David Lifton

Can someone on this forum assist me, in locating another -and possibly related -- factoid? Some years ago, I remember studying Ruth Paine's testimony and encountering the following phrase (or statement): that she thought LHO was (possibly) involved in "role playing." I'm using quotes because I don't remember the exact context employed by Ruth Paine in making this statement, during her Warren Commission testimony (or WC deposition). Also, as I recall: there may well be more than one appearance by Ruth Paine (perhaps once in deposition format; another occasion as formal sworn testimony before the WC). And I am not positive that Ruth Paine only made this statement, using the phrase "role play" once. Perhaps there is another mention. (I have not reviewed all of Ruth Paine's FBI reports). If someone can find the answer to my question --please also send to me at: dlifton@gmail.com. (I promise to acknowledge your assistance.) Again (and now spacing out my email address for clarity): "d l i f t o n @gmail.com". In responding, and on the subject line, please write the words: "Ruth Paine" DSL 10/12/2022 - 2:10 PM PDT (Wed.)

A new word. . . never heard of it before today. But, in speculating about the possible cock-and-bull story that LHO may have been provided to dupe him into "behaving" like an assassin, i.e., actually engaging in some sort of role-playing which led to his unwitting self-incrimination. . . surely, I have wondered, there must be a word in the English language to describe all of this? Yes, there is! "Larping"! An actual word. The meaning? "Live Action Role Playing!" Had Oswald been aware of this, he could have exclaimed: "I didn't shoot anybody! I'm just a patsy! I was just larping!" Actually, all Oswald had to say was "I was just role playing!" That would have been enough. On November 22, 1963 -- such a statement by Oswald would have "blown the lid," and led to an entirely different sort of interrogation. ** ** ** The Website introducing this term asks the following question: "If you've agreed to go LARPING; what type of activity will you be doing?" Four possible answers are offered a possible answers: "ice fishing", "skateboarding," "picking fruit"; !: "Playing a game." If I'm correct, Oswald believed he was involved in some innocent role-playing; i.e., "larping." In short, he was probably given some nonsensical story -- probably related to "presidential security" -- to justify his presence in the TSBD (and with a rifle).

P.S.: Michael: Please send me your email address. DSL (dlifton@gmail.com)

Michael: I thought I had already sent you an email --in the last 30 minutes-- on the subject (of FDR and prior knowledge, etc.) But. . .maybe not. Anyway, I have more info to send you. Will do so in the next 24 hours. DSL (dlifton@gmail.com; 10/10/22 - Monday, 1 PM PDT)

Responding to my request, thanks for posting this document —Memo, dated Jan. 6 1964, Rosen to Belmont. Please note: 1. The source is a news story; specifically, memo is based upon, and quotes from, a news story that was published in the 12/30/63 U..S. News and World Report. 2. The memo does not state there was a hole in the floor of the limo. 3. To the contrary, the FBI memo states the opposite. (See next point). 4. “Our investigation to date fails to indicate that we have been advised of the presence of any such hole by Secret Service who have responsibility for the vehicle.” (emphasis) 5. Finally: “There appears to be little (“significance”? word unclear) to the alleged location of this hole in the Presidential limousine at this time.” 6. Also please note: Item 4 refers to the issue as involving "the presence" of a hole; whereas: item 5 refers to the issue as being "the alleged location." So. . .which is it? Quite a difference! This could be the result of poor writing; or (alternatively), perhaps an attempt to deliberately conceal the truth (and/or obfuscate the issue). DSL 10/10/22 - 7:25 AM PDT; 1:40 PM PDT

Re your quote: "I have seen an FBI internal letter re the hole in the floor." I have never before heard of such an item; i.e., "an FBI internal letter" re the existence of "a hole in the floor" (of the JFK limo). Please produce (and post here, on this forum) the image of that letter. Also, how is that document identified in the JFK Collection at NARA? (DSL, 10/09/22 - 6:45 PM PDT) P.S. Is that "FBI internal letter" available via FOIA?

