Author: Carter McLellan – Date: August 10, 2026

CONTENTS

Early Life and Family History (1915-1946)

John Garrett Underhill, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 7, 1915. He came from a rather prominent family, his father, John Garrett Underhill, Sr. (1876-1946), was an author, stage producer, a professor and translator. Underhill, Sr. graduated from the Poythechnic Institute at Columbia University in 1894, and got a Ph.D. from there in 1899. He served at Columbia as an assistant in comparative literature. He was notable for translating Spanish works and was a general representative for the US and Canada of the Society of Spanish Authors. For his work in production, he received the Spanish Order of Isabel the Catholic.

rIn his latter years, from 1940 to 1946, Underhill, Sr. served as the 6th President of the Underhill Society of America. The Underhill Society was a genealogical society founded in 1892 in Brooklyn. The purpose was the perpetuate the memory of Captain John Underhill (1597?-1672) and his descendants. The first President was the Society was William Wilson Underhill, from 1892 to 1898. The Underhill Burying Ground established in 1672, in Lattingtown, New York. In 1908, then President of the Underhill, Colonel John T. Underhill, invited President Teddy Roosevelt to attend the formal ceremony to dedicate a monument.

His mother’s side also had some historical significance. Louisa Man Wingate was the daughter of General George Wood Winagete, who played a role in forming the National Rifle Association in 1871, and was also in touch with Teddy Roosevelt.

Now back to Underhill, Jr. A native of Brooklyn, he attended high school in the same city. In 1937, he graduated from Harvard College. From 1938 to 1942, Underhill was a pictorial journalist for Look Magazine. In operation from 1937 to 1971, Look was co-founded by two brothers, Gardner Jr. and John Cowles. Interestingly, Gardner Cowles (1903-1985), was a prominent New Yorker and was a member of the Pilgrims Society by 1954 to 1974, and of the Council on Foreign Relations (CRF). Look was a major rival to Henry Luce’s Life magazine. He got married to Patricia Semple Dunkerson, in 1940.

By the time WWII came around, Underhill would become a Technical Editor and Chief Editor at the War Department’s Military Intelligence Division, and reportedly worked with G2. He was an expert in photography, enemy weapons, and related technical specialties.

Post-WWII (1946-1960)

Exactly what Underhill did immediately after WWII is not clear yet. He apparently had volunteered to serve in the Civil Defense of Washington, D.C. and was a Deputy Director. In 1949, under the pseudonym Garrett Underhill, he published a Report on the Red Army, and noted that he was the owner of a large private collection of Soviet small arms, acquired during a fifteen year interest in foreign armaments.

Since 1949 and into the 1950s, Underhill was reportedly an “infrequent” contact with the CIA’s Domestic Contacts Service. He apparently had been a contact for foreign intelligence since 1949. By 1951, he was back working with Look Magazine as a military affairs editor, and published an essay with Ronald Schiller critical of the US Army.

In 1954, Underhill was in contact with a Herman Axelbank, who was trying to sell photographs of Soviet military subjects. Underhill reportedly contacted the FBI and CIA. From 1954 to 1955, Underhill was President of the Underhill Society of America. In 1955, during a Civil Defense exercise he declined heading to the command post for the exercise claiming, it was “so inadequate it couldn’t cope with a brushfire threatening a doghouse in a backyard.” Samuel Spencer, one of the commissioners who governed the District of Columbia, upon hearing Underhill’s criticism ordered his dismissal just as “Operation Alert” began.

In 1956, Underhill might have been a consultant to an Army coordinating group. In 1957, the CIA’s Office of Security requested a check on Underhill. What exactly Underhill’s activities were during the latter years of the 1950s is unclear for the time being.

