ROBERT SWANNER AND ROBERT THOMPSON, PILOTS ALLEGEDLY SHOT DOWN OVER CUBA IN DECEMBER 1961.
Originator: CIA
From: FITZGERALD, DESMOND, C/SAS
To: GROGAN, STANLEY J., ASST TO DIR
Document date: 1963-03-20 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32395953

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Date: 11/23/04

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

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AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIT

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES

104-10048-10193

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 80701357A

DOCUMENT

INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

AGES : 03/20/2963

SUBJECTS: PILOTS

SHOT DOWN

THOMPSON

SWANNER

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION : SECRET

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 06/30/93

COMMENTS: JFK2: F15: 1993.06.30.13:05:59:65051(

Feleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassinatior

Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note

Case#:NW 65924 Date: 10-21-2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10048-10193

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A/SAS

2CH:8 1353

MEMORANDUM FOR: Stanley J. Grogan, Assistant to the

Director

SUBJECT

REFERENCES

: Robert SWANNER and Robert THOMPSON,

Pilots Allegedly Shot Down over Cuba in

December, 1961

: A. Article by Al Wood in Orlando Sentinel,

12 March 1963

B. Article by Al Wood in Orlando Evening

Star, 12 March 1963

.C. Article by Janies Buchanan in Pompano

Beach Sun-Sentinel, 12 March 1963

1. On 19 Decerber 1961, this Agency became aware of

some aspecta of the incident described in referenced reports.

According to our records, this was the third overflight of this

kind attempted. Cn 21 October 1961, a leaflet drop was apparently

made over Camaguey, Cuba by U.S. citizens. On 8-9 Decertber

1961, authorizies at Nassau intercepted and stopped a plane and

U.S. citizens preparing to conduct a similar leaflet drop over

Cuba. On the weekend of 15-17 December, another overflight

was conducted by U.S. citizens and from this attempt, two

pilota and a plane failed to return.

2. Investigation by U.S. authorities of the activities

cited above has been hampered by a welter of conflicting stories

from second and third hand sources, as well as by inconsistent

statements from alleged participants. However, the following

gunmary appears to be accurate. William JOHNSON has said

that he, Robert SWANNER, and Frank FIGRINI made the 21

October overflight.

Alexander I, 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 8 December, Robert SWANNER was intercepted in Nasaau in

an aircraft chartered from Sunny South Aircraft, Inc., Fort

Tili

Heavini

S802277

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Lauderdale. SWANNER was met in Nassau by JOHNSON, RORKE,

and FIORINI. This group tried to get a permit to fly to Great

Exuma Island, but the permit was denied; the plane impounded,

and SWANNER fined $500. 00 for illegal entry inasmuch as he had

no authorization to fly the plane outside the U.&. On 10 December,

a search of Norman Cay produced rine packages of anti-Castro

leaflets similar to the ones used in the 2l October operation.

On 14 December, THOMPSON flew from Melbourne, Florida to

Fort Lauderdale in an Apache aircraft, No. 206ZP, belonging to

his employer, J. David FINGER, and allegedly chartered by

JOHNSON for an eventual flight to Nassau. In Fort Lauderdale,

THOMPSON picked up JOHNSON. It is not clear whether SWANNER

and FIORINI were picked up in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, or Weat

Falm Seach, but it is certain that at some point JOHNSON left

the group and that FIORINI, SWANNER and THOMPSON flew to

Andros Island. On the evaning of 17 December, FINGER reported

to the FAA at Melbourne that Apacho No. 2062P, with THOMPSON

as pilot, was raissing. On 18 Decumber, fORKE, FIORINI, and

JOHNSON reportedly chartered a plane in Miami for a trip to

Bimini and Cay Sal. RORKE allegedly identified himselí as a

CBS photographer looking for pholographs of pink flamingos.

The plane flew a criss-cross pattern over Cay Sal and returned

to Miami International Airport.

There has been no information

concerning the whereabouts of THOMPSON, SWANNER and Apache

No. 206LP until March 1963, when the story attributed to an

unidentified Cuban farmer appeared in the referenced press items.

