So l never connected it as a big negative or anything. Records do not show who conceived the idea to invite Oswald to study at U-M, only that the person was a member of First Presbyterian who also taught at the English Language Institute. We stayed with her for the summer. She got all caught up, because she wants so badly to have this identification with her father. But see, I'm matter-of-fact about a lot in my life. As she told the Warren Commission during her three days of combative testimony, "It is no crime to sell the pictures. Q: I guess you must be encouraged that the review board was finally sworn in last year. Are you able to maintain the same detachment when you see that? Priscilla was a CIA asset, IMHO, as was June Cobb in Cuba. For me, that is a dark forest, a heap of papers.. Thank you for posting this excellent article. Lee loved New Orleans.. Together, they would learn and study five hours every weekday for eight weeks. Later that year the family moved from Russia to the United States. And she's just welcoming them with open arms. (Oswald declined all financial offers.). I have to remind Rachel that this is the man who beat our mother, who didn't provide for his children. It sounds as if most people are not aware you're Lee Oswald's daughter.A: Yes and no. when it was going on, and somebody said, "Your father was a hero." If the truth can be found that shows Lee had nothing to do with the assassination, I would feel better in that there have been a lot of things said and done regarding my family that all proceeded from an erroneous perception of what he did or didn't do. I believe he's the first writer-researcher to get interviews with sources in the Russian Government and so this is an opportunity to shed new light on the subject from an area that has never been explored in any meaningful depth. What do I tell them? She had been in the United States all of 17 months. 1.65 m). Q: Where do you stand today as far as your perception of what really happened out there in Dealey Plaza? It was her meetings with the Warren Commission, as well interviews with the FBI, that prevented Oswald from coming to Ann Arbor in 1964. He was not a communisthe was a Marxist, Baker said, explaining that Oswald agreed with the theory of Marxism but did not participate in communist activities. When the Session convened within a week of Oswalds arrival, half its members upset and embarrassed about being left in the dark were angry to the point of wanting to reprimand the church leadership. We lived in poor housing or were taken in by others. These rarely-seen pictures of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, autopsy, and funeral reveal the full story of the shooting that shook the nation in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Judyth Vary Baker, the lover of Lee Harvey Oswald, gave her perspective on the medias treatment of Oswald since his death to a group of professors and community members at Loyola University on Saturday in New Orleans. The assassination has also been a constant in the life of June Oswald Porter, the 33-year-old daughter of Lee Harvey Oswald. Sometimes she could be found on Dealey Plaza, selling autographed business cards to tourists for five dollars:Marguerite Oswald, mother of Lee Harvey Oswald. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. She is convinced that her phones are tapped by the Secret Service and the Secret Service wants to kill her. There's a lot of genetic things you can't even control that are inborn in your kids. According to the story, Rachel was a miserable, lonely child - her dogs had been Both interviews I found in the JFK collection at the Dallas Public Library last November. I can tell you that I am very excited about the book in concept. We visited the set of "J.F.K." Porter still lives with her second husband Kenneth, however in private, and is afraid to go out in public. Q: Over the years, you've kept a pretty low profile. We regard Mrs. Oswald as a typical institute student, said ELI Director John C. Catford when her enrollment was announced. Ann Arbor police and campus officials vehemently denied the reports; Oswald herself told them she had not been assaulted in any way, physically or verbally. WebAbout one year after Lee Harvey Oswald returned from the Soviet Union with his new Soviet wife and young daughter, he became famous when he was arrested on suspicion of killing President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. I've wondered what my kids are going to turn out like. As UPI reporter Preston McGraw noted, "One at a time, quickly, the two women bent down and kissed the corpse.". During this time, Baker and Oswald became romantically involved, and Oswald gave her details of his defection to the USSR. Perhaps my opinion is wrong, but at least I do not want to live with her and listen to scandals every day. A: The first time l saw it l was very upset, but it gets to the point where it almost becomes unreal, this movie you're watching that has very little to do with you as a person. An obituary in the Wichita Falls Times Record News reported the elder Oswald was 83 at the time of his death. She was never recognized. So I ended up supporting him. It's a little bit like opening a family album you didn't know existed before. People sent us money following the assassination, because Mom was young with two small children and didn't speak the language. She later moved to Minsk to live with her uncle Ilya Prusakov, a colonel in