Cliff Stearns: “in the summer of 1942, we were deeply embroiled in war. Our leaders saw that it was imperative that we institute a…”

“in the summer of 1942, we were deeply embroiled in war. Our leaders saw that it was imperative that we institute a formal intelligence service, so on June 13, 1942, we established the Office of Strategic Services, OSS, considered to be the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency. As we sit here in the summer of 2002, 60 years ago this week, we are again at war, and I want to commemorate the OSS on what would be its 60th anniversary. Whether we call it intelligence, reconnaissance, collection, espionage, or simply spying, as a former Air Force intelligence officer myself, I recognize the critical function of this agency in winning wars. One of the recipes for success in the OSS was its diverse inclusion of operatives. It was modeled after England's intelligence agency. Accordingly, Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming of British Naval Intelligence, the same Mr. Fleming who went on to create the world's most famous fictitious secret agent, James Bond, had this rather stodgy advice for OSS Director William "Wild Bill" Donovan: "Pick men in their forties and fifties, possessing absolute discretion, sobriety, devotion to duty, languages, and wide experience." However, Mr. Donovan had the insight to look more broadly. He selected younger, recklessly daring men and women; pro athletes, missionaries, reformed gangsters, professional counterfeiters, journalists, movie stars, Hollywood stuntmen, and singers.…”