◆ SpookStack

control of troops, trainees would have more pride in themselves, and, most of all, would believe the FRD is supporting them. 38/* Headquarters deferred on the question of rank, however, suggesting instead that the continued use of different colored baseball caps and, perhaps, the addition of scarfs would be adequate identification for the dif- ferent flight groups. A promise was made that some sort of rank designationfwouldLeventually/be permitted the Cubans. 39a/ Whether and which of the Cuban air trainees would be available was at question throughout the training activity at MADD. Toward the end of March 1961, when COB MADD was suggesting R&R for various of the Cuban * Ferrer indicated that there was extreme concern ~ among the Cuban trainees about this question of rank/ at the' time of the defectior., of the dozen men. He pointed out that within the C-46 squadron when he proposed advancing two of the C-46 trainee group, he ran into opposition from Col. Villafana, the Chief of the Air Group, and Luis Cosme. (The latter became the second in command, after the Nobregas defection.) Villafana and Cosme suggested that pilots who were available in the Miami area had more experience and were better qualified for the positions which Ferrer wanted for his squadron trainees. In fact, so serious and violent did the discussion between Cosme and Ferrer become, that it nearly ended up in a shoot- out between two highly emotional Cubans. 39/ - 124 -