Free Republic

By the end of WWII, 11 Colossus machines were in use Bletchley Park is best known for the work done on cracking the German codes and helping to bring World War II to a close far sooner than might have happened without those code breakers. But many believe Bletchley should be celebrated not just for what it ended but also for what it started - namely the computer age. The pioneering machines at Bletchley were created to help codebreakers cope with the enormous volume of enciphered material the Allies managed to intercept. The machine that arguably had the greatest influence...

Ten years ago, on July 11, 1995, the U.S. intelligence community held an extraordinary press conference at CIA headquarters to break the seal on one of the most closely held secrets of the Cold War. The world learned that starting in 1946 American cryptologists had cracked Soviet codes and read portions of thousands of messages Soviet intelligence operatives sent each other during World War II. Most of the cables decrypted in a program that came to be known as Venona, one of numerous codenames used to cloak its existence, were sent or received by the Soviet head of foreign intelligence....

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. .................................................................. .................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should...

» More From The Grand Rapids PressTop Stories'I could never say anything about this until a few years ago'Monday, July 01, 2002By Jim HargerThe Grand Rapids Press GRANDVILLE -- Robert Galt hasn't seen the latest Hollywood movies about World War II code breakers and "code talkers." He doesn't need to. The 82-year-old Grandville resident lived through the tense and shadowy plots that are second nature to high-tech eavesdropping. "I could never say anything about this until a few years ago," said Galt, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Base from 1943 until the end of the war. "Nobody knew...

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Code breakers who played a crucial role in winning the first major U.S. victory of World War II were the focus of a ceremony Tuesday on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. The Navy's Blue Angels punctuated the event by leaving a trail of white smoke over Corry Station Naval Air Technical Training Center where Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force cryptographers learn their craft. The work of their World War II predecessors in breaking a Japanese code made it possible for a smaller U.S. naval force to ambush an enemy fleet on...