Edwin Anderson Collins

[John Simkin]

Edwin Anderson Collins has been mentioned several times on this forum but I thought it might be worthwhile for him to have his own thread.

Collins was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He joined the United States Marines and was a member of the Underwater Demolitions Team (UDT).

Collins held extreme right wing political views and attempted to persuade the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birch Society to work together against the administration of John Kennedy.

Collins was a member of Interpen (Intercontinental Penetration Force) that was established in 1961 by Gerry P. Hemming. Other members included Loran Hall, Roy Hargraves, William Seymour, Lawrence Howard, Steve Wilson, Howard K. Davis, James Arthur Lewis, Dennis Harber, Dick Whatley, Bill Dempsey, Ramigo Arce, Ronald Augustinovich, Joe Garman, Edmund Kolby, Ralph Schlafter, Manuel Aguilar and Oscar Del Pinto.

This group of experienced soldiers were involved in training members of the anti-Castro groups funded by the Central Intelligence Agency in Florida in the early 1960s. When the government began to crack down on raids from Florida in 1962, Interpen set up a new training camp in New Orleans. The group carried out a series of raids on Cuba in an attempt to undermine the government of Fidel Castro. This involved a plan to create a war by simulating an attack on Guantanamo Naval Base.

On 25th September, 1963, Silvia Odio had a visit from three men who claimed they were from New Orleans. Two of the men, Leopoldo and Angelo, said they were members of the Junta Revolucionaria. The third man, Leon, was introduced as an American sympathizer who was willing to take part in the assassination of Fidel Castro. After she told them that she was unwilling to get involved in any criminal activity, the three men left.

The following day Leopoldo phoned Odio and told her that Leon was a former Marine and that he was an expert marksman. He added that Leon had said “we Cubans, we did not have the guts because we should have assassinated Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs”. It is believed that Bernardo De Torres was Leopoldo and Edwin Collins was Angelo.

Some researchers believe that a combination of Interpen members and anti-Castro Cubans were involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This included Collins, James Arthur Lewis, Roy Hargraves, Steve Wilson, Gerry P. Hemming, David Morales, Herminio Diaz Garcia, Tony Cuesta, Eugenio Martinez, Virgilio Gonzalez, Felipe Vidal Santiago and William (Rip) Robertson.

Collins died in a boating accident in 1964. It is believed he was murdered by a fellow member of Interpen. However, Gerry P. Hemming claimed on this forum that he was murdered by "fellow-travelers" linked to Fidel Castro.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKcollinsE.htm

Below is a picture of Bernardo De Torres and Edwin Collins in 1963.

[William Kelly]

Edwin Anderson Collins has been mentioned several times on this forum but I thought it might be worthwhile for him to have his own thread.

Collins was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He joined the United States Marines and was a member of the Underwater Demolitions Team (UDT).

Collins held extreme right wing political views and attempted to persuade the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birch Society to work together against the administration of John Kennedy.

Collins was a member of Interpen (Intercontinental Penetration Force) that was established in 1961 by Gerry P. Hemming. Other members included Loran Hall, Roy Hargraves, William Seymour, Lawrence Howard, Steve Wilson, Howard K. Davis, James Arthur Lewis, Dennis Harber, Dick Whatley, Bill Dempsey, Ramigo Arce, Ronald Augustinovich, Joe Garman, Edmund Kolby, Ralph Schlafter, Manuel Aguilar and Oscar Del Pinto.

This group of experienced soldiers were involved in training members of the anti-Castro groups funded by the Central Intelligence Agency in Florida in the early 1960s. When the government began to crack down on raids from Florida in 1962, Interpen set up a new training camp in New Orleans. The group carried out a series of raids on Cuba in an attempt to undermine the government of Fidel Castro. This involved a plan to create a war by simulating an attack on Guantanamo Naval Base.

