(Testimony of Dennis Hyman Ofstein)
Mr. Jenner.
He did reach a point where he told you something of his background?
Mr. Ofstein.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner.
His past history?
Mr. Ofstein.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Jenner.
Tell us about that.
Mr. Ofstein.
Well he said that he was in the Marine Corps and that after he disclosed that he had been in the Soviet Union, he told me that that had been after his tour of service with the Marines, and again he wouldn't elaborate on how he was there or why he was there, and as I say, at that time I presumed he was possibly with the U.S. Government or on a scholarship basis or some other basis and just didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't pursue it any further, and I discarded this idea after I learned that he had a Russian wife.
Mr. Jenner.
When did that develop?
Mr. Ofstein.
That must have been about the middle or the latter part of February of 1963.
Mr. Jenner.
How did you learn that?
Mr. Ofstein.
He brought it up one day when we were speaking of the Russian language and I was talking to him about it--or we were talking together, I should say, about the Soviet Union, and he was telling me various things about their way of life over there and he mentioned that he had married a Russian girl, a White Russian.
Mr. Jenner.
Can you tell us now what he said about what his life over there and his reactions to it--what did he say in that whole area in substance?
Mr. Ofstein.
Well, the main thing--he dwelled on their difference of life mainly to do with their food and the habits of the people and the military installations and the disbursement of the military units.
He mentioned that they used caviar over there on bread the way we use butter, because of the lack of butter and dairy products, and how you would find things like loaves of bread on the tables in the cafes and restaurants the way we would find salt and pepper over here. He also mentioned about the Russian guards. At this time he disclosed that the building in the photograph
was some military headquarters and that the guards stationed there were armed with weapons and ammunition and had orders to shoot any trespassers or anyone trying to enter the building without permission.
He also mentioned about the disbursement of the military units, saying that they didn't intermingle their armored divisions and infantry divisions and various units the way we do in the United States, that they would have all of their aircraft in one geographical location and their tanks in another geographical location, and their infantry in another, and he mentioned that in Minsk he never saw a vapor trail, indicating the lack of aircraft in the area. He also said about the Russian people that they were sentimental or serious people and somewhat simple, that----
Mr. Jenner.
Excuse me; I just wondered if you misspoke you said they were sentimental and serious, did you intend both of those words?
Mr. Ofstein.
Well, I was more or less searching for the right words. I remember he said they were simple and more or less serious minded. They were more mindful of world evens than. he thought the American people were, but that they didn't have the war hysteria, as he called it, that the people in the United States did.
He said whenever you saw any indication in the Russian newspapers of war, that the Soviet people thought it was relatively close because of the lack of publication about it, such as at the Lebanon crisis and he mentioned that he had been in Moscow, I believe, and a couple of other cities other than Minsk.
Mr. Jenner.
Did he name any others besides Moscow and Minsk, did he name any others?
Mr. Ofstein.
He possibly did, but I don't recall what they would have been.
Mr. Jenner.
Is it your recollection that he did mention some others, though you cannot recall the name or, are you uncertain that he did mention any others at all that he had been in?
Mr. Ofstein.
I'm not extremely certain at all; it's possible that he did.
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