"-(] UNCLASSIFIED = [J MAL Cl] cont _vtiat [A secret , ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET SUBJECT: (Optional) Paskercund Wao Ong - 2 SaEUSS Pe 14h i) Aas ee Raymond G. Rocca EXTENSION OATE C/CI/R&A 1653 & JAN 1969 TO: (Officer designation, room number, and DATE building) OFFICER'S COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom INITIALS to whom. Draw a line across column after each . RECEIVED FORWARDED . ch comment.) | 4 General Counsel 7DO0l1 | KENNEDY ASSASSINATICN GARRISON 6] USE PREVIOUS EDITIONS SECRET = ([]. CONFIDENTIAL = [7] {ATFRNAL, © (]_UUNCLASSIFIED
14-00000 a 1 ae i? \ SECRET. MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination: , William Clarens WOOD Jr., alias William BOXLEY, 201-834272 Reference: CI/R&A Memorandum No. 9, Subject: Garrison and the Kennedy Assacseination, 5 June 1968, paragraph 19c A. Suramary William Clarens WOOD Jr. was employed by CIA as a contract ins atructor in clandestine operations fram March 1951 when he arrived until March 1952, when he had a nervous breakdown resulting from family problems and alcoholiem. Sent back to Headquarters, he served as an instructor in OTR from May 1952 to January 1953, when his resignation was requested, again because of heavy drinking. During or before July 1968 Garrison, who knew that WOOD had been a C1A employee, hired him as an investigator assigned to Garrison's  Hinvestigation' of the Kennedy assagsination. In December 1968, however, Garrison's office announced that WOOD had been fired because it had been ascertained that he wae then active as a CIA ‘operative’. Later in 13-23 Becember WOOD made two telephone calle to his former chief in requesting contact and instructions. The cage ie being referred to the FBI. B. Summary of Earlier Evente 1. William Clarens WOOD Jr., born 17 August 1920 in Shreveport, Louisiana, was approved in November 1944 fer overseas employment by OSS in an assignment as a newspaperman (printing chief in a Central Pacific operation). This approval was withdrawn on 23 December 1944, however, because of non-concurrence by OG/AAF. He was then assigned to combat infantry duty in the Southwest Pacific; he was not used by O85. In February 1945 he visited the Honolulu Office of O88 and claimed that GROUP 7 | cca trons automatic dewagrading and wi at settstication
14-00000 2d been recruited by O55 while he waa attending infantry school _ fort Beaning in October 1944. He stated that his services were to hye been used to originate and conduct radio programs in the CBI theater, that he had heen investignted by Dunn and Bradstreet, and that in the course of a long distance telephone call to the OSS Personnel Procurement Gffice he had been told that OSS could not use him at that time but that he should keep in touch. The interviewing officer in Honolulu commented in hig report to Security Offleer, OSS Headquarters, that the Dunn and Bradstreet leak should be noted and that WOOD certainly knew more about OSS than any other potential recruit whom the interviewer had ever seen. 2 On 13 December 1956 Subject was given a Covert Security Clearance for use ae a staff agent and was agesigned ta 6 Chief Instructor of Clandestine Operations. He arrived at his post in March 1951, and two months later his dependents were isgued travel clearances te join him. In March 1952 he suffered a nervous breakdown and was returned to Agency Headquarters for medical observation. The medical conclusion was that the breakdown had resulted from family troubles and overinduigence in alcohol. In May 1952 WOOD was assigned to OTR as an instructor in the Operations Course. In October 1952 his status was converted te that of a staff employee, and he was assigned to OTR 88 a GSoll instructor. 3. In December 1952 an Agency guard found WOOD lying on a sidewalk near Temporary Eye Building. He wae bleeding from the mouth. There was no evidence of foul play. At his ewn request he wae taken ta Emergency Hospital. In January 1953 he failed to report for duty. Agency represestatives went to his residence, the Lafayette Hotel, and found him under the influence of alcohol.. He was requested to report for duty the next day, but the hotel doctor had him removed to Gallinger Hospital because of continued intoxication. Subject's resignation was requested on 19 January 1953 and became effective 27 January 1953. 4. On il July 1953 Subject telephoned the Security Office from Dallas, Texas. He said that he would uadergo braim surgery on 13 July at Baylor Hospital, Dallas. He asked that an Agency repreeentative be present. Arrangements were made to ensure that anything WOOD said under anaesthesia would remain confidential. WOOD was given sodium pentothol, but ne surgery (except a apinal tap) wae performed. In hie hospital room, te which he had been returned from the operating room, WOOD said that he had served overseas with the CIA and had
