GLASSES, HAVE THE TOP OF HIS HEAD SHAVEN AND WEARING PROTHESIS TO CHANGE THE SHAPE OF HIS MOUTH.
THE FOLLOWING ACTION IS DIRECTED:
SURVEILLANCE OF CUBANA OR OTHER AIRLINE FLIGHTS ORIGINATING IN HAVANA CUBA AND TERMINATING AT OR PASSING THROUGH LOCATIONS ABOVE, PLUS GANDER NEWFOUNDLAND, WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
CONFIRMING OR DISPROVING REPORTS PLUS ANY OTHER INTEL THAT CAN BE GENERATED IN RE MOVEMENT OR LOCATION OF GUEVARA AND/DREKE WILL BE TRANSMITTED BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MEANS, INCLUDING SATELLITE, TO CIA LANGLEY EYES ONLY DIRECTOR CIA AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR /ADMIN.
FOR THE DIRECTOR
O’CONNOR ASST DIR/ADMIN
SECRET
[TWO]
Camp David
The Catoctin Mountains, Maryland
1430 1 April 1965
The President of the United States was not in a very good mood.
For one thing, it was raining, and apparently was going to rain all goddamn day, and he had planned to shoot a little skeet, and he obviously couldn’t shoot skeet in a pouring goddamn rain.
For another, the President didn’t like what he was hearing about communist activity in the Dominican Republic from either the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, or the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
The Director had told him he considered it very likely that the government in Santo Domingo was very likely to be toppled by Communists, unless something was done almost immediately.
The Chairman had told him that he concurred with the Director’s assessment of the situation, and recommended military intervention before that happened, as it would be much easier to keep the government there in power than it would be to restore it to power after a communist coup.
The Chief of Naval Operations had told him that he concurred with the Director’s analysis, and the Chairman’s belief that military invention was necessary, and recommended that a reinforced regimental-size Marine landing force be formed and ordered to prepare for an invasion of the Dominican Republic.
The Chief had told him that he concurred with the Director and the Chairman’s analysis and their recommendation of preventative establishment of an American military presence in the Dominican Republic, but had to respectfully disagree with his good friend the Chief of Naval Operations about how to do that.
For both military and political reasons, the Chief said, it would be better to use the 82nd Airborne Division. There was no way that the sailing of a Marine landing force could be kept from either the press or the Communists in the Dominican Republic. That might cause the Communists to act sooner than expected, and that would (a) topple the existing government, and (b) very likely cause the Marines, when they arrived, to have to execute a landing on hostile shores.
There was always, the Chief went on, a regiment of the 82nd at Bragg ready to enplane on no more than twenty-four hours’ notice, and a second regiment would be available in another twenty-four hours.
The best way to send an American military presence into the Dominican Republic would be to jump an 82nd Regiment into Santo Domingo without warning, with of course the permission of the current government. Once the airport was secured, a second and a third regiment could be flown in. The Marines could thus land, without opposition, later.
The President of the United States did not like the mental pictures he was given of (a) some goddamn Dominican Fidel Castro giving the United States of America the finger; (b) parachutes filling the sky over Santo Domingo; or (c) Marines embarking from landing craft on the hostile shore of this goddamn banana republic.
“I want to think this over,” the President announced. “And it’s obvious we need some fresh thinking on the subject.” He turned to his secretary. “Send for Felter.”
The President’s secretary did not tell Colonel Sanford T. Felter much more than that the President wished him to go immediately to the Pentagon helipad, where a U.S. Army Huey would be waiting for him.
He arrived at Camp David one hour and twenty-five minutes after receiving the President’s secretary’s call, and was immediately taken into the presence of the President, the Chairman, the CNO, and the Chief. He was wearing a somewhat mussed gray suit, and a cotton raincoat that obviously was not up to keeping him dry.
“Tell me about the Dominican Republic, Felter,” the President greeted him.
“Sir, I don’t know much about the Dominican Republic,” Felter said. “That’s not in my area of responsibility.”