the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, and to study pharmacy. This is material I never would have known about insofar as my mother's side of the family, because my mother was illegitimate, you know. See, this is the difference. A: It has put certain strain on it. Two Lutheran ministers had agreed to conduct the service at the request of the Reverend Louis Saunders, an interdenominational Christian minister. I said I appreciate it, but I really don't get involved in that. On November 25, 1963, the nations gaze was transfixed by the horse-drawn caisson and final burial of President John F. Kennedy. She sat us down, with my stepbrother, and started to explain who our father was- that it wasn't Kenneth - and who Lee was and what he had done. Scheduled to start classes in January 1965, Oswalds arrival was leaked just days before Christmas, forcing the University to acknowledge her enrollment in a terse news release. This is material I never would have known about insofar as my mother's side of the family, because my mother was illegitimate, you know. After her death from cancer on January 17, 1981, Marguerite Claverie Oswald was laid to rest in the Rose Hill Cemetery. The minister, the Rev. In my book she belongs where her husband is. It was one of many strange, discordant reactions that led many to question her sanity in the days and years aheadand to find the likely source of many of her sons problems. Oct. 19, 2013 at Loyola University in New Orleans. Q: Do you and Rachel argue much about this? When I was reading the interview with June and she made the comment abouty getting the, call from someone who had written a song at first I was a little jarred. He had been covering activities at the Dallas Police Department Building for KRLD and CBS News, standing no more than 11 feet from Oswald when he heard Jack Ruby's .38 revolver and saw Oswald fall. Oswald has indicated a desire to continue her education and mastery of the language is a necessary preliminary to such study. She would be one of 28,000 students on campus. The If the truth can be found that shows Lee had nothing to do with the assassination, I would feel better in that there have been a lot of things said and done regarding my family that all proceeded from an erroneous perception of what he did or didn't do. Terms of Use Q: Did you see the "Seinfeld" episode in which they're at the ballpark, and they get spat upon, and-. But in the shadow of this grim but stirring processionon that same MondayLee Harvey Oswald was quietly buried in Fort Worth, Texas. The public was prohibited from Rose Hill Cemetery, and no friends or other relatives showed up. My first serious boyfriend -- that's what he was fascinated about. What if, she proposed, the church brought Mrs. Oswald to study English at the University of Michigan? This photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald was taken in Minsk and was confiscated by the FBI during the Kennedy assassination investigation. This portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald was confiscated by the FBI during the Kennedy assassination investigation. Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova and Lee Harvey Oswald stand in a park in Russia. She was pretty strong. Because some people have called me and said, "I knew your father and he really loved you." When the executive committee of the church governing body, known as the Session, reached out to Oswald in late 1963, it had done so in secret in order that Mrs. Oswald might be free from the pressure of publicity in considering the offer. Its members never informed the Session or any other congregant of the invitation, or of Oswalds acceptance. (June has requested that her married name, which she still uses in business, not be printed), Despite privacy concerns, she's pushing for the release of all records pertaining to the assassination. I know that in my life, Lee wasn't a good man. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Tho I have been told that both daughters have been burned. Just in recent years; but yes. "I do not think that she is a very sound thinking woman, and I think that part of the guilt is hers," she told the Warren Commission. It would seem a perfect fit for Oswald. Just get out. The strongest reaction to Oswalds enrollment came from the people who were sponsoring her visit: the 2,300-member congregation of First Presbyterian Church. She copied it and put it on all my staff's desks. I said in effect to each person who criticized, The one thing you havent shown us is that what we have done is unlike Christ., Sources: English Language Institute records; First Presbyterian Church (Ann Arbor) records; and Harlan Henthorne Hatcher Papers, all at the Bentley Historical Library; A history, the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1826-1988: incorporating A sesquicentennial history 1976, newly revised and updated, editors Lila Miller, Robert M. Warner, Carl R. Geider; Warren Commission Report and Hearings; Follow Me, by Ernest T. Campbell. As for what his exact role in the assassination was -- well, he'll have to be judged for that before God. And I'm gonna be in Dallas, and I want to sing it to you. Q: And if someone were to show scientifically that Lee Oswald was or wasn't involved, that wouldn't make a difference to you? Judyth Vary Baker, the lover of Lee Harvey Oswald, gave her perspective on the medias The first chapter opens with my family, and he goes way back to my great-grandmother in Russia. WebDespite the fact