Agreed. But there was another source: a book that LHO used (as a source); and he actually cited that source, by title, etc. in his manuscript. The impression I got was that after his June 1962 return from the USSR, he was (perhaps) sitting in a library (perhaps Ft. Worth, or New Orleans) and availed himself of that particularly source, which was right there on a library shelf. DSL (10/01/22).

Hi Tony: Re what the FSI "has determined"...: Is there a specific citation that you might provide --i.e., from FSI-- that an author like myself might utilize and cite? Thanks. DSL (P.S..: To avoid having to "find it" on the London Education Forum, please also send it directly to me at "dlifton@gmail.com"). Thanks! DSL P. P.S.: Presently, I do not remember his name, but there was a JFK researcher (from the Boston area) who --decades ago -- was a pioneer of sorts in this area. Specifically, he was the first (as I recall) who attempted to "quantify" this research area; and to make reasonable estimates about the "study time" LHO would have had to spend to achieve the linguistic fluency that he had achieved. (To anyone reading this and who knows: please supply his name; and, perhaps, the title of his work). DSL

P.S. Suggest you put up a decent photo of yourself. The one posted --perhaps because of bad lighting-- gives the appearance of Darth Vader. Yikes!

"The windshield at NARA is the windshield {that was} in the JFK limo at the time of the assassination" -- so says Pamela Brown. Her statement, however, is completely incorrect. The "first day evidence" makes crystal clear that there was indeed a hole (not some superficial damage) in the windshield. A through- and- through hole. Reporter Richard Dudman's statement(s) --plus SS Agent Charles Taylor's official report, dated the evening of 11/22/63 -- makes this clear. To believe otherwise, one has to ignore what any lawyer or historian would call "the best evidence" --which in this case is quite evident -- and instead subscribe to a false and weak conspiracy hypothesis. The limo windshield is critical evidence. That's why I had it uncrated (back around 1971/72) and spent an hour (at least) examining it. There is no way that the windshield that I had uncrated --and carefully examined -- is the same windshield that was on the JFK limo in Dallas. As I have noted in the past: the assassination happened only one way, once. That is a simple statement of fact. Either my analysis is correct -- and the windshield was switched (i.e., critical evidence was falsified) -- or my analysis is incorrect, in which case a whole array of critical evidence to the contrary must be ignored. If we were in court, I have no doubt that a jury would find in favor of my analysis. There is no way that the windshield that was on the JFK limo on Nov. 22, 1963 is the same one that is at the National Archives today. As SS Agent Roy Kellerman (who had a wry sense of humor) testified before the Warren Commission (when presented with the "archives windshield"): "It (the windshield he was presented with) feels "rather smooth" today. (He actually said that!) Readers have a simple choice: either follow the evidence, or subscribe to a weak and insubstantial conspiracy hypothesis. As someone who had the "archives windshield" uncrated for my personal inspection (1971-ish), and who also interviewed SS Agent Charles Taylor on this subject, there is only one logical and credible answer to this puzzle: the windshield was switched. (9/27/22_ 12:45 PM PDT)

Agreed. That's how LHO spoke English-- his spoken English exhibited a "southern" accent. But that's not the issue raised here. The issue explored here, on this thread, is not Oswald's "southern accent" (when he spoke English), but the source of his accent when he spoke Russian. When he was living in Minsk, USSR, and met Marina at the dance (March 1961), Marina immediately recognized that he spoke Russian with some kind of accent, which she (Marina) took to be someone who (she thought) was from one of the "Baltic" states. (DSL, 9/21/22, 8:10 PM PDT))

I don't believe "Russian records [i.e., audio recordings]" can explain LHO's fluency. There must have been a "dialogue partner" --i.e., he must have had a dialogue partner. (Of course, this matter can --and will --be debated). Also note: the late Mary Ferrell --whom (who?) I knew quite well -- was intrigued with this issue, and set out to learn some basic Russian, just to explore (and gain some personal experience) with how "second language acquisition" worked. Mary was very intelligent and talented. She tried and tried and --finally --just gave up. As I recall, it was a brief experiment, and Mary came nowhere near achieving the level of LHO's fluency. My own conclusion (and I think Mary's too): LHO must have had a dialogue partner. The mystery was: "who what when where"?) etc.

