Oswald's Tale (40 page)

From an FBI report:

Character: Internal Security—Russia

Reference: Report of Special Agent
JOHN W. FAIN,
Dallas, Texas, 7/6/62

. . .
OSWALD
stated that no attempt was made by the Soviets at any time to “brainwash” him.
OSWALD
stated that he never at any time gave the Soviets any information which would be used in a detrimental way against the United States. He stated that the Soviets never . . . sought any such information from him.
OSWALD
denied that he at any time while in Russia had offered to reveal to the Soviets any information he had acquired as a radar operator in the U.S. Marines.

. . .
OSWALD
stated that in the event he is contacted by Soviet Intelligence under suspicious circumstances or otherwise, he will promptly communicate with the FBI. He stated that he holds no brief for the Russians or the Russian system. [However]
OSWALD
declined to answer the question as to why he made the trip to Russia in the first place. In a show of temper, he stated he did not care to “relive the past.”

During most of the interview,
OSWALD
exhibited an impatient and arrogant attitude.
OSWALD
finally stated that Soviet officials had asked him upon his arrival why he had come to Russia.
OSWALD
stated that he told them, “I came because I wanted to.”
OSWALD
added that he went to Russia to “see the country.”

OSWALD
advised that newspaper reports which have appeared in the public press from time to time are highly exaggerated and untrue. He stated that the newspaper reports had pictured him as out of sympathy with the United States and had made him look attractive to the Russians.
OSWALD
stated that by reason of such newspaper reports he had received better treatment by the Soviets than he otherwise would have received.
⁸

In 1964 when Robert Oswald appeared before the Warren Commission, he was asked a few questions by Allen Dulles, the former Director of the CIA.

MR. DULLES.
How did you know that the FBI had talked with Lee?

ROBERT OSWALD.
. . . I was aware that they had called my house and requested Lee to come down to their office in Fort Worth and talk with them.

MR. DULLES.
Did he report to you on that conversation at all? The details of it?

ROBERT OSWALD.
A very small detail of it, sir.

MR. JENNER.
What details?

ROBERT OSWALD.
I asked him when I returned home from work that afternoon how did it go. He said, “Just fine.” He said they asked him at the end whether or not he was an agent for the United States Government. His reply was, “Don’t you know?”
⁹

3

A Visit to the Organs

Marina did not tell anyone, but Dallas and Fort Worth were disappointing. She was not impressed with Texas. She had thought it would be like the movie
Oklahoma!,
which she had seen in Minsk, and that had been full of cowboys and the West, but here it was not like that. The residential area was all right because the grass was mowed, and no matter how poor the house, it was at least big enough for a family—but she did not like the two cities Dallas and Fort Worth. They had no harmony. They were disorganized. One tall building and three short ones, then an empty lot. Never anything beautiful or old. She did not know if the city was dying or growing up. No, she was not impressed. The only thing she really liked was the smell of the mimosa trees.

She wrote a letter back to the girls at the pharmacy and said that the Russian language had been difficult for Alik and he had always been mispronouncing words, but now she was living in his shoes, mispronouncing American words. At her letter’s end, she wrote, “Remember, I’m Marina. Don’t let her get lost in history.”

As Stepan would inform the interviewers in the fall of 1992, Likhoi’s file was discontinued by the summer of 1962. In his actions, his behavior, in his way of life, there had been no indication that he was any kind of intelligence agent. Of course, the possibility still existed that he had been sent over to study USSR living conditions intimately. That information could then be used by American special services. Such a possibility could not be excluded, although there was no way to find that out. A person could always walk around, meet people, study everything, make mental notes. Then, on his return home, a report could be written telling about everything. One cannot do much about that. But as far as Oswald being an active agent—all indications were negative.

