Most of those who knew him were able to recount anecdotes which suggest that he was anxious to publicize his liking for things Russian, sometimes in good humor and sometimes seriously. Some of his fellows called him "Oswaldskovich," apparently to his pleasure.391 He is said to have had his name written in Russian on one of his jackets;392 to have played records of Russian songs "so loud that one could hear them outside the barracks"; 393 frequently to have made remarks in Russian 394 or used expressions like "da" or "nyet," 395 or addressed others (and been addressed) as "Comrade";396 to have come over and said jokingly, "You called ?" when one of the marines played a particular record of Russian music.397

Connected with this Russophilia was an interest in and acceptance of Russian political views and, to a lesser extent, Communist ideology. Less obvious to his fellows generally,398 it nevertheless led him into serious discussions with some of them. Donovan, who was a graduate of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University,399 thought Oswald was "truly interested in international

fairs" 400 and "very well versed, at least on the superficial facts of a given foreign situation." 401 He recalled that Oswald had a particular interest in Latin America 402 and had a good deal of information about Cuba in particular.403 Oswald expressed sympathy for Castro but, according to Donovan, "what he said about Castro was not an unpopular belief at that time." 404 Donovan believed that Oswald subscribed to the Russian newspaper--which Donovan thought was a Communist newspaper--not only in order to read Russian but also because he thought it "presented a very different and perhaps equally just side of the international affairs in comparison with the United States newspapers." 405 Donovan was clear, on the other hand, that he never heard Oswald "in any way, shape or form confess that he was a Communist, or that he ever thought about being a Communist." 406

Private Kerry Thornley described himself as a close acquaintance, but not a. good friend, of Oswald, whom he met in the spring of 1959; he later wrote an unpublished novel in which he drew heavily on his impressions of Oswald.408 Thornley generally corroborates Donovan's testimony but thought Oswald definitely believed that "the Marxist morality was the most rational morality to follow" and communism, "the best system in the world." 409 Thornley thought this belief was "theoretical," a "dispassionate appraisal" which did not indicate "any active commitment to the Communist ends"; he described Oswald as "idle in his admiration for communism." 410 He recalled discussions about Marxism in which Oswald criticized capitalism and praised the Soviet economic system.411 Thornley testified that his association with Oswald ended when, in response to Oswald's criticism of a parade in which they both had to march, he said "Well, comes the revolution you will damage all that." Oswald, he said, looked at him "like a betrayed Caesar" and walked away.412 Thornley attributed Oswald's decision to go to Russia to a growing disillusionment with the United States, especially its role in the Far East, and a conviction that communism