David Boylan

And here is some info on Lisa Howard: http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_226-250/doc0247.html

Hi Tim, Can you give me some sources for Second Naval Guerilla? This area has always confused me. How many people were there? I had a figure of around 250. Not really enough for an invasion. And what role was Charles DeGaul playing? And Somoza...why was he in Miami trying to recruit members of Batista-Falla's group? Was he acting on behalf of the US gov't? And Paulino Sierra. Did he really try and join forces with Artime? Very confusing area... Dave

Harry, Why would Earl Ruby, Jack's brother, call Thomas Hill at the JBS headquarters in Belmont, Ma? Hill was VP(?) of the JBS and reportedly, HL Hunt's son-in-law. Dave

Doesn't Wayne Smith believe there was a conspiracy? http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKsmithW.htm And http://www.cuban-exile.com/doc_026-050/doc0027-1.html Nice job of transcribing I must say... Dave

Here's one (but a day earlier). WACHA MC COLLUM, airplane skywriter, residing Danville, Illinois, advised on Nov, 26, 1963 that on Nov 20, 1963, he had flown to Texas to do a job at San Antonio, Texas. He stated that he arrived at Waco, Texas on the night of Nov 20, 1963 and there received a telephone call from an individual FNU MC KEE, who telephoned him long distance, stating that he, MC KEE, was from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and that he wanted him to write the word “CUBA” in the sky over Dallas, Texas and also over Fort Worth during the afternoon of November 21, 1963, while President Kennedy was in those two cities. He stated that he discussed the price of approximately $600.00 for writing the word “CUBA” over these two cities but never did come to a definite agreement or contract and concluded his conversation with MC KEE. He stated that MC KEE did not state with whom he was connected and stated that he would obtain backing for the payment of the fee but did not divulge the source of his private backing. MC COLLUM stated that he never received any further information from this individual, MC KEE, nor had MC KEE ever contacted him in the past. MC COLLUM stated that he flew to San Antonio, Texas on Nov 21, 1963 and arrived at 10:15 AM. He stated that at San Antonio, Texas he was contacted by an individual first name unknown KING, Finance Officer, American Legion Post #402, which was called the Jonathan Wainwright Post. He stated that he had previously negotiated with KING on a contract fee of $1000.00 to skywrite the word “CUBA” in the sky over San Antonio, Texas on Nov 21, 1963 while President Kennedy was in that city. He stated that his contract was to commence writing in the sky at 1:30 PM and that he completed the word “CUBA” with two question marks, one and inverted question mark, at 2:20 PM, Nov 21, 1963. He stated that he already collected his fee of $1,000.00 and after writing “CUBA” determined that he had enough gas to fly to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Thanks James. A few years ago I came to the conclusion that this is what LHO was doing for Banister aka "The Chief." Passing out pamphlets and such, visiting Tulane, hanging out with Tulane Professor Leonard Reissman.

One of Banister's contacts. Hunter was known as the originator of the term "Brainwashing." See Dick Russell's The Man Who Knew Too Much for more on Hunter. Memorandum for the File By : Guy Banister RE: Foreign Propaganda Importation On December 15, 1961, a telephone call was received from Mr. Edward Hunter, who stated that he had been in New Orleans checking up n the foreign propaganda coming into this country from Communist sources. Mr. Hunter stated that he was extremely interested in the amount of this foreign propaganda which was relayed from New Orleans to other parts of the country or to foreign countries. He said that he had very little on that phase of the operation. Mr. Hunter was asked if he had made checks of college libraries and he said that he had checked some of them but that he was intensely interested in what a student walking around in the library would pick up and read. A brief description of the pamphlet or booklet picked up by a particular student and the date on which this was done would be extremely important to him in preparation of his book. He said he wanted the activities of a typical student and particularly a thumbnail sketch, very short, of the particular booklet. Mr. Hunter said that he had made contact with the Customs service and was getting along very well until officials of the Customs service came around to inquire as to what he was after and were extremely unhappy about his being there. He contacted Mr. Constantine V. Cooley 4714 Banks Street, New Orleans 19, La. He was transferred to New Orleans from Chicago some time ago and he was the translator of this material. Apparently he is very unhappy sitting around with nothing to do at this time, because everyone is afraid of the President’s order. I asked him if this was not similar to the order by the President muzzling the military and he said it was very like it. Mr. Hunter said that Mr. Cooley had fought with Wrangel in the White Russian Army in the Bolshevik Revolution. Mr. Hunter gave his address as 320 North George Mason Dr, Arlington Virginia.

