Steve Thomas Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Was George Whitmeyer of the pilot car fame an ambulance driver in WWI? see pp. 45-47 of this book: Pennsylvania Voices of the Great War. edited by J. Stuart Richards. https://books.google.com/books?id=ioHMaObHMdwC&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq="George+Whitmeyer"&source=bl&ots=QGBIXPCaAx&sig=v5ysuhgX7PmcU8T4zeuCp1y8Vak&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4n_SPtq3RAhXnwlQKHbVoAuc4ChDoAQhEMAk#v=onepage&q="George Whitmeyer"&f=false In his 1978 obituary, it says that Whitmeyer's sister from Philadelphia attended his funeral. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 If this is the same George L. Whitmeyer who, according to the 1940 Census was born in northcentral Pa in 1890 and was 50 years old in 1940, would have been 28 years old in 1918. http://www.archives.com/1940-census/george-whitmeyer-nj-125053713 Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 This is just a guess... "Mr. Lawson acknowledged that Lt. Col. George Whitmeyer, who was part of the Dallas District U.S. Army Command, who Lawson said "taught Army Intelligence" 1/31/78 HSCA interview of Secret Service agent Winston Lawson (RIF#18010074-10396) Is this possibly where Whitmeyer worked? Jules E. Muchert Army Reserve Center 10031 E. Northwest Highway This Property was a part of the original boundaries of White Rock Lake Park. The City of Dallas sold the Property to the Federal Government in 1956 for an Army Reserve Training Center Site. http://www3.dallascityhall.com/committee_briefings/briefings0607/QOL_061107_muchert.pdf Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Schwartz Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 There is a thread on this website on Whitmeyer. For your convenience, here is a blurb off of "Sparticus": In 1956 Jack Alston Crichton started up his own spy unit, the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment in Dallas. Crichton served as the unit's commander under Lieutenant Colonel George Whitmeyer, who was in overall command of all Army Reserve units in East Texas. In an interview Crichton claimed that there were "about a hundred men in that unit and about forty or fifty of them were from the Dallas Police Department." In November 1963 Jack Alston Crichton was involved in the arrangements of the visit that President John F. Kennedy made to Dallas. His close friend, Deputy Police Chief George L. Lumpkin, and a fellow member of the the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment, drove the pilot car of Kennedy's motorcade. Also in the car was Lieutenant Colonel George Whitmeyer, commander of all Army Reserve units in East Texas. The pilot car stopped briefly in front of the Texas School Book Depository, where Lumpkin spoke to a policeman controlling traffic at the corner of Houston and Elm. As Russ Baker points out in Family of Secrets (2008) Crichton served as the "intelligence unit's only commander... until he retired from the 488th in 1967". Crichton was so plugged into the Dallas power structure that one of his company directors was Clint Murchison Sr., king of the oil depletion allowance, and another was D. Harold Byrd, owner of the Texas School Book Depository building. A typical example of this corporate cronyism came in 1952, when Crichton was part of a syndicate - including Murchison, DeGolyer, and the Du Ponts - that used connections in the fascist Franco regime to acquire rare drilling rights in Spain. The operation was handled by Delta Drilling, which was owned by Joe Zeppa of Tyler, Texas - the man who transported Poppy Bush from Tyler to Dallas on November 22, 1963 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 8 hours ago, Chuck Schwartz said: There is a thread on this website on Whitmeyer. For your convenience, here is a blurb off of "Sparticus": In 1956 Jack Alston Crichton started up his own spy unit, the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment in Dallas. Chuck, Thank you. I'm learning a little more about the 488th. I know about the Spartacus website and the Wikipedia entries, but I'm trying to dig a little deeper. For instance, these entries regurgitate this same line, " "In 1956 Jack Alston Crichton started up his own spy unit, the 488th Military Intelligence Detachment in Dallas". What is the source for that? How does one know it was 1956 and not 1957, or 1955, or 1960? Was the 488th that Crichton was associated with part of the US military command structure? The US Army Reserve did have STRATMID's (Strategic Military Intelligence Detachments) that were part of a larger ARCOM (Army Reserve Command). A number of ARCOMS were grouped together to form an (MI) or (MIG) Military Intelligence Group , like the 4th Army or the 5th Army Group. These made up the ARCONUSA (Army Reserve Continental United States). There were 158 of these STRATMIDS in the United States. These Detachments were comprised of 9 men, and were compared to the size of a rifle company. The thing was, the requirement was that they had to be commanded by a colonel. They were "rank heavy". All chiefs and no Indians. There really was a 488th STRATMID. Is this the same one that Crichton is related to? What company, regiment, brigade, division, ARCOM, reserve army corps did the 488th belong to? Has anyone ever seen a piece of paper, file, document, budget request, expenditure report, personnel roster, monthly fitness report, requisition for toilet paper with the 488th name on it? These kind of things. