rankin. This article refers to Mrs. Oswald being offered a home, and apparently a newspaper account—a newspaper account of the offer, according to this newspaper account—the offer was by a Mrs. Pultz. That is the one that you refer to when you handed this paper to us.
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir, that is offering her a home.
Now, I have not read that. I know she was offered a home by a woman and I will tell you further what I do know about this.
Mr. Rankin. Mr. Reporter, I will ask you to identify this as the next exhibit.
(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 169 for identification.)
Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, the reporter has marked that Exhibit 169, the newspaper article you have just given us, is that correct?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rankin. I now offer in evidence Exhibit 169 and ask please to substitute a copy.
The Chairman. It may be admitted.
(The document heretofore marked Commission Exhibit No. 169 for identification was received in evidence.)
Mr. Rankin. Do you recall the date?
Mrs. Oswald. I left there on the 28th, so it would have to be the 27th. It would have to be the 27th.
Mr. Rankin. Now——
Mrs. Oswald. Now, there were other people that offered her homes.
Mr.