Tim, Here's something that appears on McAdams site attributed to Vince Palmera: Advance man Marty Underwood (worked on the planning of JFK's Texas tour - specifically, his proposed stops at Houston and Austin): In an exclusive interview conducted on 10/9/92, the author obtained the following new information [similar in content to what Underwood told "Evening Magazine" on 11/22/88, his only tv appearance]: - Underwood became "an honorary Secret Service agent" and served under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. While with LBJ, he became the "aide in charge of the Secret Service." The advance man confirmed to this author that JFK did not restrict agents from riding on the Presidential limousine. Underwood told Harrison Livingstone: "There were so many things that fell through in Dallas. Any advance man who had any sense at all would never have taken him down that route." When Livingstone commented that the route was changed, Underwood added: "Yeah, I know. You don't take a guy down a route like that." (High Treason 2, by Harry Livingstone, page 442) - FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had a file on Underwood and, according to the advance man, Hoover hid the Lee Harvey Oswald file from the Secret Service; - Underwood stated that the CIA, the FBI, and the mafia "knew [JFK] was going to be hit" on 11/22/63 - this information came from his direct contacts with CIA officer Win Scott, the Mexico City Station Chief during Oswald's visit to that region! In addition, Underwood stated that, eighteen hours before Kennedy's murder, "we were getting all sorts of rumors that the President was going to be assassinated in Dallas; there were no if's, and's, or but's about it." When Underwood told JFK about these disturbing reports, the President merely said, "Marty, you worry about me too much" (indeed, JFK told San Antonio Congressman Henry Gonzalez on 11/21/63: "The Secret Service told me that they have taken care of everything. There's nothing to worry about"). The reason why Underwood opened up to me is best expressed by him: "Everyone who had anything to do with Dallas in any way -- Kenny O'Donnell, the Secret Service -- they're practically all dead now. I just think people should know the truth." From ARRB's Final Report, pages 135-136 (see also p.112; as with Floyd Boring, I alerted the ARRB's Tom Samoluk in early 1996 to Underwood, even sending him Underwood's only tv appearance on video, "Evening Magazine" dated 11/22/88 mentioned above]: "Martin Underwood, a former advance man for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, was a member of President Kennedy's advance team in Texas in November 1963. A researcher [Gus Russo] who worked with Seymour Hersh on his book, The Dark Side of Camelot, told the Review Board that Underwood claimed that President Johnson sent Underwood to Mexico City in 1966 or 1967 to see what he could learn about the Kennedy assassination. Underwood allegedly met with Win Scott, former CIA Chief of Station in Mexico City. The researcher provided the Review Board with copies of handwritten notes, on White House stationery, ostensibly prepared by Underwood and documenting his meeting with Scott. The notes state that Scott told Underwood that the CIA "blew it" in Dallas in November 1963. On the morning of November 22, the agency knew that a plane had arrived in Mexico City from Havana, and that one passenger got off the plane and boarded another one headed for Dallas. Underwood's notes state that Scott said that CIA identified the passenger as Fabian Escalante. The researcher also stated that someone instructed Underwood to follow Judith Campbell Exner on her 1960 train trip from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, during which she was alleged to have carried money between Senator Kennedy (the Democratic Party nominee) and organized crime boss Sam Giancana. The Review Board staff informally interviewed Underwood. Underwood confirmed that he traveled to Mexico City in 1966, but said that he went to advance President Johnson's trip and not to look into circumstances surrounding President Kennedy's assassination. While in Mexico City, Underwood met with Scott concerning the details of President Johnson's trip. During Underwood's meeting with Scott, he said they did discuss President Kennedy's assassination and that Scott told him the story that the researcher relayed to the Review Board. When Review Board staff asked Underwood about any notes he may have taken, he initially claimed to have no memory of any notes. Upon viewing copies of the notes that the researcher provided to the Review Board, Underwood said that he had written the notes in 1992 or 1993 for a researcher to use for Hersh's book. Underwood explained that the notes are on White House stationery because he has a lot of extra White House stationery left over from his work with President Johnson. Underwood could not remember whether he had contemporaneous notes from his meeting with Scott. He also denied that he followed Judith Campbell Exner on a train and that he had no knowledge about her alleged role as a courier. After the informal interview, Underwood forwarded to the Review Board a set of typed notes from his 1966 trip to Mexico City and his meeting with Scott. The typed notes documented Underwood's activities in Mexico City and briefly mentioned his meeting with Scott. The notes do not mention Underwood's conversation with Scott about the Kennedy assassination. Instead, the notes state that Underwood sought Scott's assistance in staging a big welcome for President Johnson. The Review Board subsequently requested Underwood to testify under oath, but due to health problems, he was not available. Underwood's notes now are part of the JFK Collection."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8047258/

Tim, What sources do you have that Escalante was in DP? And your source for Cubela meeting with Kostikov? Didn't Cubela also meet with Harold Benson, aka David Philips in Mexico?

