Famous Veteran Julia Child

CIA ^ | 2007 | CIA

[eastforker]

Soon after the United States entered World War II, Julia felt the need to serve her country. Too tall to join the military (she was 6’2”), Julia volunteered her services to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was the forerunner of today’s Central Intelligence Agency. She was one of 4,500 women who served in the OSS. She started out at OSS Headquarters in Washington, working directly for General William J. Donovan, the leader of OSS. Working as a research assistant in the Secret Intelligence division, Julia typed up thousands of names on little white note cards, a system that was needed to keep track of officers during the days before computers. Although her encounters with the General were minor, she recalled later in life that his “aura” always remained with her.

SharkSense3.jpg Cartoon from the Naval Aviation Training Division guide, Shark Sense. March 1944. Julia then worked with the OSS Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section, where she helped develop shark repellent. The repellent was a critical tool during WWII, and was coated on explosives that were targeting German U-boats. Before the introduction of the shark repellent, curious sharks would sometimes set off the explosives when they bumped into them.

[eastforker]

Whoda thunk Julia Child ,a member of the OSS, worked for inteligence for the USA in WWII?

[AzSteven]

Love this woman for two reasons - her heroic service, and her unflinching support for REAL BUTTER in cooking.

[Ken H]

Never knew this. And I recently learned that Hedy Lamarr helped perfect radio guidance systems in torpedoes in WWII.

[Mears]

There was a great movie about Hedy just last year.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bombshell_the_hedy_lamarr_story/

.

[fruser1]

“The repellent was a critical tool during WWII, and was coated on explosives”

What did they use for shark repellent? Still classified?

[T-Bone Texan]

An episode of Batman featured shark repellent.

I thought it was just a goof.

[tomkat]

Thanks for that.

[Pelham]

“I recently learned that Hedy Lamarr helped perfect radio guidance systems in torpedoes in WWII.”

Frequency hopping. Kept RC torpedos from being jammed. It’s also the basis for cell phones.

[Ken H]

She was a fascinating person. Beauty and brains in full measure.

[Gay State Conservative]

Julia Child was one of the many rich,famous Harvard Square "progressives" who,in the 80s,signed a petition to shut down the nearby Commonwealth Day School,a school whose student body was almost entirely black.

Laurence Tribe was also a signatory.

[Gay State Conservative]

Julia Child was one of the many rich,famous Harvard Square "progressives" who,in the 80s,signed a petition to shut down the nearby Commonwealth Day School,a school whose student body was almost entirely black.

Laurence Tribe was also a signatory.

[M-cubed]

Isn't it amazing how people can contribute without being on the front lines.....without their dedication..there would have never been a front line.....

GOD BLESS THEM ALL!!!!!!! (its almost like 1 vote can make a difference)

[elcid1970]

Julia Child wrote in one of her cookbooks that she “could never break bread at the same table with a Republican”.

Bon appetit, indeed.

[PIF]

as a clerk-typist ...

[RayChuang88]

So was my uncle, the famous watercolor artist Dong Kingman. A mamber of the US Army at the time, Kingman helped draw many maps used in European battles for the OSS, including the invasion maps for the Normandy beaches for D-Day.