SECRET seen many people killed. "The CIA are a bunch of dirty cut-throste, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they sent one of their men to cut mine. They think they are smart, but one of these daysin the near future I will show them whe is the smartest. They have about 100 GS-14's walking around with their heads shaped Uke eggs... . I have been a failure but after 1 get well I am going to go back to echool and get my degree and fight the CIA with everything that I can, " 5. A report of 30 April 1957 from the FBI office in Dallas, Texas, noted that Subject had telephoned from Midland, Texas, to a Chinese intelligence officer in Formosa. WOOD said that he had formerly heen employed by the CIA. He offered to help the officer "with things I know". He then telephoned Lubbock, Texas, and spoke to a person believed to be his wife. He told her that he had spoken with Chiang Kai-Chek's chief of intelligence and that "if thie thing goes through", she and the baby weuld receive from $700 to $1660 a month. 6. In February 1967 the Dornestic Contact Service in Dallas requested clearence to use Subject and reported that he kad nat had a drink in sine and a half years. On 3 March 1967 derogatory FBI informa- tion and the information that WOOD was again drinking heavily were forwarded te the DCS, which then dropped hira as a potential source, 7. On 18 January 1968 Ron OSTROW of the Les Angeles Times called the A/DCI and relayed a Los Angeles query about a former CIA agent, William BOXLEY, whe was an investigater for Jim Garrison. The A/DCI replied, "no cormment. " ob 8. In April 1968(Paul ROTHERMEL,| security officer for Hent Oll Company, Texas, sald that he had been visited by a Bill WOOD who was conducting investigations in Dallas for Jim Garrison under the alles (of Bil BOXLEY, WOOD was making inquiries about the CIA and its operations. It was further reported that WOOD was well known in Houston and that his connection with Garrison was no secret, 9. On 1d July 1968 the New York Times (p. ©35) carried an article headlined "Garrison Claims Foreign Spy Link", The article includes the following: "Over the telephone, Mr. Garrison also introduced an investigator for his office, Bill Boxley, as a former 3 s rae Carec wa by D é hs a
14-00000 Perey ( ar yoga Meal das ad 8 See Gentral Intelligence Agency instructor in the ‘clandestine operations department'. He said he had found Mr. Boxley while seeking a ‘man who had been with the intelligence agency but atill cared about the United States. ' “Mr. Boxley then said his real name wae William C. Wood; he was forty-eight years old, originally {rom Texas; he had worked 16 years as a newspaper reporter -- last on The Denver Post from 1948 te 1950; he had been with the intelligence agency two to five years in the 1950's overseas and in Washington and had ‘used as many as 10 different names in operations with the agency'." 16. The basic fecte about WOOD were provided to the FBI by CSCI 316/02725-68 of 15 July 1968. Additional relevant inforrnation ‘was requested. The Bureau replied on 18 July 1968 that the Berkeley Barb", published by the Underground Press' Syndicate, had stated in its issue af 29 December 1967 -- 4 January 1968 that Bill BOXLEY, an investigater for Garrigzon, had verified a Mafia plot to kill Garrigon. . . ke ‘The New Orleans Times-Picayua @ of 10 December 1968 carried the follewing: "The office of Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison Monday announced the removal of a member of the etaff investigating the assagsination of President John F. Kennedy because of alleged involvement with the CIA. " 'William Boxley was fired after evidence recently developed by the District Attorney's staff indicated current activity by him ae an eperative of the Central Intelligence Agency,‘ the office said. "Boxley's initial service with the CIA was in Washington, D. C., where he served for years as an active agent for ‘what was then termed the Department of Covert Activity’, according to the office. “The office said federal intelligence efforts to interfere with the investigation inte President Kennedy's assassination have been occurring since the beginning of the inquiry'.''