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 10 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said: Chuck, A number of ARCOMS were grouped together to form an (MI) or (MIG) Military Intelligence Group , like the 4th Army or the 5th Army Group. Chuck, I'm sorry. I mis-spoke. At the time, the Reserve MID's or Detachments were not grouped together into Groups the way the Active Army Groups were. When Col Robert Jones testified before the HSCA, he identified himself as the Operations Officer of the 112th Military Intelligence Group. When Lt. Col. Mark A. Miles retired in 1972, he was awarded the Legion of Merit upon his retirement at Headquarters, 5th Army. The medal cited Miles' service since April 1970, as deputy commander of the 112th Military Intelligence Group at 5th Army. These were Active Army At this point, I am confused. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS, Wednesday, March 4, 1970 "The 112th Military Intelligence Group is located here (San Antonio) and was the operation which relayed information to the Data Bank for the 112th Army area although it is not part of the 4th Army." The King Alfred Plan and 112th Military Intelligence Group San Antonio Light, October 6, 1972 Lt. Col. Mark A. Miles has been awarded the Legion of Merit upon his retirement at Headquarters, 5th Army. The medal cited Miles' service since April 1970, as deputy commander of the 112th Military Intelligence Group at 5th Army. http://coldcaseupdate.blogspot.com/search/label/112th%20MI%20Group However, in a January 24, 2014 article by Ruth Quinn on the 112th's deactivation on January 29, 1993, she writes, “The 112th began its existence way back in 1946 as the 112th Counter Intelligence Corps detachment in Dallas, Texas and was assigned to the Fourth Army. At the time, the detachment consisted of 16 officers, six warrant officers, and 26 enlisted men. The mission was counterintelligence in the Zone of the Interior (inside the United States) in a region that included New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.” https://www.army.mil/article/118745/112th_MI_Brigade_Inactivated__29_January_1993/ I think that intelligence matters were funneled through the 4th Army. The 112th was Active Army. The Army Reserve Detachments on the other hand, were autonomous and suffered from what was described as "benign neglect". The Command Structure was confusing. They were under the oversight of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) or the Army Intelligence Agency (AIA) but under the operational control of their parent headquarters, such as the 4th Army or 5th Army. The 488th reported to the DIA. See: Reforming Military Intelligence Reserve Components 1995 - 2005 by Colonel Thomas R. Cagley http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a233391.pdf Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 On 1/10/2017 at 4:43 AM, Steve Thomas said: I'm learning a little more about the 488th. Has anyone ever seen a piece of paper, file, document, budget request, expenditure report, personnel roster, monthly fitness report, requisition for toilet paper with the 488th name on it? Steve Thomas I think I know the answer to my question. Army Regulation 135-382 Army National Guard and Army Reserve Reserve Component Military Intelligence Units and Personnel 19 October 1992 MID(S) are Military Intelligence Detachment (Strategic) e. Officers selected to command area studies MID(S) must also-- (1) Be an MI Branch qualified colonel or lieutenant colonel. c. The primary mission of a MID(S) during IDT is completion of assigned intelligence projects. MID(S) are exempt from training requirements determined not to be mission essential Due to lack of internal administrative support, necessary reports will, when possible, be prepared by the unit to which the MID(S) is subordinate or attached for administrative support. MID(S) commanders will establish and maintain frequent liaison with the appropriate MUSARC commander and staff to communicate the MID(S) mission and status, and to avoid undue administrative burdens being placed on the unit. e. MID(S) are exempt from submitting pre-camp records on training schedules and logistic support in connection with AT. h. MID(S) are exempted from preparing mobilization station training schedules. a. Because MID(S) are not authorized administrative support personnel or unit equipment, MID(S) will be attached to another unit for administrative and logistical support. No other unit will be attached to a MID(S). The appropriate MUSARC commander will designate the organization to which a MID(S) is attached for administration, mess, maintenance, and supply. Each MID(S) and the organization to which it is attached for administrative and logistical support will negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU will describe in sufficient detail the support to be provided the MID(S), including technical support. A copy of the attachment orders and the MOU will be forwarded to the USARC commander. b. MID(S) are not required to maintain a library of Army regulations, supply and maintenance publications, and manuals. I still have to find out what ARCOM (Army Reserve Command) the 488th was attached to. Army Reserve Command Military Intelligence Detachment 4th Army CONUS (Continental Unites States) ARCOM and Number of MID's 83rd ARCOM 3 86TH ARCOM 4 88TH ARCOM 4 123RD ARCOM 8 5th Army CONUS 89th ARCOM 2 90th ARCOM 4 Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Does anyone know of a Whitmeyer connection to Louisiana? I'm picking up references to a Major George L. Whitmeyer as a Reserve local area unit advisor in Monroe, LA in the 1955 - 57 time frame. