◆ SpookStack

20 ex-Cuban Air Force and ex-Navy pilots at TIDE, whose expertise was completely ignored in the initial stages of the briefing and planning operation. Ferrer, too, pointed out that when volunteers were requested, all of the B-26 crews stepped forward. Unfortunately Ferrer said that the feeling among the Cubans was that the Americans regarded anyone from south of the US border down to Patagonia as "uncivilized, savage Indians." The eight Cubans who were not selected were particularly critical. Although it cannot be confirmed, Ferrer also reported that Gen. Reid Doster had lost his composure and had thrown his flight bag against the wall, cursing out the Headquarters idiots who had conceived of the D-2 air strike employing only eight B-26's. 22/ As a C-46 pilot, Ferrer had not been a partici- pant in the briefings for the B-26 bomber pilots, how- ever, Connie Seigrist's comments on the briefings tend to support some of the reactions that were stressed by Ferrer. Seigrist wrote: There was a Staff briefing for our Staff personnel first. I was not invited -- I was not Staff. There was some VIP from D.C. that gave this briefing. I - 196 - \