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To: Terry L Smith

“What about Julia Child? (France) Hayden Sterling? (Czechslovakia)
Yul Brynner? (Free French Radio Broadcaster)”

They were all worthy, but not at the same level as Virginia Hall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Hall

She, as an American, served in the British SOE from 1940 - 1944 because her own Country’s diplomatic corp. had little use at the time for a one-legged female. She later joined the newly formed OSS where she served from 1944 - 1945, and then at the CIA from 1951 - 1966. While with the SOE and OSS, she served undercover, on the ground, deep in Vichy, France, where she set up safe houses; organized and coordinated the resistance forces; orchestrated sabotage attacks on the Nazis; coordinated and actively participated in night-time supply drops; planned and coordinated prison escapes; provided radio transmissions back to London; and the list goes on. The “limping lady” was on the Gestapo’s and the SS’s most wanted list, and she barely escaped capture on several occasions.

The British made her a member of the Order of the British Empire; and General Donovan personally awarded her the Distinguished Service Cross when she turned down a public ceremony with President Truman (she didn’t want to blow her cover for future missions).


12 posted on 06/05/2017 12:19:32 PM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: Labyrinthos

Indeed, Ms. Hall earned her star on the wall.

And yes, those I mentioned did not, the same level and depth that she did.


15 posted on 06/09/2017 10:19:38 AM PDT by Terry L Smith
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