Re: "did in fact receive tuition* in Russian while in the Marines." I believe you meant to write "instruction in Russian." Please correct. Thanks. DSL *Correction: Yes, I meant to write "receive instruction," not "receive tuition." P.S. (9/20/22_ 11 PM PDT): For many years, I have used the name for this Internet discussion group as the "London Education Forum," and always assumed that was its correct name. P.P.S.: De Mohrenschildt was Polish; and I believe that provides the proper context for any remarks he made about LHO's accent. I have not read his manuscript in decades, and presently do not know if he addressed the matter of Oswald speaking Russian with an accent (Polish or otherwise).

Aside from Richard Dudman (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), who -- on 11/22/63 -- reported a hole in the windshield, the most impressive witness (for me) was SS Agent Charles Taylor. On the evening of 11/22/63, Taylor drove the limo from Andrews AFB to the White House garage. He had plenty of time to observe the windshield, which was 12 to 18 inches from his eyes. In his report -- first published in the Appendix to Josiah Thompson's ˆSix Seconds in Dallas" (1967/68)-- Taylor specifically noted the "hole" in the windshield. That was "the record," circa 1967/68. But then came the "magic show" that transformed the issue into a game of "3card monty." First of all, in the early70's, I worked with the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee, seeking to get Taylor's report into the format of a sworn affidavit. The result was not what I had hoped for. Taylor waffled and executed some kind of document which asserted that, contrary to his 11/22/63 report, there was no hole (!). Really? Then I made arrangements for the windshield to be uncrated, and made available for my personal inspection. What I found: no hole, just as Taylor now said. Just a shallow scratch (or some imperfection) in (or "on") one side of the windshield. Let me spell out what was not present: There definitely was no "hole" in the windshield. And whatever damage was present was "none-penetrating" (my term). It seemed obvious to me that the "windshield damage" clearly visible in (or "on") the windshield as shown in the Altgens photograph (as the limo pulled away, and headed for the Triple Underpass, as published in Thompson's Six Seconds), was not present in the windshield now stored at the U.S. National Archives, and brought out for my personal inspection. My own reaction: What can be done when an ordinary citizen is confronted by the blatant falsification of evidence by his own government? The same issue is presented by the lateral autopsy X-Ray. Suddenly, the hole at the back of JFK's head, observed by some dozen doctors at Dallas, has disappeared. We're never going to get to the full truth about the JFK assassination until the matter of evidence falsification is properly analyzed and resolved. You can't get to the truth about Dallas until the falsified evidence is recognized and impeached. (DSL, 9/20/22_ 12:10 AM PDT).