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 3 hours ago, Steve Thomas said: Does anyone know of a Whitmeyer connection to Louisiana? I'm picking up references to a Major George L. Whitmeyer as a Reserve local area unit advisor in Monroe, LA in the 1955 - 57 time frame. Steve Thomas From the Obituary of Frances Whitmeyer: Whitmeyer, Frances Raby was born February 21, 1922 and passed away April 4, 2009. Frances was born in Athens, Alabama to S.W. and Donna Raby. She graduated from Alabama Women's College in Athens. She moved to New Orleans and worked for the Lykes Steamship Co. and also for the City of New Orleans helping to translate French law into English. She later married George Whitmeyer and they moved to Germany where he was stationed after the war. So, it's conceivable that this is the same Major Whitmeyer that is referenced in the The Monroe News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana · Page 3 September 21, 1955 "Vacancies in the high school student draft deferment group still exist in the reserve army", Major George L. Whitmeyer, army reserve advisor, said Wednesday. "This program, provided for in the new armed forces reserve act of 1955. provides that young men in the age group 17 to 18 years, may enlist in the army reserve and during the eight - year period of their enlistment remain in a draft - deferred status. During the eight - year period, they will be required to serve on active duty for a period of six months instead of the two years required by the draft. This will constitute their entire military obligation during their enlistment, except that they will be required to remain active in the reserve while not on active duty. This six - month period of duty on active service will also be deferred while the enlistee is satisfactorily pursuing high school studies, is engaged in seasonal employment or until 20 years of age." Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Brancato Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Steve - while I have nothing to add to your attempts to shine some light on this mysterious 488th, I am encouraged that you are trying to figure this out. For years I've wondered about this unit, since both Whitmeyer and especially Crichton are persons of great interest. As you probably know, Crichton was named, along with George Bush, as private funders of Operation 40 by Coban Intel chief Escalante. Have you looked at the Spartacus entry for Crichton? I take this link to Operation 40 seriously, if for no other reason than the decades of close relations between Bush and these anti-Castro operatives. My attention to this stems from researching the Iran-Contra affair, and seeing Felix Rodriguez testify to Congress while wearing Che Guevara's watch. Crichton's role in the Continuity of Government operations in Dallas is under researched. If I'm not mistaken, it was Peter Dale Scott who mentioned the 488th prominently, and Mae Brussell referenced it too, whatever one thinks of her research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Paul Brancato said: Steve - while I have nothing to add to your attempts to shine some light on this mysterious 488th, I am encouraged that you are trying to figure this out.. Have you looked at the Spartacus entry for Crichton? Paul, Thank you. Yes, I have. Basically, with respect to the 488th, I wanted to start from scratch because the more I looked at it, the more tangled it seems to get. I hope to lay this out a little while later, but for instance, depending on who you read, Whitmeyer was either: a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel He was in charge of all the Reserve Units in either East Texas, or North Texas or he was a deputy sub-section commander ( forget the wording right now. It's in Batchelor's and Stevenson's combined report to Curry) Crichton was his boss, or Whitmeyer was Crichton's boss. Cricton started his own spy unit made up of 100 men, however, Military Intelligence Detachments were real units of the US Army Reserve System and 90% of them were composed of 9 men. See what I mean? Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 20, 2017 Author Share Posted January 20, 2017 On 1/19/2017 at 0:33 PM, Steve Thomas said: He was in charge of all the Reserve Units in either East Texas, or North Texas or he was a deputy sub-section commander ( forget the wording right now. It's in Batchelor's and Stevenson's combined report to Curry) In that combined Batchelor, Lumpkin, Stevenson after-action report, he was referred to as, “ Lt. Colonel George Whitmeyer, U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander.” (whatever the $%^&* that means.) Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Brancato Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Steve - in the thread on Whitmeyer which I'm sure you've read, there is a short bio. Importantly in my opinion, Whitmeyer served in Germany until 1961. Considering the others who did likewise, like William Harvey and Theodore Shackley, it's no wonder that Mae Brussell mentioned him in her treatise on the Nazi connection. According to Daniel Sheehan, Shackley was Reinhardt Gehlen's translator. And of course, Crichton was close to George Bush. There's that interesting connection to DeMohrenschildt in Haiti. In the book Our Man in Haiti there is a reference to Thomas Devine and someone unnamed, probably George Bush, meeting with DeMohrenschildt. And then there is the reference to Whitmeyer being an assistant to J Walton Moore, the CIA guy that DeMohrenschildt claimed asked him to befriend Oswald. I'm wandering a bit I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 On 1/19/2017 