FORT WORTH, Texas—Nov. 24 marks the 61st anniversary of the death of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy two days earlier in 1963.
The assassination sent shock waves across the nation. As panic spread, some people responded in crisis management, while others fled the scene. Oswald, having fired from a sixth-floor window at the Texas School Book Depository, fled the scene and murdered Officer J.D. Tippit just 45 minutes later. He then attempted to hide in a movie theater, where he was arrested soon after.
Oswald was charged with Kennedy’s assassination but never stood trial. He denied all allegations, claiming he was a “patsy” for the real killer. Two days later, while being transferred from the city jail, Oswald was shot and killed by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby, live on television.
Following Oswald’s death, his family struggled to find a cemetery willing to bury him. What is today Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Chapel & Cemetery in Fort Worth, just six miles from downtown Arlington, reluctantly agreed. Oswald was buried on Nov. 25 under heavy guard, and reporters covering the burial were asked to act as pallbearers.
Oswald was born Oct. 18, 1939, in New Orleans. His father, Robert Edward Lee Oswald Sr., a World War I veteran and distant cousin of President Theodore Roosevelt, died two months before Oswald was born.
In 1944, Oswald’s mother moved the family to Dallas. As a youth, Oswald was placed in juvenile detention, described as emotionally disturbed and repeatedly dropped out of school. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was court-martialed twice and jailed. He was later discharged from active duty and sent to the Marine Corps Reserve, after which he traveled to Europe.
Oswald lived in the Soviet Union until 1962, when he returned to Dallas with his wife, Marina, and their daughter. The family appeared to settle into life in the U.S. and welcomed a second daughter. But everything changed on Nov. 22, 1963, when Oswald fatally shot President Kennedy as he traveled through Dallas in a motorcade.
Though Oswald was no longer alive, his legacy endured in unsettling ways. His original tombstone, which included his full name, birthdate and death date, was stolen within five years of his burial. In addition, Oswald’s grave was exhumed to confirm it was indeed him and not a look-alike.
Kennedy’s assassination and Oswald’s role in it have sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Some believe Oswald was framed, others argue the plot involved more than just one man with a vendetta and some remain uncertain about what to believe.
