That September President Lyndon Baines Johnson appointed him Deputy Director of Central Intelligence at CIA; he was quickly confirmed by the United States Senate.

[6] Then in Hawaii, he was with Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC), working to decipher enemy naval codes, until the Japanese surrender.

Established in 1966, the covert unit was designated the Naval Field Operations Support Group (NFOSG) – more commonly known as 'Task Force 157'.

In late 1967, DCI Richard Helms asked Taylor to oversee a difficult, intra-CIA dispute involving Yuri Nosenko, who had defected from Soviet intelligence in 1964.

CIA counterintelligence chief James Angleton had almost immediately accused Nosenko of being a double agent and provocateur sent by the Soviets to penetrate American intelligence.

Taylor conducted his "independent review" of the "immense files" and began to interview the CIA officers involved.

A further internal CIA report by John Hart in late 1976 confirmed Nosenko's bona fides.

"[17] Adams in 1966 had challenged the prevailing view of the number of Viet Cong guerrillas, known as the Order of Battle controversy.

Taking into consideration the prevailing political views of the Johnson Administration, and of the military leaders, in late 1967 Helms finessed it.

Adams cried foul at the compromise which favored the lower MACV numbers, and filed a formal complaint against Helms.

[18] By August 1, 1968, the special review board determined that, although Adams' numbers were probably more accurate, his methodology could not provide certainty.

The board recommended another opportunity be granted Adams: a presentation to General Maxwell Taylor chairman of the PFIAB.

[20][21] Nota Bene: Adams starts his memoirs by referring to "a letter from Admiral Rufus Taylor, the agency's otherwise kindly deputy director, who intimated that the CIA would be better off without me."

Adams instead reflected on troubles at CIA, and "the damnedest set of misdeeds that U.S. Intelligence had ever strung together," e.g., the Order of Battle controversy.

Instead I removed from my dest a manilla folder of classified documents... walked past the guard... and drove home."

His efforts provided critical intelligence to naval commanders which contributed significantly to the Allied victory.