Thanks Larry. Very helpful as always!

Larry, Fascinating stuff. So, Sierra wasn't backed by "organized crime?" :-) Sierra met with Burt Mold and John Lechner in Feb 1963. I believe Harry Dean knew Lechner and said he was a extreme right winger and member of the JBS and other groups such as Americans for a Free Cuba. Maybe Harry can tell us more about Lechner. Lechner was also a subject of investigation by Richard Nagel. Sierra had some high level connections. He met with Morris Liebman and Lucius Clay in DC - April 1963 I believe. And after he visited Nicaragua and Guatemala during the summer of 1963 (in the company of Reinaldo Pico who was reporting to Bernard Barker) he, reportedly, met with John Crimmens, one of RFK's guys. I'm not sure of the content.

John, I hope for a speedy recovery for you and look forward to "hearing" from you again! Dave

From Gaeton Fonzi's The Last Investigation "Who besides the dozen people I could name off the top of my head?" I asked. "Marita Lorenz," he said. That wasn't one of them. Then Moriarty told me he had been asked to take a report from a Customs agent named Steve Czukas who had come to Washington at the orders of his Miami chief to file a complaint with the Assassinations Committee about a member of its staff who was leaking information to Frank Sturgis. That information, said Czukas, came from a Customs informant named Marita Lorenz. She claimed that Sturgis had shown her a "classified Government document" which he said was given to him by a Committee staff member named Fonzi. As a result, said Czukas, Lorenz now does not trust that Committee staffer and will no longer deal with him. Or, as Moriarty's report would later put it, "her concern is of sufficient magnitude to preclude further contact with Fonzi." Besides the complaint, however, Czukas brought new information he thought the Assassinations Committee should have directly. He said that the Customs Service had put Lorenz and her two children under protective custody in a Miami hotel for two months after she expressed fears that her life was in danger. While there, she admitted that she had been unwittingly involved in the plans to kill President Kennedy. She said she had driven from Miami to Dallas in two cars with a group of men, including Frank Sturgis and Lee Harvey Oswald, with high-power rifles. Two days before the assassination she was ordered to fly back alone to Miami. It sounded like an incredible story, said Czukas, but there was some documentation. During the time that Lorenz was voluntarily sequestered in Miami, she filled sixteen pages of a green notebook with the details of her involvement. She subsequently gave him the notebook for safe keeping and he had it under lock and key in Miami. I was stunned and then infuriated. It would take time and effort to deal with this development. I felt Customs was allowing itself to be manipulated by an informant. I deliberately dawdled. It was more than three months before I put a response on the record. I had no concern about the reactions of my bosses, Chief Investigator Cliff Fenton and Chief Counsel Bob Blakey, because I had documented all encounters with both Sturgis and Lorenz. But in sending Czukas to the Committee, it seemed to me that Marita wanted attention and wanted to be called to testify at the public hearings. What was she trying to accomplish? Then there was the matter of the "classified Government document" that Frank Sturgis said I had given him. Actually it was an unclassified memorandum written in 1964 by Al Tarabochia, an investigator with the Senate Security Committee, then headed by Mississippi's notorious Commie hunter, George Eastland. The memorandum concerned a rumored visit to Cuba by Jack Ruby. (As mentioned earlier, Sturgis himself had also given me a story about a Ruby visit to Cuba, this one a detailed account of a meeting to plot Kennedy's assassination.) A copy of Tarabochia's memorandum was in Schweiker's working files and, one night, Sturgis called me and asked if he could have a copy, saying he had Tarabochia' s permission. I called Troy Gustavson in Schweiker's office, Troy got the OK from Tarabochia and a copy of the memo was sent to Sturgis directly from Schweiker's office. So much for the "leak." When I called Marita Lorenz, she admitted that Sturgis had shown her "that Tarabochia thing," but denied she said it had come from me. She also denied that she had ever told Czukas she no longer trusted me or that she didn't want to speak with me. On the contrary, she was delighted to hear from me. "I was down in Miami for a while and was looking for you," she said. I didn't tell her I knew that Customs had picked up her tab for a couple of months and I didn't mention anything about her reported trip to Dallas with Frank Sturgis and Lee Harvey Oswald. Neither did she. What I found fascinating, however, was that Sturgis was still in such close contact with her, and how much she knew about his current activities. She said, for instance, that Sturgis had recently called, telling her he was "doing something" in Africa. "He was with some heavy people over there," she told me, "some major and some wealthy people who are sponsoring his thing there, raising an army to fight Castro's army in Angola." Sturgis also said he had been in Paris, Switzerland and London, in addition to Africa, and that he had asked her to go to Europe to work with him. "He sent me a first-class, round-trip plane ticket on TWA," she said. She discovered, however, that she couldn't go because on her last trip to Madrid to see her daughter's father, General Jímenez, she didn't have the return fare. Until she repaid the State Department, she couldn't travel abroad. After I spoke with Marita, I called Steve Czukas, who confirmed she was behind his trip to Washington. She had pressed him very hard, he said. "I went up there just to get them to talk with her. What I'd like to do is get rid of her story, whether she's got something concocted or not. I'd just like to get rid of it, and I'm sure my Service would too. I don't know what's going on, it's so far out of my field, but the sooner she gets to Washington the happier I'll be, I tell you that -- however she gets there." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, was Czukas and Lorenz trying to set up Fonzi and get rid of him? Or was she trying to feed disinfo?

