Before Lee Harvey Oswald became linked to the JFK assassination, he was a mediocre U.S. Marine assigned to a radar squadron in Japan.
Author Jack R. Swike, a former Marine Corps Intelligence Officer stationed in Japan, spent over two decades researching Oswald’s
activities overseas, resulting in The Missing Chapter: Lee Harvey Oswald in the Far East.
This book will not solve the JFK assassination, but it will debunk some of the myths about Oswald’s life during the Cold War era.
For instance, few people know that Oswald’s Marine squadron was stationed near a top secret atomic bomb facility on the Atsugi Naval
Air Field in Japan, which also housed U-2 spy planes.
Using the most reliable sources available, plus interviews with people who knew or allegedly had ties to Oswald, Swike has compiled a
book of historical significance in unraveling a chapter of Oswald’s life that had quite simply been overlooked – probably because
researchers didn’t know where to look. But Swike knew where to look, and was urged on by former CIA Counterintelligence Chief James Angleton,
who felt the research in this book was too important to ignore.
Some of Angleton’s letters appear in this book, along with photos, military
documents and information Swike obtained while stationed in Japan, resulting in even more questions about Oswald’s descent from Marine, to defector, to alleged assassin.
Here are some common myths regarding Lee Harvey Oswald that are presented in this book.
Myth: Oswald served in the military with former Dallas police officer, Roscoe
White.
Answer: Oswald did NOT serve with Roscoe White. White went to Okinawa, Japan
while Oswald went to Atsugi, Japan. Both came to Japan on board the USS
BEXAR but this ship carried over 1500 persons and there is no proof that
both men ever met.
Myth: Oswald lived on the East Side of Atsugi.
Answer: Oswald lived in Barracks Number 5 on the west side of Atsugi, not the
east side. Most Marines lived on the east side of the base. Barracks 5 also
housed Air Force members of the U-2 Spy Plane Detachment. These were
uniformed men and sometimes they did not get along with the Marines in the
same building.
Myth: Oswald did not have a security clearance.
Answer: Oswald probably was given an Interim Secret Clearance while in Atsugi
due to the fact that he worked in the Marine Control Squadron One (MACS-1).
Such documents were taken out of a Marine’s personnel jacket if he got into
trouble or if a Final Secret Security Clearance was not completed prior to a
new assignment which required the Marine to move. Only Final Clearances were
placed in the Personnel Files and these replaced any Interim Clearances.
Myth: Members of MACS-1, including Oswald, controlled the U-2 Aircraft in Atsugi.
Answer: Members of MACS-1, including Oswald, did not control the U-2 Aircraft
in Atsugi. Control of these aircraft rested with the personnel of the U-2
Program. Security was handled by their members and the unit was commanded by
an Air Force Colonel. The U-2’s checked with MACS-1 before take-offs and
reported an Estimated Time of Arrival. Once airborne, there was radio
silence. Members of MAG-11 provided flight line security and crash crew
rescue teams.
Myth: The U-2 Program was the most secretive operation in the MAG-11 area.
Answer: The U-2 was not the most secret device at MAG-11. A Top Secret
installation was also located in the Marine Sector of Atsugi and close to
Marine Air Control Squadron One, Oswald’s Unit. Only five officers from
Marine Air Group 11 had access to this site. This location is shown in of
the illustrations showing the Marine Air Group Flight Line. This site was
called “The METO SITE”. See the Photos Page.
Myth: After his release from the Marine Corps, Oswald only used his saved military pay to travel to Russia.
Answer: Oswald stated that he saved $1500 from his total military pay less
deductions, which amounted to $3,452.20 total. He was a PFC when he left the
service, and received $108 per month. Yet, it was explained by a Marine in
his unit, that Oswald engaged in certain money making “black market
activities” while in Japan. My book will explain.
Myth: Oswald went to Taiwan in 1958.
Answer: Oswald never went to Taiwan in 1958. He remained in Japan where he was
arrested for hiding a “rifle” in his locker. He was also sent to a Naval
Hospital for a colon check. He was ordered to the rear echelon before he was
sent back to the States. New documents will verify this.
Myth: Oswald had venereal disease.
Answer: Oswald never had venereal disease. He had non-specific urethritis.
This was not considered VD and his medical records were corrected to reflect
this.
Myth: Oswald was in military intelligence.
Answer: Oswald was not in military intelligence. He was an aviation
electronics man. Thus, he did not have access to classified materials even
if he did hold a Secret Clearance at one time in MACS-1. This does not give
him access to Secret Materials automatically. Classified materials were
housed in all intelligence offices in the Air Group with Top Secret being
held in the Group Intelligence Office which had a 24 hour guard.
Intelligence Officers who served during 1957 and 1958 were questioned and
they never heard of Oswald. Neither did agents who worked for the Office of
Naval Intelligence in Atsugi during the same period of time.
Myth: Oswald did not spend much time in Tokyo and Yokohoma.
Answer: Oswald's work enabled him to spend much time in Tokyo and Yokohoma. He
did ask to extend his tour of duty in the Far East, but withdrew it after
getting into trouble with his Sergeant, which resulted in his second court
martial.
Myth: Oswald only worked with 100 Marines.
Answer: Oswald actually worked with 320 Marines while in MACS-1. Their names
will be listed in my book.
Myth: Oswald's Officers and Sergeants were interviewed by the Warren Commission after the Kennedy Assassination.
Answer: The Warren Commission only interviewed three Marines in person from
Atsugi. One of these men was always on Temporary Additional Duty for he
played sports; another was not in Oswald’s Unit; and the third did not know
Oswald very well. No officers or sergeants were ever interviewed by the
Warren Commission. Some of his sergeants had important things to say.
Myth: Oswald was nearby when PFC Martin Schrand was shot and killed in the Philippines in January 1958.
Answer: PFC Martin Schrand was shot under the arm while on guard duty in the
Philippines in January 1958. At first, the Marines thought they were under
attack by HUK (Communist) Guerillas, but this was not the case. Oswald was
not in the vicinity when Schrand was shot. This incident was investigated
again after the Kennedy Assassination. It was ruled an accident, but nothing
was ever mentioned about Schrand’s brother, who was in the Navy and visited
with Schrand a day before the accident. Schrand's brother later died in an
accidental drowning.
Myth: There were U-2 Spy Planes in the Hangar near PFC Martin Schrand's body.
Answer: U-2 Spy Planes were not in the nearby hangar. Instead, the MACS-1
vehicle area housed a van that held secret cryptographic materials. This
information was never reported to the Naval Investigative Authority.
Myth: Oswald did not visit many night clubs in Japan.
Answer: Oswald visited several nightclubs in various towns. This was verified
by witnesses and some documents.
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