Home/ Resources / Projects / CIA Pseudonyms / pseudonym: GIVLOCH_KENNETH

Pseudonym: Givloch, Kenneth

Return to Main Pseudos Page

Definition:
Birch O'Neal, (sometimes misspelled as Birch O'Neill). A CIA document in December of 1953 mentioned that Kenneth S. Givloch was Chief of Station (COS), Guatemala City.
Category:
pseudonym
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
A dispatch in March, 1954, mentioned that Givloch was the case officer of ESKIMOID, ESPARTO, and ESPARTO-1. O'Neal went on to become head of James Angleton's molehunting unit CI/SIG.
Sources:

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000914749.pdf

10/17/53: Air dispatch from COS, Guatemala to Chief, WHD: Subject: General - Labor Matters. Specific - Report Prepared by subject of HGG-A-430: Kenneth S. Givloch's name is at the bottom of this dispatch.

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000923959.pdf

12/15/53: CIA document: Stage One Report: Annex B: Friendly Assets and Potential: Page 14 (PDF): ..."According to Kenneth S. Givlock, Chief of Station, Guatemala City, (REDACTION) has been most cooperative in every way, to the extent that he has revealed to Givlock the existence and identities of his 'agent' net through which he controls or checks on the movement of his company's union..." (Note: Arthur G. Vaivada - Ross Crozier - was mentioned just below).

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952-1954: Guatemala: Current Section: 82. 1/11/54-Dispatch From the CIA Chief of Station in Guatemala (Givloch) to the Chief of the Western Hemisphere Division, Central Intelligence Agency

01/11/54: Dispatch from COS, Guatemala (Givloch) to Chief, Western Hemisphere Division (King): HGG-A-634: Subject: General - PBSUCCESS. Specific - Stephen R. Lugton: "1. In accordance with instructions received from Lugton, material received from him for forwarding is being placed in envelopes marked 'To Lincoln, for Jerome C. Dunbar only' and included in Station Guatemala pouches for Washington. As per his request, only one copy of such material has been made and therefore station files will contain no record of information submitted by him. This station will therefore not be held responsible for being knowledgeable of information submitted by him. 2. It is assumed that the policy of handling his material and the principle expressed is in accord with the wishes of Lincoln and Headquarters. If not, this station would appreciate being advised. Kenneth S. Givloch." - - - 01/12/54: Report from Guatemala City: Report Made By: Clara M. Heagey. Approved By: Kenneth S. Givloch (REDACTION). Source Cryptonym: Stephen R. Lugton. "Source: (REDACTION) from SLEEKER who obtains verbatim copies of the weekly reports sent by courier to PGT headquarters by communist party agents in Honduras and Salvador." Page 2: Subject: Miscellaneous Communist Activities..."Source: Individuals with excellent contacts in the Partido Guatemalteco del Trabajo (PGT-Communist)..." https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000937508.pdf

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000913978.pdf

01/29/54: Cable from LINCOLN to Director: Slugline PBSUCCESS RYBAT: "1. At HQs in December, Givloch stated he had ESODIC-1 prepare evaluation all WSBURNT (Guatemala) army officers. 2. Please pouch above material. Handwritten notes: Request copy HQs. Requested 30 Jan 54."

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952-1954: Guatemala: Current Section: 96. 2/9/54-Telegram From Operation PBSUCCESS Headquarters in Florida to the CIA Station in Guatemala

02/09/54: Telegram from Operation PBSUCCESS Headquarters in Florida to Guatemala Station: "451. Re: LINC 399. (2) 1. In accordance with ref, request ETA Givloch soonest. 2. Prior to trip, request Givloch confer with FMBLUG to obtain JMBLUG’s (John S. Peurifoy's) personal views on following: A. What political platform should an anti-Commie group, seeking to overthrow WSBURNT (Guatemala) Govt, espouse? What should be announced position of such group on agrarian reform, foreign capital, role of army, labor unions, nationalism, etc.? B. What political actions must an anti-Commie group, once it has seized power, carry out to remain in power? What should it actually do on the planks contained in its pre-coup platform? 3. Above is for LINCOLN (CIA's Guatemalan covert operations headquarters, a forward base in Florida) guidance prior to shaping up (REDACTION)/Calligeris positive political program. 4. Dir FYI: Believe foregoing guidance helpful and easily obtainable but not to be construed as any effort to bypass ODACID (U.S. State Department)."

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000913481.pdf

02/12/54: Cable from LINCOLN to Director: REF: GUAT 073 (IN 16475): IMMEDIATE ACTION: "1. Givloch advises no word received from DIR re ref MSG as of time his departure for LINC. 2. Note particularly that JMBLUG (John S. Peurifoy) desired reply by Monday or nine Feb. Dunbar discussed with Galbond (J.C. King) while at LINC and was informed reply would be sent direct GUAT from HDQS."