James, I don't have any info of a Czukas/Sturgis link. Sturgis (and Reinaldo Pico) were reporting to Bernard Barker.

Gary, Earl Lively...very interesting guy. He and Lt. George Butler (the guy that let Ruby into the garage) were going to write a book on Oswald. He was also a colonel in the Texas Air National Guard. I'd recommend doing a Google search on him and to see what he has been up to in the last few years. Doesn't seem to like John Kerry much. Dave

Hi David, I believe it was Czukas who put Marita Lorenz into protective custody after she told him that she was mixed up with the Dallas plot and the infamous car trip. She also supposedly wrote the details in a notebook which Czukas locked away in Miami. If I remember correctly, wasn't Czukas FBI not CIA? James <{POST_SNAPBACK}> James, There are indications that Czukas was supervising "Leopoldo" and "Angelo" prior to visiting Syliva Odio.

Does anyone have anything on Steve Czukas? Czukas had reportedly mascaraded as a U.S. Customs Service Officer but was paid by the CIA.

John, This is all from memory. Mario Kohly claimed that he was the legitimate president of Cuba. Supposedly he was Nixon's man. I believe Nixon helped him with his problems. Morrow did indeed have a relationship with Kohly. Morrow was arrested for printing counterfeit Cuban pesos. I have a copy somewhere of an ON TARGET publication where Mrs. Kohly writes in describing her husband's and Morrow's plight. ON TARGET was published by Robert DePugh and was the official Minuteman newsletter. I believe that the research community is split on the veracity of Morrow. Dave

