United States Army cover-story William King Harvey?!

[Paul Brancato]

*Full credit to Robert Ward Montenegro for bringing these documents to my attention...

 

 

 

• https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2023/104-10106-10563.pdf

 

This first document clearly states that roughly after 22 May 1962, the CIA's Technical Service Division's Identification Branch (TSD/IB) provided Task Force W chief William King Harvey with false US Army "...book-type DAC credentials..."  under the alias of "...William Walker..."

Specifically, the US Army unit that C/TFW Harvey was operating under was called "...Composite Operations Group (8738) of the Department of the Army..." and that the false DAC credentials should identify C/TFW Harvey as an "...Investigator of the Joint Operations Group of the Department of the Army..."

It should be stressed that the "...Central Cover Group..." of CIA was involved in the authenticating and approval process for these documents, so the military unit C/TFW Harvey was hiding in may have been a product of CIA proper.

This document may be a very strong indicator that William King Harvey was hiding covert operations under official United States Army intelligence traffic.

Meaning simply that, all of these document hounds wailing over the release of CIA documents are squawking up the wrong tree.

Perhaps, as a research community, we ought to be screaming for US Army intelligence documents, not CIA... 

Edited July 2, 2023 by Paul Brancato

[Paul Brancato]

.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Paul Brancato

[David Andrews]

Thanks for this, Paul and Robert.

Edited July 2, 2023 by David Andrews

[Benjamin Cole]

Even more...Harvey himself said when it came to assassinations, that false records would be introduced into the written record. 

So they might gin up a travel voucher for Mr X that Mr X visited Spain on May 10, when he really was in Houston, and so on. 

Although I suspect a small group out of the JMWAVE station in Miami, that is just a reasonable suspicion on my part. 

It does seem like elements of the CIA were the angriest, due to the Cuba story. 

Also, most of Larry Hancock's SWHT features Cuban exiles and related mercs. 

But who knows...maybe just misdirection. There is a famous story of an Army intel group in Texas destroying all their records.

 

 

 

 

[Larry Hancock]

Just for reference and to provide context, its necessary to note that CIA operations staff officers assigned to field activities were often given employment covers extending to false residence addresses and mail "backstops".  That cover would include related paper materials such as drivers licenses and other ID including employment ID related to the cover - Hunt himself referred to the more personal material that would be carried as "pocket litter".  Such covers could be minimal if the mission were short term but much more extensive if it was to be an actual field assignment of months or years.  Some covers had to be arranged with the agency or company being used as the cover - with the Army, USAID, State Department etc.  Cover ID could be done entirely by the CIA itself or through an  agreement with the cover company/agency.  As an example Morales had covers assigned with the Army, the State Department, USAID etc. over time.

Of course things were even easier if the cover was with a CIA proprietary company or even a cooperative commercial firm not actually operated by the Agency.

The practice could also be used in pieces by the services or other agencies - for example early military personnel sent to SE Asia were given mail backstops in the Philippines to receive letters from the US so as to conceal their actual assignment to Vietnam. 

But in reference to documentation on CIA officer missions and activities, that would remain with the CIA, anything in the cover agency or company files would be related to the cover identify.  And you would expect to find material on the covers and back stops in the CIA files on the individual - which we do, its where I found all the information I mentioned above on Morales. The CIA worked at fooling others but internally it had to keep true if confidential information so as not to fool itself and to make sure it could operate like effectively and keep track of things like travel and expense, time of service, retirement etc.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by Larry Hancock

[Paul Brancato]

1 hour ago, Larry Hancock said:

Just for reference and to provide context, its necessary to note that CIA operations staff officers assigned to field activities were often given employment covers extending to false residence addresses and mail "backstops".  That cover would include related paper materials such as drivers licenses and other ID including employment ID related to the cover - Hunt himself referred to the more personal material that would be carried as "pocket litter".  Such covers could be minimal if the mission were short term but much more extensive if it was to be an actual field assignment of months or years.  Some covers had to be arranged with the agency or company being used as the cover - with the Army, USAID, State Department etc.  Cover ID could be done entirely by the CIA itself or through an  agreement with the cover company/agency.  As an example Morales had covers assigned with the Army, the State Department, USAID etc. over time.

Of course things were even easier if the cover was with a CIA proprietary company or even a cooperative commercial firm not actually operated by the Agency.

The practice could also be used in pieces by the services or other agencies - for example early military personnel sent to SE Asia were given mail backstops in the Philippines to receive letters from the US so as to conceal their actual assignment to Vietnam. 

