Jacob Donald Esterline (April 26, 1920 in Lewistown, Pennsylvania – October 16, 1999)[1] was the CIA project director for the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
He was commander of a guerilla battalion in China fighting the Imperial Japanese Army by the end of World War II.
He was deputy chief of the CIA task force for operation PBSuccess which overthrew Jacobo Arbenz in 1954, the President of Guatemala.
During the preparation and operation of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in April 1961, Jacob Esterline was CIA Chief of Western Hemisphere Branch 4 (WH/4), reporting to the CIA Deputy Director for Plans Richard M. Bissell Jr. and his deputy Tracy Barnes, rather than to the Chief of Western Hemisphere, J.C.
[4] On the day before the first action, Esterline and Marine Col. Jack Hawkins (also CIA, WH/4/PM) both strongly thought that the impending invasion should be called off because last-minute changes in the plan would guarantee disaster, and wanted to resign.