Memories of a Secret Agent

It is essential for the reader to remember that this is a memoir; in other words, a record of events based on the author's experiences and feelings. Because of the secrecy restrictions at the time these events occurred, and in some cases for many years thereafter, the author kept no diary, notes, or record and wrote no letters describing his work. Furthermore, almost without exception, all the people with whom and for whom he worked are now dead. Consequently, in writing this book, the author has been entirely dependent on his memory. At the age of ninety-one, this memory may have at times been defective or twisted. However, there can be no doubt the story is true. Careful research of the archives of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, the U.S. Navy, and the CIA should substantiate this. But even here, there will be difficulties due to secrecy and the "deindexing" of the FBI's Latin American files by its then-director rather than turn them over to the hated CIA. Moreover, the author's foolish refusal to accede to the request of his commanding officer to write the history of the naval operation Road's End immediately after its conclusion and for which he had received a commendation has erased forever the details of that historic event. Finally, the tragic suicide of the CIA's director of operations subsequent to the Kim Philby espionage scandal diminished the possibility of a proper analysis of events surrounding it in Washington . . .