◆ SpookStack

In addition to its calls for witnesses, the first meeting of the CSG established the practice of requesting copies of documents that had been originated during the course of the Bay of Pigs operation or, alternatively, asking that specific reports be prepared in response to questions raised during the course of the testimony.* In an historical context, one of the most important decisions of the first meeting concerned the handling of documents and tapes generated by or for the inquiry~ and it was determined that all such materials would be retained by General Taylor. With the exception of the first two or three meetings, the official record of all subsequent meetings and interviews became the responsibility of then Lt. Col. Benjamin W. Tarwater (USAF), who was assigned to the Joint Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.** The official records of the Taylor Committee, although in many instances in considerable detail, are not a verbatim record. * See Appendix A for an example of such a request. ** Col. Tarwater had been responsible for reviewing the progress of the anti-Castro Air Force in February 1961 when the Joint Chiefs were tasked with the responsibility of assessing the readiness of the forces planning to invade Cuba. The records of the first two or three meetings were prepared by Col. J.C. King, Chief, Western Hemisphere Division and Col. Inglelido of the Joint Staff. ~ '. 16 'l ~, ., "J