This is very interesting, George de morenschildt was afraid of someone or something called RAS right before his murder/suicide. He placed people in Dealey Plaza, then committed himself from the strain. According to the memo Arcarcha Smith? and [William] Seymour were part of the ambuscade, and had alibis made for them in New Orleans and Phoenix.......this Sprague investigators memo from 1977 is very interesting, Lee. Beckham, Gordon, Arcacha Smith and Seymour are principles in Dealey with Loy, from General Dynamics as the lead position tramp, ie Frenchy. Will some one else please give some context on this, and who is the author? (also, I am with james, the Raoul line-up-man is not a match with the #1 tramp) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Beckham was Thomas Beckham, aka Mark Evans. Beckham was a protege of Fred Lee Crisman. (Do a Google on Crisman!) He was also an aquaintence of Ray Broshears. Both Beckham and Broshears were "Reverends" in the Universal Life Church based in Modesto, Cal. I believe Crisman was a "Bishop." I'm not sure if this was self-titled or not. You too can become a "Reverend" in the ULC! http://www.ulc.org/?destination=ordination&numina=850043948 From an interview Beckham gave to the HSCA: Delsa: Okay. Now, to bring this down and put it on record. In our preliminary discussions before, later in your contact with the Organization, with Crisman, Crisman you found to be at these various Churches. Beckham: Uhum, uhum. Delsa: Now, you don't know this for a fact, but you spoke to us prior to this in a discussion, and told us who you believed set this system up in New Orleans. Will you tell us now, who do you think set this system up with the Church? Beckham: Well, I think Fred Crisman, because the Organization is all over the country. I'd rather not go into it now because there are different connections of people and other things, but I think Fred Crisman is the whole, front of the whole thing because he's not just a, he has too many contacts, too many, you know, he tells me who to contact. As a matter of fact, one time I was, had received a telephone call from a priest, and which you very well know his name, and I pronounce, starts with a "B", y'know. You had a thing in your file. [Ray Broshears] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beckham: Right. Okay. I guess the best place to start is a meeting I had in Algiers, Louisiana...that's as soon as you get off the ferry boat. It's in Orlean Parish. This meeting was attended by myself, Sergio Arcacha, G. Wray Gill, a gentleman by the name of Marcello. If I'm not mistaken a picture I've seen of him was Vincent Marcello. Along with me was a gentleman, a little bitty guy, his name was O Lord, let's see, Morello, Charlie Morello, and Sergio Arcacha was there. Roswell Thompson and a lady by the name of Berglass, she was Anna. At this meeting there were Cubans present, other ones. We talked about, I say "we", they talked about the assassination of the President....We also had a meeting at a place called the Town and Country. That's a motel, vaguely as I can remember on the right hand side of the highway going out towards the airport. This meeting was attended by a Marcello, there was G. Wray Gill, and us there at the time. At that particular meeting, the Cuban issue was discussed, the President, his involvement and how, oh, different things, that, how the President refused to give air support, things like this was discussed. Also I delivered a package approximately, I'd say, two weeks to Dallas prior to the assassination of the President, to a Mr. Howard. I went into Mr. G. Wray Gill's office, I was told to go there by Mr. Ferrie, which I knew real well, and in his office shuffled up some documents which were drawings, that of a map, or plots and stuff. There were some pictures, pictures of buildings and cars and was regular pictures but they wasn't glossy. They were put inside of an envelope at which time G. Wray Gill handed me...it was either one hundred or two hundred dollars, and told me that I was to be, I was going to be taken to the airport. I was to deliver this package to a Mr. Howard at the Executive Inn. At this meeting was Roswell, was Jack Martin, David Ferris[sic] and a bunch of...Sergio Arcacha. Also at the meeting was your Mr. Marcello was at the meeting, setting at, they were setting on a couch. I remember the couch....My good friend Clay Shaw was also there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And from an anonymous letter sent to Garrison during his investigation: Mr. G; Out on the coast is a man you should talk with. Trace this information out. His name is Fred Lee Crisman, of Tacaoma, Wash. He flys to New Orleans steadily. 1964 eleven times. 1965, 17 times. 1966 32 times, 1967 24 times. He is the first man Clay called after being told he was in trouble and he is the first man that Beckham called also. He was questioned by both the CIA and FBI in 1966 but he is able to call Wash. and they laid off of him in a hurry. He is very good friends with Cubans and specially SA [sergio Arcacha] in Dallas (he goes there too) and J.R. [Jorge Rodriguez] in N.O. Mr. Crisman is a very odd man. He supplied money for certain political campaigns and in return is very much protected by both Lou. politicos and Wash. state people. He has a diplomatic passport issued on the word of a senate chairman of a committee. He seems to have no income and certainly spends a large sum of money on air travel. He is friends with F. Gremillion of your state. His private office has an unlisted number (206 Ma 7-4790) and is the meeting place for many odd characters from Cubans to political figures. Ask him to take a lie detector test and then ask him where he put the $200,000 dollars delivered to him by Beckham in August of '67. (Cuban Money) Money that is used to recruit killers to be sent to Cuba to try for Castro ask him if it is not true that he has sent 5 different men to S.A. in Dallas for final briefing. Make Crisman talk and you will have the answer to why there has been fighting among certain Cuban factions over the money in certain buried places. You know this is true because some special Cubans have dropped out of sight. (Dropped in Torpedo Junction) Crisman is also a pilot. He is the man that through Beckham and S.A. (Arcacha] paid off certain people is it not odd that he was a friend of Clay's as well as Beckham. Is it not strange that he knew Tippet! Just ask Crisman certain questions under a lie detector and see what the answers are. He is the one that advised Mark Evans [beckham's alias] to hide out in Iowa and NOT to go to N.O. to make any statement about money or anything. Have an investigator check out the amount of long distance calls that Beckham (Evans) has made to Crisman in the past year and the wild places Crisman calls. He is leaving for Europe in Jan. Keep digging Jim, you have some odd fish on the run. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nixon's lawyer claimed it was John Sears. http://watergate.info/news/00-08-01.shtml And another list of candidates: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/0...p.throat.facts/

