(Testimony of Daniel Patrick Powers)
Mr. Powers.
I can't truthfully say that either. I don't remember.
Mr. Jenner.
Mr. Reporter, I did interrupt the witness when he was talking about his impression about Oswald. Would you read that back to me, please?
(Whereupon, the record was read by the reporter.)
Mr. Jenner.
Had he had this nickname, Ozzie Rabbit, did he acquire that before or--had he already acquired it when you boys came from Jacksonville to Biloxi, or did you give it to him when you arrived at Keesler?
Mr. Powers.
I think it was attached to him at Keesler as far as any individual in our particular group were concerned; this was the first contact that most of us had with each other as individuals. We were brought together here at Keesler, and of coarse, living and going to school together and in close proximity with each other, we did get to know each other personally more than at any other time.
I think this is the period of time that it was attached to my own mind as well as the other people in the group.
Mr. Jenner.
I take it you felt he was not aggressive as far as leadership was concerned, and you boys felt that you didn't have to worry about him as competitively?
Mr. Powers.
I would say so, yes; but of course, at this time of our careers, if you would like to call it that, of marines, there wasn't any real significance attached to leadership. It was still--we were all the same rank. Of course, one being in the service longer, there was always a senior marine as far as I was concerned, and I was the marine in charge of this particular class if you--I think this is the way they call it, class or flight squadron, whatever they call it, and well, while at Keesler, I was promoted to corporal, which again was an advancement in leadership, and, of course, there could never be any differentiation of privates.
I was a corporal over privates, first class, and still with the closest relationship that we had there, I don't think there was any rank barrier or difference here.
I think we were all. regarded that we were just marines at this school and not trying to enforce authority at any particular time in which we would get more in the infantry of the Marines. There a corporal is a corporal, but in going to school like this, you wouldn't enforce discipline to a point where people jumped when a person of higher rank said something.
Mr. Jenner.
What was your rank when you were mustered out?
Mr. Powers.
Out of the Marine Corps?
Mr. Jenner.
Yes.
Mr. Powers.
I was a sergeant.
Mr. Jenner.
What gave you the impression that he had or might have had homosexual tendencies?
Mr. Powers.
Again, this is an unqualified opinion, and----
Mr. Jenner.
Did you say "unqualified"?
Mr. Powers.
Yes, because obviously, I'm not qualified to say one is or is not, but having seen a number of them and seeing their characteristics, as far as manner of walk, dress, and just their personality, I would say possibly his was similar to them in some respects.
Mr. Jenner.
You found him a feminine----
Mr. Powers.
I would say yes; a lot of his mannerisms were closely related to other homosexuals that I had seen in my life up to that period of time.
Mr. Jenner.
You said, in the course of your general statement, that your group had the impression that he might be easily led. Can you elaborate on that?
Mr. Powers.
Well, let's not say the group felt that he was easy to lead. I felt--let's say that I felt he was easily led, and the group felt that it was kind of a group response that you would get here if what was good for the group was good for everyone, and he would go along with what the group went along with, and he wouldn't go out on the limb as one individual; at least at this particular period of time he did not.
And I would say he was a group response he was easily led; he was responsive to the group as a whole.
At the same time I felt that he was an individual such as I see today. I see
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