Post by Rob Caprio on Dec 17, 2018 22:22:57 GMT -5
All portions are ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2024
content.invisioncic.com/r16296/monthly_2018_04/GAUDET-WILLIAM-GEORGE-BILL-COLOR-CROP-ca1963.png.896fe231dfc64c52cc899929385f1ef2.png
media.silive.com/obituaries/photo/gaudetjpg-5ab8704f8ae695c0_medium.jpg
Recently someone wrote that just because William Gaudet did NOT see Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) in line for a visa at the Mexican Consulate in New Orleans on 9/17/63 that does NOT mean he did not get a visa for travel to Mexico.City. This could be quite true IF Mr. Gaudet was just an "average Joe", but as we shall see he was NOT.
As I just said, IF William Gaudet was an ordinary person, I could buy this theory as the person said they "have a visa and I could not tell you who was in front of me or behind me" either. However, this is NOT the same as you or I going to the Consulate looking for a visa when we see the background of William Gaudet. Sadly for this person and all of LNer-dom the incident involving Mr. Gaudet is much more shady.
Gaudet began working for the State Department in 1942 when he was.assigned to the office of Inter-American Affairs, and in his new position he was directly responsible to Nelson Rockefeller (keep this in mind). [FBI 64-23999-2-5.8.43] The FBI was monitoring this group and A.J. Weberman wrote this about their investigation.
Quote on
In 1942 the FBI received several reports that the members of Nelson Rockefeller's Regional Committee were 'securing and coordinating information of an intelligence nature, and had been reporting same to U.S. Consulate'.
Quote off
In the late 1940's Gaudet moved to editing a magazine called the."Latin American Report" and he would do this throughout the 1950's and into the 1960's and this magazine was based in New Orleans. How was this funded? According to the A.J. Weberman it was funded by the CIA, The United Fruit Company (A CIA backed company), Chase Manhattan Bank and by several dictators in Central America (no doubt working with the CIA). Gaudet used this magazine as cover for his Latin America operations.
According to Weberman this magazine came to the attention of the CIA in 1948 and they would contact Gaudet 16 times that year. In 1949 the contacts went up to over 30 times. Here are some more numbers from Weberman.
Quote on
In 1950 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 33 times.
In 1951, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 22 times.
In 1952, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 29 times.
In 1953, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 19 times.
In 1954, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 22 times. [CIA 17581 - index cards]
In 1955 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 17 times. On December 2, 1955, the FBI generated a highly deleted document based on information supplied by Gaudet on "Foreign Political Matters - Costa Rica and Nicaragua." On December 8, 1955, the FBI generated a Memorandum titled "Alleged Revolution in Costa Rica and Nicaragua - Foreign Political Matters - Costa Rica and Nicaragua." This information was disseminated to the CIA, Office of Naval Intelligence, Director of Security of the State Department, Army Intelligence, the Inspector General of the Air Force and the United States Customs Service. [FBI 109-12-222-11 cc Branigan; FBI 109-12-222-16]
In 1956, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 9 times. On April 25, 1956 Gaudet was mentioned in a document that dealt with Teodoro Picado, a leader of the opposition against Jose Figueres of Costa Rica. Teodoro Picado had moved to the United States. [FBI 97-3236-24 pgs. 4 thru 8 w/h]
In 1957, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 3 times.
In 1959, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 2 times.
In 1960 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 2 times.
In 1961, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 4 times. William Gaudet claimed he unwittingly played a role in the Bay of Pigs invasion: "I never played a role in the Bay of Pigs, though I unknowingly helped set up alternate air bases in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, for use by the planes to protect the Cuban invasion." [Sun Daily Herald 11.22.80 Biloxi, Miss. 11.22.80]
On March 5, 1961, William Gaudet wrote to Louisiana Congressman Hale Boggs and offered his services in President John F. Kennedy's Latin American Peace Corps.
Quote off
So we see a long history of contact with the CIA here, so Gaudet was NO average person. This still does NOT explain him saying he did NOT see LHO there that day though does it? Before we go there, let's explore a good idea that this person has NEVER thought to bring up himself. The idea goes like this: say LHO came in around 10:00 AM and even though Gaudet had the next number for a visa perhaps he came in around 11:00 or so. The point is supposed to be that we don't know when they came in to get their visas according to those who mention this scenario.