Does anybody know what Marvin Robinson had to say about this? AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY : HSCA RECORD NUMBER : 180-10109-10153 RECORDS SERIES : NUMBERED FILES AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 013840 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR : WC FROM : FBI TO : [No To] TITLE : [No Title] DATE : 11/23/1963 PAGES : 1 DOCUMENT TYPE : REPORT SUBJECTS : EYEWITNESS; ROBINSON, MARVIN C.; TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED RESTRICTIONS : OPEN IN FULL CURRENT STATUS : OPEN DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 12/17/1996 COMMENTS : Box 242. Audit history for this Record Identification Form --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hit 2 of 2 AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY : HSCA RECORD NUMBER : 180-10111-10337 RECORDS SERIES : NUMBERED FILES AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 014790 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR : WC FROM : FBI TO : [No To] TITLE : [No Title] DATE : 11/23/1963 PAGES : 4 DOCUMENT TYPE : REPORT SUBJECTS : EYEWITNESS, CRAIG, ROGER; DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT; TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY; EYEWITNESS, ROBINSON, MARVIN C. CLASSIFICATION : UNCLASSIFIED RESTRICTIONS : OPEN IN FULL CURRENT STATUS : OPEN DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 07/12/1993 COMMENTS : Box #:282.

I thought Gerry identified Leopoldo as Bernie De Torres?

Tim, Why would anyone want to shoot Connelly?

