According to CIA files: In 1957, while Gerry Patrick Hemming served in the Marine Corps, he was assigned to the First Marine Air Wing (MACS-1), stationed in Atsugi Japan. According to Marine Corps records: Lee Harvey Oswald was also stationed in Atsugi during this same time period, arriving 12 September 1957.
But Gerry always maintained that he was never stationed in Atsugi, but rather served with the Third Marine Air Wing out of Kāneʻohe Bay, O’ahu, Hawaii in 1957.
Below is an excerpt from John Newman’s book, “Oswald and the CIA” in which he [Newman] discusses this matter. Below that excerpted passage from Newman’s book I have provided Hemming’s Marine Corps Service Record for the pertinent time period.
Hemming’s Marine Corps record confirms his claim that he was indeed stationed in Hawaii [not Japan] in 1957 and refutes the CIA file information. I only wish I could have provided this confirmation prior to Gerry’s death.
His record shows that he was stationed at El Toro, CA in July of 1956 (rank Corporal), then at Kāneʻohe Bay in April 1957 (rank Corporal), and again, Kāneʻohe Bay in October 1957 (rank Sergeant).
From John Newman’s, Oswald and the CIA:
On the other hand, what if Hemming’s OS number was created at the time of an earlier, February 1959 debriefing in Costa Rica? This might indicate an earlier date for Oswald’s OS file number. It is possible, though less likely, that both numbers go as far back as early 1959. A 1977 document in Hemming’s CIA Office of Security has this revealing observation:
[The] Hemming file reflects that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 19 April 1954 to 17 October 1958. (The 201 File concerning Hemming reflects that he served in Japan with a U.S. Marine Air Wing.) He then returned to the Los Angeles area for discharge and then left for Cuba circa 18 February 1959 and joined Castro forces.
In view of the sparseness of information in CIA documents on Hemming’s Marine Corps history, the above document is intriguing in its claim that Hemming, too, had served in a Marine Air Wing in Japan. This would open the possibility that both men were assigned together to Marine Air Squadron One (MACS-1) at Atsugi. However, this did not happen, according to Hemming, who should be familiar with his own service record. If he is right, when the Marine Corps and Navy release his entire service record, we will find he served with the Third Marine Air Wing in Hawaii, not the First Marine Air Wing, which was the only air wing in Japan.
Gerry Patrick Hemming’s Marine Corps Record:
I saw him in person once. I am sure that if he was ever in Japan, there would have been some Japanese witnesses to it. How tall was he? 6 ft. 8?!!
He was 6 feet 6 inches tall, approximately 230 lbs.
Greg,
Do you know if anyone has compiled an organizational chart of JM/Wave station? There were supposedly 300 or so CIA agents managing thousands of cubans. wondering if there is a list of the CIA employees or agents for that station I havent seen anything in my research.
Thanks
Larry
Hey Larry,
I haven’t seen one either. I’ll let you know if I come across one, but I tend to think that it would be “Withheld in Full” even at this late date.