3._ Ao to the queation of CLA involvement in the activities

of the men cited herein, JCHNSCN, FIORINI, and RORKE have,

at various times, claimed CIA sponsorskip, although RORKE and

FIORINI also intimated that they themselves were the spongora.

I In fact, none of these men had ay sponsorahip by CIA whatsoever.

Sergio RCIAS Santamarina, CASTRO's Ambassador to London from

1959 until June 1960,, at which time ROJAS broke with CASTRO

because of conviction of the latter's communist orientation,

appears to have been the Cuban exile sponsoring the operations.

Although this Agency supported ROJAS for certain operations

of an entirely different nature, air operations or anything con-

nected with them were not included. The policy which guided thia

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Agency during the months in question permitted a great deal of

latitude in dealing with Cuban exiles and, although little or no

control over their activities was demanded, the authorization,

lunding, and conduct of air operations against Cuba by this

Agency were specifically forbidden. It is quite likely that

ROJAS, In his seal to strike effective blows against the CASTRO

regime, and despite this Agency's repeated expressions of dis-

interest in air operations, convinced at leaat RORKE and FIORINI

that leallet drops were sanctioned by CLA.

About one week before

the October overflight and about one week before the December

incident, CIA began to receive reports of impending leaflet

arops over Cuba.

As noted above, after the 21 October opera,

tion, RORKE and FIORINI claimed that they had been involved.

It was not until December that this Agency became aware of the

full extent of the three overflights and the detailo of the involvo-

ment of THOMPSON, SWANNER, and JOHNSON. With the

exception of ROJAS, none of the men mentioned herein have

ever been employed by this Agency in any capacity.

4. In March 1962, Mr. Raymond J. DWYER, a Miami

attorney representing FINGER in connection with possible

litigation againat the insurer of the Apache aircraft, approached.

this Agency for information inasmuch as there were widespread

Iunors of U.S. Government Involvement in the incident. Mr.

DWYER was informed that this Agency had no connection with

the ilight in question or with the individuals named by him -

FINGER, JOHNSON, THOMPSON, SWANNER, and STURGIS (Frank

Anthony STURGIS aka Frank FIORINI).

5. In June, 1962, this Agency received from the Stato

Department a query from Senator Robert C. BYRD on behalí of

Mrs. Blancèe DeBOLT, Elkview, West Virginia, mother of

Robert THOMPSON. Mrs. DeBOLT was seeking clarification

of various rumors concerning THOMPSON's whereabouts.

Agency informed Slate that wa had no information that would

substantiate any of the runora.

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6.

This Agency has checked the transcripts of CASTRO's

speeches from 1t through 31 December 1961.

He made no refer-

ence to having shot down two aircraft which were dropping bombs

and leaflets on Havana and Matanzas. As to other elements of

the incident as reported in references, this Agency can furnish

so information on the following:

A. MrB. SWANNER's story of having driven

SWANNER, JOHNSON, and FIORINI to Fort Lauder-

dale to load a boat with leaflets;

B. The $500. 00 checke reportedly given to

Mrs. SWANNER and MIs. THOMPSON by FIORINI;

C. Mrs. SWANNER's reported trip to Andros

Island with her son and a friend of her husband;

D. The mysterious phone calla to MIs. SWANNER,

MEB. THOMPSON, and otherss

E.

The role of Gene ASBURY and Norman

GRATSKY OF GRADSKY.

7. The John MARTINO mentioned in one of the referenced

articles is probably John Vincent MARTINO who was sentenced by

Cuban authorities in 1959 to thirteen yeara in prison on the charge

of counter-revolutionary activities.

MARTINO was released and

returned to the U.S. in October 1962, not in December a8

reported. MARTINO was not and is not employed by this Agency

in any capacity.

(Signod). Dosanna Fitaborala

Desmond FitzGerald

Chieí, Special Affaira Staff

Distribution;

Crig & 1 - Addressee

1 - DD/P

1 - C/SAS

2 - SAS/ EOB

DDP/SAS/EOB: CDFord:el (20 Mar 63)

D 002211

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