Years ago, I thought that the Harvey and Lee business was thoroughly debunked; further, that part of that debunking process began with the ARRB obtaining LHO's tax records, going back to when (as a teen) LHO worked at Dolly Shoe Store in New Orleans. I remember when Doug Horne (who had been on the ARRB staff) presented those tax records at a Lancer conference, and encountered a lot of hostility from those who subscribed to the "two Oswald" mythology. I'm surprised that it still survives, along with such nonsense that LHO once lived in North Dakota. No he did not, and the source of that error was a police report where LHO talked of his having lived in New Orleans; but in the original report --which was handwritten (by N.O. P.D. Lt. Martello-- the abbreviation for New Orleans (" N.O.") was somewhat carelessly written, and appeared to be "N.D." It is out of such "noise in the system" that --to an uncritical eye -- such circumstances were transmuted into "evidence" that Oswald once lived in North Dakota. The result: the birth of another part of the mythology about a "second Oswald" (who, supposedly, lived in North Dakota), a mythology not based on credible evidence and which is subscribed to by those "true believers" who subscribe to this hypothesis. Years ago, I had a number of conversations with John Armstrong; and he wouldn't budge. Two Oswalds, two Marguerites. . .the whole nine yards. IMHO: its all ersatz history, and a waste of time (and energy). I'm sorry to see that sort of thing seep into any serious discussion of LHO's bio here on the London Education Forum. Pursuing the issue of how Oswald learned Russian is a serious matter. Going off on some bizarre side-trip about there having been "two Oswalds" is ersatz history. And by the way: to all those true believers who subscribe to the "two Oswald" business: has it ever occurred to any of those "believers" to "explain" Oswald's daughter, Rachel? Rachel was conceived around mid-February 1963, when LHO was back in the U.S., and she's a spitting image of LHO. . .so "which Oswald" conceived her? Does Marina --who is quite reality based-- know who she married? And who she was intimate with? Did the real Oswald (with the genuine Oswald DNA) show up one night and tell the doppelganger to please step aside, because he needed some time alone because he wanted to conceive a child? The whole idea is ridiculous. Its not serious research. Its a lazy person's way to avoid serious historical research and to erect a "conspiracy theory." (DSL, 9/18/22, 4:15 PM PDT)

Greg: I wanted to thank you so much for your detailed remarks, and outlining in detail your own reaction and commentary. Your experience with ESL people (in Denmark) was clearly pertinent (and valuable) in your understanding of my analysis. I'm going to print out all of this (your commentary), and provide further comments later (today). FYI: A few hours ago, I checked with my source ("Joe," in my writeup): The date of the conversation when I first had these insights (and learned about the Russian instructor with the Polish accent. who lived near El Toro) was three years ago, max. Re LHO engaging in "pretense" when he arrived in Russia (fake suicide, pretense about how much Russian he understood, etc.): agreed. Its all part of the same "package (of fakery)". FYI: I first learned of the fake suicide "circa 1995"; (and possibly as early as 1987; because I wrote a detailed manuscript [unpublished] about it). By June 1959, LHO definitely understood Russian --the question is "how much?" There's more to the story, and about 10 years ago (or more), I actually spent an hour (at least) with Phil Agee (author of "Inside the Company") who was a "friend of a friend of mine", seeking to understand whether the CIA might have trained its agents in "faking a suicide." Agee heard me out, and then looked at me as if I came from another planet; i.e., his answer was an emphatic "no." So that behavior -- faking a suicide attempt --was an "Oswald original"; or, as I used to say, part of "Oswald Productions." (For LHO, life was theater...sort of). Re Titovets: I first spoke with him (by telephone, on an international call) some 20 years ago; and I'm mentioned in his book. Another point: IMHO. . .LHO didn't want Marina to speak English because she was his "dialogue partner"; LHO loved Russian, and knew (probably instinctively) that if she spoke English (rather than Russian), his own proficiency in Russian would wither away. Bottom line: Marina was the key to LHO retaining his Russian proficiency. Again, many thanks for your observations and commentary. You obviously "get it." I'm concerned that too many people do not (or cannot) "get it"; so every time they encounter an inconsistency, they posit "multiple Oswalds," instead of understanding that Oswald was an excellent role player. Oversimplifying (slightly): It was (almost) always him. Always Oswald. Thanks again. DSL (9/18/22 - 4:30 PM PDT; 10 PM PDT)

Steve: The issue is not whether Oswald spoke "so well" that "a native Russian would not be sure" etc. We agree that Oswald spoke excellent Russian. The issue is the source of the Polish accent. IMHO: the explanation -- as I have laid out in the evidence I presented --goes back to the original source of his language instruction: the Russian speaker of Polish descent. Reading through the thread, I was surprised at how many people tend(ed) to keep beating the dead horse of DLI. For any number of reasons, that cannot be the explanation. (LHO did not attend DLI, etc.) BTW: the source for my original info is a friend of mine whose mother knew the Polish woman, who taught Russian --i.e., who taught Russian with a Polish accent. DSL (9/18/22 7:30 AM PDT)