The JFK Assassination (1960-1963)

Some curious points about Underhill that seemed to develop, at some point, linked him to Lee Oswald, the the main JFK assassination suspect. One report claims that Underhill had some sort of connection with Harold Isaacs, who knew Oswald’s cousin Marilyn Murret. The Murrets lived in New Orleans, and Dutz Murret reportedly was tied to mob boss Carlos Marcello. Underhill also was reportedly a friend of a man named Samuel Cummings of Interarmco, which had customers from the CIA and Klein’s Sporting Goods, which Oswald bought it Carcano rifle from and which reportedly has been linked to the P2 Lodge in Italy.

Besides the above, it’s not exactly clear what Underhill was up to in the early 1960s. In terms of the parapolitical events of the time, in 1959, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba after the overthrow of Batista. The coup of Lumumba in Congo took place in 1960, both event linked to the CIA. JFK became President in 1961, and the CIA’s notorious JM/WAVE station was established in Miami. The Bay of Pigs took place in early 1961. In April 1961, a coup attempt took place in French Algeria to prevent Charles De Gaulle, whom would be the subject of OAS assassination attempt, from ending the Algiers War. In May 1961, Rafael Trujillo was assassinated in the Dominican Republic with weapons supplied by the CIA. In September 1961, the UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold died in a suspicious plane crash. In November 1961, a coup took place in Ecuador.

In 1962, JFK rejected the false flag plan Operation Northwords, aimed at starting a war with Cuba. In September 1962, a coup took place in Yemen and the OAS attempted to assassinate Charles De Gaulle, the French Prime Minister. In August, 1962, Robert Perrin, a key witness in the pre-JFK Dallas/New Orleans underworld environment, died by suicide. The Cuban Missile Crisis took place in October 1962. Later that month, the Italian Enrico Mattei died in a plane crash. A coup took place in Iraq in February 1963 and in the Dominican Republic in September 1963.

The point here is that the period of 1960 to 1963 were highly turbulent and intriguing times. The assassination of JFK took place in Dallas, on November 22, 1963, and that’s where we return to the principal character of this article. As the story goes, the day following the JFK assassination, on November 23, 1963, Garry Underhill left Washington, D.C. He showed up at the house of friends, Robert and Charlene Fitzsimmons, in New York. According to them, Underhill was agitated and confided to them that he believed a “small clique within the CIA” was responsible for the JFK assassination. He was badly shaken, afraid for his life, he felt that he would probably have to leave the country. Robert was initially skeptical.

One report indicates that Underhill had “attributed the Kennedy assassination to a CIA clique which was carrying on a lucrative racket in gun-running, narcotics and other contraband, and manipulating political intrigue to serve its own ends.” Kennedy had supposedly gotten wind of this and was killed before he could blow the lid on it. He told Charlene that he “knew who was responsible for the assassination and that he was afraid for his life.” Furthermore, he reportedly claimed to have “learned that the Far East section of the CIA was responsible for the assassination.” One reported quote of Underhill is as follows:

“This country is too dangerous for me. I’ve got to get on a boat. Oswald is a patsy. They set him up. It’s too much. The bastards have done something outrageous. They’ve killed the president! I’ve been listening and hearing things. I couldn’t believe they’d get away with it, but they did. They’ve gone mad! They’re a bunch of drug runners and gun runners – a real violence group. I know who they are. That’s the problem. They know I know. That’s why I’m here.“

Another quote from of him several years later:

I couldn’t believe they’d got away with it, but they did. They tried it in Cuba, but they couldn’t get away with it. After the Bay of Pigs. But Kennedy wouldn’t let them get away with it. He was about to blow the whistle on them…

The country is too dangerous for me now. They’ve gone mad. They’re drug runners and gun runners. They get the intelligence and come back and tell the government how to run the country. And they’re lying. And those idiots are listening to it. Kennedy gave them some time after the Bay of Pigs. “We’ll give them a chance to save face,” he said. The CIA is under enough pressure already.

I’ve got to get a boat too because I’m really afraid of my life. They’ve gone too far this time.

What Underhill did following this interaction isn’t clear, but it appears that he returned to Washington, D.C. at some point.

