Chef Julia Child, Others Part Of WWII Spy Network

Chef Julia Child, Others Part Of WWII Spy Network

www.cnn.com

Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world.

They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt.

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Amazing. Ernest Hemingway, Sterling Hayden, Thomas Braden, and Julia Child! Its hard to imagine one of America's favorite TV chefs as a secret spy in World War II.

If this was done back then and kept a secret, is it not possible that something such as this can be done again, especially now? We hear about how the MSM could be controlled by parts of the government, and Hollywood disinformation movies. I always questioned how possible that could be, but after reading through this, apparently it is possible, and has happened in the past!



www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by niteboy82


The tendrils of the government's connections within the media community has deep roots, no? There are skeptics regarding the degree of control the government could possibly have, citing the outlandishness of such statements (at least according to the media), and grounding their disbelief in the complexity of such an undertaking.


However, I think it's more about acceptance of ideological positions, and not control, so much as cooperation or even surrender to the will of the government in such matters. I wonder who, today, is sharing a similar role?

I think the real question here is:

Were they successful in their post-OSS lives because they were driven individuals who would have done well regardless?

or

Were they successful in their post-OSS lives because of their position within the agency?

pr

Were they successful in their post-OSS lives because their OSS lives never ended?

All three seem to be plausible.

The first is a bit mundane, but makes some sense to me. Perhaps they were hired to the OSS for the very same reasons that they were successful afterward.

The second seems equally plausible. It's all about who you know. Every upwardly motivated professional must rely on their professional ability...but also never forget the importance of contacts.

The third, unlike the first, is the most 'intriguing' possibility --and is more along the lines of what the OP seemed to be getting at. Wouldn't it be a great asset to have subtle (or not so subtle) cheerleaders in varrying positions?

Alot can be accomplished behind closed doors, but in terms of 'guiding the minds'...that would require some plain-sight propoganda.

reply to post by Maxmars

However, I think it's more about acceptance of ideological positions, and not control, so much as cooperation or even surrender to the will of the government in such matters. I wonder who, today, is sharing a similar role?

Today the "volunteer" spying is not just done by celebrities on some foreign country but
on you
by your neighbors
for your own government.
Much scarier I think.

Interestingly, according to this ABC news biography on Julia Child from four years ago, she actually met her husband (and thereby gained part of her famous name), a fellow OSS employee, while performing her duties for the agency.

abcnews.go.com...

I also find intriguing the recruiting of even criminal or underworld figures like "Lucky" Luciano. I wouldn't be surprised, in fact, if such activites still occur today though I suspect the scale would not be quite as large.

As to the comment that it is scary now to think that everyday citizens or neighbors might well be engaged in such activities, I'm sure people's neighbors were also among OSS operatives in the 40's as well. The list of individuals runs to about 24,000 so I doubt they were all noteworthy. However, using celebrities can have advantages in terms of the places and people to whom they would have access. It does shed a new light on the comings and goings of people, famous or otherwise, in the WWII era.

Today the "volunteer" spying is not just done by celebrities on some foreign country but
on you
by your neighbors
for your own government.
Much scarier I think.

That is scarier, certainly. It sort of begs the question of what has happened to the American 'community'. I better go make "nice" with my neighbors....

I find it interesting that Sterling Hayden was one of the spies, in Stanley Kubrick's film Dr. Strangelove. Sterling is a paranoiac Major who sends off the planes to bomb Russia because he is convinced that fluoride is a communist conspiracy to destroy precious fluids. I'm sure the fact that he was actually an OSS spy helped him win the role considering that he had more background in the subject than we knew.

Originally Posted By Spines:
The first is a bit mundane, but makes some sense to me. Perhaps they were hired to the OSS for the very same reasons that they were successful afterward.

I was wondering that as well, but there were 24,000 spies on the list. What would have made these select few so special to be gifted into popularity down the road? In my opinion, they would have needed to have done something particularly important for that to happen.

Originally Posted By trek315:
I also find intriguing the recruiting of even criminal or underworld figures like "Lucky" Luciano. I wouldn't be surprised, in fact, if such activites still occur today though I suspect the scale would not be quite as large.

The first time that it was done, I am sure that they had more than absolutely necessary because they didn't know exactly how it would work out. They have had plenty of time to perfect such things now, and with MKULTRA and the legacy of other mind-control programs, I am betting that most of the people that would fill this role would have no idea that they are even part of it. Look how well even now the people of the United States can be manipulated into a partisan playbook by the constant bombardment of media. These days, I'm afraid that most of the people doing such things only believe it is natural and by their own free will.

Ha! I saw this on Good Morning America this morning. I find it more amusing than anything. Well, amusing and intriguing in an equal mix. My dad worked for a government agency where he dealt with top secret information and I used to make fun of him for being so tight lipped about everything. I always thought he was being overly dramatic or playing out some spy fantasy he had when he told me that anybody at anytime could be a secret spy.

I guess if Julia Child could be, then anybody could be.

Originally posted by niteboy82
I was wondering that as well, but there were 24,000 spies on the list. What would have made these select few so special to be gifted into popularity down the road? In my opinion, they would have needed to have done something particularly important for that to happen.

It would be interesting to undertake a rather large study to try and spot some high trend of 'success'. Perhaps the bulk of the OSS were not living in the spotlight later in life, but rather, they may show to have a larger than normal percentage of successful/academic persons.

Would never happen I am sure. But it would sure be interesting.

reply to post by niteboy82

I am betting that most of the people that would fill this role would have no idea that they are even part of it. Look how well even now the people of the United States can be manipulated into a partisan playbook by the constant bombardment of media. These days, I'm afraid that most of the people doing such things only believe it is natural and by their own free will.

All I can say is wow!

So astute! I agree wholeheartedly.