Larry: Are you sure that Titovits discussed the business of LHO's "Polish accented Russian" in his book? My copy --unfortunately -- is in storage. If you have the page where he delves into this matter, please send me a scan. Thanks. DSL

Agreed. Keep in mind these key dates: Dec 1958 - through the Spring of 1959. Also, and as I'm sure you recall: Rosaleen Quinn (the Pan Am stewardess who was learning Russian via the Berlitz method) said that Oswald's fluency was superior to hers! That cannot be explained by access to a textbook (and the memorization of words). To achieve "spoken" fluency, Oswald must have had a "dialogue partner"; i.e, he must have had professional language instruction; and (yet) the answer to this linguistic puzzle was definitely not DLI. The record is clear that he did not attend the classes taught at that facility. In drafting the memo that I posted, I concealed the identity of the two key people--changing their names. In Final Charade, I'll use the real names. (And BTW: I'm a bit surprised that the FBI didn't focus on this puzzle in their original investigation. And how about in the many years since?) However. . . However, maybe I'm being "too harsh" on the FBI. Let me explain why I say that. I've worked on the JFK for decades (focusing mostly on the medical evidence, as developed in Best Evidence.) Yet I wasn't aware of this basic "linguistic puzzle"--much less its full implications -- until about three years ago. And then, once made aware, and after learning about the language instructor who had a Polish background and lived near El Toro, it wasn't until the last few days that I realized that it was worth writing up --and sharing with the community of JFK researchers. The actual drafting of the memo -- followed by revisions, grammatical checks, etc. - - took an additional three hours, (at least). My main point: this "linguistic puzzle" took more than 50 years to surface, and then be explained --so why should anyone expect that the FBI Field office in Dallas --which handled the basic "Oswald investigation" -- would focus on this subtle puzzle, much less come up with a solution (or '"resolution".

Larry: I knew Marina quite well. Am not sure she was aware of the "Polish accent" issue; but maybe I'm wrong. I think DeM was aware of it. But, with the info I have now provided, it should be possible to set aside the totally incorrect notion that DLI --in Monterey, California --was the source of LHO's Polish accent. (Think about it: on its face, its rather silly; because DLI would never teach Russian that is-- in effect-- "polluted" with a Polish accent!) The Polish accent provides a critical clue as to the original source of LHO's language instruction. DSL (9/18/22_ 6:55 AM PDT)

Larry: Surely you realize that "finding the right book" does not address the question (much less answer the question) of Oswald's fluency, in Russian as spoken; i.e., "spoken Russian." Fluency in "spoken" Russian cannot be achieved without a "dialogue partner." Marina served that purpose, and that certainly helps explain LHO's capability in "spoken Russian." But that's 2 years later; he didn't meet Marina until March 1961. So now back to my post: The real puzzle is who functioned as LHO's "dialogue partner" between Dec 1958 and Oct 1959? That's the issue that I addressed, and I believe the answer is to be found in my discovery of the Russian tutor in the Southern California area, right near El Toro Marine Base. I have had this information for several years, and decided that I should not delay any further in making it public. (DSL, 9/18/22 - 6:45 AM PD)

Yes, there's a number of references to LHO's "Polish accent," and they should all be gathered together in one file. (I think Marina made a remark to that effect, also. But I am not certain.) However: the importance of my post is that I have identified the source of the "Polish accent," which is central to solving this linguistic puzzle. DSL

