Marina Oswald Porter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marina Oswald Porter
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Porter (then Prusakova) in Minsk, 1961
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Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova
July 17, 1941 Molotovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Severodvinsk, Russia)
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| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Pharmacist |
| Known for | Marriage with Lee Harvey Oswald |
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| Children | 3 |
Marina Nikolayevna Oswald Porter (née Prusakova; born July 17, 1941) is a Russian–American woman. She was married to Lee Harvey Oswald. He was known for a very important event in American history.
Marina was born in the Soviet Union in 1941. She moved to the United States after marrying Lee Harvey Oswald in 1961. Lee Harvey Oswald was a former American soldier. He had moved to the Soviet Union in 1959.
On November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was accused of assassinating American president John F. Kennedy. This happened in Dallas, Texas. Marina became a widow two days later. Oswald was killed by an American nightclub owner named Jack Ruby. Marina later gave her testimony to the Warren Commission. This group investigated President Kennedy's death. Over time, she came to believe that Oswald was innocent.
In 1965, Marina married Kenneth Jess Porter. He worked with electronics. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1989. This means she officially became a US citizen. She has a son with Kenneth. She also has two daughters from her marriage with Lee Harvey Oswald.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova was born in a city called Molotovsk. This city is now known as Severodvinsk, Russia. She lived there with her mother and stepfather.
In 1957, she moved to Minsk. This city was in the Byelorussian SSR, part of the Soviet Union. She lived with her uncle, Ilya Prusakov. He was a high-ranking officer in the country's police force. While living in Minsk, Marina studied to become a pharmacist.
Marriage to Lee Harvey Oswald
Marina met Lee Harvey Oswald at a dance. This was on March 17, 1961. Lee was a former U.S. Marine. He had moved to the Soviet Union. They got married six weeks later. Their first daughter, June Lee Oswald, was born the next year.
In June 1962, the family moved to the United States. They settled in Dallas, Texas. In February 1963, they met a woman named Ruth Paine. She was a Quaker and was learning Russian.
In early 1963, Oswald bought a revolver and a rifle by mail. These weapons were later linked to the assassination of President Kennedy. Marina told the Warren Commission that she took photos of Oswald. In these photos, he was holding his weapons. He also held a newspaper that called a former general a "fascist."
These pictures became known as the "backyard photos." Some people who believe in conspiracy theories think these photos are fake. Two of these photos were found in the garage of the Paine family's home. A third photo was with a friend named George de Mohrenschildt.
The photo given to de Mohrenschildt was signed by Lee Oswald. It was dated April 5, 1963. This was five days before an attempted assassination of General Walker. This photo was similar to one published in LIFE magazine. It had more background. The image also had a Russian message. It translated to, "Hunter of Fascists, Ha-Ha-Ha!!!"
In April 1963, Marina and her daughter moved in with Ruth Paine. Lee Oswald rented a separate room in Dallas. He also lived in New Orleans for a short time in the summer of 1963. He came back to Dallas in October. He rented a room in a boarding house in Dallas.
Ruth Paine heard about a job opening at the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald was hired there on October 16, 1963. He worked as an order filler. On October 18, Marina and Ruth Paine planned a birthday party for Oswald. They had decorations, cake, and wine. Oswald was very touched by this. He cried and apologized to Marina for difficulties he had caused.
On October 20, Marina gave birth to their second daughter. Her name was Audrey Marina Rachel Oswald. She was born at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Oswald continued to live in Oak Cliff during the week. But he stayed with Marina at the Paine household on weekends. This continued until he was arrested.
The Assassination of President Kennedy
Marina learned about the assassination of John F. Kennedy from the news. Later, she heard about her husband's arrest. That afternoon, police detectives came to the Paine household. They asked if Lee owned a rifle. Marina pointed to the garage. Oswald kept his rifle there, rolled in a blanket. But no rifle was found.
She was questioned by the police. They asked about her husband's role in the assassination. They also asked about the murder of a Dallas police officer, J. D. Tippit. Marina and Oswald's mother, Marguerite Oswald, went to Dallas City Hall. Marina was shown a rifle. She said she was not sure if it was Lee's. A police captain also said Marina did not clearly identify the rifle.
On November 23, Marina and Marguerite spoke to Lee. Marina said he seemed calm. But she could tell he was afraid by his eyes. She felt he said goodbye to her with his eyes.
Marina became a widow at age 22. This was on November 24. Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby. Marina asked to see Oswald's body at Parkland Hospital. She opened his eyelids and said, "He cry, he eye wet."
After Kennedy's assassination and her husband's arrest, Marina was protected by the United States Secret Service. This lasted until she finished her testimony. She spoke to the Warren Commission. She said she "had never heard anything bad about Kennedy from Lee." She also said Oswald told her he would vote for Governor John Connally when he returned to the United States. In her testimony, she said she believed her husband was guilty. She repeated this to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978. She claimed Oswald's reason was not political.
Later Life
Marina first stayed in Dallas, Texas. People sent her money, totaling about $70,000. She sold Lee's Russian diary for $20,000. She also sold a picture of him holding the gun for $5,000. She tried to get the gun to sell it, but she was not successful.
For a time, she studied at the University of Michigan. But she later returned to Dallas and bought a house.
In 1965, she married Kenneth Jess Porter. He worked with electronics. They had a son together. She later said there were challenges in her marriage. In the mid-1970s, she moved to Rockwall, Texas. In 1989, she became a naturalized United States citizen.
Marina has not officially changed her testimony to the Warren Commission. However, she has said that she now believes Oswald was completely innocent. She believes he did not murder Kennedy or Tippit. She also believes the "Prayer Man" seen at the Book Depository was Lee.
See also
In Spanish: Marina Oswald para niños
