on CIA misdirection during Church Committee hearings, 431
Cuban exiles on Cuban Communist assassination team and, 313
Cubela plot investigation, 240
on FBI/CIA coordination for Warren Commission, 367
on presidential use of CIA, 438–39
Scott, Janet, 419
Scott, Michael, 419
Scott, Winston “Win”
autobiography, 419, 421
awareness of Oswald in Mexico City, 217, 455
Barron and, 421
on Castro’s agents’ infiltration, 143
CIA coverup and, 353
concern about Dallas, 281
death, disappearance of files, 416, 419–20
Mexico City CIA station and, 211–12
on Oswald, Havana, two-suitcase problem and, 342
on Oswald’s Soviet/Cuban Embassy visits, 352
Scott-Foresman Books, Oswald job with, 257
Scowcroft, Brent, 374
Second Naval Guerrilla, 171–72
Artime/Williams training, 238
Castro assassination and, 175–76
FitzGerald and, 175
funding for, 172
receives weapon purchases funding, 271
Secret Service
agents on grassy knoll theory and, 472–73
concerns about JFK in crowds, 281
finding/protecting Oswald next-of-kin, 337
JFK body onto Air Force One and, 304
Oswald’s shooting and, 297–98
Pearson checking on Morgan’s anti-Castro plots story and, 394–95
presence of, tolerated by JFK, 278
“Preventing Assassination” report, 456
RFK demands Oval Office tapes from, 322
security risk procedures of, 473
seriousness of Oswald’s Soviet Embassy contacts and, 258
Seigenthaler, John, 66
Semichastny, Vladimir, 102, 103–44, 107, 110
Senate Rules Committee, LBJ/Baker investigation, 289
Senate Select Committee to Study
Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence. See Church Committee
Sexton, Bill, 228
Shackley, Theodore
advising against Fitzgerald/Cubela meeting, 244
on AM/TRUNK operation, 182
on Artime’s operation, 174–75
on autonomous operations, 173
awareness of Soviet missiles in Cuba, 148
on Harvey/Kennedy run-ins, 80
JM/WAVE chief, 44
lack of investigative follow-up and, 244
postpone operations orders of, 390
Shannon, William, 28–29
Sharp, June Cobb, 219
Shaw, Clay
character of, 411
Garrison investigation, 410–13
Sheridan, Walter, 406–7, 409
relationship with RFK, 578 n 45
Shimon, Joe, 52, 246, 393
Shirakova, Rimma, 100, 101
Shirkovsky, Eduard, 103
shooting range, Dallas, Oswald and, 261–63
Siegel, Bugsy, 67
Siegel, Evelyn Strickman, 90
Sierra, Paulino, 185
Silberling, Edwyn, 283
Silver, Myra, 205
Silverman, HUM, 491
Sinatra, Frank, 435
Single Bullet Theory (SBT), 477, 483
Siragusa, Charles, 50, 66
Sitzman, Marilyn, 474–75
Skakel, George, 4
Skakel, George, Jr., 31
Skelton, Byron, 274
Slack, Garland, 261
Slack, Lucille, 264
Slawson, David, 420
Slough, Hugh, 269
Smathers, George
demanding JFK action on Cuba, 233
Hudkins and, 74
on JFK, Castro assassination plan and, 49, 64
JFK complaints about Texas trip and, 276
on JFK in Cuba, 10
on JFK plans for Cuba invasion, 18–19