This post to the London Education Forum describes a discovery that I made —several years ago— which may hold the answer to an important question: When (and how) did Oswald learn Russian? Let’s start with a recap of this interesting historical puzzle. The Puzzle The Warren Commission report does not offer a satisfactory answer to this question. The Report basically implies that somehow —and the stress is on “somehow” —he taught himself Russian by the end of December 1958, at which time he had returned from his overseas tour, where he served at Atsugi Naval Air Station, which was the basis for U-2 flights over the USSR. True, one can develop —and learn — a basic vocabulary by memorizing some 100 key words that appear in a Russian -English dictionary; but studying a dictionary will not provide fluency —the ability to actually speak the language. To achieve that, one must have a “dialogue partner” —i.e., language instruction. However, there is no evidence that Oswald received any language instruction while in Japan. Also, after his return to the U.S. (Dec. 1958), and during his time at El Toro Marine Base (which is in Southern California, in the vicinity of Santa Ana), there is no indication that he received any language instruction at Defense Language Institute (“DLI”) —which, by the way, is several hundred miles north, in Monterey, California. DLI is where people were sent to benefit from various “full immersion” language instruction programs, in language courses of various lengths of time (20 week program, 64 week program, etc.). Had Oswald attended DLI, that would have provided the answer to the puzzle; but the evidence seems clear that he did not attend DLI. So the issue of “how” Oswald attained Russian language proficiency persists. I believe I have what may be the answer to the question, but let’s first recap Oswald’s basic chronology. The Oswald Chronology — The Basics Oswald defected to the USSR after his exit from the USMC in late August/early Sept., 1959. After a brief visit with his mother, and brother in Ft. Worth —his hometown— he departed for New Orleans. He traveled by bus to New Orleans, and purchased a ticket aboard a freighter. (He had told his mother and brother that he would be seeking work on a freighter, bound for Europe). In fact, Oswald went to New Orleans and booked space on a freighter (the Marion Lykes) heading for Le Havre, France. After arriving there, he took the boat-train from Le Havre to London. He then made a beeline for Moscow (flying to Helsinki, then traveling by train to Moscow.) Again here was Oswald’s itinerary: he flew from London to Helsinki, Finland; and then followed a path that led to the Soviet Union, where he arrived (by train) in early October. He went to the American Embassy, and said he wanted to defect. He said he was a devout Marxist, that the USSR was a superior society than the U.S.; and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life in the U.S.S.R. The Americans basically ignored him, but —particularly after he made a shallow cut in his wrist, faking a suicide attempt, and ending up in a hospital — the Soviets arranged for him to be sent to Minsk (500 miles from Moscow) where he was provided a job in a factory, and a monthly stipend. Oswald remained there for about 15 months, at which point he indicated he was tired of that experience, and wanted to return to the U.S. In March 1961, Oswald went to a dance and met Marina (who was quite beautiful —and still is, BTW). Within a month she was pregnant (which I personally believe was intentional) and that paved the way for Marina to get what is known as a “243(g) waiver” -- see Sylvia Meagher's book, "Oswald and the State Dept." for details; which then paved the way for the couple’s expeditious return to the U.S. in mid-June 1962. So much for the basic “recap.” In asking the question —when (and how) did Oswald learn Russian? — it is important to understand the “Oswald time line” and to ignore what happened after LHO had lived in the USSR for some 37 months. (Obviously his fluency markedly improved after he was in the USSR for over two-and-a half years). The focus here, in this writing, is not his fluency after he lived in the USSR — that is not the issue; rather my focus here is in the last nine months before he left the Marines, i.e., Dec. 1958 - Sept. 1959. Here’s a brief recap, one purpose being to attempt to pinpoint the time when he may have received covert language instruction. Is there such a period? The Oswald Chronology Lee Oswald was born on 10/18/39. His dream, from the time he was about age 12, was to join the Marines at the earliest possible time, which he did on his 17th birthday: 10/18/56. What followed was basic training, specialized training as a radar operator, and then came a tour of duty in the Far East. Specifically: Atsugi, Japan. Finally, in December 1958, he returned from Japan, and began his final “U.S.” period: about 10 months at El Toro Marine Base, in Southern California. The Warren Commission divided his life into four periods, which it labeled as follows: Youth (1939 - 10/17/56) Marine Period (10/17/56 - 9/11/59) Russian Period (Oct 1959 - 6/62) O-Post Russian (6/62 - 11/24/63) Let’s review this “basic chronology” once again. LHO entered the Marines at the earliest time possible: his 17th birthday. After basic training, he served overseas (in Japan); and returned to the U.S., and was assigned to El Toro Marine Base (near Santa Ana, in Southern California) in the last week of December 1958. The question being posed here — “When (and how) did Oswald learn Russian?”