14-00000 “pr 12. The New Orleans Times-Picayune af 12 December 1968 included the following item: “Garrison aluo commented on William Beuley, an investigator he fired on Monday because, Garrison said, he was an operative of the Central Intelligence Agency. " ‘He was not only a CIA agent, ' said the DA, ' but he was one on a very high level'. Asked what proof his office developed, Garrison said it concerned material that Boxley had put in written form. “Boaley, contacted in Austin, Tex., told the Times-Picayune on Wednesday that he bas not been involved with the CIA or any federal agency since 1952. “He said he believed Garrigon thas been genuinely misled’ about hie CIA invelvernent, adding: ‘Iam sure he believes ag strongly in thie (his alleged CIA involvement) ae he once believed in me.” Baxley said he would cooperate ., Completely with Garrieen's office in returning to it. material he still has in hie possesion. Boxley aaid the only written material he ever provided Garrison's office was a description of how various intelligence agencics operate. Bouley said he wae ‘really sad’ over his firing by Garrison, but added that he believed neo one could convince Garrison that he was not an agent of the CIA." Cc. Current Developments 13. On 27 December 1968 Dr. Stephen Aldrich of DD/S and T informed the Office of Security that at 1600 hours on 27 December he had received a telephone call from Subject, whe had been hig subordinate i CI/R&A called Dr. Aldrich, who supplied the following additional information:
14-00000 i | i j i cif SEGRET a. WOOD eaid that he was calling from a pay phone in a Sears Rosbuck stere in Dallas. He provided a home telephone number, which we have net been able to verify, and he believes that this telephone is bugged. b. WOOD had found the telephone number of Dr. Aldrich in the directory. His only previous call was made in 1966, when he requested a recommendation for & newspaper job tor which he was applying. Dr. Aldrich referred him to Personnel. c. Subject told Dr. Aldrich on 27 December that he had information which he urgently wanted te communicate to CIA. He sounded upset. 14. C/CI/R&A advised Dr. Aldrich that if Subject telephoned again, he should be told that his call had been referred te the proper authorities. Because of the information reported above, there wag | @ possibility of provocation. 15. In the mid-afternoon of 28 December 1968 Subject aga: telephoned Dr. Aldrich from an unknown location. He asked whether someone would be in touch with him. Dr. Aldrich said that Subject’s information had been relayed to those responsible and that he had no information about future contact. Subject said that he was not trying to invelve Dr. Aldrich but that he did have information to telay. He sounded lease frightened than on his previews call. He suggested that whoever called or visited him should identify himself by referring to information held in common {i.e., im 1951-1952}. Out of a job, WOOD had received two or three offers of employment but was not sure of the identities of the prospective employers and feared provocation, presumably from Garrison's office. Apparently he believes that the FBI is monitoring his home telephone. 16. It is our intent to ask the Bureau to relay thie information to its office in Dallas and to instruct an FBI representative to call upon Subject and request elucidation, because such information & SEGRET
14-00000 © antenna net eset en nt en OH bY COT as Subject may have, if any, is within the Bureau's jurisdiction rather than that of thia Agency. Donovan FE. Pratt DC/CI/R&A Distribution: Orig - DCI i - BDP 1 + Executive-Comptroeller 1 - General Counsel i» A/DCI 1 = Office of Security 1 - Dizecter, Domestic Contact Service 1 - €/Gi, DC/el Fc SID / Piles; 2016834272 — 1 - CL/R&A chrono Ll - DP Garrison file