Pseudonym: Watlington, Roy V.
In 1965-66 a CIA officer named Roy V. Watlington starts popping up in the records. On December 1966 - CI/Watlington is inserted in place of the name "Neill" in a memo to him from Jack Stewart/Henry Pachankis.
Watlington and Pachankis had a relationship with Jose Luis Gonzalez Gallaretta/QUHOPS-1, the boss of Veciana's boss Ramon Perez Daple.
Both Daple and QUHOPS-1 were initially suspected to be Castro agents in 1962, but those stories eventually stopped. QUHOPS-1 went on to provide a telescopic rifle and silencer to Cubela. See the QUHOPS-1 cryptonym.
Junius Watlington Jr. died in 1999. M. Neill Prew, possibly "Roy Watlington" died in 2006.
It seems impossible - but is the entire "Junius Watlington, Jr." story an elaborate pseudonym? If nothing else, it is ironic that a study of the Dallas Police Dept.'s operational security in handling Lee Oswald on 11/24/63 pointed out that WBAP-TV (Personnel Dept. Sgt. Jerry Hill's former employer) sent a reporter with a camera who was not checked for identification. WBAP was located on Junius Street, and was a fount of way-early info on Lee Oswald on 11/22/63! CE 2002, Volume 24, p. 182.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MI+CORPS+HALL+OF+FAME-a067544230
1925-1999: Lieutenant Colonel Junius A. Watlington (Deceased) Discipline: HUMINT MI HOF Inductee: 1992 Junius A. Watlington's military career began in June 1944. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in August 1968. In the early 1960s, Mr. Watlington served on a staff responsible for human intelligence (HUMINT) operations in Latin America. He then commanded a unit in Miami, charged with conducting operations against Communist Cuba. In the mid-1960s, he served as the Deputy Commander, 502d Military Intelligence Battalion in Korea. Later, he served with the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence where his HUMINT expertise was paramount in developing organizations, training, and doctrine for Army Intelligence in Vietnam. His extensive military experience superbly qualified him for managerial duties with the Army's Military Intelligence Civilian Excepted Service Career Program. He served as the Operations Officer for the 500th Military Intelligence Group's clandestine HUMINT collection unit in Japan. He later received a promotion and served as Liaison Officer for the Commander, 500th MI Group. The culmination of Mr. Watlington's 35-year HUMINT career was his service for seven years as Director, Collection Operations, U.S. Army Operational Group, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). Under his tutelage, this collection unit spearheaded HUMINT collection in the Third World. Four times the Director of Central Intelligence honored its accomplishments as the "National HUMINT Collectors of the Year."
Bayard Stockton, Flawed Patriot (Potomac Books, 2006).
Page 53: Neill Prew, who handled a number of tricky assignments for Harvey, recalls, "Bill developed a routine. Page 55: Neill Prew was so discreet he at times seemed taciturn. Because of this quality, if for no other reason, he had Bill's complete trust...Page 56: Neill Prew rode shotgun on what the base finance officer "thought was far more important than any state secrets we might have"...Neill Prew thought "he was probably at the Maison de France drinking martinis with the Dutch chief of base, who was a buddy of his." Page 326: Also see https://www.afio.com/sections/wins/2006/2006-16.html#TOC_SECIII - "Prew sent me many e-mails and letters that contributed enormously to the 1950s-2006: M. (for Maurice, a name he never used) Neill Prew died of throat cancer at 84 in his hometown of Sarasota in early April 2006. Neill was a quiet guy, invaluable, rock steady, with a whimsical sense of humor. . He served Bill Harvey [CIA] in Berlin in the early-mid 1950s, doing small-but-necessary jobs discreetly and with sly good humor. He was also at JMWAVE, and later went upcountry in Vietnam. In retirement, he loved nothing more than climbing into his ancient Land Rover and exploring the Florida mangrove swamp country. [Submitted by Bayard Stockton] Official obit unseen.4/24/06 AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes: and Berlin Tunnel chapters of this book."
