REQUEST FOR COMMEMORATION OF DAVID W. BEVAN-Y-, DARRELL A. EUBSNKS-Y-, AND JOHN S. LEWIS-Y- ON THE AGENCEY MEMORAL WALL AND AWARDS OF THE EXCEPTIONAL SERVOCE MEDAL

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06881739
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 25
• Document Creation Date: October 23, 2023
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2023
• Case Number: F-2017-01894
• Publication Date: July 22, 2016

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SECR NOFORN
SAC 025-16
JUL 2 NS
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Central Intelligence Agency
VIA:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Executive Director, Central Intelligence
Agency
General Counsel
Deputy Director of CIA for Operations
Associate Deputy Director of CIA for Operations
Chief, Global Deployment Center
Chief, Human Resources Staff
Director, Special Activities Center
(S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan-Y-,
Darrell A. Eubanks-Y-, and John S. Lewis-Y- on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the Exceptional
Service Medal
1. (S) Action Requested: Recognition and commemoration
of deceased CIA employees David W. Bevan Darrell
A. Eubanks/ , and John S. Lewis\ I, all
CIA Developmental Projects Division (DPD) Para Dispatch Officers
(PDO), who died in the line of duty on 13 August 1961 during the
crash of an Air America aircraft in Laos while conducting aerial
delivery of ammunition to Hmong tribesmen.
2. (S) Background: On 13 August 1961, Messrs. Bevan,
Eubanks, and Lewis were all killed in the crash of an Air
America C-46/C-47 flying an aerial delivery ammunition resupply
mission to Hmong tribesmen in Laos under the auspices of CYHOPE,
a CIA Covert Action (CM) program in Laos. The three officers
served in CIA DPD Air Support Branch, the forerunner of Special
SECRET � FORN
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SECR /NOFORN
SUBJECT: (S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan,
Darrell A. Eubanks, and John S. Lewis on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the
Exceptional Service Medal
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
Activities Center Air Department (SAC/AD), as PDO contract (b)(3)
employees. On this particular deployment, all three were
CIA/DPD contract employees working as
employees of Air America. An internal CIA memorandum dated 31
August 1961 clearly established the officers were engaged in
official duties on behalf of the CIA. The memorandum also notes
eyewitness accounts could not determine if the crash was due to
enemy fire or engine malfunction, and that remains of the
officers, along with those of an Air America pilot and copilot,
were recovered and repatriated to the United States for burial.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
3. (S) Messrs. Bevan, Eubanks, and Lewis served with
distinction as CIA contract employees in support of CYHOPE. As
well, Mr. Bevan originally came to the CIA as a contract
employee for air support to Cuba operations. Messrs. Eubanks
and Lewis served as CIA contract employees for the aerial
delivery missions over Chinese-occupied Tibet.
4. (S) Recommendation: For the reasons cited above, SAC
requests favorable consideration in issuing Stars on the Agency
Memorial Wall and Exceptional Service Medals for Messrs. Bevan,
2
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SECR OFORN
SUBJECT: (S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan,
Darrell A. Eubanks, and John S. Lewis on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the
Exceptional Service Medal
Eubanks, and Lewis. The concerns for Air America
paramount in 1961 no longer apply; therefore, it is recommended
their true names be inscribed in the memorial book and the
awards given to the closest living respective relatives. Per AR
5-41 (U) Honor, Merit, and Service Awards, inclusion on the
Memorial Wall is awarded posthumously to staff or contract
employees who lost their lives while serving their country in
intelligence activities, under any of four criteria. One of the
four criteria is met here�specifically, "Service in areas of
hostility or exceptionally hazardous conditions where the death
is the result of such hostilities or hazards." Further, per AR
5-41, the Exceptional Service Medal is awarded for "injury or
death of an Agency employee resulting from hazardous service in
the foreign field..." SAC assesses the situation described above
for all three officers meets criteria for both honors since the
trio were CIA contract employees engaged in a covert action
mission in a combat zone killed during a specific aerial
resupply mission in a remote and hazardous area. Please contact
SAC if additional information is required.
3
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SECRET/ 1OORN
SUBJECT: (S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan,
Darrell A. Eubanks, and John S. Lewis on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the
Exceptional Service Medal
CONCUR:
Chief, Human. Resources Staff
(b)(3)
111?-01 (b)(6)
Date
/7
Chief, Global Deployment Center Date
21, z_x /A
Associate MIR u �rector of CIA for Operations Date
Deputy Director of CIA for Operations
Office of General Counsel
JUL 2016
Date
(7,
7 XL) -6Qt(
Date
Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency ' Date
Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency Date
4
SECRET
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
(b)(3)
(b)(6)
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SECRET/ 0 ORN
SUBJECT: (S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan,
Darrell A. Eubanks, and John S. Lewis on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the
Exceptional Service Medal
,
APPROVE:
Director, Central Intelligence Agency Date
5
SECRET/ �FORN
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SECRET OFORN
SUBJECT: (S) Request for Commemoration of David W. Bevan,
Darrell A. Eubanks, and John S. Lewis on the
Agency Memorial Wall and Awards of the
Exceptional Service Medal
DO/SAC/
Distribution:
Orig - Return to SAC
1 - DCIA
1 - DDCIA
1 - EXDIR
1 - OGC
1 - DDO
1 - ADDO
1 - GDC
1 - HRS
(18 Apr 16)
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