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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VIII - Page 375« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of George A. Bouhe)

Mr. Liebeler.
Did you have any reason to believe that she could understand English?
Mr. Bouhe.
Yes; I said, well, in sort of a joking way, "Well, my God, you have an American husband. Didn't he teach you sweet nothings." Or something like that.
"Oh, yes. I know I love you. Come kiss me quick, or something like that."
But she did not speak English. And when we spoke English in front of her, for instance, at Mrs. Gregory's, who is not a Russian----
Mr. Liebeler.
Mrs. Gregory?
Mr. Bouhe.
I said, "Marina, I am sorry, but we have to say these few words in English."
"Oh, well, that is all right, I will learn it sometime," or something like that.
Mr. Liebeler.
But it did not appear to you that she understood English?
Mr. Bouhe.
It did not appear to me; yes. And then on that subject I have talked with you.
Mr. Liebeler.
You told us that you tried to teach her English?
Mr. Bouhe.
Shortly after I saw that she is scared of him. He is a bad provider, doesn't make friends, I thought there will be a calamity in the family there sometime.
And Marina Oswald sort of, I think, appreciated when she saw what I tried to do for her and her kid. I told Marina, "If you are a brave girl, if I were you, I would prepare myself to stand on my own feet before long. But before you start anything, you have to speak English."
"Well, how can I learn to speak English. Whenever I try to talk to Lee, he always come back in Russian and doesn't want me to speak English to him. This is positively so."
Well, I said, "Will he object if I teach you on the side, so to speak?" "Well," she said, "let's try".
Now the young Gregory who is taking Russian lessons at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, who was spending a couple of weeks at home from his studies of Russian, I know he went to Marina to pick up some Russian lessons from her, and in exchange gave her a few pointers in English, but he was leaving for the university so I know that that system was to be short-lived.
Therefore I offered Marina on my own volition without being asked for it, an excellent dictionary published by the U.S. Government Printing Office in Washington during World War II as a guide for officers and generals in communicating with the Russians, and was prepared, as I understand, by the elite of the Russian emigre academic world in the American society.
Mr. Liebeler.
Did you give this to Marina and attempt to teach her the English language?
Mr. Bouhe.
Yes. But how I say to read and study, you have to have perseverance. "Let me try something", I said, and so on this paper I would write in Russian lesson number one and start writing in big letters in Russian simple sentences, "My name is Marina Oswald. I live in Fort Worth. We buy groceries on Tuesday. My husband works on Wednesday. This is a tropical climate."
Mr. Liebeler.
You sent those to Marina and asked her to study them?
Mr. Bouhe.
With a line space in between and asked her to look at the dictionary, but don't ask anybody, and put underneath in English, which she did faithfully for approximately 4 weeks, maybe 5.
Mr. Liebeler.
Can you tell us approximately when this was? They were living in Fort Worth at that time?
Mr. Bouhe.
Yes; I would say that was the last 3 weeks in September, and maybe the beginning of October which is when she moved to Mrs. Hall's. I would say it was sometime between September 12 and October 20.
Mr. Liebeler.
After about four of these lessons she stopped doing it, is that right?
Mr. Bouhe.
The fifth or sixth lesson did not return. Now just a moment, she would write the English words. She would send it all back to me and I would correct it and in turn send it back to her, so she will see what it should have been.
And incidentally, I was shown that by an FBI agent 10 days ago, because a Russian speaking FBI agent came to see me for 5 minutes. He said, "Please
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