Allen Lawrence Pope

• 1. From Instructor To Covert Pilot

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  Allen Lawrence Pope was born in Miami, Florida on the 20th of October 1928. He grew up as the son of a moderately prosperous fruit grower in Perrine, Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, he entered the U.S. Air Force. During the Korean War, he flew bombing missions with distinction. He received three Air Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. The war ended, and the Air Force returned him to the United States as an instructor. In March 1954, Pope left the regular Air Force. He joined a CIA front organization called Civil Air Transport. This group flew one of its Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars to supply French forces besieged at Điện Biên Phủ. On the 6th of May 1954, Pope served as co-pilot of the lead aircraft. His group made the last air drop to the garrison before it surrendered. He remained with CAT after the First Indochina War ended that August.

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• 2. The Indonesian Covert Operation

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  In April 1958, Civil Air Transport recalled Pope from Saigon to Taiwan. They sent him to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. There he was assigned a B-26 Invader painted black with obscured markings. His destination was Indonesia to participate in a covert operation intended to overthrow Communist-leaning president Sukarno. He landed his bomber at Mapanget on the 27th of April 1958. This rebel-held base sat on the Minahassa Peninsula of northern Sulawesi. He joined fellow pilot William H. Beale who had been flying for Permesta since April 19. Pope attacked the government-held island of Morotai hours before an amphibious force took it. The CIA instructed pilots to target commercial shipping to frighten foreign merchant ships away. On April 28, Pope attacked Central Sulawesi and sank three merchant ships off Donggala. He destroyed twenty-two vehicles in a truck park at Palu. On May 1, he attacked Ambon city but his starboard engine exploded during a strafing run. He aborted the attack and returned to Mapanget.

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• 3. Capture And House Arrest

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  By mid-May, Indonesian government forces planned amphibious counter-attacks on captured islands. At 0300 on May 18, Pope took off from Mapanget to attack Ambon again. He found an invasion fleet including two 7,000-ton merchant ships used as troop transports. The P-51 Mustang flown by Ignatius Dewanto scrambled to repel him. Dewanto damaged Pope's B-26 starboard wing causing the bomber to catch fire. Pope and his radio operator Jan Harry Rantung bailed out. As they jumped, the aircraft entered a sharp dive. The slipstream threw Pope against the tail fin fracturing his right leg. They landed on the coast of Pulau Hatala where a small Indonesian Navy landing party captured them. Some 20 other AUREV insurgent aircraft were seen with Nationalist Chinese markings obscured by paint. Their pilots included Americans from CAT. Pope was held not in prison but under house arrest at Kaliurang. This small mountain resort provided excellent medical attention for his injury.

• 4. Diplomatic Trial And Release

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  An Indonesian four-man military court rejected Pope's plea to be considered a prisoner of war. On the 29th of April 1960, it found him guilty of killing seventeen members of Indonesia's armed forces and six civilians. The court sentenced him to death. U.S. Ambassador Howard P. Jones portrayed Pope as an American paid soldier of fortune. Pope admitted to flying only one or two missions while his flight log recorded eight. Another source states he flew a total of twelve. The execution was not carried out but Pope remained under house arrest. He became a bargaining chip in negotiations between Indonesia and the United States. In February 1962, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy visited President Sukarno pleading for release. Pope's wife, mother, and sister also tearfully pleaded for his pardon. On the 2nd of July 1962, Pope was quietly driven to the airport. He was put on a U.S. plane leaving Indonesia after being exchanged with ten Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport planes.

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• 5. Post-Prison Covert Service

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  After his release from Indonesian imprisonment in 1962, Pope returned to Miami. He joined Southern Air Transport which functioned like Civil Air Transport. This organization flew covert missions in regions including southeast Asia. Pope continued working for the CIA in other theaters following his return to the United States. His experience in Indonesia did not end his career in paramilitary aviation. He utilized his skills to support further operations behind enemy lines. The agency relied on pilots who understood the complexities of deniable air strikes. Pope's background made him a valuable asset for future conflicts requiring secrecy.

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• 6. International Recognition And Legacy

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  On the 24th of February 2005, France's ambassador Jean-David Levitte honored Pope. He made the then 76-year-old Pope and six other CAT pilots Chevaliers de la Légion d'Honneur. This award recognized their service during the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ. Pope died on the 4th of April 2020 at the age of 91. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His historical standing remains that of a Cold War paramilitary figure. The events surrounding his capture created a significant diplomatic dispute between the United States and Indonesia. His story illustrates the hidden nature of American foreign policy interventions during the mid-twentieth century. The legacy of his flights continues to be studied by historians examining covert operations.

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