The Strange Death of Gary (May 8, 1964)

Immediately after the assassination, a wave of strange deaths took place. On November 24, the prime suspect Oswald was fatally shot by Jack Ruby in Dallas. George Senator was afraid to stay at the apartment he shared with Ruby that night, while several lawyers and journalists visited the place. One of them was the local lawyer Constine Alfredo Droby, who received death threats against him becoming Ruby’s lawyer. Another was the lawyer Tom Howard, he was an early lawyer of Ruby who later died from a heart attack in 1965 before Ruby could get a retrial. Bill Hunter, a journalist also present at the Ruby apartment meeting, was fatally shot in California in April 1964, by police officers reportedly horseplaying with a gun. Another local journalist in Dallas at the apartment was Jim Koethe, who was murdered in an apartment robbery of his apartment in September 1964.

There had been the attempted killing of Warren Reynolds, who had been witness of Oswald fleeing the scene of the Tippit killing. The main suspect of that shooting, was a friend of Betty Mooney McDonald, who was claimed to have worked for Jack Ruby’s club and committed suicide in jail in February 1964. There was also a coup that took place in Brazil in March 1964.

In the middle of these events, in May 1964, a friend of Underhill, a former contributor to The New Republic Asher Byrnes, went to his home at 3035 M Street, NW in Washington, D.C. to check on him. He found Underhill’s body in his bed with a gunshot wound to the head and an automatic pistol under his body on the left side. Underhill had apparently been dead since May 8, 1964. Byrnes found the situation suspicious, believing that the bullet had entered behind the left ear, with the pistol on his left side, which didn’t add up with Underhill being right handed. A medical student also made the same observation about the trajectory of the shot.

The District of Columbia Department of Public Heath’s coroner ruled the death a suicide with the cause of death being “shot self in head with automatic pistol.” The Deputy Police Chief John B. Layton stated that the pistol was found in his right hand.

There is some indication that Underhill may have had some capital and financial trouble, which could lend some credence to the suicide theory. But the fact that Underhill apparently had pertinent information to a possible conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy, a wave of strange deaths, Underhill’s apparent parapolitical connections in the intelligence world, and the seeming discrepancies around his death, raises the reasonable possibility that he was assassinated. Furthermore, his death took place during the time of the Warren Commission’s investigation into the JFK assassination, or perhaps coverup rather.

His strange death came up several years later during Jim Garrison’s investigation in New Orleans, in 1967. Ramparts published a story on the case that same year. It likely was looked at during the HSCA int he late 1970s as well. The case garnered wide spread media coverage in 2025 when new JFK files released in the early days of the Trump II administration included an excerpt from the 1967 Ramparts magazine article. But the case remains a suspicious on, with nothing being proven as usual.

The Far East “CIA Clique”

The highly intriguing statement attributed to Underhill was that he learned that the “Far East section of the CIA was responsible for the assassination.” Or more broadly, a “CIA clique which was carrying on a lucrative racket in gun-running, narcotics and other contraband, and manipulating political intrigue to serve its own ends.” Another rephrased version of this statement “They’re a bunch of drug runners and gun runners – a real violence group.”

Now this is high intrigue, and parapolitical activities reminiscent of mysterious network reports of the 1990s. Danny Casolaro’s “Octopus”, the Belgian “Nebula”, the BCCI’s “black network”, all come to mind. But what about back in 1963? Who was active in the Far Eastern CIA activities at the time?

CIA-linked Drug Trafficking in the Far East Timeline

There certainly are reports of CIA-tied drug trafficking in the Far East before 1963.

