104-10048-10193] “5 ANOLE MESA LEE US SURREY COUN HE PRA, wm weeNyta a emer open a ene eS ras fi rn se pee re “MEMORANDUM FOR: Stanley J. Grogan, Assistant to the Director : Robert SWANNER and Robert THOMPSON, foc. 0. 0 Pilots Allegedly Shot Down over Cuba in ee ee December, 1961 “REFERENCES § :_ A. Article by Al Wood in Orlando Sentinel, 12 March 1963 B. Article by Al Wood in Orlando Evening Star, 12 March 1963 ©. Article by James Buchanan in Pompano Beach Sun-Sentinel, 12 March 1963 % | oh. “On 19 December 1961, this Agency became aware of © oe ‘some. aspects. of the incident described in referenced reports. — | According to our records, this was the third overflight of this '. kind attempted. Cn 21 Cctober 1961, a leaflet drop was apparently — made over Camaguey, Cuba by U.5. citizens. On 8-9 December — . 4961, authorities at Nassau intercepted and stopped a plane and “US. “eitizens preparing to conduct a similar leaflet drop over Guba.» On the weekend of 15-17 December, another overflight Was’ conducted by U.S. citizens and from this attempt, two : pilots ¢ and a plane failed to return. 22, ~ Investigation by U.S. authorities of the activities 7 cited above has been hampered by a welter of conflicting stories from second and third hand sources, as well as by inconsistent ' staternents from alleged participants. However, the following summary appears to be accurate, William JOHNSON has said | that he, Kobert SWANNER, and Frank FIGRINI made the 21 - October overflight. Alexander L RORKE, a free-lance newsman - and photographer who has long been on the fringes of Cuban exile - activity, has claimed that he flew on this mission as an observer. On & December, Robert SWANNER was intercepted in Nassau in an aircraft chartered from Sunny South Aircraft, Inc., Fort |
13-00000 . Lauderdale. SWANNER was met in Nassau by JOHNSON, RORKE, and. FIORINIL . Thig group tried to get a permit to fly to Great Te Exuma Island,. but the permit was denied; the plane impounded, _ ~ and SWANNER fined $500, 00 for illegal entry inasmuch as he had ono authorization to fy the plane outside the U.&. On 10 December, -\°s a-seareh of Norman Cay produced nine packages of anti-Castro | -jeaflets similar to the ones used in the 21 October operation. .On.14 December, THOMPSON flew from Melbourne, Florida to ee Fort Lauderdale in an Apache aircraft, No. 2062P, belonging to res his employer, J. David FINGER, and allegedly chartered by . Cag CHNS SGN for an eventual flight to Nassau. In Fort Lauderdale, : “THOMPSON picked up JOHNSON, It is not clear whether SWANNER . a * Sand FICRINL were picked up in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, or West | 2 Palm Beach, ‘but it is certain that at some point JOHNSON left ~ oof the: group | and that FIORINI, SWANNER and THOMPSON flew to .: Andros Island. | On the evening of 17 December, FINGER reported = to the: FAA at Melbourne that Apache No. 2062P, with THOMPSON , as pilot, ‘was missing. On 18 December, RORKE, FIORINI, and od OHNSON: reportedly chartered a plane in Miami for a trip to os Bimini and: Cay Sal. RORKE allegedly identified himself as a _ CBS ‘photographer looking for photographs of pink flamingos. — 2 The plane flew a criss-cross pattern over Cay Sal and returned | aa. “.. 't@ Miami International Airport. There has been no information| “es ~ concerning: the waereabouts of THOMPSON, SWANNER and Apache . No. 2064P until March 1963, when the story attributed to an — unidentified Cuban farmer appeared in the referenced preas ‘items, | As to ) the question of CIA involvement in the activities | ae ? of the men cited herein, JOHNSON, FIORINI, and RORKE have, at-various times, claimed CIA sponsorship, although RORKE and 7 FIORINI. also intimated that they themselves were the sponsors. ‘In fact, none of these men had any sponsorship by CIA whatseever. — Sergio ROJAS Santamarina, CASTRO's Ambassador to London from  - £1959 until June 1966, at which time ROJAS broke with CASTRO. because of conviction of the latter's communist orientation, | appears to have been the Cuban exile "Ttor corte! the operationg. | Although this Agency supported for certain operations | . of an entirely different nature, alr operations or anything con-~ - nected with them were not included. The policy which guided this : . ee « : ’ : ° %, e e