Steve, Not sure if you've seen these: FEBRUARY 5, 1967 TO: JIM GARRSION, DISTRICT ATTORNEY FROM: JIM ALCOCK, ASSISTANT DISCTRICT ATTORNEY RE: ANGEL VEGA At 10:00 PM on January 31, 1967, CHARLES JONAU and I spoke to ANGEL VEGA. This meeting, arranged by LAUREANO BATISTA, Took place at the headquarters of the Christian Democratic Movement located at 1732 N.W. 7th Street, Miami, Florida…. ANGEL VEGA is a slightly built Cuban male appearing to be in his late twenties. He was one of the twenty Cubans who trained at a camp in the New Orleans area. VEGA arrived at the camp sometime near the middle or end of June, 1963. When he arrived, there were only four or five others at the camp site. The house and grounds where they stayed were completely run down, giving the appearance they had not been inhabited for quite a while. Their first task was to refurbish the house and its conveniences. All personnel stayed in the house which consisted of three rooms, a kitchen and two baths. In addition to this, there was a screened porch on the front and back of the house. The grounds had a swimming pool which was constantly fed by an underground spring. Also, there was a stream or bayou running through the property. Within sight of the property was another house. The camp was served by a dirt road which VEGA recalls was never used by vehicular traffic during his entire stay at the camp. ANGEL VEGA is positive he could find this camp site today, and would be willing to come to New Orleans on a weekend for that purpose. Training at the camp was principally limited to a physical fitness program. Daily exercises were taken along with swimming lessons. The men at the camp also practiced fording the stream that ran through the property. At no time did the men stray farther than about 200 yards from the house. No shooting whatsoever took place at the camp. They had two or three old Springfield rifles and M-1 carbine. These weapons were never fired. The M-1 carbine was used to show the men how to disassemble and assemble the weapon. During the course of many of the exercises, the men would carry small logs to simulate the weight of a weapon. Also, these logs were used in mock hand-to-hand combat training. About two days before the cache of explosives was found at the other camp, ANGEL VEGA and two other camp members left for Miami with the Castro agent, FERNANDO FERNANDEZ. Shortly thereafter all Cubans at the camp returned to Miami. This was about August 1, 1963. Therefore, the camp was in operation for about five or six weeks. While at the camp, ANGEL heard rifle shots and explosions from the direction of the other camp. However, at no time did VEGA and his fellow Cubans know of the existence of the other camp. This came to their knowledge only after the explosives were found. As ANGEL recalls, the camp site was owned by two American males in their fifties or sixties. He feels they were in the insurance business. All contacts with them were made by RICARDO (DICKEY) DAVIS. They came to the camp occasionally to see if the men needed any food. DAVIS came to the camp about 8 to 10 time, mostly bringing food when he came. On one occasion, he brought his wife and he did some target shooting with a 22 caliber pistol. ANGEL VEGA never heard the name of SERGIO ARCACHA SMITH or LINDBERGH mentioned and never saw any other Americans at the camp with the exception of the two previously mentioned. Angel remembers the following men to have been at the camp with him: VICTOR PANEQUE 2ND in Command FIDEL ZALDIVAR 1st in Command ……PERIU VICTORIA MIGUEL CARBALLIDO HENRY INFANTE RAUL FANTONE FERNANDO FERNANDEZ SERGIO (NOT ARCACHA SMITH) As you can see, ANGEL could only remember the first name of one man and only the last name of another. LAUREANO BATISTA, however, is still trying to locate a complete camp roster for us. He is also trying to locate the names if the Americans who owned the camp. If he is successful, he has promised to mail the information to me in New Orleans. I feel that ANGEL VEGA was completely candid and cooperative throughout the interview. However, as far as the movement and its key personnel are concerned, we should expect some hedging. JIM ALCOCK ..............---- This is the Slidell camp that was financed by "a group of very wealthy Texans and Louisianeans (Oil men) who had a lot of money and were willing to back any anti-Castro plan that would give them land were they could have a camp to train." Most of the men were recruited by Victor "Diego" Panique who was then in New Jersey. They were to train for Somoza's "Nicaraguan Operation." ------------- 14 February 1967 To: Jim Garrison District Attorney From: William Gurvich Investigator Subj: SEIZUE OF EXPOSIVES - LACOMBE, LOUISIANA AUGUST 1963 I have on this date read the January 21, 1967 interview between CARLOS QUIROGA and yorself. In reading this I noticed your interest in arms, ammunition, and explosives used by Cuban trainees at a training camp on the North side of Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. The following information was given to you orally but not in a formal manner therefore I am repeating these facts relative to the seizure of explosives in the approximate area of the Cuban training camp. In August 1963, in Lacombe, Louisiana, a large quantity of dynamite and bomb casings were seized on the property of William J. McLaney. It is assumed the FBI conducted this. Others involved were: VICTOR DOMINADOR ESPINOSA HERNANDEZ CARLOS EDUARDO HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ JOHN KOCK GENE ACELO PDEROS AMORES MIGUEL ALVAREZ JIMENEZ ANTONIO SOTO VASQUEZ SAM BENTON BYRON CHIVERTON RICH LAUCHLI (OR LUCHLI) EARL J. WASEM, JR. RALPH FOLKERTS AMORES once reported an airstrip 40 miles west of New Orleans where aircraft - B25's or B26's were kept. This report was to a Federal Agency. CHIVERTON was possibly co-owner of the LACOMBE property and resided at 4207 Fountainebleu Drive, New Orleans. LAUCHLI (or LUCHLI) was proprietir of LAXCO MACHINE SHOP, which apparently was in COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS. McLANEY may be the same one who had extensive gambling interests in HAVANA, CUBA, prior to the CASTRO administration. He was evicted from CUBA by CASTRO and it is reasonable to assume he suffered considerable financial losses. In your interview with QUIROGA he mentioned using U-HAUL trailers. A U-HAUL trailer was used to transport these explosives ( approximately 2500 pounds) by some of the above mentioned LATINS. The license of this trailer was FLORIDA 7E-668 and possibly came from FLORIDA (JACKSONVILLE) through RALPH FOKERTS. Subsequent to this I was informed this seizure was made in the first block of "PONTCHARTRAIN" in BIG BRANCH, LOUISIANA. This community is immediately west of LACOMBE. The building from which the explosives were seized was described as a residence setting about 100 yards back on the Wesy side of the road or street and had a large garage. Two aerial photo- graphy missions in the COVINGTON-BIG BRANCH-LACOMBE area failed to disclose a building of acceptable comarison. Due to the abunance of tall pine trees a ground survery would be perhaps more useful. Your attention is invited to reports of ADA ALVIN OSTER relative to an arms cache in this area. His reports cover arms but not explosives but does refer to "PONTCHARTRAIN" STREET. I will attempt to develope more information from my contacts in order to secure the exact location. WHG:wg William H. Gurvich Dave