They could ask their own overseas agents in the First Directorate who were stationed in America to watch Oswald now that he was back in his own country, but it would be very difficult, very expensive. To put surveillance on him in the United States would suggest that they considered him highly important, but by the time he left Minsk, he was no longer looked upon as being in so serious a category. Nor would any Russian people who lived in Fort Worth be considered a potential source. Over there, KGB officers avoided the Russian community and American Communists and sympathizers. If a KGB agent working illegally in America sees an American Communist coming his way, he will go in the opposite direction. One does not want to stray into the FBI’s field of surveillance. So, while there might have been some interest in following Oswald’s activities on his return to America, any estimates of risk and cost made it not worthwhile.

On the other hand, they would never let Likhoi’s file die. It would live on, even if new material, now that Oswald was in America, would have to come through other channels—by press, radio, or television. Personnel in the Soviet Embassy in Washington were watching all that happens in America and, of course, whatever came in would go to Moscow Center, because they would never exclude altogether the small possibility that Oswald had been a spy for America, and so skillful that he evaded discovery. So, they would monitor letters written back and forth between him and Soviet persons. In this context, Pavel’s letter to America on September 15, 1962, two months after Oswald’s return, may have presented considerable concern for the Organs. It was written in a form that was compatible with a sophisticated code, a system of special allusions capable of being comprehended only by agents who were working closely together.

Sept. 15, 1962

Hello, Lee and Marina!

I received your letter today after returning from work. I am answering it immediately as I am overflowing with joy . . .

The incident of the crocodiles about which you wrote me is rather amusing; I like it. It even somehow resembles an anecdote; such an unexpected event. Marina, you should not tell me that you are unable to fix the record player; we are not speaking of repairs, just a remodeling. It’s too bad that there are no uniform standards in the world for the most important things. In Europe 50 cycles originated in Germany and in your hemisphere 60 cycles—[originated] in America. The easiest thing would be to buy a small motor which would resemble ours in construction and size and to put it into that box . . .

The speed of revolution may not coincide and then you will have to match diameters of bushings just the same. For the beginning, try to take off from the axle of the motor a small brass bushing . . .

So, if you take it off, the speed of the revolution of the disc will be diminished. I don’t remember exactly the brand of your record player but if it is the most common its motor should be of this construction . . .

By the way, Marina, . . . the basic idea of Pogodin’s play
A Man with a Rifle
is contained in the words “Now we do not have to fear a man with the rifle.” This, as doctors say, is a quintessence . . . Goodbye, I am waiting for your letters.

Pavel
¹

In the fall of 1962, Pavel’s mother came on a visit to Minsk and told him that the Organs had insisted she take him to their offices. His mother said that they not only called her but required that both she and her son come over with every letter he had received from Oswald. Pavel didn’t understand why. He was sure KGB had copies. All the same, he took with him the two letters he’d already received from America. It was strange. The officer looked and said, “Oh, why did you bring these? We don’t need them. We signed the Geneva Convention about freedom of letters and correspondence, and we don’t need any of this.” Then this officer handed them back. Perhaps it had been to check on whether they had missed one.

He didn’t know how many times his father had been called in to talk to the Organs, but here in Minsk, with his mother, it was Pavel’s first time in the building. And his mother said to him on the way over, “You’re going to damage our whole family.” She was his mother and he didn’t want to fight with her, so he just listened while she told him how bad he had made everything for his father, his mother, and even his sister.

F
ROM
KGB R
EPORT
10.13.62

. . .
GOLOVACHEV’
s mother told me that [she and] her husband . . . were indignant at behavior of their son, and were very worried about his actions, and
GOLOVACHEV’
s mother even decided to make a special trip to Minsk in order to obtain a clearer understanding of his actions and make appropriate suggestions . . .

Considering that in one of his letters to
OSWALD,
which
GOLOVACHEV
brought, there was mention of [
Doctor Zhivago
], I inquired as to whether he had received [this book from Oswald and]
GOLOVACHEV
answered in the negative . . .

