July 22, 1962
Anti‑Castro
Cubans and their American supporters
have been forced to drop plans for a large guerrilla warfare training
camp near New Orleans, The Herald learned Saturday.
The
site, on the north edge of Lake Pontchartrain 40 miles north of New Orleans,
was donated this spring by an anonymous U.S. businessman.
The
training of anti‑Castro Cubans and the camp itself ,were to have been
commanded by Gerald Patrick Heming, a 25-year-old soldier of fortune well known
to Cubans here.
The
"stop order" came from the Cuban Revolutionary Council's Miami
headquarters, which advised its New Orleans associates they could not support
any clandestine training sites in the United States.
Preparations
for activating the guerrilla warfare school were begun last February as New
Orleans' Cuban colony began rounding up arms, ammunition and money for the
Venture.
Reportedly,
they were successful in raising large sums of money and acquiring large stocks
of late model weapons.
Patrick
made Innumerable trips between Miami and New Orleans during the past four
months preparing the site, which is complete with an airstrip, for July
occupancy.
Plans
had called for the training of 50 to 75 Cubans in classes lasting from six to
eight weeks. •
At
the completion of, the "courses," the guerrilla fighters would have
been ready to infiltrate Cuba where they would work with local underground
leaders in sabotage and operations against Castro's army and militia.
Louis
Rabell, the New Orleans representative of the Cuban Revolutionary Council
headed by Dr. Miro Cardona, confirmed the Council had ordered the camp closed
before it opened.
In
Miami it was said that public knowledge of the proposed camp became too
widespread and the Council wanted, to dodge any connection with a large scale
operation on which the U.S. State Department and Central Intelligence Agency
would frown.
Hemming
who operates under the name Jerry Patrick, has been active in anti‑Castro
activities here since late 1960. He had been active in Cuba since 1958 with
Castro's forces and defected.
Leading
first one group and then another, Patrick' finally settled upon the name
International Penetration Force" for his organization and began guerrilla
training of Cuban refugees here with money supplied by the Cuban colony.
A 6‑foot,
5‑inch, 231 pounder, Patrick has abandoned the long hair, pointed beard,
and Australian bush hat he wore for
more than a year during his early activities here.
A veteran of four years with the Marine Corps, he now dresses as unobtrusively as possible and is still considered one of the most ardent and effective Americans working with the anti‑Castro forces.