The Friends of Democratic Cuba
By William Davy
January 20, 1961. New Orleans. Blanche, Marcell° attorney G.Wray two sheets of plastic. Danielson and As John F. Kennedy took the oath of Gill saw him in his own office accom- McDonald dutifully prepared a brief office as the 35th President of the panied by David Ferric, and he even one page report on the incident which United States, two men entered the shows up in the Warren Report was promptly buried, along with the Bolton Ford Truck Center on North Commission Exhibit 2370 is a state- bid form, in the National Archives Claiborne Avenue and approached the ment of Harvey LWade who recalls Dever to be mentioned in any of the 26 assistant manager, Oscar Deslatte. They seeing this individual with Oswald in volumes of the Warren Report identified themselves as representatives jack Ruby's Carousel Club). But what of this organization, the of an anti-Castro fund raising group Although only the surname Friends of Democratic Cuba? called the "friends of Democratic 'Oswald" appears on the bid, Sewell re- Ostensibly it was a group of New Cuba" The older of the pair, described called that the young man also used the Orleans civic personalities incorporated by Deslatte as "olive-complexioned first name of Lee. Which of course is in- for the purpose of collecting funds to with an athletic build and a scar over teresting, because at the time of his in- aid the anti-Castro cause. The funds his left eye", spoke with a Cuban ac- cident the real Lee Oswald was spend- were to be channeled through the cent He told Deshine the the Friends ing his last months in a radio factory in Frentc Revolucianaro Demactratico wished to procure ten Ford Econohne Minsk, having defected to the Soviet (FRD). The New Orleans delegate of vans, presumably for use in the upcom- Union in September of 1959. the FRa Sergio Arcacha Smith, was to ing Bay of Pigs invasion. Deslatte con- This point was noted several receive the collected funds, less a twen- ferred with his manager, Fred Sewell. months prior to this incident by none ty percent cut, to be retained by the and prepared a bid form at a price of other than the Director of the FBI. On Friends of Democratic Cuba. However, fifty dollars over cost for each truck. June 3, 1960. J.Edgar Hoover issued a no public collection of money ever took The Cuban gave his name as Joseph memorandum to the State Department place. Moore, which Deslatte noted on the advising them that "there is a possibili- The Friends of Democratic Cuba bid. However, Moore requested that his ty that an impostor is using Oswald's was strictly a dummy front In fact, an companion's name actually appear on birth certificate." informant for New Orleans DA., Jim the form. Above Joseph Moore's name, Three years later, as the accused Garrison, revealed that the group was Deslatte wrote the name " Oswald." assassin's picture was plastered over "an undercover operation in conjunc- The second man spoke up and every TV screen in America. Deslatte tion with the CIA and FBI which in- said that he was in fact Oswald and was struck by the resemblance, both volved the shipment and transportation confirmed that his name should be on name and appearance, to the second of individuals and supplies in and out the bid, as be was "the man with the man in the "Bolton Ford incident" of Cube (As a side note, this same in- money" and would pay for the trucks if After calling the local office of the FBI. formant revealed to Garrison's office purchased. Fred Sewell spoke with both Deslatte was visited on November 25, that the FBI liaison was none other than men and would recall later the incident 1963 by Special Agents William F. Regis Kennedy, Hoover's point man in detail six years later when inter- McDonald and W_T. Danielson, Jr. with the anti-Castro community in New viewed by New Orleans Assistant D.A. Deslatte offered the original bid form to Orleans. Kennedy also questioned James Alcock. "Oswald" be described the agents, which they picked up with David Ferrie after his mysterious trip to as a thin young man about five feet solenoid tongs and placed in between Texas during the assassination week- seven inches and approximately 140- 145 pounds. As mentioned above, Moore was a powerfully built Cuban with a scar " It should also be noted that the over his left eye. (It is appropriate to note the ubiquity of this Cuban FBI was looking for a Clay Bertrand al- throughout the build-up to the assassi- most immediately after the assassination nation. He has been identified as being and before Dean Andrews received his re- in Oswald's company in Dean Andrews' office, be was seen in Guy quest from Bertrand to represent Oswald" Bannister's office by his secretary, he was taking pictures of Oswald during one of leafleting episodes at Maison