1942 on: Relations with the Green Gang Triad and Chiang Kai-shek

Since 1942, during the start of WWII and immediately after, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and Office of Strategic Society (OSS), and then the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) established relations with the Chinese anti-communist Green Gang Triad who were deeply involved in the opium, morphine and heroin trade.¹ The Green Gang, which also was tied into gold smuggling, the sex trade, slave-girl trade, brothels, assassinations, in 1927 helped General Chiang Kai-shek purge Shanghai of about 5,000 communists. Chiang became oriented toward the West, which supported him in opposition to Japan during the 1937 invasion. The French had also been active in China, with Jean Monnet, alongside his assistant David Drummond, going into business with the Green Gang Triad, Tse-Ven Soon and Chiang Kai-shek. In 1935, still living in Shanghai, Monnet went into business with George Murnane. He left in 1936, just before China’s war with Japan escalated.

In 1945, after WWII, the US and most wealthier Chinese businessmen supported Chiang’s nationalists in opposition to the rising Communists. Since 1946, the group then known as Civil Air Transport (CAT), and later Air America, began supplying the forces of General Chiang. But eventually the general and his followers withdrew to Taiwan in 1949 and CAT was having financial difficulties.

Julien Amery was Churchill’s representative to Chiang in 1945. Baron Robert Rothschild had also been active in China around the time, becoming consul general from 1946 to 1949. Du Yuesheng, the leader of the Green Gang Triade fled to the British colony of Hong Kong. Henry Luce was a major supporter of Chiang as well. Despite that, there’s always been significant trade relations with the communists both before and after 1945.

In 1949, the owners of CAT approached Colonel Richard Stilwell, head of the CIA Far East operations of the Office of Policy Coordination from 1947 to 1952, after which it was decided the airline would be bought up by the CIA. In 1950, CAT and Sea Supply Corporation, another CIA-owned airline set up by Stilwell’s predecessor, Paul Helliwell, began delivering arms to the KMT forces in Burma. more on that later. The pro-Chiang “China Lobby” financed full page ads claiming the communists were behind the opium trade. But in 1952, it was discovered that the opposite was true and Stilwell was dismissed from CIA chief. But it is believed that the Asian People’s Anti-Communist League took over the operation from the CIA. Another key figure was W. Lloyd George, Chief of the Far East Division of the Office of Special Operations, from 1947 to 1952.

Late 1940s: Connection to the Japanese Yakuza

By the late 1940s, connections were established with the Japanese Yakuza, which was involved in heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine drug trade. The Yakuza and the dominant Liberal Democratic Party were largely controlled by the “Black Dragon Society” leaders Riochy Sasakawa and Yoshio Kodama, who were recruited by General Douglas MacArthur after WWII to squash communist influences. It is believed that the CIA took over these ties. It has been reported that Kodama and some of his associates were recruited by the Army G-2 for these purposes by 1952. MacArthur, as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan, supported Chiang and even refused a plan to remove him in Taiwan in 1951. Before Chaing and allies fled China to Taiwan in 1949, MacArthur and his intelligence chief Charles Willoughby had released 17 Class A war criminal suspects in December 1948, including Kodama and Sasakawa.

The CIA Station chief in Toyko, was reportedly Paul Blum, from 1948. From 1961 to 1965, it was William V. Broe. In Seoul, Korean, the CIA Station chief from 1949 was Philip C. Rower, then Peer de Silva, from 1959 to 1962.

Early 1950s – Early 1960s: CAT and Sea Supply supporting the KMT in Burma

The CIA, through the earlier mentioned CAT and Sea Supply Corporation covertly supported a KMT, a Chiang Kai-shek loyal anti-communist Chinese guerrilla force in the Burmese backlands. This covert action was started in 1951 and known as Operation Paper. The purpose was to distract Mao’s communist forces from the Korean front and to keep them from invading Taiwan. Unmarked CAT and SSC planes flew military supplies and guerrilla from Taiwan, with similar unmarked planes flying out opium to Thailand, where CIA asset General Phao Sriyanond of the CIA-financed Thai national police puts the drugs into Bangkok night life.

