Did Oswald Go To Mexico City?

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Oswald's 1959 passport - 22 pages - can be viewed here:
 https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth338438/m1/1/

In it you can see Soviet stamps, German stamps et cetera. And some of them from 1959 when he first arrived in Moscow. And others from 1962 when he left.

Questions: If he turned this in when he left the USSR, then why does it have a German stamp dated in 1962 when he was leaving? If he left it behind then it shouldn't have a German exit stamp. It sure appears to me that he kept it. If he was given a new one then why does this have the older, 1959 stamps on it? Pretty confusing.

Is this what he showed the Australian women?

This is from page #7:

[Charles Collins]

Oswald's 1959 passport - 22 pages - can be viewed here:
 https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth338438/m1/1/

In it you can see Soviet stamps, German stamps et cetera. And some of them from 1959 when he first arrived in Moscow. And others from 1962 when he left.

Question: If he turned this in when he left the USSR, then why does it have a German stamp dated in 1962 when he was leaving? If he left it behind then it shouldn't have a German exit stamp. It sure appears to me that he kept it. Is this what he showed the Australian women?

This is from page #7:

If I remember correctly, LHO turned it in at the US Embassy in Moscow shortly after he arrived there. And requested it back when he decided he wanted to leave to go back to the USA. They gave it back to him (after some discussions). He needed it to be able to travel back to the US. In fact, I think that they specified that that was ALL it could be used for. And I am guessing that might be why he needed to renew it.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Charles: Correct, thanks for jumpstarting my memory. And I don't believe the Soviets confiscated it later and issued him a new one. If so then where did this come from?

As you can see if you go through it, it has 1959 stamps on it when he first arrived. And then it has 1962 stamps/dates - one German - when he left. So it seems logical to conclude that he didn't turn in his older 1959 passport and then was given a new one by the Soviets when he left. It has both 1959 and 1962 dates. This is clearly the passport he had when he arrived. And given back when he left.

If this is the passport then as you can see (page #7) there are Soviet "marks" on it. If he had this then it seems to me that it is probably (likely? possibly?) the passport that he showed the Australian women.

[Charles Collins]

Charles: Correct, thanks for jumpstarting my memory. As you can see if you go through it, it has 1959 stamps on it when he first arrived. And then it has 1962 stamps/dates - one German - when he left. So it seems logical to conclude that he didn't turn in his older 1959 passport. It has both 1959 and 1962 dates.

If this is the passport then as you can see (page #7) there are Soviet "marks" on it. If he had this then it seems to me that it is probably (likely? possibly?) the passport that he showed the Australian women.

I agree. The question that I was originally responding to was (I think) regarding when he applied for a new passport to replace the one he had in Russia (so he could travel to Mexico City). Someone, suggested that he checked a box on the application that indicated he turned in his old passport. And therefore wouldn’t have had it with him on the bus to Mexico City. It appears to me that he would have received it back with his new passport. And therefore could have had it with him to show others.

[Tom Scully]

I agree. The question that I was originally responding to was (I think) regarding when he applied for a new passport to replace the one he had in Russia (so he could travel to Mexico City). Someone, suggested that he checked a box on the application that indicated he turned in his old passport. And therefore wouldn’t have had it with him on the bus to Mexico City. It appears to me that he would have received it back with his new passport. And therefore could have had it with him to show others.

No US passport was required of a US citizen traveling to Mexico or Canada, and back, until 2007.

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/business/12memo.html

By Joe Sharkey
June 12, 2007

PASSPORT PANDEMONIUM The confusion and delays in passport processing are a warning to plan far ahead to renew or obtain a passport, travel industry trade groups say. Since Jan 23, United States citizens as well as those from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean have been required for the first time to present a valid passport when entering the United States by air. A rush for passports has created long processing delays, partly because of confusion among some travelers, who mistakenly thought they needed a passport to return to the United States from Canada or Mexico by car. That requirement will not take effect until next year. Maura Harty, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, said that the demand for passports was “over and beyond even the enormous demand we had expected,” leading to the delays. In response, the State Department adjusted the rules so that through Sept. 30, those who can show proof they have applied for a passport, even if they have not received it, are exempt. The required documents are a government-issued photo ID and a printout showing that they have applied for a passport, which can be downloaded from travel.state.gov.passport.

[Charles Collins]

No US passport was required of a US citizen traveling to Mexico or Canada, and back, until 2007.

Thanks, I have been to both countries several times over the years and didn’t need a passport until recently. However, I think  LHO reportedly had a tourist visa that limited his stay in Mexico to several days. I am guessing that either he thought he needed it to travel freely to Mexico City, or he wanted the passport to be able to go to Cuba.

[John Tonkovich]

I agree. The question that I was originally responding to was (I think) regarding when he applied for a new passport to replace the one he had in Russia (so he could travel to Mexico City). Someone, suggested that he checked a box on the application that indicated he turned in his old passport. And therefore wouldn’t have had it with him on the bus to Mexico City. It appears to me that he would have received it back with his new passport. And therefore could have had it with him to show others.

It would have been stamped void, or cancelled, if he received it afterwards.  And, he had a new, valid passport.

[Charles Collins]

It would have been stamped void, or cancelled, if he received it afterwards.  And, he had a new, valid passport.

What are the semi-circular cut outs along the bottom edge of the passport book? Could that possibly be how one was indicated to be canceled? The old passport book that I received back after renewal doesn’t have any indication of cancellation other than the expiration date.