104-10226-10414: UR OFFICIAL'S CONTACT WITH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
Memo from JMWAVE to Director: "On May 19 (1962) Mario Seiglie Montorro of the Unidad Revolucionaria told AMBLEAK-1/Fernando Cavada (that) Seiglie had been in contact with Captain FNU Fry of a 'unit of the Pentagon which is interested (in) purely intelligence collection' Fry had asked the UR to purchase a boat suitable Cuban ops. FNU Rendueles or Renduelas is a representative of Fry in Miami area...visit Dr. Tomas Quesada at his home or in office at Empedrado 366 Habana and ask Quesada for caramel colored pills which Eddy and sent Quesada. When (Manuel Farinas Pelletier) has obtained pills he is to write Jorge or latters wife verifying receipt. After waiting Jorge Farinas is to wait for letter from Miami signed by Diego Romero. Farinas is to iron the letter. Scorch letter is to be start of commo between Farinas and Jorge...in discussion case (w/Army) suggest HQS secure (Army) agreement instruct Rendueles not discuss AMBLEAK-1 further with Mario Seiglie or other UR members..." See redacted version in 1994.06.02.15:09:37:400005 Reel 61, Folder D, p. 149. Also See 6/5/62, 104-10226-10098, from HQ to WAVE: "Appreciate (WAVE 4325) info. 5 June HQ gave Major Watlington of ACSI HQS brief resume of Seiglie/Rendueles affair (none of CIA assets were identified to ACSI). Both Cubans registered ACSI? agents. Re (WAVE 4270) ACSI registered operational interest in Ordanez about 1 May, thus have legal rights to body in spite of 1 May was? intell debriefing of Ordanez. Ultimate operation exploitation Ordanez open to negotiation. Since Watlington ETA Miami 6 June, he ILLEGIBLE to the suggestion that matters (above) by (Cesar Diosadero?) in Miami during his TDY..."
104-10069-10185: OPERATIONAL: AGREED ACTIVITIES W/ACSI
07/03/62, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Task Force W: "1. Introduction: As a follow up to reference, Maj. Watlington arrived in Miami on 6 June 1962. After Maj. Watlington had an opportunity to discuss the local situation with Lt. Col. Carlos Causes, the local ACSI representative, arrangements were made for a lengthy session on the subject of Agreed Activities. It was agreed that this discussion would take place at 1000 hours on 7 June 1962 at a JMWAVE safehouse facility. This meeting subsequently took place as scheduled and was participated in by Lt. Col. Causes, Maj. Watlington, Dudley R. Jentons, Charles B. Wiesinger and Andrew K. Reuteman..." Much of the discussion was about strengthening coordination between JMWAVE and ACSI. Pages 2-3: ..."d. Antonio Ordonez Hernandez (Handwritten: 201-323934, Re use by another U.S. agency, June 61). Born 24 August 1918. Lt. Col. Causes asked if we were currently in touch with Ordonez/AMSUM-2. As this name rang a bell with Reuteman we responded by stating that Subject was of interest to us. In this connection we indicated we were willing to reexamine our relationship with Ordonez in order to determine his full potential or capability, and if his capability was greater in the OD field that in fields which were of interest to us, we would certainly consider relinquishing our interest.
Bill Simpich, State Secret, Chapter 3: https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/State_Secret_Chapter3.html
Early 1963: Just weeks after Rabel’s defection, Harvey proposed that Mexico City make a play to recruit the Cuban consul Eusebio Azcue. Such a bold move, if successful, would reveal a great deal about the inner workings of Castro’s leadership team. In the days following the Azcue memo, there was an explosion of activity led by two Harvey confidants from their days in Berlin, Neill Prew and Anita Potocki. Prew was a man of action, described by Harvey’s biographer as “recruit(ing) agents in the Cuban community, ran raids, and landed men in Cuba”. Despite his background, Prew was not enamored of the situation in Miami: “Bill and Shackley tried to bring (Berlin) people to JMWAVE because they trusted them…but our people were scared shitless of Shackley, because he simply went too far. I thought the whole thing was an exercise in treading water by a bunch of jerks..." A memo during January 1963 shows three officers watching Silvia Duran very carefully during her affair with Cuba’s UN Ambassador Carlos Lechuga. The officers were Prew, Potocki, and Lou De Santi, a counterintelligence officer working the Cuban beat with Potocki at Langley. The story, true or not, was that officers of the Cuban embassy had convinced Duran and another woman to influence Lechuga. Harvey’s people and the FBI thought they had convinced Mrs. Lechuga to defect, but that effort ultimately failed. Prew, Potocki and De Santi were copied on numerous memos in the following weeks as they monitored Proenza and other key officers working at the Cuban embassy. Also see 180-10104-10394, p. 5 - 4/63 communications between Veciana and J. A. Watlington - Veciana is restricted to Dade County.
