◆ SpookStack

Among those most directly concerned by the appear- ance of the Brigade B-26's were the pilots of Castro's Air Force. Most of these men were well known to members of the Brigade Air Force; and as Eddy Ferrer noted, during the final days of training in Nicaragua, there were fre- quent sessions where the individual FAR pilots were dis- cussed and rediscussed as potential enemies in the skies over Cuba. Some of the more experienced FAR pilots had actually received training in the United States. Among others, there were several Nicaraguan pilots who would participate in the air action; and of nine Chilean in- structors who had been working with Castro's Air Force, one, Jacques Lagas, joined the Castro Air Force and participated in the air operations against the Brigade.* were adamant that there be a breathing space between the first air strike and any subsequent follow~n strike. According to Welch, when Hawkins heard this, he (Hawkins) audibly stated that if this was the case, the operation should be cancelled in toto. Welch said Bissell either "didn't hear, or didn't choose to hear" the remark. Welch said that Ralph Brown, a logistics officer as- signed to the project, also heard the remark. Welch told the story because he believes Hawkins's reputation was unjustly tarnished because of his key role in the operational planning. 74/ * As mentioned earlier, Jacques write a bOOk'J ing hitterlyoom: 'COne IilIIUence the Castro Air Force at the time - 232 - Lagas would eventually I. complain- OI 'COne communlsts on of the Bay of Pigs.