◆ SpookStack

:rop SEEREUf· in the DDI and I knew where the talent was. For example, on just such a mundane, but important thing, as topography and geography and beach stuff .•. Christ, I well knew from the time that I worked for Lofty Becker •.. that there was in old ORR •.• in the geographic thing ••. Jim [Bramrnell], ..• Otto Guthe ••• I mean, they would have been glad to supply people .•• and we didn't ask. So you can't say that DDIdidn't provide, unless you understand that they didn't,provide because they really weren't asked.* 120/ Although the Agency's own personnel assignments have been criticized, the assignment of two of the key military personnel involved in the JMARC operation proved to be quite successful. Col. Jack Hawkins, United States Marine Corps, and Lt. Col. Frank Egan, United States Army, were in charge of the overall PM activity (Hawkins) and the PM training (Egan) for the Cuban exile brigade. Hawkins, who was serving on the Staff of the Marine School at Quantico, Virginia at * Drain's suggestion that the DOI was left completely in the cold during the Bay of Pigs operation overstates the case. As ear~y as January 1959 there is evidence that Mr. Helms agreed to cut the OOI in on "useful intelligence to which it would be well for the DO/I to have access" from State cable traffic on Cuba being carried over CIA channels. A "massive" study of Cuban telecommunications facilities prepared by ORR in the fall of 1960 led Mr. Bissell to send a memo of commendation for the Communications Branch through the OOI. Obviously the OOI knew something was a- foot. 120a/ - 131 - 'i8P gECR£'f