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(Celebes), and although the major cities had fallen to the government by June 1958, the rebellion sputtered on until 1961. The revolt failed in the face of unexpectedly resolute action by the Indonesian government. At that time there were charges that the United States participated in this conflict in a limited and clandestine fashion-on the side of the rebels.' Except for the occasional rebel use of British or American military airfields, Western intervention has been difficult to trace to official agencies. This article presents evidence that a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane, flown by a regularly assigned active duty crew, was very nearly shot down during a classified mission in the Sulawesi area on March 27, 1958.

SINCE JULY 17, I958 when national Indonesian government forces entered the town of Tondano in Northern Sulawesi (Celebes), the struggle against the scattered units of the PRRI (Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia-Government of the Revolutionary Indonesian Republic) seems to have entered its final stages.' Although sizable guerilla action is still carried on by the rebels, especially in Sumatra, and although there are continuing reports of sympathy and assistance for the rebel cause from foreign quarters, dissension among the rebel leaders themselves, as well as the generally effective military campaign of the national armed forces have greatly reduced the earlier threat posed by the PRRI's operations.2 In consequence, public interest in Indonesia in the last few months has turned increasingly to the problems of national reconstruction which now, more than ever, must be given full attention.