The Marxist Marine

[Mark Johansson]

Why does a self declared Marxist, who hates America, capitalism, and John F. Kennedy, enlist in the US Marines? And why is he allowed to take a crash course in Russian at the Military Monterey Language School? And why is he allowed to spend time at a top secret U2 base in Japan? And why is he allowed to defect to the Sovjet Union and come back without any problems?

Wim

Edited November 25, 2007 by Mark Johansson

[Ron Ecker]

I wonder why he was allowed to stay in the Marine Corps once his outspoken politics (real or feigned) was known. Could anyone else do this, then or now? Wouldn't an honorable discharge and "get lost" be in order?

Maybe there's simply more freedom of expression in the military than I ever imagined, including extolling the virtues of the nation's enemies and espousing their cause.

[Jack White]

In intelligence circles, it is called CREATING A LEGEND.

In modern parlance, we'd call it padding your resume.

Jack

[Greg Parker]

Why does a self declared Marxist, who hates America, capitalism, and John F. Kennedy, enlist in the US Marines?

Mark & Wim, he wasn't a "self-declared Marxist" when he entered the Marines. He had written to the Socialist Party - which at the time Oswald sent his letter, was rebranding itself after years of turmoil and splits. It did so by moving to the right. There is scant evidence that he hated the US or capitalism in 1956, and JFK was a Senator who probably didn't get much attention in the thoughts of Chairman Oz.

And why is he allowed to take a crash course in Russian at the Military Monterey Language School?

He may have learned Russian at that school. But hard evidence for that has never been found.

And why is he allowed to spend time at a top secret U2 base in Japan?

Because he was a radar operator. The better question is how he was allowed to become a radar operator with a history of ear and hearing problems, and a background that would not normally lead to a MOS like that

And why is he allowed to defect to the Sovjet Union and come back without any problems?

Stay tuned.

Wim

Oswald's Marine "Marxism" was a result of fellow Marines being ignorant in the way they equated anything to do with Russia with Communism. The one exception to that was Thornley. He got "it". For example, he understood the significance of Oswald references to 1984.

Someone like Delgado on the other hand, saw Oswald receiving a Russian language newspaper and assumed it must be Communist. Oswald explaining to him it was not a "Communist" but a White Russian paper had no effect on Delgado. He didn't know what a White Russian was. He did however, make the comment in testimony regarding reading Communist literature in general that, "they let you get away with this in the Marine Corps in a site like this."