There are some questions though with this scenario however. I admit it could happen, but we have a corroborating witness that shows it did NOT happen. Firstly, why would Gaudet even need a visa in the first place since he had been travelling thought central America for many years? Wouldn't he have a passport for this? So this brings up the question of why was he even there in the first place when he got the visa?
Secondly, we come to Mrs. Farella Farrington. She was a witness to the person who applied for the visa that was issued BEFORE Gaudet's and she said it was NOT LHO. She said the man made a point of asking if you could take firearms into Mexico (an obvious tell that they were setting up LHO as he would have been smarter than this) and when she commented on something else he asked he was not happy about it. The FBI tracked her down in record time after the assassination and she said it was NOT LHO when asked. Her sister was with her and confirmed this. So we see that the only witness we have beyond Gaudet, Mrs. Farrington, is on record saying it was NOT LHO that she saw.
This is what Gaudet said about his tourist card:
"There were six or seven persons waiting to pick up permits and to the best of his recollection, LEE HARVEY OSWALD was not one of them."
Gaudet stated repeatedly for many years that he never saw LHO at the Consulate when he went there on 9/17/63. He told the FBI it was a "coincidence" that he would have gotten the card numbered just before LHO's. Perhaps it was, but the idea that he was a CIA asset for many years can't be excluded either. He told the FBI he did NOT see LHO in his travels to Mexico because he flew, and Weberman describes his trip.
Quote on
William Gaudet told the FBI he flew to Merida, Mexico, where he changed planes then went on to other South and Central American countries. He did not enter Mexico. FBI S.A. Regis Kennedy obtained the flight manifest - Gaudet's named appeared as a passenger." [WCD 15?; FBI NO 44-2064, NO 89-69 11.27.63; Sanders interview with Gaudet 1.19.78]
Quote off
The other obvious question is, would he even know LHO from Adam? Yes, is the answer. He told the FBI he had seen LHO in New Orleans on other occasions. Research over the years has shown there is a connection between Gaudet and Guy Banister, and that Gaudet's offices were in the Trade Mart, the same place Clay Shaw ran for a company called PERMINDEX. This what Gaudet said about Banister.
Quote on
I knew Banister but I didn't know him well...now Ronnie Caire knew Banister much better than I did. Banister knew OSWALD. Ferrie was a friend of a lot of queers...I think he did know OSWALD...but I don't think either one of them is capable of planning a conspiracy like this...I was closely related with Ed Butler because one of the prime sponsors of the Information Council of the Americas in New Orleans was a very close personal friend of mine and an investor in my company, Alton Ochsner.
The Information Council had a big, big banquet down here, a money raising thing, at which time they prevailed upon Nelson Rockefeller to come down and be one of the speakers, and that's the last time I personally saw Nelson Rockefeller...I feel certain the Rockefeller Commission will not call me as a witness. [Interview with Alan Stone WRR Dallas 5.7.75; ARA file interview with Gaudet]
Quote off
He told another interviewer in 1978 the following.
Quote on
I knew OSWALD because he was in at the International Trade Mart for quite a few days. That's where I had my office, which was on Camp and Common in New Orleans. And he was there distributing pamphlets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Who the Fair Play for Cuba Committee was, I don't know. I do know I saw him [OSWALD] one time with a former...I think he was an FBI agent and a man by the name of Guy Banister, and Guy of course is now dead. What Guy's role was in all this I...I really don't know, but I did see him discussing various things with Banister at the time and I think Banister knew a whole lot of what was going on...I never met OSWALD and I never talked to him personally.
Quote off
He said this when asked if it was a coincidence that his name is right next to LHO's on the list.
Quote on
I would say so, yes, I know it's hard to believe because this word keeps cropping up in everything that I seem to do that er...I'm just loaded down with coincidence..." [Sanders interview with Gaudet 1.19.78]
Quote off
I am NOT stating he was assigned to provide surveillance on LHO as according to his CIA file and other things he was not in the business of clandestine operations. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) said this.
