Secret Service asks Marguerite about Oswald and Gov. Connally

[Canuck]

On Nov. 25, only one day after Oswald was murdered (no time for grieving),
the Secret Service interviewed both Marguerite and Robert Oswald (CE 270).
It's interesting to note that Marguerite was asked about his "dishonorable
discharge" (actually it was an "undesirable discharge", which I recently
discovered in the Warren volumes). The SS wondered if "Lee expressed his
feelings toward the Navy Department or the Marine Corps..about having
received this dishonorable discharge." Mrs. Oswald gave, as usual, a
rambling answer, but recalled that Oswald told her not to worry about it,
and that he would "see about it". He did appeal the decision, which was
based on his defection to Russia and failing to report for inactive duty,
but his appeal was rejected. (Seth Kantor mentions the appeal in "The Ruby
Cover-Up" but not the decision.)

Later the SS agent wondered if Marguerite had "any idea what his feeling
or opinion was of Mr. John Connally, the governor of Texas, who was the
former Secretary of the Navy?" She said she had "no idea because Lee does
not express anything to me" (sounding like Lee was still alive). He
didn't mention Oswald's letter to Connally written on Jan. 30, 1961 (CE
204), demanding that his "belated dishonourable discharge" be returned to
"honourable" (spelled the British/Canadian way), claiming he "allways
(sic) had the full sanction of the U.S. Embassy, Moscow U.S.S.R. and hence
the U.S. goverment (sic)." Oswald stated that he would "employ all means
to right this gross mistake or injustice to a boni-fied (sic) U.S. citizen
and ex-service man"; actually he was still in the USMCR. Oswald claimed
that "the U.S. goverment (sic) has no charges or complaints against me",
knowing full well he had no legal right to leave the U.S. while still in
the Marine Corps Reserves. In closing, Oswald asked Connally to "look
into this case and take the necessary steps to repair the damage done to
me and my family", without explaining what damage had been done. Oswald
received a reply, indicating that his letter had been forwarded to the new
Secretary of the Navy, Fred Korth, recommended by LBJ, an old friend of
both Johnson and Connally, as Connally resigned in Dec. 1960 to run for
governor. Korth was subsequently fired by JFK in 1963 related to a
scandal involving bidding for the TFX aircraft fighter between a Dallas
company and Boeing, and the fact that Korth was using "official Pentagon
stationery to further his Ft. Worth banking interests" (The Ruby Cover-up,
Kantor). By an amazing coincidence, Korth happened to be Edwin Ekdahl's
lawyer when he and Marguerite were divorced in 1948. Author Craig Zirbel
mistakenly stated that Korth had been Marguerite's lawyer. Robert Oswald
had told the W.C. that "All of us liked Mr. Ekdahl, but I think Lee loved
him most of all." (The Search For Lee Harvey Oswald - Robert Groden).
John Pic stated "Lee found in him the father he never had." Not long after
Oswald returned to Texas, Connally was elected governor (Gen. Walker had
come last out of six candidates for the Democratic nomination). In fact,
Oswald could have voted in the election, but there's no indication that he
did. The chances are Oswald still held a lot of animosity towards Korth,
Connally and Johnson. - prwhitmey

[claviger]

Canuck,

If the scope was close to center at the time shots were fired I think
it entirely possible LHO was aiming at JBC on all 3 shots. However,
if the scope was off high-to-the-right as evaluated by the FBI that
makes it less likely. We know the sniper in the 6th floor window was
not a pro. A nervous amateur like LHO could have a bad case of the
shakes and would probably pull hard enough to lose lead on the
intended target. That means the unintended target moves into the line
of fire each time.