— applies to his competence in the Russian language after he returned from his overseas tour in Japan, and returned to El Toro Marine Base in late December 1958. Oswald would remain at El Toro until he departed the Marines in early September 1959, at which point —after a brief visit with his mother and brother in Ft. Worth —he took a freighter to France, and then—after arriving in Le Havre—proceeded by boat train to London, and then made a beeline for Russia. The basic question (once again) is this: Where (and how) did Oswald learn Russian? Obviously, after spending 37 months in Russia, it would not be surprising to learn that Oswald had serious competency in Russian (although an interesting factoid is that he spoke it with a detectable Polish accent). The question I am posing here is not his competence in Russian after he lived in Russia for 37 months. The question I am posing is this: what was the source of his competence in Russian after his overseas tour in Japan, and before he left for Russia? Specifically, I ask the reader to focus on this period: between December 1958 (when he arrived back in the U.S. and was serving at El Toro Marine Base) and the spring (and summer) of 1959. How did his facility in Russian increase so markedly in this period? We know that his Russian fluency bloomed during this period because by June 1959, when he was fixed up on a date with Pan Am stewardess Rosaleen Quinn (who was training in Russian. using the Berlitz method), his language skills far exceeded hers. (See FBI reports, Quinn WC deposition, etc). Again, the question: what happened at El Toro, in the spring of 1959, that his Russian language skills bloomed? Was it DLI? The ordinary answer would be: he must have attended a language course AT DLI (in Monterey, California): unfortunately, the record indicates no such attendance. Furthermore, there is another reason for rejecting such a hypothesis. Had Oswald been a student at DLI (in the Spring of 1959), then there surely would have been a significant reaction (in late October/early November 1959) when his well-publicized defection to the USSR occurred. Think about it: there would have been numerous students (from his class at DLI) who would have reacted to the LHO defection (in October 1959) by saying: “Hey, what’s going on here? That guy Oswald, who just defected to the USSR — he was in our class here at DLI! He’s no Communist! What’s he now doing in Moscow?!” My conclusion: IMHO, the DLI hypothesis does not work. However, there must be an answer to this seemingly intractable puzzle, and I believe I know what it is. There’s other information —another hypothesis, if you will —that does provide the answer to LHO’s sudden increase in Russian language competence in the spring of 1959. Specifically: some years ago, I learned of another way Oswald may have learned Russian — Russian with a distinct Polish accent (which Marina agrees he had) — and it has nothing to do with DLI. Read on, to "Part 2" Part 2 DSL Note: In order to avoiding a situation in which a number of people are subject to a numerous inquiries from various students of this case, I have changed the key names in the account which follows. Some years ago, I learned that in the Spring of 1959 (and in the vicinity of Santa Ana, California), there was a Polish woman who worked in the same hospital as the mother of a friend of mine. For the purpose of this memo, I will call my friend “Joe,” and I will call the woman Amy Balinowski. My friend’s mother and Amy Balinowski worked in the same convalescant hospital; and (through the son) that is how I came by the following conclusion(s): Oswald was very likely tutored in Russian by a Polish woman who worked in the area of Santa Ana, California. I have changed her first name to “Amy” and her last name to “Balinowski.’ THE DETAILS Amy Balinowski was originally from Poland, and worked in a hospital in Santa Ana, California. The mother of a friend of mine —call him Joe —worked in that same hospital, and got to know Amy quite well. Some years ago, when conversing about the JFK case, my friend shared with me important information which came from conversations with his mother. The gist of it is simply this: in order to earn extra money, this woman (Amy Balinowski) tutored a number of GI’s and others in Russian. Of course, because Amy was originally from Poland, her Russian —as she spoke it (and taught it)— would have a Polish accent. How does this bear on the Oswald situation? My Own Tentative Conclusion It is my belief that rather than subscribe to a hypothesis that involves Oswald attending DLI, hundreds of miles away, it is more logical and simpler to believe that when Oswald left the base (which he often did) and traveled to Santa Ana to receive tutoring in Russian, he received such language instruction from the Polish Russian-speaking woman, Amy Balinowski. Restating my belief: Oswald was one of the GI’s that the “friend of my friend’s mother” tutored. If so, this is why (a) Oswald would have been able to learn to speak Russian from someone located near El Toro Marine Base in Santa Ana; and (b) it is also why, if such a person was his teacher, that his Russian would have a Polish accent. Look at it this way: the Polish accent (in LHO's spoken Russian) is surely an important key (or clue) as to who his "language teacher" must have been. Recapping: We know from the existing record that Oswald regularly left the base —and went somewhere. if the Russian instructor—who had a Polish accent — was located near Santa Ana, he would not have had to travel very far to receive such language instruction. I have been aware of this situation for several years. I have another — older —computer which contains the original memos that I wrote on this situation some years go. When time permits, I will attempt to retrieve the original memos that I wrote, and quote from them directly. THE END Appendix A: Defense Language Institute (from Wikipedia) The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and numerous customers around the world. The Defense Language Institute is responsible for the Defense Language Program, and the bulk of the Defense Language Institute's activities involve educating DoD members in assigned languages, and international personnel in English. Other functions include planning, curriculum development, and research in second-language acquisition. (END OF DOCUMENT)

