Steve Rosen Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 The attached obituary for William A. 'Rip' Robertson confirms that he died on December 1, 1970 at age 50, making his birth likely 1920. Hard to say with certainty when cemetery records from the Department of Veterans Affairs have conflicting birth dates and burial dates. - Steve WA_Robertson_obit_Wash_Post_Dec_70.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Graves Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 (edited) Also, Main and Houston appears to have been the ideal location for these guys to "say goodbye" and be closest to the assassination without danger of being hit by any stray bullet or richochet. (They were protected by the concrete structure along the west side of Houston Street.)I doubt that anyone who knew what was coming was standing at Houston and Elm, or anywhere along Elm Street (except of course behind the stockade fence, and except for UM and DCM, whose exact roles remain speculative but who were apparently foolhardy souls). Speaking of "the concrete structure along the west side of Houston Street," could that be the "Rip Robertson" and "John Adrian O'Hare" figures standing next to each other in the middle of said structure in the upper right-hand corner of Z-205? Both are wearing hats. The one on the left is in a brown suit, the one on the right is in a dark blue or black suit, and they are watching JFK and Jackie going down Elm Street. Could they have run across Houston Street after the Queen Mary had passed by to get to this excellent vantage point for the upcoming "hit?"http://www.assassinationresearch.com/zfilm/z205.jpg--Tommy Edited August 30, 2013 by Thomas Graves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Andrews Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Anything can happen, but 50 seems rather young for Robertson to pass from pneumonia, unless a surgical complication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rosen Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) For those who might be interested. James Count me interested, James. As such I am reviving this moribund but important topic. I believe James's original post in this topic concerned pictures taken at Main and Houston. Those pictures can be found under Rip Robertson at the fascinating site Familiar Faces In Dealey Plaza II (James please correct me if I'm wrong). http://www.manuscriptservice.com/FFiDP-2/ Rip Robertson is vastly under-researched. Perhaps because he lived like a ghost. Among top operatives, he was a legend: soldier, trainer, covert warrior, compadre, wild adventurer. The official Bay of Pigs history noted serious discussion of unleashing Rip Robertson on Havana, as he was considered the one guy who could just maybe slip in and neutralize Fidel Castro. Interested folks should search for Rip Robertson information within the Ed Forum. There is good stuff on him. Edited August 30, 2013 by Steve Rosen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Richards Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Steve, Along with a few others, who can chime in if they so wish, have of late done plenty of research into Robertson. Men like Rip were admired by their subordinates so getting information is difficult and when one does secure interesting operational material it doesn't come from any official records as there just isn't any. These men all want to remain nameless hence everything then becomes alleged. So with that in mind and from the 'for what it's worth file', comes the following from an Englishman who served in the Five Commando, which was Mike Hoare's old group. At the time it was being run by a Colonel John Peters who BTW passed away January of 1986 at Dallas Airport suffering a massive heart attack. Mmm, sounds somewhat familiar. Peters told him about Rip and the Cubans who were there primarily to steal a bunch of diamonds. They were working for a company called The Western International Grand Maintenance Organization. They were also running this bar called the Makasi Club which was essentially a place to operate the black market. The diamonds were to be ripped off smugglers who were running them out of the Kasai Province. Rip was also allegedly running an assassination unit out of the Makasi Club and it was targeting influential folk who were causing static to him and the various money making schemes. The unit was called Force Wildcat and he put a South African in charge. This man later shot 2 cops and was caught. He was executed. Like I said, for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Andrews Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) And here I thought ol' Rip was a clean-livin' patriot. It's always good to be reminded of what a Warren Zevon-song life these guys lead when they're not saving the world from communism. Makes me more than ever want to write a film script on the Bayo-Pawley raid. Edited August 30, 2013 by David Andrews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rosen Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 (edited) James, Thanks for that great post. It seems like eons since such original and interesting information was posted on the Ed Forum. It is a welcome return to form. I do hope other researchers take note and brave these icy and dark waters. David, I'd buy a ticket to see your Bayo-Pawley Op TILT movie. Keep at it. --- Anti-Castro Cuban exiles were indeed operating in the Congo following JFK's assassination, fighting Castro's soldiers and intel officers in the Cuban DGI. One such instance was Operation Low Beam. Stories are just emerging about the Cuban pilots. Rip Robertson trained many of these pilots, presumably in covert tactics. It is probably obvious but worth stating that many of the Cuban exile