McLaney and, 67
Santa Ana mission and, 14
Smith, Howard K., 377
Smith, Joe Marshall, 472–73
Smith, Steve, 323
Smith, Wayne, 3
Smothers, Curtis, 435
Snyder, Richard, Oswald and, 103, 109
Socialist Party of America, 96
“Solo Source,” 223–24 See also Childs, Jack and Morris
Somoza, Luis
Cuba retaliation concern, 175
on Cuban invasion likelihood, 271
MDC training camps and, 186, 188
message to RFK, 171
Sierra meets with, 185
Sorenson, Ted, 18, 25–26
Sorrells, Forrest, 473
Soviet Embassy, Mexico City
Oswald first visit to, 214–15
Oswald second visit to (pulls gun), 216
Oswald third visit to, 217–18
Soviet Embassy, Washington, DC, Oswald letter to, 225
Soviet Union
Cuba and, 6–7
espionage school, Minsk, 122
Oswald, Shirakova and, 101–3
Oswald’s inconsequence to, 102–3, 455–56
U.S.-Cuba invasion planning, 1962 and, 77–78
U.S. perceived Caribbean military inferiority of, 178–79
Spalding, Charles, 23
Special Affairs Staff, 82
Special Forces, U.S. Army, 39
Special Group (Augmented), 43
approves nine Cuban operations, 230
authority of, 75
Belin finds Harvey’s memo to coverup plans of, 426–27
Castro threats and, 250
Church Committee conclusions on, 429
LBJ calls halt to, 390
Special Operations Group (SOG), 40
Spector, Arlen, 483
Sportsdrome Gun Range, Oswald at, 261–63
Sprague, Richard, 441
stalkers, 120
Stanton, Frank, 30
Stephanapoulos, George, 460
Stephens, John Henry, 53, 54
Stern, Edith, 412
Stevenson, Adlai J., 25, 235, 249, 274
Stevenson, Robert, 180–81
Stokes, Louis, 441
Stone, I. E, 449
Stone, Oliver, 446
Stover, John, 325
Strategy of Peace, The (JFK), 10
Stuckey, Bill, 201
Sturdivan, Larry, 466
Sturgis, Frank, 48, 51, 166, 248
Sullivan & Cromwell, 520–21 n 158
Sullivan, William, 355, 357, 367
Sulzberger, Arthur Hays, 24
Summers, Malcom, 472
Summers, Robbyn and Anthony, 420
Sylvester, Arthur, 359
Szulc, Tad, 16, 63–64, 166, 179, 250
T
Tannenbaum, Robert, 389, 442
Tarabochia, Al, 242
Tarassoff, Boris and Anna, 352
Tarusin, Oleg, 108
Task Force W, 44, 62, 82, 238 See also Cuba Project; Special Affairs Staff
Tatum, Jack, 315
Taylor, Maxwell, 25, 38, 47, 178
Taylor Commission, 38, 71
Texas School Book Depository, 294
Frazier and Oswald at, 265
Oswald job at, 256, 257
Oswald missing from roll call at, 318
trajectory from, 444–45, 470–71
Texas trip, JFK, 280–81
concerns about Dallas, 273–75
Democratic Party fundraising and, 282
planning, 253–54
security problems of, 255–56
Thevenot, Wayne, 374
Third Agency Rule, 258, 366–67
Thomas, Albert, 284
Thompson, Josiah, 469, 474
303 Committee. See Cuban Coordinating Committee
Thurmond, Strom, 233
Tippit, J. D., 228, 313–15
Titovets, Ernst, Oswald and, 104, 110
Tobias, Mahlon, 128
Tofte, Hans, 19
Touré, Sékou, 234
Tourine, Charles, 51
Tower, John, 435
Trafficante, Santos, Jr.
