The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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40
Secret 1\101'0~1\1
Chapter 2
James A. Cunningham, Jr.
sat down with a group of key Air Force officials that included Trevor
Gardner and Lt. Gen. Donald L. Putt. The participants spent very lit­
tle time delineating Air Force and Agency responsibilities in the !Pro­
ject, taking for granted that the CIA would handle the secuirity
matters. Much of the discussion centered on methods for diverting
Air Force materiel to the program, particularly the Pratt & Whitney
J57 engines, because a separate contract for the engines might jeop­
ardize the project's security. The Air Force promised to tum ov,er a
number of J57 engines, which were then being produced for B-:52s,
KC- l 35s, F-100s, and RB-57s. Eventually Bissell asked who was
going to pay for the airframes to be built by Lockheed. His query was
greeted with silence. Everyone present had their eyes on him because
they all expected the Agency to come up with the funds. Bissell rose
from his chair, said he would see what he could do, and the rnee1ting
adjoumed.
3
After the meeting. Bissell told Dulles that the CIA would hav,e to
use money from the Contingency Reserve Fund to get the project
going. The DC! used this fund to pay for covert activities, following
approval by the President and the Director of the Budget. Dulles 1told
Bissell to draft a memorandum for the President on funding the over­
flight program and to start putting together a staff for Project
AQUATONE. the project's new codename.
At first the new " Project Staff" (renamed the Development
Projects Staff in April 1958) consisted of Bissell. Miller, and the
small existing staff in Bissell's Office of the Special Assistant to the
DCI. During the months that followed the establishment of the pro­
ject, its administrative workload increased rapidly, and in May 1955
the project staff added an administrative officer, James A.
Cunningham, Jr., a former Marine Corps pilot then working in the
Directorate of Support. Cunningham stayed with the U-2 project for
the next lO years. Two other key project officials who began their du­
~ in 1955 wer~
] the finance officer, and c==i
L_lthe contracting officer."
' OSA History, chap. 3. p. 2 (TS Codeword): Bissell interview, 8 November 1984 (S);
Beschloss, Maydt1y. p. 89.
• OSA History. chap. 3. pp. 6-7. chap. 4, pp. 1-2. chap. 5. pp. 27-29 (TS Codeword);
Chronology of rite Office of Speda/ Activities. 195.J• /968. (CIA: DS&T. 1969). p. 2-4 (TS
Codeword) (hereafter cited as OSA Chronology).