Born 18 October 1939 in New Orleans, LA, Oswald would know twenty-one homes in his first seventeen years, variously living there and in Covington, LA, Dallas and Fort Worth, TX, and New York, NY.   Shortly after his seventeenth birthday he enlisted in the U.S.Marines, seeking the stability that had never before been a part of his life.   After basic training in San Diego, CA Oswald was transferred to Jacksonville, FL for technical training.  First stationed in Biloxi, MS, he was soon transferred to El Toro, CA, and from there to Atsugi, Japan.  But two months after arriving in Japan he attempted suicide, and seven months later was court-martialed for fighting with a sergeant.  By December of 1958 he was back in El Toro, where he remained until his release from active duty on 11 September 1959. 

Adrift once again, and without any plans for his future, Oswald decided to escape his problems by enjoying an exciting weekend in Las Vegas, NV.  Taking a recommendation from a fellow Marine, Oswald headed to The Nevada Club, where he attended a performance of a young musical group, The Suttletones.  The twenty year old ex-Marine became infatuated by the group's lead signer, a vivacious nineteen year old Ann-Margret, and doggedly pursued her back stage.  To his pleasant surprise he discovered that they shared an interest in Marxist-Lenninist dogma, and both had a strong interest in visiting the Soviet Union.  Seeing an opportunity to corrupt a U.S. service man, Ann-Margret recommended that he consider defecting to the USSR, and offered her assistance in helping him leave the United States.  Intoxicated by both her alluring beauty and the excitement of such an adventure, Oswald accepted her offer.  After consulting with Aleksandr Feklisov, Ann-Margret contacted her New Orleans associates Clay L. Shaw, David William Ferrie, and New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello for assistance in spiriting Oswald out of the country.  On 29 September Oswald left the port of New Orleans via steamer, headed for England, and twelve days later crossed the Soviet frontier.

But the Soviet Union was not quite the paradise Oswald expected.  Five days after his arrival in Moscow Oswald again attempted suicide.  None the less, on 31 October he entered the U.S.Embassy in Moscow and renounced his American citizenship.  Concerned about his mental state, his Russian handlers relocated Oswald to the quite suburbs of Minsk where the KGB closely observed him for over a year.  Disillusioned by his Soviet experience, Oswald contacted the U.S.Embassy in February of 1961 and announced his desire to return to America.  But Feklisov, fearful of losing his young defector, arranged for him to meet Marina Nikolayevna Prusakova.  Under his orders Marina seduced Oswald, and forty-four days after meeting they were married.

Regardless, Oswald had made up his mind, and in May 1962 he and Marina returned to the United States and settled in Fort Worth.  But Oswald's life was no more settled there than it had been in the Marines or the Soviet Union.  They would know three homes and two jobs in the next six months.  Marina reported this to Feklisov, who in turn advised Ann-Margret of her protégé's difficulties.    Remembering her conversation with Elvis from May of 1962 concerning the planned assassination of Maj. Gen. Edwin Anderson Walker, Ann-Margret contacted Elvis while he was on location shooting "Fun in Acapulco", and recommended Oswald as the needed gunman.  Elvis agreed to speak with Oswald, and on his return flight from Mexico met Oswald at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.  During this meeting Oswald convinced Elvis that he was, indeed, the right man for the job.  Elvis and Oswald agreed that the job should be done in April, and to ensure that the plans went accordingly Elvis asked his old friend, Ruth Hyde Paine, to take the Oswald family under her wing.

On 10 April 1963 Oswald attacked Walker, but horribly botched the job.  An infuriated Elvis turned his back on Oswald.  Embarrassed, Oswald left Fort Worth and headed back to New Orleans, where he arrived on 24 April.  Although given assistance by Shaw, Ferrie, and Marcello, Oswald was no more stable than at any other time in his life.  Failing to find steady work, Oswald drifted back into overt Communist activities, and on 9 August was arrested while distributing "Fair Play for Cuba" leaflets.  Shaw and Ferrie, fearful of having their connection with Oswald exposed, encouraged him to leave New Orleans, and on 3 October Oswald left for Mexico.

After returning to Dallas Oswald was contacted by Ann-Margret about the planned assassination of JFK.  Recommending that this would be his best opportunity to redeem himself with Elvis, Oswald enthusiastically agreed to help.  Elvis arranged for Paine to help Oswald obtain work at the Texas School Book Depository, which had been identified by Elvis' bodyguard, Bobby Gene "The Dragon" West, as a prime location for an ambush.  In a series of conference telephone calls in November Elvis and Oswald finalized their plans.   But at the very last minute Elvis dismissed Oswald, who left Elvis alone at the Depository.  Infuriated by this rejection, Oswald boarded a cross-town bus in order to catch an early afternoon movie at the Texas Theater.  But on leaving the bus he was confronted by veteran Dallas police officer and Elvis look alike, J.D.Tippit.  Transferring his rage at Elvis, Oswald gunned down Tippit and proceeded to the movie theater.   Shortly thereafter he was arrested and booked by the Dallas Police Department. 

Oswald initially thought he was under arrest for the murder of Tippit, but soon realized that he would be charged with the assassination of JFK.   Unwilling to take the blame for Elvis, Oswald arranged for a message to be sent to Ann-Margret for help.  But Ann-Margret had anticipated a blackmail attempt from Oswald, and had arranged for an underworld associate of Marcello and Salvatore Giancana, Jacob "Jack Ruby" Rubenstein, to silence Oswald.  On 24 November Ruby shot and killed him.  And Oswald died as he had lived:  as a patsy.