Quote on
We did not find a basis for concluding that William Gaudet had contacted OSWALD on behalf of the CIA. Although there was a conflict between William Gaudet's testimony and his CIA file concerning the duration of his Agency contacts, as well as the performance of errands, there was no indication from his file or testimony that William Gaudet's cooperation involved clandestine activity. Again, it should be stressed that the Domestic Contacts Division, which was the Agency component that was in touch with William Gaudet, was not involved in clandestine operations.
Quote off
So perhaps he was simply told to go there at a specific time to pick up a tourist card that had been arranged for him and then the person who would impersonating LHO would be there at that time. I can't say what they were hoping to get out of this per se, but my thoughts would be they would expect Gaudet to play along since he received the majority of the funding for his magazine through the CIA. Thus, they expected he would say he saw LHO at the Consulate then, but for some reason he has NEVER said that. There is NO reasonable reason why he would say he did NOT see LHO there IF in fact he was there to me.
Some may say it was to keep cover on a CIA mission, but IF that was the case the Warren Commission (WC) would have never discussed this matter at all. NO, there is NO reason why he would lie and say he did NOT see LHO if in fact LHO was there in my mind.
I have even read that Gaudet was supposed to be on the bus with LHO going into Mexico, but of course this is pure nonsense since he provided evidence to the FBI that he flew into the country. He was supposed to be providing "tight surveillance" for the CIA, but as we have seen this was NOT his area of expertise so it is highly unlikely the CIA would use him for this kind of work. Since he NEVER met or was introduced to LHO the idea he was a "friend" and decided to travel with LHO is out the door as well.
Why any person would want to debate that Gaudet could have seen LHO but denied it is beyond me. Either they are clueless about this case (highly unlikely with the ease of Internet searching) or they are covering for the WC's claim. They are the ONLY two choices I can think of. When one has to lie about all the aspects of LHO's supposed trip to Mexico City to have him there, they are showing the desperation that is involved on their part.
By the way, I came upon a gem in "Ultimate Sacrifice" last night! They even ACCEPT that it was the REAL LHO who went to the Lincoln dealership weeks prior to the assassination! I thought I was misreading it but then they showed how LHO was going to get a permit so it had to be him! They forget to mention the man seemed to know how to really drive when he took the car out for a test drive!!
content.invisioncic.com/r16296/monthly_2018_04/GAUDET-WILLIAM-GEORGE-BILL-COLOR-CROP-ca1963.png.896fe231dfc64c52cc899929385f1ef2.png
media.silive.com/obituaries/photo/gaudetjpg-5ab8704f8ae695c0_medium.jpg
Recently someone wrote that just because William Gaudet did NOT see Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) in line for a visa at the Mexican Consulate in New Orleans on 9/17/63 that does NOT mean he did not get a visa for travel to Mexico.City. This could be quite true IF Mr. Gaudet was just an "average Joe", but as we shall see he was NOT.
As I just said, IF William Gaudet was an ordinary person, I could buy this theory as the person said they "have a visa and I could not tell you who was in front of me or behind me" either. However, this is NOT the same as you or I going to the Consulate looking for a visa when we see the background of William Gaudet. Sadly for this person and all of LNer-dom the incident involving Mr. Gaudet is much more shady.
Gaudet began working for the State Department in 1942 when he was.assigned to the office of Inter-American Affairs, and in his new position he was directly responsible to Nelson Rockefeller (keep this in mind). [FBI 64-23999-2-5.8.43] The FBI was monitoring this group and A.J. Weberman wrote this about their investigation.
Quote on
In 1942 the FBI received several reports that the members of Nelson Rockefeller's Regional Committee were 'securing and coordinating information of an intelligence nature, and had been reporting same to U.S. Consulate'.
Quote off
In the late 1940's Gaudet moved to editing a magazine called the."Latin American Report" and he would do this throughout the 1950's and into the 1960's and this magazine was based in New Orleans. How was this funded? According to the A.J. Weberman it was funded by the CIA, The United Fruit Company (A CIA backed company), Chase Manhattan Bank and by several dictators in Central America (no doubt working with the CIA). Gaudet used this magazine as cover for his Latin America operations.
According to Weberman this magazine came to the attention of the CIA in 1948 and they would contact Gaudet 16 times that year. In 1949 the contacts went up to over 30 times. Here are some more numbers from Weberman.
