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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VIII - Page 283« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Daniel Patrick Powers)

Mr. Powers.
more, or just doing the least minimum that he could do as far as any type of work or anything like that, and he would screw up once in a while; and now in the terms of the Marine Corps, it would mean that he wouldn't always present himself in a first-class manner as far as dress or shave or sloppy in appearance sometimes.
Mr. Jenner.
And how was he getting along with his fellow Marines during this period?
Mr. Powers.
I think they accepted him just as they did everyone else, because again you have a mixture of personalities, and I don't recall that he was friendly with any one particular person more than the other. Again I'm not sure because he was in this particular crew----
Mr. Jenner.
Was there any scuttlebutt or rumor that he shot himself to get out of the service?
Mr. Powers.
I don't know. There might have been. Now, that you recall--you say that, you recall it to my mind; I'm not sure whether I want to recall it or something that is actually fact.
Mr. Jenner.
Yes.
Mr. Powers.
I couldn't say truthfully.
Mr. Jenner.
But any matter, it was pure scuttlebutt; it was pure speculation?
Mr. Powers.
Yes, because nobody actually knew what was going on.
Mr. Jenner.
What was the scuttlebutt as to his court-martial; was that he-cause he had the, unregistered or private weapon?
Mr. Powers.
Now that you say that, this court-martial, this is maybe where they came in and they were going to try to give him a court-martial for shooting himself to get out. Again, maybe this is something again that I want to recall or if it's actually true; now that you mentioned it, there is something of that nature.
Mr. Jenner.
When you use the expression "something that you want to recall," what you mean by that, I take it, is you want to avoid the tendency to recall something that----
Mr. Powers.
I have heard somewhere else.
Mr. Jenner.
More than a speculation or hearsay, and you're telling me that you're trying to confine yourself to actual fact?
Mr. Powers.
Yes.
Mr. Jenner.
And you're making that distinction for that reason?
Mr. Powers.
Yes.
Mr. Jenner.
Was there any rumor or scuttlebutt that he at one time had been given some psychiatric attention?
Mr. Powers.
Now that you mentioned it, he might have been put in the--he might have been sent to the psychiatric ward in Yokohama; I'm not--again now that you mentioned it, again it comes in my mind.
Mr. Jenner.
Do you have any--is .this in the area of guessing?
Mr. Powers.
It's scuttlebutt-type of thing. It's guessing and no way to substantiate it or anything of this nature.
Mr. Jenner.
Okay. What did Oswald do for entertainment on leaves?
Mr. Powers.
This seems to me now that he made a statement, and this was after he went out and procured or secured a female companionship and set up housekeeping or whatever you want to call it in Japan, and this was common practice and it seems to me at one time he made a statement that he didn't care if he returned to the United States at all. Now, I'm almost--well, I can't say for sure, but I attribute this statement to him again.
Mr. Jenner.
Did he set up housekeeping, set up some Japanese girl; is that what you mean?
Mr. Powers.
Yes. This is--this was the normal procedure over there, the practice with a lot of individuals, and I think that he was one of the ones that did--went for this type of thing. I'm not sure whether he did, but I can attribute this statement to him that he did.
Mr. Jenner.
In other words, you have a recollection of him having said that somewhere?
Mr. Powers.
Yes; he said that, and again looking back, he was finally attaining a male status or image in his own eyes, and this is why he wanted to stay in that particular country.
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