In answer to a question about how
Doctor Zhivago
had attracted his attention,
GOLOVACHEV
explained that he had wanted to familiarize himself with this book purely out of curiosity, in order to have some idea about that work. It was explained to
GOLOVACHEV
that it was a conclusion of prominent Soviet literary critics, writers, and other persons who had familiarized themselves with Pasternak’s
Doctor Zhivago
that it contained slanders of Soviet reality and was not of artistic value. Therefore,
GOLOVACHEV’
s acquaintance with the book
Doctor Zhivago
would not enrich his knowledge but, to the contrary, would lead him to have false notions about particular issues.
MRS. GOLOVACHEV
sharply criticized
GOLOVACHEV’
s desire to read
Doctor Zhivago,
noting that no decent person would waste his time on such a book.

In further course of my conversation with
GOLOVACHEV
I reminded him of our earlier meetings, during which he had been given appropriate suggestions about his behavior with respect to
OSWALD
and . . . pointed out
GOLOVACHEV’
s lack of discipline, which was manifested in his not appearing for an interview with an operative. These actions were seen as indicative of
GOLOVACHEV’
s disregard for interests of state security. At the same time, I indicated to
GOLOVACHEV
that we were not entirely certain that he had not told
OSWALD
about his interviews with this operative.
GOLOVACHEV
urged us to believe him that he had not discussed any interviews or suggestions made to him concerning
OSWALD.

Indignant at
GOLOVACHEV P. P.’
s display of indifference toward requests of this operative to meet with him,
GOLOVACHEV’
s mother addressed the following words to him: “Is this how Soviet patriots behave? You should have gone yourself and told them about your friendship with an American.” Agreeing with these arguments of his mother,
GOLOVACHEV
asked to be excused for his uncircumspect actions.

At the conclusion of our interview, I asked
GOLOVACHEV
to immediately inform us of any facts which might be of interest to the Organs of the KGB, including those persons who may try to contact him as a result of his friendship with
OSWALD. GOLOVACHEV
stated that in the future he would act accordingly . . .

After
GOLOVACHEV’
s departure, his mother, who shared with me her fears about her son’s fate, expressed her regret that over four years he had been detached from his parents and was able to come under the influence of undesirable persons . . .
MRS. GOLOVACHEV
promised to spend more time on her son’s [political training]. She intends to come to Minsk more often in order to find out how
GOLOVACHEV P. P.
is behaving. Moreover, in the future she is going to limit
GOLOVACHEV P. P.
financially, giving him only enough money to cover absolutely essential expenses. According to her,
GOLOVACHEV P. P.’
s father made him promise to subscribe to and regularly read youth newspapers and magazines. They will try to monitor
GOLOVACHEV P. P.’
s faithfulness in carrying out these instructions.

GOLOVACHEV P. P.’
s mother also expressed her wish that representatives of the Organs periodically meet with her son, which, in her opinion, would have a positive educational effect on him. I explained to
GOLOVACHEV’
s mother that this was not necessary and expressed my certainty that they were themselves capable of influencing their son in a correct direction, so that he would be worthy of his parents and would take an active part in building Communism in our country.

Stepan Vasilyevich Gregorieff

Stepan would not see Pavel again until the period immediately following Kennedy’s assassination.

As for that event, and Stepan could recall the date as if it were etched on his retina—November 22, 1963—he can say that when he heard President Kennedy had been shot and Lee Harvey Oswald was the leading suspect, his immediate thought was: “It’s impossible! This inconspicuous person who didn’t evoke any suspicion on our part. He commits this crime? It cannot be! It cannot be!”

By the logic of our narrative, we have just come to the end of Volume One. It is obvious that whatever we have learned about Oswald in Russia is not enough to answer our basic question. For that we will have to follow his adventures in America. The changes in Oswald’s life have already been large and abrupt, and now we will have to accompany him on future adventures in Fort Worth, Dallas, New Orleans, Mexico City, Dealey Plaza, and the Dallas city jail. Since we have gone from Russia to America with a minimum of ceremony, and have just taken a quick visit back, perhaps we can obtain a more satisfactory farewell by observing the reactions of Oswald’s friends and acquaintances in Minsk after they encountered the news of Kennedy’s assassination.