CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS SANITIZED
VIA:
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FROM
SUBJECT:
1. Upon my return to Fort Amador from the interior the afternoon of.
mmediately called Richard F. Arville, askingr might have done to assist him regarding theICFAMGLED. Arville filled oe in on the background and indicatedhat.he did not know, Wc agreed it would bs wise for me Lo play* down as much as possible; and that it'would be well for me to tell the'interested officials in the Command,eed-to-know basis if asked, that thiszj, empty LCFANGLE) engagedoutine .training trip-to checkj.
. hen contacted CaptainArmstrong, -DSN, AC ofA stated that Lt.Horace L. McBride had ram: through the., general thought our cover here was goneesult': was alamed to learn our signal personnel hod gone on the air ln directcation withhat the general felt he should know ifcommand is running around in an LCFANGLED. ffered to see the general immediately; but, as it turned out, the military had golfing dates, and Armstrong sent me word, later in the evening that the general would see me
At the appointed time, Armstronget with Brigadier General Martin F. Haas, Chief of Staff, Caribbean Command. Hass stated General McBride vas embarrassed and griped to think we had not told him we had an LCFANGLED at TR0BAL0 and briefed him as to what it was doing. old him we assumedknew about the LCFANGLED, since it had been tied up at DTR0BAL0 for several months without arousing any unusual interest; thatecurity point of view, as outlined in, there was in effect no real need for him to know the details; ard that the LCFANGLED was engaged in one of several training trips which it lias been making'and would have been of no interest to him had it not met with bad climatic conditions. General Hass talked and talked, but gradually calmedhink he is not unduly disturbed. He asked me to be sure to tell Armstrong the next tirce wc contemplate another trip of this nature and also to keep him informed if we were using any airplanes under unusual or similar
I then called on Captain G. U. Patterson,SN, Chief ofh Naval District. ad been in extensive Contact with Patterson the riieht of
SECURITY TOATION
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uly, pressuring him into sending an ODOATH LCFANGLFJ) to help ourlso talked to him at length on the morningugust. aw himugust, he vas under control but still had not fully calmed down. He obviously resented. in Washington had been appealed to for assistance. He told me such action was not necessary. He did not buy tbe story that the LCFANGLED wasoutine training mission, checking out its engines, etc. He said he had been through the area where tho LCFANGLID broke down on three occasions, and it was one of the last places In the Caribbean for any reasonable skipper to goraining ortrip. He stated in substance, "You know, Zac, that crew wasecretin the area,ave been cleared for Topou should be able to tell me." old Patterson so farnew the LCFAKGLED wasoutinetraining trip. sked him whether he wanted me to see Admiral Bledsoe. But it was obvious, when Pattersonould not give him any information, he saw no need for me to talk with the admiral. He said the admiral was going toetter to. about this incident. ffered to see the admiral at any time, but have not heard from him and therefore assume he does not want to see me.
5* At the completion of our interview, Captain Patterson stated he wanted to know in advance of any future proposed trips by our present or any futureith complete details as to what was going on. oldould make no commitment, but would inform Headquarters of his wishes. lso reminded him that under security regulations there was no real need for him to know details of our activities. Patterson is friendly toward me; however, he seems very nosy on this issue. lso told Patterson that Arville had kept ODOATH well informed by dealing with the CO. at Coco Soloay-to-day basis. Patterson made it clear that he was runningh Naval District and not the CO, at Coco Solo.
I personally arranged lo have contacted all Public Information officers here for the purpose of having any inquiry regarding the LCFANGLED squashed or played down. Apparently none of them have had any inquiry.
The foregoing is set forth for your information and whatever action say be deemed appropriate. It would appear to me that we shall have to give Navy and Caribbean Command at least unofficial advance notice of any future trips of this nature if we aro going to avoid ill will and possible publicity.
ZTC/ntj
3
T. Cady
iles
Original document.
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