On 25th September, 1963, Silvia Odio had a visit from three men who claimed they were from New Orleans. Two of the men, Leopoldo and Angelo, said they were members of the Junta Revolucionaria. The third man, Leon, was introduced as an American sympathizer who was willing to take part in the assassination of Fidel Castro. After she told them that she was unwilling to get involved in any criminal activity, the three men left.

The following day Leopoldo phoned Odio and told her that Leon was a former Marine and that he was an expert marksman. He added that Leon had said "we Cubans, we did not have the guts because we should have assassinated Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs". It is believed that Bernardo De Torres was Leopoldo and Edwin Collins was Angelo.

Some researchers believe that a combination of Interpen members and anti-Castro Cubans were involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This included Collins, James Arthur Lewis, Roy Hargraves, Steve Wilson, Gerry P. Hemming, David Morales, Herminio Diaz Garcia, Tony Cuesta, Eugenio Martinez, Virgilio Gonzalez, Felipe Vidal Santiago and William (Rip) Robertson.

Collins died in a boating accident in 1964. It is believed he was murdered by a fellow member of Interpen. However, Gerry P. Hemming claimed on this forum that he was murdered by "fellow-travelers" linked to Fidel Castro.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKcollinsE.htm

Below is a picture of Bernardo De Torres and Edwin Collins in 1963.

"Eddy Collins had been recruited by FBI agents (MIA/FO), and John Evans of the "Johns Committee" (Red-Squad) in Tallahassee - to assist in monitoring the "peace marchers". The "Mounties" (R.C.M.P.) had inserted two assets into the group in Canada, and one of these had operated together with one of our guys, who, the year previous, had worked a joint CSS/RCMP/FBI operation involving Nicaraguans, Cubans, and other foreign nationals embarking on a mission to attend training camps inside Cuba."

Was Edwin Collins assigned to infiltrate the Quebec to Guantamano March?

Did he do it?

Is he among the people in the photos published as Warren Commission Exhibits?

Was Edwin Collins Angelo? What does Gaeton Fonzi and Dick Russell think about this?

Thanks, to whoever knows the answers to these questons and responds,

Bill Kelly

bkjfk3@yahoo.com

http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/

[James Richards]

Bill,

I do have all the photos snapped of the peace march in Canada and Collins is not amongst them. They mostly show the same half a dozen or so people.

I can tell you that Collins was indeed in Canada at the time. This was confirmed by a couple of INTERPEN guys I spoke with. I also have another very good source (independent) that puts him there and in communication with Robert Johnson and Arturo Espaillat.

The truth is, Edwin Collins does not fit the description Sylvia Odio gave of 'Angel' but I still haven't rulled him out. A few weeks before the Odio incident, Collins and De Torres were attending a parade of the Antonio Maceo Battalion in Miami. They were photographed by Tom Dunkin. Others attending were some men attached to a support group for the Brigade 2506.

Below is a photograph that I believe has not been published before. That is Ed Collins second from the right wearing the camouflage gear and beret.

FWIW.

James

[Antti Hynonen]

James or anyone. Do you think Sylvia Odio or her sister could possibly ID the Angelo and Leopoldo within the existing photos of the A.C. Cuban community.

I suppose that both or one of the sisters is still alive.

[Dick Russell]

Was Edwin Collins Angelo? What does Gaeton Fonzi and Dick Russell think about this?

I have never heard that Edwin Collins was "Angelo." My views on the Odio incident are basically unchanged from what I've written - it was part of the set-up of Oswald, which does not mean it was not a "second Oswald" who was present with Angel and Leopoldo.

[Harry J.Dean]

James or anyone. Do you think Sylvia Odio or her sister could possibly ID the Angelo and Leopoldo within the existing photos of the A.C. Cuban community.

I suppose that both or one of the sisters is still alive.

Annie Laurie Odio, sister of Sylvia Odio, died suddenly at age 60 about three years back. It is likely Sylvia yet lives.