Mr. RANKIN. What do you base your claim on, that Marina was brainwashed?
Mrs. OSWALD. Because for 8 weeks no one has been allowed to see Marina.
I do not believe in my mind that that is an American way of life. I
question the fact that it is even legal, that they can keep her in
strict seclusion with no one seeing her for 8 weeks, gentlemen.
Now, there may be a reason for that. I don't know. But the American
people want some answer to that. I have over 1,500 letters questioning
that. The papers have blasted it continuously.
Mr. RANKIN. If she didn't have somebody to look out for her, do you
think the various people that wanted to see her would keep her so busy
she could not even take care of the children?
Mrs. OSWALD. Now, Mr. Rankin, I am not saying, even implying that the
Secret Service should not protect my daughter-in-law. I am grateful for
that, and I have expressed it. I am most grateful she has protection.
But would there have been any harm for me to talk to Marina with the
Secret Service around and let Marina tell me that she does not want to
see me?
Mr. RANKIN. Well, let's leave you out of it. What about all the rest of
the people that would want--or did want to see Marina?
Mrs. OSWALD. All right.
Mr. RANKIN. And take her time, while she had to take care of the
children.
Mrs. OSWALD. I agree with that. Marina should not see every Tom, Dick,
and Harry. I think they are doing a wonderful job in protecting her.
But when Mr. Mark Lane, who is an attorney, requested it, so we can
solve this, to just let Marina tell him that she doesn't want to see
her mama, and Mr. Olds, who is head of Civil Liberties, was refused
permission to see her, then we question it.
No, I don't think all the people should see Marina. But people are
asking these questions, Mr. Rankin. They want to know why a high
official cannot see Marina, to satisfy the public's demand.
Mr. RANKIN. Well, Marina had her own counsel at that time, she said.
Mr. Thorne was her attorney.
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes. Now, we will get to Mr. Thorne.
When I first contacted Mr. Thorne I said, "Mr. Thorne, how is my
daughter-in-law and grandchildren?"
And Mr. Thorne really apologized to me. He said, "Mrs. Oswald, they are
fine. But I am unable to divulge their whereabouts."
He volunteered the information to me.
And I said, "Well, sir; I am not asking where they are"--because I had
already--by the time she got this attorney--by the time I had contacted
him, we had been fighting this thing to see Marina. But he volunteered
the information. He said, "Your daughter-in-law and grandchildren are
fine, but I am not able to divulge their whereabouts."
I said, "I am not asking about their whereabouts." I said that I had
Lee's Marine book, which is a big, colorful book, the life of a Marine,
that Lee had sent to me, and Lee's baby book; that I had had in my
possession ever since he was a baby, that I gave to Marina and Lee when
they returned to Russia, and my husband's gold pocket watch I had all
those years I gave to Lee. So I asked Mr. Thorne about these things and
he said he would inquire about it.
I said, "Mr. Thorne, while I am on the 'phone I do want to bring
something up. While I was at Six Flags, the day I left, the morning
I left, is the first time that sympathy cards started coming in, and
money. And these envelopes were addressed to Mrs. Marina Oswald and
Marguerite Oswald, or Mrs. Marguerite Oswald and Marina, to both."
The Secret Service started to open the envelopes, and there were checks
and cash. Because of my prior story that they had pushed me aside, I
said, "Now, my moneys that come in that says 'and mother' I definitely
want my share."
Believe me, gentlemen, I have never received 1 penny.
Mr. RANKIN. What did he say about that?
Mrs. OSWALD. They said yes--and my son was there when I said that--they
said they would divide it. If it was a $10 bill and it said the mother
of Lee and the wife, that I would get 5 and Marina would get 5. So when
I talked to Mr. Thorne I said, "I want to tell you, Mr. Thorne, while I
was at Six Flags, I know of moneys coming in, but I have never received
a penny. But I want you to know that the Secret Service in my home,
because they were in my home from the 28th until the 3d"--I believe it
was----
Representative FORD. Third of what?
Mrs. OSWALD. This would be December. Because this was the 28th of
November--approximately the 3d. The money that came into my home that
way, 'Mrs. Marguerite Oswald and Marina Oswald' the Secret Service
divided right then and there. If it was a $10 bill, I got 5 and they
took 5 to give to Marina. Whether Marina ever got the money or not, I
have no way of knowing. But the money in my home was divided and the
share given to Marina. But I never did get the share from the Secret
Service at this time.