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..J:QP BECkE I him with the necessary information, Holcomb then noted: It was the impression of the CIA officers present that Admiral Dennison is a cooperative officer and favorably and objectively inclined towards CIA, and that if his needs can be met, he will undoubtedly follow a positive and helpful course. 111/ On 2 November 1960, Richard Bissell, Jacob Ester- line, and Colonel Jack Hawkins traveled to Norfolk to Admiral Dennison's headquarters. The CIA representa- tives received a general briefing by the Navy on con- tingency plans for Hispaniola and Cuba, and in return, they briefed the Navy on Project JMATE. Mr. Bissell gave an overview of the CIA operation, Esterline dis- cussed the political and propaganda aspects, and Hawkins talked about the PM program, including the plan for a 1,500-man invasion force to seize a lodge- ment on the island of Cuba. Hawkins emphasized that \ this last objBctive could not be met until March or April of 1961.* 112/ * In a telecon with the author of this history on 15 May 1978, Admiral Dennison indicated that it was extremely late in the course of the Bay of Pigs oper- ation before he received any briefing rrc= CIA on the anti-Castro operation. He made it sound, in fact, as though he was not briefed until shortl~ before the (footnote continued on follc~ing page) - 125 - +OP !)ECRE I