4/27/63: Major Junius A. Watlington, Operations Branch, ACSI, Army...advised he has a 'non-action interest' in Laureano Batista Falla/AMPALM-2, that they have specifically told him not to become involved in anti-Castro activities of a military nature, and that he is a key man in an Army plan re Cuba which is currently being processed in Washington..." Alexander Rorke and Geoffrey Sullivan were at the time were planning to drop bombs on Cuba and wanted the assistance of Frank Sturgis - Sturgis was told by the CIA that it disapproved of the action. "When Sturgis declined to participate, Rorke et al. went north. Sturgis has not seen them since." See 124-90019-10249 - this Army plan was disapproved on 7/30/63. Watlington still had knowledge of whereabouts of Batista Falla/AMPALM-2.
8/5/63: ACSI Major James Watlington, Special Operations Branch, said the Army had no op interest in transferring Cuban action groups to Nicaragua. 8/19/63, FBI memo.
Bill Simpich, State Secret, Chapter 5: https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/State_Secret_Chapter5.html
September 1963: Bill Harvey's long-time aides Neill Prew and Anita Potocki (Harvey’s assistant at Staff D) and Lou DeSanti are copied on a memo in January 1963, showing them watching Sylvia Duran very carefully during her affair with Lechuga. These officers are kept in the loop repeatedly in the following weeks while monitoring Proenza and other attachés. Prew is copied again right before the attempt to recruit Azcue in September 1963.
October 1963: ACSI Major Junius Watlington dropped his interest in MIRR's Angel Santiago Perez, now known to be a con artist. Formerly, Captain John Koun of CIC had been interested in using Santiago Perez.
104-10169-10082: FIELD INFORMATION REPORT: ACTIVITIES OF CUBAN EMIGREE IN PUERTO RICO
11/9/65 field information report: Reporting officer Roy V. Watlington re meeting between AMBLINK-1/"Henry Pachankis"/Jack Stewart and AMRAZZ-1/Joaquin Godoy, and passing on information obtained from Antonio Veciana about new efforts to overthrow Castro.
104-10216-10042: Dispatch: Henry S. Pachankis Debriefing of Angel Herrero Velez
1966: Roy V. Watlington, writing for Philip Elmard, describes QUHOPS-1 with a brief bio. He also attaches a debriefing of Angel Herrero Velez and his wife by Henry Pachankis/Jack Stewart. Furthermore, Watlington describes El Loco, 201-759879: The son of a political leader under Prio. As a captain in the Rebel Army, was part of the unauthorized venture into Nicaragua in 1959 - leading to a year of prison time in Managua and then Havana. A friend of Cubela, he accepted a vague intelligence post to get into Spain in 1964, returned to Cubs and was arrested with Cubela.
104-10216-10043: MEMORANDUM: INTERVIEW WITH: ANGEL HERRERO VELEZ AND HIS WIFE, YOLANDA CAGNA NAVA
12/14/66 memo to "Neill" (Harvey aide Neill Prew?) crossed out to read "CI/Watlington") - From: (looks like "Joe"), then a deletion, then "Henry S. Pachankis". Re: Interview with Angel Herrera Velez, who was acquitted at the Cubela trial earlier that year. Gonzelez/QUHOPS-1 - the boss of Veciana's boss - https://www.maryferrell.org/php/crypsuedit.php?type=pseudo&id=PACHANKIS_HENRY#was all over the Cubela story as well. Also see 104-10071-10171 - 3/1/67 memo from IC/3/Watlington to Pachankis re debriefing of the son of Humberto Sori Marin.