Quote on
In 1950 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 33 times.
In 1951, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 22 times.
In 1952, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 29 times.
In 1953, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 19 times.
In 1954, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 22 times. [CIA 17581 - index cards]
In 1955 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 17 times. On December 2, 1955, the FBI generated a highly deleted document based on information supplied by Gaudet on "Foreign Political Matters - Costa Rica and Nicaragua." On December 8, 1955, the FBI generated a Memorandum titled "Alleged Revolution in Costa Rica and Nicaragua - Foreign Political Matters - Costa Rica and Nicaragua." This information was disseminated to the CIA, Office of Naval Intelligence, Director of Security of the State Department, Army Intelligence, the Inspector General of the Air Force and the United States Customs Service. [FBI 109-12-222-11 cc Branigan; FBI 109-12-222-16]
In 1956, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 9 times. On April 25, 1956 Gaudet was mentioned in a document that dealt with Teodoro Picado, a leader of the opposition against Jose Figueres of Costa Rica. Teodoro Picado had moved to the United States. [FBI 97-3236-24 pgs. 4 thru 8 w/h]
In 1957, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 3 times.
In 1959, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 2 times.
In 1960 Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 2 times.
In 1961, Gaudet was interviewed by the CIA 4 times. William Gaudet claimed he unwittingly played a role in the Bay of Pigs invasion: "I never played a role in the Bay of Pigs, though I unknowingly helped set up alternate air bases in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, for use by the planes to protect the Cuban invasion." [Sun Daily Herald 11.22.80 Biloxi, Miss. 11.22.80]
On March 5, 1961, William Gaudet wrote to Louisiana Congressman Hale Boggs and offered his services in President John F. Kennedy's Latin American Peace Corps.
Quote off
So we see a long history of contact with the CIA here, so Gaudet was NO average person. This still does NOT explain him saying he did NOT see LHO there that day though does it? Before we go there, let's explore a good idea that this person has NEVER thought to bring up himself. The idea goes like this: say LHO came in around 10:00 AM and even though Gaudet had the next number for a visa perhaps he came in around 11:00 or so. The point is supposed to be that we don't know when they came in to get their visas according to those who mention this scenario.
There are some questions though with this scenario however. I admit it could happen, but we have a corroborating witness that shows it did NOT happen. Firstly, why would Gaudet even need a visa in the first place since he had been travelling thought central America for many years? Wouldn't he have a passport for this? So this brings up the question of why was he even there in the first place when he got the visa?
Secondly, we come to Mrs. Farella Farrington. She was a witness to the person who applied for the visa that was issued BEFORE Gaudet's and she said it was NOT LHO. She said the man made a point of asking if you could take firearms into Mexico (an obvious tell that they were setting up LHO as he would have been smarter than this) and when she commented on something else he asked he was not happy about it. The FBI tracked her down in record time after the assassination and she said it was NOT LHO when asked. Her sister was with her and confirmed this. So we see that the only witness we have beyond Gaudet, Mrs. Farrington, is on record saying it was NOT LHO that she saw.
This is what Gaudet said about his tourist card:
"There were six or seven persons waiting to pick up permits and to the best of his recollection, LEE HARVEY OSWALD was not one of them."
Gaudet stated repeatedly for many years that he never saw LHO at the Consulate when he went there on 9/17/63. He told the FBI it was a "coincidence" that he would have gotten the card numbered just before LHO's. Perhaps it was, but the idea that he was a CIA asset for many years can't be excluded either. He told the FBI he did NOT see LHO in his travels to Mexico because he flew, and Weberman describes his trip.
Quote on
William Gaudet told the FBI he flew to Merida, Mexico, where he changed planes then went on to other South and Central American countries. He did not enter Mexico. FBI S.A. Regis Kennedy obtained the flight manifest - Gaudet's named appeared as a passenger." [WCD 15?; FBI NO 44-2064, NO 89-69 11.27.63; Sanders interview with Gaudet 1.19.78]
Quote off
The other obvious question is, would he even know LHO from Adam? Yes, is the answer. He told the FBI he had seen LHO in New Orleans on other occasions. Research over the years has shown there is a connection between Gaudet and Guy Banister, and that Gaudet's offices were in the Trade Mart, the same place Clay Shaw ran for a company called PERMINDEX. This what Gaudet said about Banister.
