(Testimony of John E. Donovan)
Mr. Donovan.
more than the person he was arguing with. We had one fellow on our crew, a S. Sgt. Cornelius Brown, and Sergeant Brown is the most competent sergeant in the field of radar that I have ever encountered. Sergeant Brown could barely write. He could read, but again barely read. He could read a newspaper.
But most people like to think they are well informed on all subjects. And it was characteristic of Oswald to bait people, particularly on foreign affairs. He would listen interestedly, ask questions in an interested manner, and then if the person were not too high in rank, could point out a dozen places they didn't know what they were talking about.
Mr. ELY, Do you feel that he ever asked questions about foreign affairs because he truly wanted to know the person's opinion?
Mr. Donovan.
No; I think his mind was made up. I think he wanted to ask questions to later expose to his comrades that he knew far more than a person in a position of authority. I think he tried to make. it evident to his contemporaries that in many cases he was more gifted and more intelligent than people who were in charge of him. And this in itself was ridiculous---according to his way of thinking. I don't think that he ever asked information of anyone on foreign affairs, including me, whose opinion he particularly respected. He had his mind made up and was willing to discuss that point of view with anyone.
Mr. Ely.
How did Oswald's fellow enlisted men react to his baiting of NCOs and officers?
Mr. Donovan.
Well, sometimes, if he tried to humiliate the sergeant in the presence of others, the sergeant has many ways of getting even, and he can make a cleanup detail much more detailed, he can make barracks inspections much more frequently, and I don't think this particularly made his fellow marines enthusiastic about his attitude.
Mr. Ely.
Do you think his fellow marines accepted his view that he was brighter than the officers he was talking to?
Mr. Donovan.
Yes; I think that they accepted the view that he was brighter than most people, and was particularly capable in the field of world affairs. In respect to them, I think he knew more than they did, at least in facts.
I think they admired his ability to pursue Russian on his own and learn it. And I think anyone must admit that this reflects a degree of intelligence.
Mr. Ely.
While you and Oswald were in the same unit, was he ever in any trouble of a nature which would require administrative action?
Mr. Donovan.
Not that I recall.
Mr. Ely.
Returning to this date that you had with this airline stewardess, did she tell you anything about Oswald?
Mr. Donovan.
As I recall, the only thing she said was that he was rather strange. And I do recall that either she or her brother at that time mentioned that he does speak Russian and reads Russian newspapers.
Mr. Ely.
Did she say in what way he was strange?
Mr. Donovan.
I don't recall in what way she said he was strange.
Mr. Ely.
Did you get the feeling that she hadn't enjoyed herself when she was with him?
Mr. Donovan.
I got that impression. But I think that they didn't share any common interest. I think he was truly interested in international affairs, and that is not typical of her or other stewardesses I have known.
Mr. Ely.
Do you recall the circumstances under which Oswald left the Marine Corps?
Mr. Donovan.
Yes; I do.
Mr. Ely.
Could you relate them to us, please?
Mr. Donovan.
I recall that he got a hardship discharge. We offered to get him a flight---that is a hop from El Toro to some place in Texas, his home. He refused. We considered that normal in that if you take a hop you sacrifice your transportation pay. We offered to take him to a bus or train station. He refused. But that is not particularly unusual, either.
I recall that he was gone for some period of time, and shortly before I got out of the Marine Corps, which was mid-December 1959, we received word that he had showed up in Moscow. This necessitated a lot of change of aircraft call signs, codes, radio frequencies, radar frequencies.
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