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RE: Colonel Octave Cayard, Commandant of the Haitian Coast

I had the pleasure of meeting Col Cayard when in the middle of the Caribbean Sea I boarded alone the St Jacques Dessalines mine layer ship of the Haitian Coast Guard on my birthday April 24, 1970 several hours after his failed coup against Pres. Duvalier.

He basically turned over his pistol to me and asked that on behalf of himself and his 104 coast guard personnel and two coast guard cutters be given asylum in the US. He was a very professional officer and we worked together and I communicated his request to the White House and State Department.

It was approved with one caveat.

That he demilitarize his coast guard force.

That was when he turned over his pistol to me. I hope he had a good life in America.

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