Mr. Jenner.

Did he show any interest in what was going on over there?

Mr. Thornley.

He definitely showed interest.

Mr. Jenner.

Give us some examples and tell us.

Mr. Thornley.

I would say he took an agnostical approach to this. It seemed that he didn't know whether to believe what he read in his Russian newspaper, not that he used those exact words, or what he heard in this country. He took the attitude that "Well, they may be right and we may be right but I suspect they are right." This, of course, once again, I always got the impression in any of these discussions that part of his slight bias toward the Communist way of life was an act of rebellion against the present circumstances.

Mr. Jenner.

Do you think that bias, if any, was a mild bias?

Mr. Thornley.

I thought so at the time.

Mr. Jenner.

Did you have any impression at anytime that he was interested from an objective standpoint; that he might like to experience by way of personal investigation what was going on in Russia?

Mr. Thornley.

It never dawned on me. It was the farthest thing from my mind. Although I certainly will say this: When he did go to Russia it seemed to me as a much more likely alternative for Oswald than say joining the Communist Party in the United States.

Mr. Jenner.

Excuse me.

Mr. Thornley.

It seemed to fit his personality.

Mr. Jenner.

Would you read that? I lost the thought of it. (The reporter read the answer.)

Mr. Jenner.

Would you elaborate, please?

Mr. Thornley.

Well, Oswald was not militant. At the time it didn't seem to me he was at all militant. That he was at all a fighter, the kind of person who would glory in thinking of himself as marching along in a great crusade of some kind. He would be the kind of person who would take a quiet, as quiet as possible, for him personally, approach to something. For example, going to the Soviet Union would be a way he could experience what he thought were the benefits of communism without committing himself to storming the Bastille, so to speak.

Mr. Jenner.

Is it a fair statement that, in seeking to interpret or enlarge upon what you say, that you did not have the impression of him as being a person who thought in terms of seeking to implant in this country, for example, by force or violence or other leadership, communism or Marxism so as materially to affect or change the government here?

Mr. Thornley.

No; I don't think he felt he had to do that. I think he felt that that would inevitably happen some day and he was just getting into the swing of things by doing things his way. I don't think he felt that he could do much to promote the Communist cause or hinder it.

Mr. Jenner.

Did he ever lead you to believe or did you have the impression that he had any thought or desire or inclination to implant communism here or elsewhere.

Mr. Thornley.

No; not any more than merely to with the argument. He certainly would have liked to have converted me or any other person who was willing to discuss it with him. He would have liked to have persuaded them that his ideas were correct. If he had done so, I have no idea what he would have done then. I don't think he did either.

Mr. Jenner.

What about his relationships, camaraderie with others on base?

Mr. Thornley.

Almost nil.

Mr. Jenner.

Almost nil.

Mr. Thornley.

Yes, he got along--

Mr. Jenner.

Enlarge on that please.

Mr. Thornley.

He got along with very few people.

Mr. Jenner.

Why was that, in your opinion?

Mr. Thornley.

He was extremely unpredictable. He and I stopped speaking before I finally left the outfit. This will give you an example of--

Mr. Jenner.

How did that arise?

Mr. Thornley.

It was a Saturday morning. We had been called out to march in a parade for a man or some men--I believe they were staff NCO's--who were retiring from the Marine Corps. This was a common occurrence.