JFK Assassination File 180-10143-10275

by United States federal government

Harold Leap

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Persuent to critic allegations^publications and specific statements^allegations by former CIA employee James Wilcott that LHO was a CIA agent, staff investigator Harold D Heap interviewed the following is CIA Personnel to determine if there was^{is efrvrtpry} collaboration for the Wilcott statements or had personal knowledge related to the Oswald agent issue.

1. Robert P. Wicker, DoB 4Oct15, SSN 238-17-0844. 6600 Melwood Rd, Bethesda, Maryland, telephone no. 27 229-6368. Position with CIA was [deputy Chief of Station, Tokyo ¹³ Japan], June 59 to sept^Oct 64. Interviewed at CIA Hdqs 4-13-78 subject is retired.

2. Leo Rosenbaum, DOB 2 Dec 23, SSN 122-14-2221, 1815 Opalocha Dr., McLean, VA, telephone no. 356-5283. Position with CIA for the period June 60 May 59 to July^Oct 64 was chief of Counter Intelligence, SR Branch, [Tokyo¹³ Japan], Interviewed CIA Hdqs 4-10-78. Subject is retired

Jun 61 to Jun 63 3. [Hope Irene³ Mason], DOB 24 May 33, SSN [618-26-³⁰3500]. Subject presently employed at CiA Hdqs and has cover. [Mas³on 2] position with the CiA in 1963 at [Tokyo Ja¹³pan] was Interrogative assistant for the SE Section. Interviewed at CIA Hdqs on 4-7-78

4. Frederick C. Randall, DoB 26Oct26, SSN 508-20-4068, Presently employed at CIA Hdqs and has cover. Randall position with the CiA in Sept 61 to Aug 63 was Chief of Registry at the [Tokyo¹³ Station]. Interviewed at CiA Hdqs on ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ .

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5. James S. Wood, DoB 20 Feb 28, SSN ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ presently employed at CiA Hdqs. Wood's position from Apr 61 to Jan^Nov 66 at [Tokyo¹³ Station] as finance officer. Subject interviewed at CIA Hdqs on 3-31-78.

6. George ^James von Bretszel, DoB 12 Dec 21 SSN 074-18-5912, 14801 Springfield Rd Germantown MD, telephone 948-6908. former CiA case officer, [tokyo¹³, Japan] to S R B from July 63 to July 67 presently retired, interviewed 4-10-78 interviewed 4-11-78

7. Howard M. Orr, DoB 22 Jul 22, SSN 275 12 4377, address 8405 Weller Ave, McLean, Va, telephone 893-3325, presently retired. Position with CiA, HDQS 59-61 (SR Div) [Tok¹³yo]^Aug 61-^Nov63 (Case officer - S B.), Nov 63 HDQS, S R. Div., desk officer for Japan. interviewed 4-11-78.

8. George A. Fill, DoB 29 May 21 SSN address 27 Bay Tree, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29582, telephone # 803-249-3193. Presently retired. fill was chief of the Soviet Branch at the [Tokyo¹³ Station] from June 1960 to June 1965 interviewed 4-29-78.

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9. Robert D. Keith, DoB 11 Aug 27, SSN 257-28-6051, address 2011 Glenway Dr. Sanford, Fla. 32771, telephone - 305-323-7434 former ^CIA case officer at [Tokyo ¹³Station], SR Branch Jan 59 to Oct 63 , interviewed 4-30-78

10. Jerome E. fox, DoB 9 Oct 18, SSN 102-22-9198 address 3663 NW 21st st, Miami, Fla telephone 305-634-2997, former CiA intelligence analyst at [Tokyo ¹³ Station] from Jul 1959 to Dec 1962 , worked in program involving military intelligence. interviewed 5-1-78

11. William V. Broe, DoB 24 Aug 15, SSN 032 01 8164 address 111 Indian Trails, Scituate, Mass telephone 617-545-6113. former Co,S CiA [COS ²⁷ Tokyo,¹³ Japan] from 1961 to 1965. interviewed 5-15-78

12. William Crawford, DoB 19 Sept 24, SSN 429-26-4954 address 4944 Cass St, Apt 806 San Diego, Ca. 92109, telephone 714-273-2770 former CiA executive officer at Atsugi air base in Charge of the U-2 program. (Details of interview conducted 5-14-78 submitted in separate report).

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CIA employees

The above individuals were selected for interview because of the positions they held at the time with the CiA at [the Tokyo¹³ Station] in^during the time periodframe of 1959 to 1964.

James Wilcott made gave testimony in a closed hearing before the SCA that a CiA case officer told him stationed in [Tokyo,¹³ Japan] told him that LHO was a CIA agent and cpae also mentioned LHO's cryptomym^nym. The [conversation]^allegations tok took place in the [Tokyo¹³ station] shortly after the word of the JFK assassination was received on 23 Nov 63. Wilcott also stated that could not recall the name of the case officer on the cryptonym. Wilcott also advised that considerable conversation took place among CiA employees [in T¹³okyo] at the time concerning the Oswald-CIA agent issue.

The basic questions asked of the CIA employee selected were as follows:

(a) Have you ever seen written documents wha would indicate that LHO was a CIA^intelligence agent or a source of information?

(b) Have^Were you ever biarl advised orally that LHO was an agent?

(c) Have you ever heard conversations or heard,^{conversational} speculation that LHO was a CiA agent or intelligence source for any government agent service

(d) Were you in a position to know if LHO was recruited as a ^CIA agent during his Tour of duty with the military in Japan.

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(e) When was the first time you ever heard the allegation that LHO was possibly^{may have been} a CIA agent.

(f) Did you know James & Elsie Wilcott [in Jap¹¹an]?






None of the^cell individuals interviewed stated they ever saw any documents nor heard any information that LHO was a CiA agent while stationed in [Tok¹³yo]. Only after this departure the crilic publications and the Garrison investigation in the late 60s were they so some aware of the puthead allegation.

Subjects 2, 7, + 8 expressed belief that LHO could^may have been recruited by the KGB during his tour of duty in Japan. They based this belief on the fact that during the period of time that LHO was in Japan, [the CiA¹³ Station in Tokyo] had identified a KGB program specifically doubles directed designed to recruit U.S. military personnel in Tokyo. However they had no information that the recruitment of LHO by the KGB did in fact take place.

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Subject Jerome E. Fox was specifically one person who Wilcott could remember that^{with who} he had conversation with concerning the speculation that LHO was an agent for the CiA. The conversation reportedly took place [in Japa^"n] after the information was received that LHO was the assassin of JFK. Fox advised investigator Leap that he was in the U.S. at the time of the assassination on 23 Nov 63. Fox's CiA personnel reflecte d he was transferred from [the Tokyo ¹³Station] to the U.S. in 1962.

Subjects 2, 7, 8, 9, and 11 all thought they would have known if LHO have been rec recruited as a CIA Agent while he was in Japan. all the subjects worked within the SR Branch of the [Tokyo Station¹³] and theoretically would have one of them would have handled or had knowledge of the recruitment. all thought if Oswald had been recruited without their knowledge it would have been a rare exception 8 the working policy and guidelines [of the station¹³].

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