pilots were very likely just that - daring, dedicated pilots. Others, who knows. See above. Dr. Frank Villafaña wrote a great study on these Cuban pilots called Cold War in the Congo, and Rip is discussed a bit. By the way, if you ask Dr. Frank nicely (and pay), he will sign and send you his book. Below are some links of interest related to this topic. - Steve --- Excellent thread: Rip Robertson in the Congo: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=3406 --- "It was going to be Cuban against Cuban." http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Exiled-Cuban-Pilots-Remember-the-Congo-War.html --- Cold War in the Congo: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1412847664 --- http://www.asecretlegacy.com --- http://www.examiner.com/article/cuban-exiles-the-cia-and-the-congo --- Edited August 30, 2013 by Steve Rosen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Hancock Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Well I can say that Rip will be one of the figures whose career I trace over several decades in my forthcoming book Shadow Warfare. I'll also say that Frank's book is a great source on the exiles in the Congo as will as Castro's forces there - I deal with both the CIA operations in the Congo and Angola in the book. I have certain doubts about the diamond story because we know a good deal about the official dispatch of Rip and the Low Beam team to the Congo as well as the Makasi air operations and the Cuban exile boat group sent there. Those were very much CIA organized and controlled. of course Rip may have stayed behind for a bit to try and heist some diamonds, that would be an interesting story. But at the time he was an acting CIA employee with a day job. The Cuban exile "assets" working for a case officer had a lot more flexibility to shift between Agency assignments and on side projects, something I illustrate in the book with some information about Felix Rodriquez. For those that want more detailed information on Low Beam and the concurrent Dragon Rouge operations in the Congo there is a very good military history study of it from Levenworth press although it may be out of print, ,my copy is from years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Boylan Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 James! Welcome back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Richards Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 (edited) James! Welcome back. Thank You, David. Rip seemed to be somewhat of a complex character. Speaking with some associates of his, they had varying opinions of him and what exactly he was doing at certain times - like officially being on a particular operation but actually participating in something completely different. There is no doubt the Cubans loved him. What is most curious is Rip's relationship with Hal Feeney and their common handling of a certain Cuban exile who is of great interest to me. Edited September 7, 2013 by James Richards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry J.Dean Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Hello James, welcome back. How goes all. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Kelly Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I second these notions... I am always interested when James posts, and especially value Larry Hancock's input. As an inexperienced but interested reader, there is far too much posturing and bickering that unfortunately clouds various threads. But when I see these names as contributors to the dialogue, its usually pure gold. Despite the countless scenarios, theories and possible plots/plotters, my intuition strongly tells me that Cuba was the backdrop, and JM Wave the driving force... everything elase (as they say) is just details. Being present in Dealey Plaza would underscore the idea that revenge (i.e. motive) is a drink best served cold. I also think that any individual who shipped-off to Southeast Asia and for example Viet Nam, immediately following November 1963, is a person of interest... that's a red flag for me, taking a "hot piece" off the board and out of the country. I miss Warren Zevon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Richards Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Thank you Harry and Gene. It's nice to be back and going through the various threads. Just to add to your thoughts, Gene. Those off to South East Asia should be of interest most definitely. Also Nicaragua and the AMWORLD training. Even though the program was never going to go anywhere, it would have been a good place to hide people. "Send lawyers, guns and money" - indeed. I miss Warren too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Boylan Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 James! Welcome back. Thank You, David. Rip seemed to be somewhat of a complex character. Speaking with some associates of his, they had varying opinions of him and what exactly he was doing at certain times - like officially being on a particular operation but actually participating in something completely different. There is no doubt the Cubans loved him. What is most curious is Rip's relationship with Hal Feeney and their common handling of a certain Cuban exile who is of great interest to me. Hal Feeney - http://hosting-16923.tributes.com/show/Harold-Feeney-93930030 http://www.autentico.org/oa09250.php http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=8572 http://www.caller2.com/2000/april/23/today/local_ne/5708.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Richards Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks, David. That old Ed Forum thread brings back memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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