at 0:33 PM, Steve Thomas said: Basically, with respect to the 488th, I wanted to start from scratch because the more I looked at it, the more tangled it seems to get. Lately, I'm beginning to suspect that this 488th and Whitmeyer and Crichton might be buried in the Texas Military Department and the National Guard. One of the reasons I suspect that, is how Whitmeyer is identified in several places: DMN 11-16-1965 "Lt. Col. George L. Whitmeyer, deputy East Texas sector commander said the same units were listed more than a month ago..." Whitmeyer is referred to in combined Batchelor, Lumpkin, and Stevenson, report to Curry as, “ Lt. Colonel George Whitmeyer, U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander.” DPD Archives Box 14, Folder# 14, Item# 10 p. 20.http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box14.htm On April 22, 1964 Police Chief, Jesse Curry told the Warren Commission, “I had Deputy Chief Lumpkin, and he had two Secret Service men with him, I believe, out of Washington, and a Colonel Wiedemeyer who is the East Texas Section Commander of the Army Reserve in the area, he was with him. Testimony of Jesse Curry. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, volume IV, p. 170, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://history-matte..._Vol4_0089b.htm There is no reference in these citations to XXX Regiment, or YYY Division, or ZZZ Army. These references do not appear to be legitimate military command structure references.https://tmd.texas.gov/ The Texas Military Department is composed of the three branches of the military in the state of Texas. These branches are the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, and the Texas State Guard. All three branches are administered by the state Adjutant General, an appointee of the Governor of Texas, and fall under the command of the Governor. One possible avenue of research might be here: Texas Adjutant General's Department: An Inventory of Texas State Guard/Texas Defense Guard/Texas State Guard Reserve Corps Records at the Texas State Archives, 1938-1983, undated (bulk 1941-1945) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30026/tsl-30026.html Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 In various places, George L. Whitmeyer has been identified as: deputy East Texas sector commander East Texas Section Commander of the Army Reserve U.S. Army, Dallas Sub-section Commander. I would contend that there is no such thing. If you do a google search, using these search terms, the only place you find entries for this search string is in reference to the JFK assassination. These designations just don't fit in the official military chain of command. In his wife, Frances' obituary, it says that she married George Whitmeyer after meeting him in Louisiana, and they moved to Germany where he was stationed after the war. They moved to Fort Worth in 1961 and then to Dallas in 1963. I do not know his status in the Reserves after he came back from Germany. As far as Crichton “forming his own spy unit” consisting of 100 men, with half of them being Dallas Police Officers and him reporting to Whitmeyer, I have been in contact with a former commanding officer of an actual Army Reserve Military Intelligence Detachment, and asked him about these designations. He wrote me back and said, "I'm still puzzled by the title "Deputy East Texas Sector Commander." It just doesn't fit in the scenarios I've been used to, which is why I suspect this unit was not a Guard unit but a Texas State Militia Reserve unit." Texas Adjutant General's Department: An Inventory of Texas State Guard/Texas Defense Guard/Texas State Guard Reserve Corps Records at the Texas State Archives, 1938-1983, undated (bulk 1941-1945) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30026/tsl-30026.html “When the Texas National Guard was demobilized in 1947, the 50th Legislature (by Senate Bill 361) created the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps (TSGRC), to provide a reservoir of military strength for use by the state in time of national or state emergency, when any part of the Texas National Guard was called into federal service. When so activated, this Texas State Guard Reserve Corps would function as the Texas State Guard (TSG). The Governor of Texas appointed a Commanding General for the Texas State Guard Reserve Corps, to be supervised by the Adjutant General of Texas. Initially the state was divided into twelve districts, each with a colonel as regimental commander. In January 1958, the TSGRC was reorganized as follows: an Active Reserve, a Ready Reserve, an Inactive Reserve, an Enlisted Reserve, an Honorary Reserve, a Provost Marshal Section, and an ROTC-NDCC [Reserve Officer Training Corps-National Defense Cadet Corps] Group. As the most important component, the Active Reserve was composed of a Corps Headquarters, one Corps Radio Unit, six Defense Group Headquarters, six Defense Group Radio Units, 30 Internal Security Battalions (about half of them strictly cadre units with officer personnel only), and 12 Radio and Rescue Detachments, with a total authorized strength of 10,000 officers and enlisted men.” This is an interesting little tidbit I happened to run across. I do not want to imply that the people referred to are in any way related to the topic in question. It's just interesting. Read the last paragraph on page 3 of this FBI Miami Field Office letterhead memo. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=136328#relPageId=1&tab=page Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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