Korean War Cold War Jack L. Hawkins (October 25, 1916 – May 17, 2013) was a United States Marines Corps colonel employed by the CIA for the military planning, training of Cuban exiles, and the effective military command of forces in the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in April 1961.

[4]: 166  However, the need for additional expertise in their post-escape plans brought the total number of Americans in the group to ten, including Samuel Grashio and Austin Shofner.

This unit passed the Americans on to other bands until the escapees eventually were led to Colonel Wendell Fertig, who commanded the American-Filipino guerrillas on Mindanao.

[6] Following World War II, he served as a member of the Naval Mission to Venezuela for three years as adviser to the Venezuelan Marine Corps, before returning to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

He was already fluent in Spanish, and under his command were Grayston Lynch and William "Rip" Robertson as the CIA representatives in the amphibious landings.

From his base in Miami, he instructed the combatants via radio links relayed via US Navy ships, aiming to defeat Cuban government forces in the conflict.