◆ SpookStack

There is no evidence indicating how it was determined who the witnesses would be or in what order the witnesses would testify. On the same day that he met with President Kennedy and received his instructions as to the nature of the invest.igation he was to conduct, Taylor held his first meeting with the committee. In attendance in addition to the committee members were representatives from both CIA and the Department of Defense. Included among others in the CIA contingent were: Richard M. Bissell, Jr., Deputy Director for Plans; C. Tracy Barnes, Bissell's Deputy for Action; Gen. Charles P. Cabell, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence; Jacob D. Esterline, the overall Chief of the Bay of Pigs project; Col. J.C. King, Chief, Western Hemisphere Division; and Col. Jack Hawkins (USMC), Chief of paramilitary planning for the project. The principal representative for the Department of Defense was G~l1. David W. Gray, a member of the Joint Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who had participated most actively in insuring DOD support for the operation. The CIA participants in the first meeting were, of course, the most obvious choices; and conse- quently, their appearance at the first meeting was no surprise. The appearance of other Agency personnel was in most instances - at the direct request of the committee or at the suggestion of one of the witnesses who was testifying. / :,,- 15 "~