Castro, numbers operation and, 246
Castro assassination planning and, 50, 52
Cubela and, 245
Halfen and, 414
McWillie and, 501
trajectory, bullet, 444–45, 470–71, 477–81
Travell, Janet, 327
Trujillo, Rafael, 425
Truman, Harry S, 35, 431
Tsagoika, Leonid, 295
Turner, Stansfield, 443
Turner, William
on Cuban exiles’ usefulness, 157
on Howard’s changed opinion of RFK, 236
on Los Amigos de Roberto, 164
on McLaney’s Castro assassination plan, 69–70
on meeting 11/22/63, 289
on RFK/Williams relationship, 164–65
Turnure, Pam, 171
U
U-2 spy plane
Cuban Missile Crisis and, 148–49
Oswald, KGB and, 102
photos of Oswald residences in Minsk, 340
Unconventional Warfare (UW), 178
AM/TRUNK, OPLAN 380–63 and, 182
Underwood, Marty
on crown turnout, Texas trip, 280–81
cue cards for LBJ swearing in and, 305
on Jack/Jackie relationship on Texas trip, 278–79
on JFK preferences for Texas trip, 255
JFK’s St. Jude/Christopher medals and, 286
on LBJ and Warren Commission report, 376
United Fruit Company, 4, 8
U.S. Communist Party. See Communist Party USA
V
Valenti, Jack, 404
Vallejo, Rene, 235
Van Cleve, Harry, 389
Van Kirk, Burkett, 284, 290
Vance, Cyrus, 163–64, 171, 176, 341
Vanden Heuvel, William, 382
Varona, Tony, 272
Vaughn, Todd, 476–77
Veciana, Antonio, 437
Vega, Angel, 186, 188
Vega Perez, Manuel, 225
Verson, Salvador Diaz, 222, 345–46
Vidal, Gore, 235, 398
Vietnam, Lansdale and, 42
Vinson, Fred, Jr., 409
Voebel, Edward, 96
W
Wade, Henry, 333, 498–99
Wagner, Herbert, 146
Waldron, Lamar, 166–67
Walker, C. T., 316
Walker, Edwin, 124, 125, 338
Walsh, John, 324–25
war criminals, Cuban, 6
Warren, Earl, 484
appointment to Warren Commission, 360–61
JFK eulogy and, 361
Pearson checking on Morgan’s anti-Castro plots story and, 394–95
Ruby and, 499
on Warren Commission report, 375–76
Warren, Earl, Jr., 360, 361
Warren, Jeffrey, 360, 361, 375
Warren Commission, 359–80
appointments to, 359–63
attempt to get RFK to contribute, 369–70
on buses from Oak Cliff, 308
CIA appointments to, 362–63
Cuban exiles on Cuban Communist assassination team report, 313
on Dougherty seeing Oswald 11/22/63, 288
Dulles’ philosophy toward, 363–64
executive session on objections to, 372
FBI/CIA coordination for, 367
on Hosty’s reporting obligations, 260
legal staff doubts about “Oswald alone,” 374–75
non-consensus of, 371–75
on Oswald in Mexico City, 213, 217–18
Russell’s dissent to, 372–73
shortcomings of, 378–80
workings/constraints/oversights of, 368–71
Zapruder film, shooting mechanics and, 475–76
Washington Merry-Go-Round. See Anderson, Jack
Washington Post, JFK action on Cuba and, 233
Watson, Marvin, 404
Webster, William, 283
Weidenfeld, Lord George, 362
Weinstein, Sylvia, 117
Weisberg, Harold, 205
Weisberger, Bernard, 7, 11, 18
Weitzman, Seymour, 483–84
Werner, Lewis, 31
Weston, Wally, 494, 495–96, 498, 500
Wheeler, Earle, 362
Whidbee, Harry, 355
White, Allan, 353
White, Byron E, 66
White, Robert, 491
White Citizens Council, Banister and, 140
Wicker, Tom, 276, 321, 425
Willens, Howard (Warren Commission staff), 370
Williams, Bonnie Ray, 299
Williams, Edward Bennett, 388, 397
Williams, Harry, 164–67, 382, 390
Brigade 2506 containment, Miami, 275
closed-door RFK planning sessions and, 171
Cuban invasion planning and, 166
JFK assassination, RFK calling about, 303
meeting with CIA, 11/22/63, 289
meets with JFK, 170
relaying JFK support to Artime, 174
RFK and, 164
RFK/autonomous projects meeting, 173–74
Second Naval Guerrilla training and, 238
Sierra and, 185
Williams, John, 284
Wilson, Henry Hall, 66
Wilson, Will, 556 n 52
witnesses, 487–89
gunfire source and, 298–300, 467
Wizelman, Leslie, 443
Wofford, Harris
concerns about RFK and Warren Commission, 370
on JFK/RFK plots against Cuba, 84
on JFK’s inattention to Cuba, 13
on RFK and Malcolm X remark, 381
on RFK and Operation Mongoose, 47
on RFK’s need for action, 30
Wood, Homer, 261–63
Wood, Sterling, 261–63
Woodward, Assistant Sec. of State Robert Forbes, 73–74
Worker, The, 115
Worrell, James, 296–97
Wrightsman, Charles, 24, 31–32
Wulf, William, 95
Y
Yarborough, Ralph, 280
Yates, Ralph Leon, 268
Yatzkov, Pavel, 215–16
Year of the Firing Squad (1961), 6
Z
Zabola, Morse, 73
Zahm, James A., 465
Zaid, Mark, 489
Zapruder, Abraham, 474
Zapruder film, 339, 467, 468, 469–70
Zoppi, Tony, 496, 498
ZR/RIFLE, 61, 432
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“You need a mess of help to stand alone.”
