Francis Powers - Operation Overflight

I had been told, during the debriefings, that intelligence sources within Russia had claimed a total of fourteen rockets had been fired at me. Whether this was true or not, I didn’t know. I did suspect, however, that there had been more than one.

SENATOR SYMINGTON: IS there any possibility that you were hit twice, once at a higher altitude, say, a near-miss, and again at a lower altitude?

POWERS: No.

I made that “No” as emphatic as possible.

SENATOR SYMINGTON: You did your best to destroy the plane, but, because of the gs on you at the time, you were just unable to reach the controls; is that correct?

POWERS: Yes, that is right.

SENATOR SYMINGTON: Mr. Chairman, I would like to join you and other members of the committee in commending Mr. Powers for the way he handled himself in this unfortunate episode. I have no further questions.

SENATOR BUSH: Mr. Chairman, I have no questions, but I also would like to say, having heard Mr. McCone’s reports today and having listened to Mr. Powers’ remarkable story, that I am satisfied he has conducted himself in exemplary fashion and in accordance with the highest traditions of service to one’s country, and I congratulate him upon his conduct in captivity and his safe return to the United States.

Senator Jackson then asked me whether the Russians had attempted to indoctrinate me in Communism. I replied that there had been no direct attempt as such, but that the only news I received came from Communist sources. He also asked me to describe my release, which I did, noting that not until I had stepped across the line did I learn that it was an exchange, with Abel involved.

SENATOR JACKSON: Mr. Chairman, I want to conclude by saying that I associate myself with the remarks previously made here. I think it is quite clear from what we have heard this morning and now that Mr. Powers has lived up to his contract.

CHAIRMAN RUSSELL: Senator Beall?

SENATOR BEALL: Mr. Chairman, I have no questions. I do want to associate myself with you and the balance of the committee in commending Mr. Powers for the very intelligent way he has handled himself. I was at the hearings this morning, and I am convinced that he has been very frank with us, and I congratulate him.

CHAIRMAN RUSSELL: Senator Thurmond?

SENATOR THURMOND: No questions, Mr. Chairman.

CHAIRMAN RUSSELL: Senator Goldwater?

SENATOR GOLD WATER: I have no questions.

Following some queries regarding Soviet justice and the absence of the jury system in Russia, Chairman Russell asked: “Any further questions by any member of the committee?” There were none.

Of the fourteen senators present, seven—Saltonstall, Byrd of Virginia, Stennis, Symington, Bush, Jackson, and Beall—had gone on record as stating their belief that I had lived up to my obligations, both insofar as my CIA contract was concerned and as an American. Chairman Russell, though he had made no statement, had indicated his agreement by the manner of his questioning. (Following the hearing, he told reporters that he agreed I had lived up to the terms of my contract.) Whatever the personal opinions of the remaining senators—Smith of Maine, Thurmond, Ervin, Byrd of West Virginia, Case, and Goldwater—they had declined to state them publicly. Later, however, on opening the envelope handed to me during the hearing, I found a Senate memorandum. Written in pencil, it read: “You did a good job for your country. Thanks. Barry Goldwater.”

CHAIRMAN RUSSELL: I will ask all the policemen to please see that Mr. Powers and his CIA escort are able to get out before the rush. Will all of you please keep your seats.

They disobeyed his instructions, however, bringing the hearing to an end with a standing ovation.

Looking at my watch, I realized the hearing had lasted only ninety minutes. It had seemed much longer.

As my two escorts and I were attempting to make our way through the crowd of well-wishers, Senator Saltonstall brought over two of my sisters. They were the only members of my family who had been able to attend the hearing; this was the first time I had seen them since my return to the United States. Our reunion was brief, however. The moment we reached the hall, a bevy of reporters descended upon us.

“What are you going to do with your back pay, Mr. Powers?”

“Spend it.”

“How?”

“Slowly.”

Before I could answer any more questions, or talk further with my sisters, my escort rushed me out of the building.

As for what followed, Time summed it up concisely: “Then he disappeared into a waiting government car—leaving behind him a persistent feeling that some of his story remained untold.”

Following the Senate hearing, I checked into Georgetown University Hospital for rest and a complete physical examination. With little else to do, I resumed reading the newspapers. With few exceptions—Wallace Carroll of The New York Times , for example, wittily described the hearing as “hominy all the way,” glossing over the fact that it was not a Southerner but a Yankee, Saltonstall of Massachusetts, who had taken the lead in commending me—accounts of the Senate hearing were mostly favorable.

I had the feeling it had turned out much better than some people— possibly including President Kennedy—had anticipated.

What was behind the canceled meeting with the President? By now it was obviously a cancellation, not a postponement because some urgent matter had taken priority. Perhaps the President had not wanted to steal the Senate’s thunder, as he would have done by greeting me prior to the hearing. Yet, if that were the case, why had the appointment been scheduled in the first place? It was more likely that the decision to cancel the meeting was political: not sure which way the hearing would go, perhaps Kennedy had not wanted to risk identifying himself with what might have turned out to be the losing side.

Personally, I was pleased with the hearing, not so much because I had been “vindicated,” but because it was now over and I could resume my life. Yet I knew the committee’s response wouldn’t satisfy everyone. The senators had been briefed by McCone; the public hadn’t. They didn’t know what was being withheld, if anything. Until such time as the whole truth could be told, doubts would remain, and the hearing itself would appear to some to be a “whitewash.”

I had been looking forward to the time in the hospital, since it would give me a chance to think about my future. Now that I had the chance, however, I found it difficult to make plans. Despite the threat of Senator Young, I had learned there would be no difficulty about my returning to the Air Force. Yet I didn’t want to go back in immediately, at least not until after the publicity had died down and I could slip back into the routine as just another pilot. I briefly considered Kelly Johnson’s offer; but I had no idea what my job would be, nor did I know how serious his offer had been. The agency had suggested that, until making up my mind, I could work in the new CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia. My duties were unspecified, except that I would probably be spending a portion of my time in the training section. That appealed to me for one reason: I had been almost totally unprepared for capture. If I could help others to better equip themselves for what they might encounter in similar circumstances, the experience wouldn’t have been wasted. The drawback, however, was that I would be grounded. And I doubted if I could ever be happy in anything other than a flying job.

And there was my marriage. That too called for a decision. I evaded that, also, by telling myself I couldn’t leave Barbara now, not when she seemed to need me most. Had I faced the facts squarely, I would have been forced to admit that the continual arguments comprising most of our time together were helping neither of us.