Lee Harvey Oswald’s ‘Fair Play for Cuba Committee’ membership card, 3 x 2.25, issued on May 28, 1963, signed in black ballpoint, “Lee H. Oswald.” Also signed by the executive secretary, “V. T. Lee.” The reverse is annotated in pencil, “DPD, Ex. 52. 1 of 2., 1 of 2, Search Warrant Property, 11/23/63,” endorsed in the lower left in red pencil, “‘Fritz,’ OK.” Captain J. Will Fritz was the Dallas Police Department officer who ordered the search warrant for Ruth Paine’s home after JFK was assassinated. In fine condition.
The Fair Play for Cuba Committee was first organized in April of 1960 to promote grassroots support for the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro’s communist government. On May 26, 1963, Oswald wrote to the Committee’s headquarters informing them that he wanted to organize a chapter in New Orleans. Despite being discouraged from doing so, Oswald became a member of the FPCC and opened a one-man chapter in anti-Castro New Orleans. He commenced a campaign advocating pro-Castro, pro-Cuba, and pro-Soviet views, engaging people in the streets and participating in a radio debate. Oswald’s end goal was to return to Russia via Cuba. Traveling to Mexico in September 1963 in hopes of getting travel visas for this journey, Oswald tried to use this membership card, as well as newspaper clippings about his activities, as proof of his allegiance to the Communist cause. Despite his best efforts at both the Russian and Cuban embassies, he found there was no way to easily obtain the requisite paperwork. He returned home to Dallas and stayed with his family at Ruth Paine’s home, which is where the Dallas Police recovered this Fair Play for Cuba Committee membership card. Oswald was carrying a second Fair Play for Cuba membership card in his wallet when he was apprehended on November 22, 1963, thus the “1 of 2” denotation on this card; the other is in the National Archives. An absolutely incredible and unique piece intimately connected with the Lee Harvey Oswald and the Kennedy assassination. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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