Key US persons involved in the Burma campaign included Paul Helliwell and Frank Wisner, who were instrumental in setting up Sea Supply Corporation, with CAT President Claire Chennault, an old OSS friend of Helliwell, proposing the initial plan to contain communist China with the use of forces loyal to General Chiang. Tommy Corcoran, a Washington lobbyist, served as a key liaison between Chennault and the CIA.

The French army was also actively running “Operation X”, an opium trafficking network to fund covert operations during the French Indochina War in Vietnam.

The CIA station chief in Taipei, Taiwan, from 1954 to 1958, was William Duggan. From 1958 to 1962, it was Ray S. Cline. From 1962 to 1965, it was William Nelson. In Hong Kong, the station chief there was Peer de Silva, from 1962 to late 1963.

Other Key CIA Personnel in the Far East

In 1952, the OSO and OPC was consolidated under the new Directorate of Plans, with W. Lloyd George becoming head of the Far East Division from 1952 to 1954.

In 1953, a major CIA covert operation took place in the Philippines. It ran a massive covert political and psychological influence campaign led by Air Force Colonel Edward Landsdale to engineering the election of Ramon Magsaysay. The CIA station chief in Manila was reportedly William V. Broe, from 1951. Desmond FitzGerald, from 1955 to 1956, and John H. Richardson, from late 1950s to early 1960s.

The head of the CIA Western Division from 1954 to 1955 was reportedly George E. Aurell, succeeding William Lloyd George. In 1954, the CIA and Lansdale had helped the South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem survive a military coup attempt led by French-trained dissident army officers. Later CIA station chiefs in Saigon, South Vietnam included William Colby, 1960 to 1962, John H. Richardson, 1962 to 1963, David R. Smith, 1963, and Peer de Silva by December 1963.

Chief of the CIA Far East Division from 1955 to 1958, was Alfred C. Ulmer, Jr., a key period. In 1957, the CIA began countering political subversion in Laos by the communist Pathet Lao, including support via Air America. CIA station chiefs in Laos reportedly included Milton J. Clark, before mid-1957, Henry D. Hecksher, mid-1957 to late 1959, Gerald Steiner, 1959 to 1960, Gordon L. Jorgensen, 1960 to 1962, Charles S. Whitehurst, 1962 to 1964. Also in 1957, the CIA began a covert anti-communist program to support the Tibetan resistance fighters against Chinese occupation. This involved training local guerrillas, supplying weapons, and providing intelligence. These activities continued in the early 1970s. Additionally, in 1958, the CIA supported the anti-communist Thai Army Commander Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat who took control of Thailand.

The CIA Chief of the Far East Division from 1958 to 1962, was Desmond FitzGerald.

From 1962 to 1967, the CIA Chief of the Far East Division was William E. Colby. In 1959, Colby was station chief of South Vietnam, working with Ngo Dinh Diem against the communists.

other important players reportedly included: Richard Helms, General John Singluab, Howard Hunt

Even after the JFK assassination, the region continued to be a hot spot for CIA covert activities and drug trafficking. One such figure that came to the Far East after playing a key role in the Cuba Project was Ted Shackley. The earlier mentioned William Nelson, station chief in Taiwan from 1962 to 1965, and deputy director of operations under Colby from 1973 to 1976, was deeply involved in the Iran-Contra drug trafficking networks since the 1960s.

From the 1960s to 1970s, Ted Shackley and various CIA officers, through Air America, were involved in the opium/heroin trade during the Vietnam War. From the 1960s on, Daniel Arnold, CIA station chief of Thailand in the 1970s, was implicated in being involved in the heroin trafficking business alongside Ted Shackley.

There are plenty more aspects to all this, that goes beyond the scope of this article though. But maybe, if the quotes of Underhill were accurate, he may have been way ahead of his time, as very real drug trafficking scandals and covert activity reports came out in the region years later, with later ties to reported “mysterious networks” involved in the exact same underworld business described by Underhill.

Notes

1. 2013, David M. Fahey and Jon S. Miller, ‘Alcohol and Drugs in North America: A Historical Encyclopedia’ ↩︎