But in reference to documentation on CIA officer missions and activities, that would remain with the CIA, anything in the cover agency or company files would be related to the cover identify.  And you would expect to find material on the covers and back stops in the CIA files on the individual - which we do, its where I found all the information I mentioned above on Morales. The CIA worked at fooling others but internally it had to keep true if confidential information so as not to fool itself and to make sure it could operate like effectively and keep track of things like travel and expense, time of service, retirement etc.

 

 

Thanks Larry. One question is why it took until 2023 to release a document like this. In the case of Morales, didn’t he start out as Army? 
The bigger question is whether CIA ops are hidden in Army or military intelligence files. 
 

[Paul Brancato]

8 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Even more...Harvey himself said when it came to assassinations, that false records would be introduced into the written record. 

So they might gin up a travel voucher for Mr X that Mr X visited Spain on May 10, when he really was in Houston, and so on. 

Although I suspect a small group out of the JMWAVE station in Miami, that is just a reasonable suspicion on my part. 

It does seem like elements of the CIA were the angriest, due to the Cuba story. 

Also, most of Larry Hancock's SWHT features Cuban exiles and related mercs. 

But who knows...maybe just misdirection. There is a famous story of an Army intel group in Texas destroying all their records.

 

 

 

 

Btw when you say a small group at JMWAVE bear in mind that many of the key people you are referring to spent years working for or with Reinhardt Gehlen - I believe that includes Harvey, Morales, Shackley, and many others. 

[Larry Hancock]

On your question Paul, yes Morales was recruited from the Army into the CIA and that shows up in his file.  However in addition to that he had separate covers with the Army and of course after retirement actually went to work as a consultant to the Joint Chiefs, attached to SACSA staff.  As far as withholding the Hunt file, one thing I can say is that particular operational document would likely have been separated from his regular personnel file, parts of which we got long ago and I can say that bits  and pieces of officer files were released over time with basic personnel files coming first and then documents related to operations, covers, crypts etc.

I would very much doubt that CIA operations files were hidden within the Army somewhere, historically all the services acted in competition with each other, especially in the area of intelligence.  The even treated sources independently so someone would be a separate source for military intelligence (even different commands) and then again a source for CIA, FBI etc.  I even came across an FBI file which referred to Angleton as a source, giving him an FBI source designation.

You might find CIA operations in Army files to the extent that it was a joint operation or that one of the services was supporting a CIA covert op - there was a some of that, mostly with the Air Force in the fifties but relatively little with the Army, one of the exceptions being the original Cuba project where the Army did some training, as did the Navy, for the project.

I can see where Harvey or Shackley might have  crossed paths with Gahlen at Berlin Operations Base but I have no idea how or where they might have been associated after Germany and have seen nothing that would give a clue on that...

[Bill Simpich]

Back in 1949, David Morales was with the 7821 Composite Group, European Command, in Germany, serving as a corporal.  Richard Helms wrote the Chief of the Special Security Division and requested that Morales and a handful of others receive an (emphasized) "full" security clearance and a cryptographic clearance.

During his time with the 7821 Composite Group, Morales was going back and forth to New York City, which was his mailing address and where his wife and children lived.  His employer's mailing address was "2130 E. Street, NW, Washington DC" - that was the CIA's address.

Morales describes this period from 1946-1953 as active duty with the US Army - the first two years with the 82nd Airborne, and 1948-53 as an "training and administrative advisor in Germany" before his discharge in 1953 - and on to Guatemala from there.  From 55-60, Morales describes himself as a Foreign Service officer for the Department of State, with stints as an attache in Venezuela and Cuba. 

The best way to analyze Morales' work in the early sixties was as a "trainer of trainers".  As I quoted Morales' bio in Chapter 2 of State Secret, from 1960-65 Morales served as a trainer advising "the USAF, foreign governments and their military and police personnel. This advice included the protection of personnel, installations and equipment, the use of investigative techniques, small unit tactics, and counter-guerilla activities. He also helped to set up specialized schools and training cadres. This service was performed primarily in Florida and in Washington D.C."

My colleague Doug Vaughan shared his thoughts about the 7821 Composite Group years ago:  "Maybe NATO, maybe not...