Quote on
I knew Banister but I didn't know him well...now Ronnie Caire knew Banister much better than I did. Banister knew OSWALD. Ferrie was a friend of a lot of queers...I think he did know OSWALD...but I don't think either one of them is capable of planning a conspiracy like this...I was closely related with Ed Butler because one of the prime sponsors of the Information Council of the Americas in New Orleans was a very close personal friend of mine and an investor in my company, Alton Ochsner.
The Information Council had a big, big banquet down here, a money raising thing, at which time they prevailed upon Nelson Rockefeller to come down and be one of the speakers, and that's the last time I personally saw Nelson Rockefeller...I feel certain the Rockefeller Commission will not call me as a witness. [Interview with Alan Stone WRR Dallas 5.7.75; ARA file interview with Gaudet]
Quote off
He told another interviewer in 1978 the following.
Quote on
I knew OSWALD because he was in at the International Trade Mart for quite a few days. That's where I had my office, which was on Camp and Common in New Orleans. And he was there distributing pamphlets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Who the Fair Play for Cuba Committee was, I don't know. I do know I saw him [OSWALD] one time with a former...I think he was an FBI agent and a man by the name of Guy Banister, and Guy of course is now dead. What Guy's role was in all this I...I really don't know, but I did see him discussing various things with Banister at the time and I think Banister knew a whole lot of what was going on...I never met OSWALD and I never talked to him personally.
Quote off
He said this when asked if it was a coincidence that his name is right next to LHO's on the list.
Quote on
I would say so, yes, I know it's hard to believe because this word keeps cropping up in everything that I seem to do that er...I'm just loaded down with coincidence..." [Sanders interview with Gaudet 1.19.78]
Quote off
I am NOT stating he was assigned to provide surveillance on LHO as according to his CIA file and other things he was not in the business of clandestine operations. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) said this.
Quote on
We did not find a basis for concluding that William Gaudet had contacted OSWALD on behalf of the CIA. Although there was a conflict between William Gaudet's testimony and his CIA file concerning the duration of his Agency contacts, as well as the performance of errands, there was no indication from his file or testimony that William Gaudet's cooperation involved clandestine activity. Again, it should be stressed that the Domestic Contacts Division, which was the Agency component that was in touch with William Gaudet, was not involved in clandestine operations.
Quote off
So perhaps he was simply told to go there at a specific time to pick up a tourist card that had been arranged for him and then the person who would impersonating LHO would be there at that time. I can't say what they were hoping to get out of this per se, but my thoughts would be they would expect Gaudet to play along since he received the majority of the funding for his magazine through the CIA. Thus, they expected he would say he saw LHO at the Consulate then, but for some reason he has NEVER said that. There is NO reasonable reason why he would say he did NOT see LHO there IF in fact he was there to me.
Some may say it was to keep cover on a CIA mission, but IF that was the case the Warren Commission (WC) would have never discussed this matter at all. NO, there is NO reason why he would lie and say he did NOT see LHO if in fact LHO was there in my mind.
I have even read that Gaudet was supposed to be on the bus with LHO going into Mexico, but of course this is pure nonsense since he provided evidence to the FBI that he flew into the country. He was supposed to be providing "tight surveillance" for the CIA, but as we have seen this was NOT his area of expertise so it is highly unlikely the CIA would use him for this kind of work. Since he NEVER met or was introduced to LHO the idea he was a "friend" and decided to travel with LHO is out the door as well.
Why any person would want to debate that Gaudet could have seen LHO but denied it is beyond me. Either they are clueless about this case (highly unlikely with the ease of Internet searching) or they are covering for the WC's claim. They are the ONLY two choices I can think of. When one has to lie about all the aspects of LHO's supposed trip to Mexico City to have him there, they are showing the desperation that is involved on their part.
By the way, I came upon a gem in "Ultimate Sacrifice" last night! They even ACCEPT that it was the REAL LHO who went to the Lincoln dealership weeks prior to the assassination! I thought I was misreading it but then they showed how LHO was going to get a permit so it had to be him! They forget to mention the man seemed to know how to really drive when he took the car out for a test drive!!