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000913454.pdf

02/13/54: Cable from LINCOLN to Guatemala (Info: Director): RE: LINC 222, PARA 3C: "1. Request Givlock bring to LINC report Oliva's condition, treatment he receiving and all info re facts he ahs or may have revealed under interrogation. Also any evidence that WSBURNT (Guatemala) Government exploiting info possibly obtained from Obliva for security checks, further arrests, etc. Olive received water treatment in order to make him disclose the identities of the persons in the Calligeris (Carlos Castillo Armas) group. The extent of the disclosure is not known but LINCOLN (CIA's Guatemalan covert operations headquarters, a forward base in Florida) is predicating all on the fact that this disclosure was to a large extent. Handwritten note: dictated RIP/se 14 Feb." - - - 02/13/54: Cable from LINCOLN to Director: Slugline PBSUCCESS RYBAT: "Givloch arrived LINC 2200 hours 11 Feb 54. Rennell and Magoffin arrived LINC 2304 hours 11 Feb 54." https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000913432.pdf

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000913414.pdf

02/14/54: Memorandum from Kenneth S. Givloch to C/P: Subject: JMBLUG Ideas in Response to LINC 451: "1. With reference to LINC 451 requesting that certain information be obtained from JMBLUG (John S. Peurifoy) with regard to his ideas concerning the political program, etc., of any new government, prior to my departure from Guatemala I conferred with him, and he very graciously consented to prepare a memorandum in answer to the specific questions you had requested. Attached is one copy of the memorandum prepared by him...2. As of further possible interest and use in determining what political program should be established, I had George L. Tranger (John Doherty) of the Guatemala Station prepare a memorandum of his views on the same questions. Attached is a memorandum by him which may be of some help. Tranger is a keen observer and is an officer of sound judgement, and I think that his views definitely should be taken into consideration in preparation of the program. 3. Station Guatemala does not have a copy of either of the above-described memoranda."

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000923850.pdf

03/10/54: Air dispatch from COS, Guatemala to LINCOLN: Subject: Operational KUFIRE Tasks, PBSUCCESS: "1. In compliance with the instructions set forth in reference dispatch, there is being transmitted herewith in duplicate the first in a series of the 'Weekly KUFIRE (Intelligence) Operational Reports.' In order to meet pouch deadlines and to keep the last-minute rush on the pouches to a minimum, it has been decided locally to prepare this weekly operational report each Friday. Data set forth in each FT report will accordingly cover the period Friday morning through Thursday afternoon. 2. As will be noted, the name of the officer responsible for each FT has been noted on each FT. As additional FT's come to our attention, advice from your headquarters will be requested. Cyrus E. Burnette." - - - Page 4: ..."FT/6: ESKIMOID: Responsible Officer - Kenneth S. Givloch: As yet the opportunity has not presented itself for an attempt to develop the subject. It is planned that the approach will be made in the near future and a report submitted at that time...FT/8: ESPARTO, ESPARTO-1: Responsible Officer - Kenneth S. Givloch: Provisional operational clearance has been obtained for the utilization of these individuals and they are now being used to provide travel information. No progress has yet been made in obtaining their aid for the desired defection envisioned by this Field Talk."

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000923787.pdf

04/20/54: Air dispatch from COS, Guatemala to LINCOLN: Subject: General - Operational. Specific - K Program Progress: FROM PAGE: ..."17. Regarding ESPOUSER, about whose loyalty and control Bannister (probably John Doherty) has some serous doubts, the Station deems it best to sever contacts at least for the time being. I agree with Bannister that he poses a serious security risk and that it was unwise to put him in direct touch with a KUBARK (CIA) representative in the first instance as was done by Givloch's instructions. 19. It may interest Cadick (William Robertson) that Bannister considers it possible to make an attempt at defecting Air Force pilots with their planes...Graham L. Page (probably Henry Hecksher)"

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000916112.pdf

04/28/54: Cable from LINCOLN to Director: Slugline RYBAT/PBSUCCESS: "1. HQs has been consistently and frequently advised over period several months that GUAT personnel situation was critical. Givloch stated this as well as Bannister (probably John Doherty). LINC has frequently, urgently asked that added GUAT personnel be expedited. 2. When above requests and pleas proved unavailing in face of repeated delays, LINC sent Riggs (Anne Goodpasture). 3. Now request firm ETA on clerk-typist for GUAT. Special handling urgency requested to permit her ETD not later than 5 May." Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_O%27Neill#cite_note-1 - "Birch O'Neill was the CIA station chief in Guatemala in 1953, succeeding Collins Almon. When the CIA began Operation PBSuccess, whose goal was to overthrow Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz, O'Neill objected, so director Allen Dulles transferred him out so that the operation could proceed." More specifically, see Richard Immerman, "The CIA in Guatemala", pp. 134-135: "...according to CIA scuttlebutt, United Fruit lobbyist Tommy Corcoran enlisted the support of (Walter Bedell Smith) to have Allen Dulles name John Doherty station chief in Guatemala This shift in personnel signaled the beginning of the operation."

Lobster #31: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/25003155/journal-of-parapolitics-8bitmode

Interview with John Newman, 1996: At page 25: "(Birch O'Neal) called me up when he heard that I was looking for him. No (researcher) has had a call from him before. His first words were, 'I want to see who this professor from Maryland was - okay so the papers came across my desk and there was a lady working on it - he's talking about (Ann Egerter) - so what. Only harm can come from this.' So we got into this big argument and had a fight on the phone. He did not want any of these files released. He thought it was going to destroy the country. And I kept asking him why. I kept waving the flag back at him - Freedom of Information is what this country is all about. So we were waving the flag back and forth at each other for twenty minutes and then he hung up. It was the most bizarre conversation that I have ever had."

Contributors:
Gavin McDonald • Bill Simpich

© Mary Ferrell Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |Site Map |MFF Policies |Contact Us