Steve: yes, you are right.
But, clearly Thornley had some idea for the book, and felt that Oswald fit the kind of
person he wanted to write about.
He said that "I was not so interested in explaining Lee Harvey Oswald to myself or anybody else, as I was in explaining that particular phenomenon of
disillusionment with the United States after serving in the Marine Corps overseas in a peacetime capacity; thus the title: The Idle Warriors."
But, yes, then he says: "Since Oswald inspired the book, I did base a good deal of it as a matter of convenience on his personality and his ideas."
Fred: We've gotten away (as often happens) from you main point that shows - again - how utterly reckless and demented (no other word for it) Garrison was in his investigation. Lifton befriended Thornley and was astonished how Garrison treated him.
As to Thornley and Oswald: Thornley's account of meeting with Oswald shows that Oswald was deeply angry with the US. His experience with the Marine Corps deepened this alienation and anger (Epstein quotes from several Marine colleagues of Oswald's who say that he was extremely bitter after being released from the brig after his second court martial). As Thornley said, when he read about Oswald's defection to the USSR he realized that Oswald was serious in his views.
Oswald was either a great actor pretending to hold these views or he was sincerely disaffected with his country. I think the first explanation, that he was pretending, is simply implausible.
