Decades Later, a Cold War Secret Is Revealed

DANBURY, Conn. – For more than a decade they toiled in the strange, boxy-looking building on the hill above the municipal airport, the building with no windows (except in the cafeteria), the building filled with secrets.

They wore protective white jumpsuits, and had to walk through air-shower chambers before entering the sanitized "cleanroom" where the equipment was stored.

In today’s State Department and for past twenty years, a foreigner can marry a US Department of State employee overseas and become a “Communicator”; they are accepted as foreign service specialists and given the crypto keys, management of long haul communications and even privy to the identities of our agency personnel at their mission, and insight into how to identify covert operatives. Worst though is that many hate the USA - and I doubt their alligence. It has long been my belief that it is policy’s like diversity and family member hiring preferences that make this situation a reality. Can you imagine granting a Top Secret clearance to someone just a few years removed from their homeland into a position where they handle all US Communications at an Embassy or Consulate? It may be possible due to the compartmentalization of information that the US uses these people to LEAK information which we want them to see. It is just unreal that in the 70s and 80s I would have lost my security clearance for marrying a South Korea (Ally?), but today we make it a matter of National Policy to hand the “keys” to Turks, former USSR soldiers, etc.

Most of the really bad/lax policies started under Clinton. He dismantled Regulations and there was chaos for a while until the Instructions were given teeth (became regulations under a new name). Also gave the nod to many Asians working in sensitive nuclear and other areas.

As usual, I'm coming in a little late to this game but this article is special to me.

Not too long ago, I learned that my dad was involved with the GAMBIT and HEXAGON projects at the time we all were stationed in SoCal and he worked at El Segundo AFB. This fall, my dad attended a 'gala' at the Smithsonian and took my 18 y/o son when my mom couldn't attend. Son was quite impressed.

We have a couple of amazing family photographs depecting both my father and my son standing tall in front of the HEXAGON and smiling proudly that evening.

I just wanted to toss in my $0.2 because I am just so dang proud of my daddy.

/emotions_under control

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