Carroza, Anthony R. 2012 William D. Pawley: The Extraordinary Life of the Adventurer, Entrepreneur, and Diplomat Who Cofounded the Flying Tigers Potomac Books Inc. Dulles, Virginia Hardcover - March 1, 2012 ISBN-10: 1597977144 ISBN-13: 978-159797714
Pawley was as Cassandra, one who for told a future disaster, but whose words went as if unheard.
William D. Pawley did many things, including aiding the fight against Japan in the China of WWII. However, this review will concentrate on his Latin American experiences, especially as relates to Cuba as told in this excellent and heavily researched book.
Pages 151-162 discuss the April 1948 communist attempt at a coup in the Colombian capital of Bogota, commonly known as "El Bogotazo" following the murder of Liberal Party presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Here the author talks in detail about the presence of Fidel Castro at the scene in Bogota, the activity of communists in these events, and prior warnings of the CIA. Yet I found no mention of the known presence of William Wieland in Bogota at that time.
The description of Gaitán as "... a rabble rousing orator who had made unsubstantiated charges against Ospina.." the Conservative Party candidate, calls to mind-- although the author does not mention it--the similar activities and unfortunate death of Cuban Presidential Candidate Eduardo Chibás in 1951 Cuba, which also involved Castro.
There is abundant mention of Wieland and careful descriptions his apparently subversive pro-Castro tactics in the US State Department in other parts of this book. A good example of this can be found between pages 214-220. This book has the best description of Wieland subversive activities I have so far found.
Page 223 mentions the "Batista" General Cantillo visit to Castro on December 28th 1958, a time and place that I witnessed as a very minor member of Castro's army. No mention that Cantillo's son was being held by Castro at that time was found. My own memories of this event are described in my own book in progress "Love and War in Cuba."*
After Castro gained control of Cuba, Pawley's efforts to reverse communist control of the Island are carefully described. This has great value since detail here especially that of lost raiding party is provided. Wieland's activities during this time are also well described.
Now for some speculation, as a bus company owner, Pawley had to know Jose Lauro Blanco Muñiz (an associate of my stepfather Enrique Sanz Sariol in the struggles against both Batista and Castro), a strong minded transportation labor activist who died after release as result of his ill treatment from his long stay in awful Castro prisons.** He surely had some contact with James Joseph O'Mailia a CIA contact in Havana (and a colleague of my father, Leonard Daley in St. George's High School in Havana) until the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion.
In all probability he was associated with the anti-Castro efforts of then retired Admiral Arleigh Burke, Dickey Chappelle, and probably Francisco Rodriguez Tamayo (a former Castro Rebel Captain, who was known as El Mejicano) and possibly Andrew St. George, newspaper reporter and some say CIA source. I only found mention of Admiral Burke, and St. George, but the inferences are clearly there.
What ever happened to Pawley's infiltration team aboard the Flying Tiger II which was attempting to extract Soviet defectors (or said defectors) said by others** to have been accidentally machine-gunned by U.S. Navy ships is not clear. The author considers Pawley's death a suicide which is also not in agreement with some other sources.
* Daley, Laurence (in advanced preparation) "Love and War in Cuba" a memoir of my family, and those who I knew so long ago in Cuba.
** Cuba Archive (accessed 8-6-13)[...] "William D. Pawley - Suicide Born in U.S.A. Date: 06-63. Location: Miami, Florida. Occupation: Businessman / C.I.A. agent. Place of residence: Miami, Florida. Description: Committed suicide after U.S. Navy ships accidentally machine-gunned the infiltration boat Flying Tiger II, killing the entire infiltration team. He was in charge of this mission, designed to smuggle Soviet defectors out of Cuba"
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