Former Dallas Times Herald journalist, author and historian A.C. Greene, revealed his conversation with Lee Harvey Oswald just weeks before the Assassination.
A.C. Greene, June 18, 1992, Oral History with Wes Wise/Bob Porter
Background
Recently I bought the Kindle version of Judge Burt Griffin's book, JFK, Oswald and Ruby: Politics, Prejudice and Truth. Judge Griffin was a former member of the Warren Commission staff. You can purchase his book on Amazon here. https://www.amazon.com/JFK-Oswald-Ruby-Politics-Prejudice/dp/1476687765
I thought it would be interesting to see his viewpoints on the assassination after almost 60 years. There are some interesting observations in the book. One I found noteworthy, and one I have totally overlooked was this:
Edwin Walker’s movement was not the only political force on Lee’s mind. Saving Cuba was still a priority. A.C. Greene, former editorial page editor for the Dallas Times-Herald believed that a few weeks before November 22, 1963, Oswald, wrote to the Times-Herald under the name O.H. Lee expressing views of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.1 Lee had listed the FPCC as a recipient when he secured a post office box on November 1. In an oral history, Greene told John Weeks of Dallas’s Sixth Floor Museum that after receiving the letter, he called the phone number on the letter and reached O.H. Lee, who asked, “You aren’t going to publish it, are you?” Oswald may have worried that fellow roomers would read the letter and recognize his name. Perhaps in providing Greene a phone number, Oswald hoped only to influence the politically moderate Times-Herald—to persuade Green to appreciate and publish FPCC’s point of view.
Griffin, Burt W., Warren Commission Assistant Counsel. JFK, Oswald and Ruby (p. 490). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
As it is well known, Oswald had written many letters, including the "LH" letter to the Militant. But did Oswald really write to the Dallas Times Herald in 1963 a few weeks before the assassination? Let's explore Judge Griffin's citation sources as mentioned in his book.
1. Oral history of A.C. Green at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas; A.C. Greene, “The Sixth Floor Museum: A Personal View” Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 94 (July 1990–April 1991) at p. 174; “Old Times” [November 1987], Texas Monthly (May 2002) (O.H. Lee letter received about two months before JFK assassination); John Weeks, oral history, Sixth Floor Museum, Dallas, Texas, July 31, 1998 (confirming A.C. Greene conversation with O.H. Lee.)
Griffin, Burt W., Warren Commission Assistant Counsel. JFK, Oswald and Ruby (p. 503). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
I have not located the Texas Monthly article as of yet, or the obtained the John Weeks oral history, but here is A.C. Greene's Oral History account. If you go to the 47:00-minute mark, he discusses the O.H. Lee letter. Note: I'm unable to embed the video into this article due to copyright restrictions.
Here is the Southwestern Historical Quarterly article by A.C. Greene.
Update, July 7, 2023
Thanks to Paul Hoch for forwarding the Texas Monthly article.
Credible?
A.C. Greene was a very credible source. As a journalist, author and historian, he was not one to make up stories out of thin air for notoriety. In the oral history video, he has many stories that are of interest. Greene was at the Trade Mart awaiting President Kennedy, had met Jack Ruby, met "Jada", Bud Shrake's one-time girlfriend and Ruby's infamous stripper and was subpoenaed for the Jack Ruby trial and many other remembrances.1
What does it all mean with the "O. H. Letter"?
As Greene explains in the Southwestern Quarterly Historical Journal:
Oswald moved into the 1026 North Beckley rooming house on October 4, 1963. There he registered as "O.H. Lee". Judge Griffin's description of the O.H. Lee letter being two months before the assassination, is not exactly accurate. It was weeks before as Greene mentioned. Regardless of the timing, there was a telephone at Beckley and Oswald was working at the TSBD from October 16, 1963. That would explain "call after 5 P.M.".
What this means is Oswald still had an interest in promoting the Fair Play for Cuba Committe organization (FPCC) despite his failed attempt to get into Cuba via Mexico a few weeks earlier. In fact, Oswald always had an interest in FPCC going back to his time in Fort Worth in 1962.
FPCC envelope to Oswald in 1962, date unknown (not legible), Credit: Malcolm Blunt Archives
Conclusion
There can be no doubt Oswald was intensely interested in Cuba upon his return from Soviet Russia up to the time of the assassination. His failed attempts to start up a FPCC chapter in New Orleans, handing out leaflets, his Dallas street demonstration in the spring of 1963 were all part of his ideology and political beliefs. There was no "guiding hand", or handlers instructing Oswald at all, as put forth by many extremely misguided conspiracy theorists.
This author learned long ago to jump off the crazy conspiracy train to nowhere and concentrate on the man himself, Oswald. While theorists continue chasing CIA Ops, George Joannides and the sexy cloak/dagger stories, I'll stick with boring old Oswald, the key to understanding the assassination.
1 - Gary Cartwright confirmed his roommate and fellow Dallas Morning News sportswriter associate, Bud Shrake, did indeed date Jada with Jack Ruby's knowledge.
Cartwright (L) and Shrake in 1961, Credit: Dallas Morning News
I just finished reading Griffin’s book. He makes an important point about the dangerous political toxicity from the 60s, far left and far right, being repeated today.
Oswald the far left militant was quite a rare beast, he was the ultimate oddball.
And now we have the right wing faux outrage about left wing violence. But if you say to them “what, like Oswald?” they say “no lefty could’ve made that shot, the CIA dunnit”.
Literally the only example in recent history of a lefty psycho, and nobody believes it!