that the later Warren Commission declared that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin of President Kennedy, and he acted alone, many conspiracies about the assassination abound to the present day. In her early years, grocery shopping with her mother, Marina, and sister, Rachel, took place amid stares and finger-pointing; hushed conversations ignited around them like flash fires as they walked the supermarket aisles. In 1965, Marina Oswald [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Oswald_Porter ] got remarried to Kenneth Jess Porter, an electrician who was a neighb A few letters arrived at President Harlan H. Hatchers office, most from writers who were angry enough to write but not to the point of signing their names. In 1963, after the assassination of President Kennedy, Oswald was arrested. Her grave was next to her son Lee. She is convinced that her phones are tapped by the Secret Service and the Secret Service wants to kill her. Or are we going to provide help simply because here is a human being in trouble who desperately needs help?. Moreover, Porter still lives with her second husband Kenneth, however in private, and is afraid to go out in public. Flash forward to June 1962, and Oswald was back in the States, this time with a Soviet wife and newborn daughter. And she's just welcoming them with open arms. A: It was unusual. Please get her away from Michigan. Just out of the blue. Lee Harvey Oswalds youngest daughter, Rachel, was only one month old in 1963 when her father allegedly killed President Kennedy, and was shot to death himself. Just out of the blue. She came to New Orleans to give the discussion and promote her book, Me and Lee: How I Came to Know, Love and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald. Audience members received a book with their ticket purchase, and Baker signed copies throughout the day. I have to remind Rachel that this is the man who beat our mother, who didn't provide for his children. During her talk, Baker criticized newspaper reports that she said inaccurately portrayed Oswald as a mentally unstable communist. I move all the way up there, and his parents wouldn't even let us stay in his house because I was the daughter of Lee Harvey Oswald. James R Leavelle, the detective who was handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald when the killer of John F Kennedy was in turn shot dead by Jack Ruby, has died. Church leaders had suggested to Oswald that she use an assumed name when coming to Ann Arbor, but she declined. Privacy Statement She kept herself together for us.Q: Was any of this an issue in your marriage?A: No. There was a problem saving your notification. He said things when we were together like he really wanted to have children because "that would be the blood of Lee Harvey Oswald that was flowing through the kids.". Saunders, who came as an observer, was asked by Marguerite to officiate. During college, Rachel supported herself at the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin. Citing an extensive collection of government records and personal accounts, Baker argued the governments investigations of President John F. Kennedys assassination, of which Oswald was charged, were flawed. She seemed without grief, filled instead with outrageicy, edgy, and spoiling to argue. But you know, just because you're hanging out with a weird group - they could have set him up, and he could have had no idea what was going on that day. Even an intended compliment could hold hidden barbs -- as when a male co-worker remarked on June's resemblance to "a young Marina Oswald," then immediately apologized, saying he "didn't mean to insult her" by invoking the infamous name. Q: If someone was to ask you today who your father is, what would you say? The assassination has also been a constant in the life of June Oswald Porter, the 33-year-old daughter of Lee Harvey Oswald. But the unmovable Marguerite remained unapologetic. Oswalds wife Marina, two daughters, brother Robert and mother Marguerite were the only mourners. If they could prove somehow that he was innocent, he'd still not be a hero, he'd be a martyr. While married to Lee Harvey Oswald, she gave birth to her firstborn daughter called June Lee on 15th There's always been this little group that's followed us -- Mom, Rachel and me -- and calls us and is fascinated by anything surrounding us. If someone has it, I would also like to read it again. She uses her stepfathers name, Porter, to avoid unwanted attention from being related to an infamous character. JFK assassination revisited and Rachel Oswald Porter. There were times when we didn't have milk to drink. Tippit as authorities closed in on him in the hours after Kennedy was shot. In a February 26 ceremony in Rackham Assembly Hall, Oswald received an engraved U-M certificate alongside her classmates. Please tell a good story, she told reporters. WebLee Harvey Oswalds youngest daughter, Rachel, was only one month old in 1963 when her father allegedly killed President Kennedy, and was shot to death himself. I don't know if it's the interview you mean but I have a copy of one with Rachael from 1995 from a publication called 'Texas Monthly'. I found this on page 182 of the forum, well worth a read. If you are willing to consider me to become your companion, I shall give you my best to make you happy and pull you out of the morass of bitterness, came an offer from Bangalore. Q: When were you actually told about your father and the assassination?A: Something had come up where Mom had old boxes of letters out. Somehow those boxes came down and she was reading, and I guess she felt it was time to tell us. ", I said I appreciate it, but I really don't get involved in that. There were hysterics. A: Well, there was a lot of misinformation being released related to a book, "Case Closed," by Gerald Posner. Somehow those boxes came down and she was reading, and I guess she felt it was time to tell us. See the article in its original context from. Bakers talk came in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Kennedys assassination on Nov. 22. But it was so funny because Mom talked to them for - I mean, nobody noticed that the date wasn't there! When money ran low, she sold a letter or document connected to Oswald or an article of his clothing. So he moved to Boston and wanted me to join him. Obviously, if I'd wanted to share that I would have told everyone a long time ago. Q: What are your thoughts on Norman Mailer's new book?A: I don't have a comment on it as far as its conclusions because I haven't read them, but I did start the book. Baker, who said she was a trained nurse, referred to the plot as a cancer research project. Whom do you really think of as dad? Q: Do you and Rachel argue much about this?A: Yes. It's right across from the Capitol, and she was a waitress. Well, that's what Rachel wants to believe. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are a lot of assassination buffs who have analyzed all the technical data and the other available material and even they don't agree about what happened.Q: But are you comfortable with the fact that Lee Oswald played at least some role?A: I think there definitely is circumstantial evidence that could imply he had something to do with it because of the characters he was hanging out with in New Orleans. And I said, "Yes?" They first met last April in Washington. Q: What is the status of your present-day identity? His oldest daughter, June, I believe attended the Univ. of Texas and graduated first in her class or very high in her class. Shes made some TV app I tell her, "Rachel, for all we know, we could have been living in the streets." For years, the widow of Lee Harvey Oswald has avoided cameras while she tries to live a quiet life in Rockwall, northeast of Dallas. But earlier th Judith Baker, author of "Me and Lee - How I came to know, love, and lose Lee Harvey Oswald," presents an article at a symposium on Sat. I do remember that our phones were tapped. We always used my stepfather's name, Porter, growing up, even though we were never legally adopted. Q: What is the status of your present-day identity? Returned to the United States The Oswald family settled in Fort Worth, Texas. Where Does Marina Porter Live Porter still lives with her second husband Kenneth, however in private, and is afraid to go out in public. Now, the word father does mean Lee to me. I know you were just a toddler, but do you have any recollections of turbulence in the household?A: I don't have any real memories of those ages. Well, I was satisfied with my dad, so I've never felt this big need to connect with Lee or do the daughter-father thing. I didn't really want to be the center of gossip in this whole building. I don't know if I could've done it and kept my sanity: two small children, don't speak the language, dirt poor, everybody in the country pointing their finger at you -- hating you in some cases. She was the aggrieved. ), When commission members presented her with paperwork written in English by her husband, she recognized his handwriting but did not comprehend the words. ", There was no expression of remorse, no regret, only an unceasing drive to carry on, fight on, despite the abandonment of her family and friends. A: It's only in recent years that I've started to get into all that, mostly as part trying to get the records released. The law said that if they felt that way, then those documents needed to be turned over to the Assassination Records Review Board and those folks would review the records and either concur, release them in blacked-out state or release them entirely. She was born after her family moved to Dallas from Russia. Anyone can read what you share. By the end of the year, however, she was ready to travel from Texas to become a student. _________________________________________. In the spring of 1961, Lee Oswald met Marina Prusakova at a dance in Minsk, Belarus. And we got to President Kennedy and I was told to go across the hall during that one. So I sat across the hall in a time-out room. Six weeks They said it would depreciate the value of their home. A few men sent letters to the ELI office in hopes of striking up a romantic relationship with Oswald. He said things when we were together like he really wanted to have children because "that would be the blood of Lee Harvey Oswald that was flowing through the kids.". On February 15, 1962 their daughter, June Lee Oswald, was born. And I'm gonna be in Dallas, and I want to sing it to you.". thanks for posting that interview I had not read it before. "I have nothing and I survive. Obviously, if I'd wanted to share that I would have told everyone a long time ago. I read this intvu again and if there are two people I'd love to talk to, it's Rachel and June. [3] They married six weeks later and had a Well, I was satisfied with my dad, so I've never felt this big need to connect with Lee or do the daughter-father thing.Q: One can't help but notice that you address him as "Lee.