The Book of Honor (52 page)

ABOVE: Richard Bissell, the vaunted overseer of many of the CIA's most celebrated achievements and its most devastating defeat, the Bay of Pigs, receiving the National Security Medal in March of 1961. To his right stands Allen Dulles, to his left stand President Kennedy and CIA head John McCone.
(Courtesy of the Bissell estate)

RIGHT: Richard Bissell, in his seventies, enjoying an afternoon's sun at his Connecticut home. Writing his memoirs sapped what little strength he had left. The Bay of Pigs, even then, was a painful subject for him.
(Courtesy of the Bissell estate)

Thomas “Pete” Ray, the Alabama pilot, in uniform. Ray was killed during the Bay of Pigs operation in April 1961 and his body became something of a trophy of war for Fidel Castro. Decades later Ray's remains were returned and buried in the Alabama soil.
(Courtesy of Thomas M. Ray, his son)

Thomas “Pete” Ray, as a young father showing off his six-month-old son, Thomas Ray.
(Courtesy of Thomas M. Ray)

Margaret Ray, the widow of Thomas “Pete” Ray, taken in 1961, the year her husband was killed in the Bay of Pigs operation. She would never recover from the loss of her husband and would feel that the watchful eye of the CIA was constantly upon her.
(Courtesy of Thomas M. Ray)

Little Tom Ray and sister Janet taken in 1961 at about the time of their father's death in the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
(Courtesy of Thomas M. Ray)

ABOVE: John G. Merriman with wife Valeria and sons Bruce and Jon on doorstep in Yakutat, Alaska, circa 1952. Merriman's daring rescues of those stranded on mountains attracted national attention. A dozen years later, as a downed CIA pilot in the Congo, he waited for someone to come to his rescue.
(Courtesy of Jon Merriman)

A dashing young John Merriman enjoying a beer while assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. As a pilot he was counted among the best, though his time flying for the CIA would be cut short by ground fire in the Congo.
(Courtesy of Jon Merriman)

John Merriman's widow, Valeria Folkins, with son Jon Merriman.
(Courtesy of the author, Ted Gup)

John Merriman with a brown bear he shot in Alaska. After this kill, he gave up hunting altogether.
(Courtesy of Jon Merriman)

John G. Merriman while a copilot with Capital Airways, a nonscheduled airline based out of Nashville, Tennessee, circa 1953–1954.
(Courtesy of Jon Merriman)

RIGHT: June 1964 at the Paraloft at Intermountain Aviation, Marana, Arizona. Although he doesn't appear to be actually packing the T-10 personnel parachute in front of him (no smoking is allowed in the rigging area), it is an excellent candid photo. This would have been the last photograph taken of him in the United States. John left for Africa in early July 1964.
(Courtesy of Jon Merriman)