◆ SpookStack

with Campbell handling the airlift end of MADD, a lift of nearly 1,300 troops was to be completed in a period of less than 4 days, leaving only a handful of new trainees at JMTRAV and, at JMADD, the 160 airborne troops who would be flown directly from JMADD to the drop zones in Cuba on D-Day. 101/ During the period of transition from JMADD to JMTIDE and in the interval before the first of the operational air strikes, the records reflect numerous indications of a serious shortage of Cuban pilots for the planned air operation. This is contrary to the belief of all of the principals who were most directly involved in the air operation. Richard Bissell, how- ever, claimed to have been seriously concerned about the number of air crews: I do clearly remember that one of the limiting factors in the whole operation was the number of competent Cuban air crews that could be found, recruited, and trained. I remember saying to [Col. Stanley] Beerli that I wished he had a lot more [aircraft], and he said "No point •.. we could get more B-26's easily enough, but we don't have the crews to man them and we just can't find them. We are training all the competent Cubans -- pilots, co-pilots, air crewmen -- that we can find, and this is as much of a capability as we are able to develop." 102/ - 166 -