"But it’s a combined command either way, used as cover. Correct ID important for tracking personnel in/out. This 1949 doc (re: Morales, Helms in same unit) is still transitional as mil intel (formed around sigint commands) and newly reminted CIA (Helms I charge here, Morales seconded from mil) were warring over controls in the cockpits, with NSA in the middle, scooping up and peeling off assets and crossing each others trolling lines under the boat. Point is, this leads directly into tunnel operation w/ Harvey, Shackley et al but in 1952-54 many same personnel inserted in PB’s (Guatemala, culminating PBSuccess) and/or Ajax in Iran. So tracking the unit and personnel requires some specificity as to chain of command, even if only a cover."

In 1961, the Composite Operations Group had a base with the crypt of JMMOVE - in Belle Chasse near New Orleans to prepare for the Bay of Pigs.

William Royer of the US Army Element Composite Operations Group had 140-200 Cubans training there in underwater demolition:  124-10369-10029, p. 16.

The initial mission of the base was to train 30 men - that increased to 149 men during its short history. https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32105594.pdf

David Phillips wrote a memo about Belle Chasse years later - Phillips said the ultimate size of the base was 300 men, with Royer as chief security officer and Gilbert Strickler as Chief of Base.

Another aspect of it was the "safe site" run by Nino Diaz/AMNORM-1 at the Algiers ammunition depot - also known as the Algiers ammo dump - also known as Belle Chasse.   This operation led to what became a feigned or abandoned second front by sea during the Bay of Pigs.  

While I'm thinking about the military and counter-insurgency, I have to bring up what Clare Boothe Luce said to CIA's William Colby - that she was the one who 'fed the missile stuff' to Sen. Kenneth Keating that kicked off the Cuban missile crisis.  Bobby Kennedy was so mad that he moved to New York in 1964 and beat Keating in the November election.      "Julio Fernandez" (almost certainly the DRE's Isidro Borja/AMHINT-5) sought out Claire Boothe Luce right after 11/22, and told her he had tapes of Oswald claiming was a "crack marksman" willing to shoot anyone, "including the Secretary of the Navy”.    Fred Korth, the Secretary of the Navy, was the divorce lawyer for his stepfather Edwin Ekdahl when he divorced Marguerite.  He said that LHO had tried to penetrate his group, and they had "counter-penetrated" him.     Counter-insurgency is the story of people like David Morales, groups like the Composite Groups, and the JFK case.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Bill Simpich

[Steve Roe]

2 hours ago, Bill Simpich said:

Back in 1949, David Morales was with the 7821 Composite Group, European Command, in Germany, serving as a corporal.  Richard Helms wrote the Chief of the Special Security Division and requested that Morales and a handful of others receive an (emphasized) "full" security clearance and a cryptographic clearance.

During his time with the 7821 Composite Group, Morales was going back and forth to New York City, which was his mailing address and where his wife and children lived.  His employer's mailing address was "2130 E. Street, NW, Washington DC" - that was the CIA's address.

Morales describes this period from 1946-1953 as active duty with the US Army - the first two years with the 82nd Airborne, and 1948-53 as an "training and administrative advisor in Germany" before his discharge in 1953 - and on to Guatemala from there.  From 55-60, Morales describes himself as a Foreign Service officer for the Department of State, with stints as an attache in Venezuela and Cuba. 

The best way to analyze Morales' work in the early sixties was as a "trainer of trainers".  As I quoted Morales' bio in Chapter 2 of State Secret, from 1960-65 Morales served as a trainer advising "the USAF, foreign governments and their military and police personnel. This advice included the protection of personnel, installations and equipment, the use of investigative techniques, small unit tactics, and counter-guerilla activities. He also helped to set up specialized schools and training cadres. This service was performed primarily in Florida and in Washington D.C."

My colleague Doug Vaughan shared his thoughts about the 7821 Composite Group years ago:  "Maybe NATO, maybe not...

"But it’s a combined command either way, used as cover. Correct ID important for tracking personnel in/out. This 1949 doc (re: Morales, Helms in same unit) is still transitional as mil intel (formed around sigint commands) and newly reminted CIA (Helms I charge here, Morales seconded from mil) were warring over controls in the cockpits, with NSA in the middle, scooping up and peeling off assets and crossing each others trolling lines under the boat. Point is, this leads directly into tunnel operation w/ Harvey, Shackley et al but in 1952-54 many same personnel inserted in PB’s (Guatemala, culminating PBSuccess) and/or Ajax in Iran. So tracking the unit and personnel requires some specificity as to chain of command, even if only a cover."

In 1961, the Composite Operations Group had a base with the crypt of JMMOVE - in Belle Chasse near New Orleans to prepare for the Bay of Pigs.