FWIW: Many years ago, I used to believe that LHO's demonstrated fluency in Russian arose from his having attended--i.e., received language training at -- DLI (Defense Language Institute) at Monterey, California. That view changed, however, when (a) it became clear that there was no credible record of his having attended DLI, and (b) there was another explanation. The alternate explanation: I learned that there was someone in SoCal (in the Santa Ana area, i.e., not far from El Toro Marine Base) who was tutoring certain Marines in Russian. (I'm relying on memory, here; and will correct this post, as necessary). I've left a telephone message with my source; and if I can retrieve that info, I will provide it here. Years ago, DLI certainly seemed like a reasonable hypothesis, but I no longer subscribe to it. It (the answer to Oswald's fluency) was not his "secret attendance" at DLI (for which there is no record), but rather a private tutor. LHO needed (i.e, required) a "dialogue partner" to explain his sudden Russian fluency --i.e., between 12/1958, when he returned to El Toro from Japan; and June 1959 (when his language fluency was superior to that of the Pan Am stewardess [Rosaleen Quinn], who he briefly dated, and who testified that LHO spoke more fluently than she did). If LHO did not attend DLI, how was this linguistic capability achieved? A private tutor would explain LHO's fluency (not to mention the fact that --apparently-- he had a natural gift for languages. Another topic). ASIDE: Someone can "learn Russian" -- i.e., achieve a basic vocabulary-- by memorizing words in a Russian-English dictionary; but that would not account for Oswald's apparent fluency in the language, i.e., when spoken. DSL (9/17/22_ 3:45 PM PDT) P.S. Had LHO attended DLI in the spring of 1959, there would have been a classroom full of individuals who --when LHO defected in October 1959 (an event which made the national news) -- would have exclaimed, "Hey, that guy was in our class at DLI!" There is no such evidence. So there must be some "other" explanation, since LHO's apparent fluency --certainly by June 1959 (when he went out with Rosalyn Quinn) -- cannot be denied. (9/17/22_ 3:55 PM PDT)

Paul: I'm a subscriber to the NY times, which arrives every day about 3 AM. Late last night (as I recall), the NY Times contained an interesting obit of a famous female violinist. I did not make proper written notes, so I cannot provide the name. But hopefully, using Google, you can dig up that story. Best, DSL (9/1722; 2:30 PM PDT)