13-00000 ry sr Sat ach Reet ina TOD SEN Ay IAT gfe RE a teeth gi Air ort imbid ni SERRE amatinetyte | Pale Aes Stee = . “Agency during the months in question permitted a great deal of --.” Jatitude in dealing with Cuban exiles and, although little or no “-gontrol over their activities was demanded, the authorization, : “funding, - and conduct of air operations against Cuba by this on - Agency, were specifically forbidden. It is quite likely that  ROJAS, in his seal to strike effective blows against the CASTRO aan regime, and daspite this Agency's repeated expressions of dis~< interest in air operations, convinced at least RORKE and FIORINI that leaflet drops were sanctioned by CIA, About one week before on the. October overflight and about one week before the December oe incident, CIA, began to receive reports of impending leaflet J Gxops. over Cuba. As noted above, after the 21 October opera~ | oe tion, RORKE and FIORINI claimed that they had been involved. . . It was not until December that this Agency became aware of the _ mot fall ‘extent of the three overflights and the details of the involve- _ ment of THOMPSON, SWANNER, and JOHNSON. With the . . , @xeeption of Ld none of the men mentioned herein have br cover been employed by this Agency in any capacity. a. “In March 1962, Mr. Raymond J. DWYER, a Miami an attorney representing FINGER in connection with possible '.. litigation against the insurer of the Apache aircraft, approached - 3 this Agency. for information inasmuch ae there were widespread ” pumxiers of U. S.. Government involvement in the incident. Mr. DWYER was informed that this Agency had no connection with . the flight in question or with the individuals named by him - "RINGER, JOHNSON, THOMPSON, SWANNER, and STURGIS (Frank . — Anthony STURGIS aka Frank FIORINI). “5. “In June, 1962, this Agency received from the State | ‘Depacturent a query from Senator Robert C. BYRD on behalf of Mrs. Blanche DeBOLT, Elkview, West Virginia, mother of Robert THOMPSON, Mrs. DeBOLT was seeking clarification of various rumors concerning THOMPSON's whereabouts.. This Agency informed State that we had no information that would . _ substantiate any of the Purmrers,
13-00000 Saber Cath or Cea a Btls ahs Spd ahaa tO c aot iC petra Rooney's ieee onetnPar fib Sefton heer te Spee Sn U8 “ ee Lae . in any capacity. 7 : Distribution: a een . e i, en, e oe ee ee . : ® 2. This | Agency has checked the transcripts of CASTRO's _ Bpeeches. from 14 through 31 December 1961. He made no refer- oo. ence to: having shot down two aircraft which were dropping bombs | oe -and | ‘leaflets’ on Havana and Matanzas. As to other elements of oe the incident. as reported in references, this Agency can furnish oe “Re information on the following: on CA: Mrs, SWANNER's story of having driven. WANNER, JOHNSON, and FIORINI to Fort Lauder- . dale to load a boat with leaflets; . ceils i ‘B. The $500. GO checks reportedly given t ta Mra.- SWANNER and Mrs, THOMPSON by FIORINI; a -C. Mra. SWANNER's reported trip to Andros sland with her son and a friend of her husband; _ 'p, The mysterious phone calls to Mrs. SWANNER, Mrs. ‘THOMPSON, ‘and others; io og. ‘The role of Gene ASBURY and Norman JGRATERY or GRADSKY. a oa “The John MARTINO mentioned in one of the referenced ee articles is probably John Vincent MARTINO who was sentenced by | aa Cuban. authorities in 1959 to thirteen years in prison on the charge : ‘of counter-revolutionary activities. MARTINO was released and -yeturned to the.U. S. in October 1962, not in December as ‘reported. MARTINO wae not and is not employed by this Agency (Signed). Decuent PitsGerala Bee at mek te owe Desmond FitzGeraid Chief, Special Affaira Staff Orig é & 1- Addressee - . -1- DD/P m _ _1- C/SAS “2 - SAS/ EOB - DDP/SAS/EOB! CDFord:el (20 2 Mar 63) g Doan