William Royer of the US Army Element Composite Operations Group had 140-200 Cubans training there in underwater demolition:  124-10369-10029, p. 16.

The initial mission of the base was to train 30 men - that increased to 149 men during its short history. https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32105594.pdf

David Phillips wrote a memo about Belle Chasse years later - Phillips said the ultimate size of the base was 300 men, with Royer as chief security officer and Gilbert Strickler as Chief of Base.

Another aspect of it was the "safe site" run by Nino Diaz/AMNORM-1 at the Algiers ammunition depot - also known as the Algiers ammo dump - also known as Belle Chasse.   This operation led to what became a feigned or abandoned second front by sea during the Bay of Pigs.  

While I'm thinking about the military and counter-insurgency, I have to bring up what Clare Boothe Luce said to CIA's William Colby - that she was the one who 'fed the missile stuff' to Sen. Kenneth Keating that kicked off the Cuban missile crisis.  Bobby Kennedy was so mad that he moved to New York in 1964 and beat Keating in the November election.      "Julio Fernandez" (almost certainly the DRE's Isidro Borja/AMHINT-5) sought out Claire Boothe Luce right after 11/22, and told her he had tapes of Oswald claiming was a "crack marksman" willing to shoot anyone, "including the Secretary of the Navy”.    Fred Korth, the Secretary of the Navy, was the divorce lawyer for his stepfather Edwin Ekdahl when he divorced Marguerite.  He said that LHO had tried to penetrate his group, and they had "counter-penetrated" him.     Counter-insurgency is the story of people like David Morales, groups like the Composite Groups, and the JFK case.

Bill, I'm sure you will agree with me that David Morales had absolutely nothing to do with killing the President. Right? It's important to the conspiracy folks on this forum to make that clear so no false impressions are implied. 

[Benjamin Cole]

8 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

Btw when you say a small group at JMWAVE bear in mind that many of the key people you are referring to spent years working for or with Reinhardt Gehlen - I believe that includes Harvey, Morales, Shackley, and many others. 

PB--

I am no way dismissing your views. 

IMH suspicion, the JFKA might have been perped by as few as two guys, Eladio Del Valle and Hermininio Diaz, with possible assistance from a CIA higher-up who talked LHO into cooperating with the pair. 

The JFKA cover-up was necessary as all three were CIA assets, and maybe it also became known someone in the CIA told LHO to "work with" the Cuban pair. A fourth confederate, higher in the CIA. 

Just IMHO. 

John Newman seems to be working on Euro-centric leads and your information is interesting as well. 

 

[Paul Brancato]

2 hours ago, Steve Roe said:

Bill, I'm sure you will agree with me that David Morales had absolutely nothing to do with killing the President. Right? It's important to the conspiracy folks on this forum to make that clear so no false impressions are implied. 

Steve - just curious - what makes you sure of that? I have no opinion, just asking.

[Paul Brancato]

8 hours ago, Larry Hancock said:

On your question Paul, yes Morales was recruited from the Army into the CIA and that shows up in his file.  However in addition to that he had separate covers with the Army and of course after retirement actually went to work as a consultant to the Joint Chiefs, attached to SACSA staff.  As far as withholding the Hunt file, one thing I can say is that particular operational document would likely have been separated from his regular personnel file, parts of which we got long ago and I can say that bits  and pieces of officer files were released over time with basic personnel files coming first and then documents related to operations, covers, crypts etc.

I would very much doubt that CIA operations files were hidden within the Army somewhere, historically all the services acted in competition with each other, especially in the area of intelligence.  The even treated sources independently so someone would be a separate source for military intelligence (even different commands) and then again a source for CIA, FBI etc.  I even came across an FBI file which referred to Angleton as a source, giving him an FBI source designation.

You might find CIA operations in Army files to the extent that it was a joint operation or that one of the services was supporting a CIA covert op - there was a some of that, mostly with the Air Force in the fifties but relatively little with the Army, one of the exceptions being the original Cuba project where the Army did some training, as did the Navy, for the project.

I can see where Harvey or Shackley might have  crossed paths with Gahlen at Berlin Operations Base but I have no idea how or where they might have been associated after Germany and have seen nothing that would give a clue on that...

Shackley was Gehlen’s interpretor? Maybe we could get a more complete bio of Harvey during his time in Berlin. 

[James DiEugenio]

5 hours ago, Paul Brancato said:

Steve - just curious - what makes you sure of that? I have no opinion, just asking.

Tell me when he replies Paul.

[Bill Simpich]

Paul, tell me when he replies too.