AFFIDAVIT OF PAUL EDWARD MURPHY

    The following affidavit was executed by Paul Edward Murphy on May 16, 1964.

PRESIDENTS COMMISSION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
County of Orange, ss:

    I, Paul Edward Murphy, 1706 South Evergreen Street, Apartment C, Santa Ana, California, being first duly sworn, depose and say:

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    That I served in the United States Marine Corps from June, 1956, to September 1959. I was stationed at Atsugi, Japan, and thereafter at Santa Ana, California, with Lee Harvey Oswald.
    The unit which was stationed at Atsugi spent four to six weeks in Okinawa late in 1957. It also spent some time in the Phillipines, where it was at times at bases at Subic Bay and Cubi Point. Another trip took it to Corregidor.
    Oswald was self-contained and withdrawn. He complained about orders he had received from superiors, but followed them.
    Although Oswald did not normally expound to me his political or ideological views, I am of the opinion that he was generally in sympathy with Castro.
    One night in the barracks in Japan, I heard a shot in an adjoining cubicle. I rushed into the cubicle to find Oswald sitting on a foot locker looking at a wound in his arm. When I asked what had happened, Oswald very unemotionally replied, "I believe I shot myself". Oswald was at that time in possession of a small calibre pistol which he was not authorized to possess.
    While at Santa Ana, Oswald had a subscription to a newspaper printed in English which I believe was titled either "The Worker" or "The Socialist Worker." Members of the unit saw copies of this paper as they passed through the mailroom; when the paper was identified as being directed to Oswald, few were surprised. I do not recall Oswald's receiving other literature of a Socialist nature.
    I remember that Oswald could speak a little Russian, even when he was overseas. I have no recollection of his studying either Spanish or German.
    Oswald was proficient at his assigned job, but he was below average in the areas of discipline and military courtesy. He was, however, personally quite neat.
    Although Oswald drank, he did not drink excessively. His temperament was such that he would push companions to the verge of fighting him, but seldom, if ever, actually took the step of engaging in a fight.
    It is my opinion that Oswald was of average intelligence. He read a great deal at the library at Atsugi. I do not recall what sort of books he read. He also went to the movies a great deal. I have no specific recollection of his appreciation of classical music, although I remember that Oswald--like everyone else--watched Dick Clark's American Bandstand on television. Oswald also played chess.
    I have no recollection concerning Oswald's religious beliefs.
    I can recall Oswald having no dates while stationed at Santa Ana. While overseas, however, Oswald had an active social life as most other Marines. Oswald seldom left the post at Santa Ana; I do not know where he went on those occasions when he did leave.
    Oswald was nicknamed "Harvey" after "Harvey the Rabbit", a movie which was then circulating. So far as I know, Oswald acquired this nickname for no reason other than that it was his middle name.
    I do not recall Oswald's receiving any visitors.

Signed this 16th day of May, 1964, at Santa Ana, Calif.
(S)Paul Edward Murphy,
PAUL EDWARD MURPHY.