—Brian Wilson
Special Thanks
My sincere thanks go first to all those who trusted me with their memories. Every attempt was made to keep your interview words accurate, and in context. This book owes its existence to veteran producer Harry Moses, who convinced me that my work should have a wider audience. Harry, I hope you were right. If not, I’m blaming everything on you. Thanks to Mary Ferrell, for her years of gracious support. To Joseph Howell and Craig and Debby Witzke: thanks for believing in and supporting my work. Cinda Elser, not only the best skip tracer in the biz, but a guaranteed giggle—your contributions are visible (to me at least) on every page. My old high school chum Doug Kearns made an initial effort at line editing an early unwieldy behemoth of a manuscript.
Sy Hersh was always gracious in allowing access to his voluminous files and contacts. He was also considerate in not taking advantage of my second serve. Peter Matson at Sterling Lord—thanks for the Herculean effort. Michael Sullivan, W. Scott Malone, Miri “The Glue” Navasky, and David Fanning at Frontline all provided a great and collegial work experience. The late Bud Fensterwald, who encouraged my
early work (and that of numerous other truth seekers), was a constant source of help in those important years.
It was Linda Jackson-Patterson who suggested I approach Bancroft Press at a book fair we were attending. So she shares the blame with Harry Moses, I suppose. To my publisher Bruce Bortz—thanks for taking the chance, while allowing me to retain my own voice throughout. Also at Bancroft, thanks to Evonne Smitt for a painstaking line edit. Jonathan Sachsman labored hard to manage both structural and computer gremlins. Robert Aulicino contributed a terrific jacket design. Susan Mangan not only functioned as last-minute trouble shooter, but in partnership with Steven Parke of What ?Design, added the artistic touch to the final design and photo spread. Deborah Patton, with very little notice, provided a thorough and meticulous index. Sarah Azizi managed the Bancroft office with great humor and professionalism, while also playing the role of prototypical reader with little background on or interest in the subject. (Her enthusiasm for the book was, therefore, especially appreciated.) Fred White and Melinda Russell both made significant contributions in the book’s early stages.
I’d be greatly remiss if I didn’t single out Dr. Abe Bortz for his vital contributions to the book. A professional historian trained at Harvard under Arthur Schlesinger, Sr., Dr. Bortz devoted a significant part of his career to writing, studying, and teaching American history. For this book, he painstakingly read each draft, always asked the right questions, continually made astute suggestions, and constantly praised my efforts. This book was purposely written to be of use to adults of three distinct generations: the young (who have little knowledge of the Kennedy assassination), the middle-aged (the people who, like me and my publisher, grew up on a staple of Kennedy assassination information, and didn’t quite know what to believe), and Dr. Bortz’s generation (who are inclined to support the Warren Commission’s findings). It was edited by three generations of editors. When my youngest editors said they understood the story, when my publisher said it proved a paradigm shift from what his (and my) generation understood, and when Dr. Bortz, in reading the manuscript’s various versions, said he was “almost persuaded,” then “persuaded,” then “absolutely persuaded,” I sensed that this gigantic effort had succeeded.
Jim Lesar of the Assassination Archives and Research Center has shared his insights (and files) with me for three decades. Steve Tilley of the National Archives JFK Collection went above and beyond the call of duty to keep the documents flowing. Sam Halpern graciously made himself available for late-night calls and fact checking. Ross Crozier was a great help in providing background and photos on Castro’s early years.
To Mom—thanks for your love and support, especially in the form of spaghetti dinners. Ditto—Aunt Marie Young. To my landlords, Steve and Janet Nugent—thanks for your patience. Thanks, too, to Scout and Mrs. Teasdale; they showed unflinching love and loyalty in the face of my constant absences. Lastly, Geraldine Monsant, who now dwells with her own kind—angels: Thanks for the passion and love you showed for everyone and their work. I wanted you, more than anyone, to see the final product.