◆ SpookStack

Project JMATE and participated in the air training activity as flight instructors or as ground and main- tenance personnel -- a cadre without which the Brigade Air Force never could have gotten off the ground. Albert C. Persons, one of the transport pilots from this group, has given a good first hand account of the recruitment process involved in obtaining the services of transport pilots out of the Alabama Air National Guard. 2! In addition to the Air National Guard personnel, the records show that two United states Forest Service licensed riggers and PDO's served under contract at the TIDE/MAnD complexes. James M. Allen was at both MAnD and TIDE, and it appears that Fred A. Barnowsky might also have been at one or both of the overseas bases. ~ Recruitment of Air National Guard and affiliated personnel began as early as August 1960, and continued through the period of March of 1961. ~I* * Although there is no firm evidence that they partici- pated directly in the actual flight training of the Cuban crews, a number ofl !pilots (OSTIARIES) also contributed significantly to the success of air operations. When their original program phased out in the fall of 1959, they had been moved from~ tol J and when JMATE got uhaer way, they served as air crews flying passengers and materiel between the Florida bases and Guatemala. ~/ - 102 -