Mr. Liebeler.

This was in 1957 or 1958?

Mr. Delgado.

1958. And we had basic interests. He liked Spanish, and he talked to me for a while in Spanish or tried to, and since nobody bothered, you know--I was kind of a loner, myself, you know. I didn't associate with too many people.

Mr. Liebeler.

How old were you at that time?

Mr. Delgado.

I was 17--18 years of age; 17 or 18.

Mr. Liebeler.

About the same age as Oswald?

Mr. Delgado.

Right. He was the same age as I was. And nothing really developed until I went on leave oh, yes. At the time he was--he was commenting on the fight that Castro was having at Sierra Madres at the beginning, just about the turn of 1959. When I went on leave, it just so happened that my leave coincided with the first of January, when Castro took over. So when I got back, he was the first one to see me, and he said, "Well, you took a leave and went there and helped them, and they all took over." It was a big joke.
So we got along pretty well. He had trouble in one of the huts, and he got transferred to mine.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you know what trouble he had in the other hut?

Mr. Delgado.

Well, the way I understand it, he wouldn't hold his own. Came time for cleanup, and general cleanliness of the barracks, he didn't want to participate, and he would be griping all the time. So the sergeant that was in charge of that hut asked to have him put out, you know. So consequently, they put him into my hut.

Mr. Liebeler.

What were these huts? Were they quonset huts?

Mr. Delgado.

Quonset huts, right.

Mr. Liebeler.

And they served as barracks, right?

Mr. Delgado.

Right.

Mr. Liebeler.

How many men----

Mr. Delgado.

Each quonset hut was divided in half. Now, in each half lived six men, two to a room. They were divided into two rooms with a bath room each side, each half of the quonset hut. I was living in one room. Oswald in the other room. And then we had our barracks, we had quite a bit of turnovers, because guys kept coming in and being transferred. Him and I seemed to be the only ones staying in there. And we would meet during working hours and talk. He was a complete believer that our way of government was not quite right, that--I don't know how to say it; it's been so long. He was for, not the Communist way of life, the Castro way of life, the way he was going to lead his people. He didn't think our Government had too much to offer.
He never said any subversive things or tried to take any classified information that I know of out or see anybody about it.
As I said to the men that interviewed me before, we went to the range at one time, and he didn't show no particular aspects of being a sharpshooter at all.

Mr. Liebeler.

He didn't seem to be particularly proficient with the rifle; is that correct?

Mr. Delgado.

That's right.

Mr. Liebeler.

What kind of rifle did you use?

Mr. Delgado.

He had an M-1. We all had M-l's.

Mr. Liebeler.

Carbine or rifle?

Mr. Delgado.

The M-1 rifle.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have them in your quonset hut at all times?

Mr. Delgado.

No, sir; we had them in the armory, in the quonset hut designated as the armory. And we went there periodically to clean them up. And at the time in Santa Ana, he was with me at one time.

Mr. Liebeler.

Each man was assigned a particular rifle; is that correct?

Mr. Delgado.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have to use the rifles to stand inspection?

Mr. Delgado.

That's right.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember whether or not Oswald kept his rifle in good shape, clean?

Mr. Delgado.

He kept it mediocre.. He always got gigged for his rifle.

Mr. Liebeler.

He did?