U.S. envoy stirs pride in Mainer, sister says - Press Herald He lived in Romania with a beautiful Russian spy. During his absence Wisner's job was covered by his chief of operations, Richard Helms. He condemned the Great Purge and accused Stalin of abusing his power. Frank Wisner | Military Wiki | Fandom Soon afterwards it was renamed the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC). Theres a general rule in secret operations: If it has a bland name, its important. Another project started by Wisner was called Operation Bloodstone. Finally Brad (Colonel Albert Haney) rehearsed his speech. Arbenz, on the other hand, had simply been trying to reform his country and had not sought foreign help in this. Frank G. Wisner, an ex-OSS man, was brought in from the State Department to head it, with a cover title of his own invention. During the Hungarian Uprising an estimated 20,000 people were killed. Among his overseas assignments, Wisner served as the United States Ambassador to Zambia (197982); Egypt (198691), the Philippines (199192), and India, 199497. According to Donald N. Wilber, who was involved in this CIA plot to remove Mossadegh from power, in early August, 1953, Iranian CIA operatives, pretending to be socialists, threatened Muslim leaders with "savage punishment if they opposed Mossadegh," thereby giving the impression that Mossadegh was cracking down on dissent. As Evan Thomas reported in The Very Best Men, the OPCs charter gave it responsibility for propaganda, economic warfare; preventative direct action, including sabotage, antisabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world. The U.S. government would disclaim any responsibility of the OPCs missions. Wisner was also deeply involved in establishing the Lockheed U-2 spy plane program run by Richard M. Bissell Jr.[1], Wisner suffered a serious breakdown in September 1958. Ernesto Guevara attempted to organize some civil militias but senior army officers blocked the distribution of weapons. Frank Gardiner Wisner - Commander, United States Navy Central Intellignce Agency February 27, 2023 by Michael Robert Patterson Frank Gardner Wisner was born in Laurel, Mississippi, in 1910. . CIA's Voice of Liberation also put out similar radio broadcasts. The CIA was also busy bribing Arbenz's military commanders. Dulles decided that Richard Bissell rather than Richard Helms should become the new head of the DPP. Even with my curious nature, I myself was unaware, except in the vaguest terms, what political action projects were going forward and how (Frank Wisner was spending Marshall Plan counterpart funds.) In June. I myself was no great admirer of the Soviet Union, and I certainly had no expectation of harmonious relations after the war. He suffered a breakdown in 1958, and retired from the Agency in 1962. In the 1950s and early 1960s the CIA's top leaders - men like Allen Dulles, Frank Wisner, Richard Bissell, Tracy Barnes, and Desmond Fitzgerald - were profoundly devoted to covert action. The Central Intelligence Agency decided that Arbenz had to be removed from power. This included former members of the Nazi Party such as Gustav Hilger and Hans von Bittenfield. It has been estimated that between January and June, 1954, the CIA spent about $20 million on Castillo's army. The State Department didnt want anything to do with these precursors to the CIA, fearing that some blown secret mission might cripple diplomacy. During the war William Donovan as head of the OSS, had built up a team of 16,000 agents working behind enemy lines. A door opened near me. This was followed by a week of bombing ports, ammunition dumps, military barracks and the international airport. This information was passed to Joseph McCarthy who started making attacks on members of the OPC. But Frank was a little excessive, even for me.". Wisner grew very fond of Philby and was unaware that he was a Soviet spy betraying all his operations to his masters in Moscow. . "What about the Russians? Mussadegh in Iran was left-wing and had indulged in talks with Russian diplomats about possible alliances and treaties. [14], According to its secret charter, the OPC's responsibilities include "propaganda, economic warfare, preventive direct action, including sabotage, antisabotage, demolition and evacuation procedures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, guerrillas and refugee liberation groups, and support of indigenous anti-communist elements in threatened countries of the free world. Two months later he moved on to Romania where his main task was to spy on the activities of the Soviet Union. The results were horrifying2500 Hungarians were killed, 200,000 were forced to flee their country, and tens of thousands were arrested and imprisoned. Others like Stewart Alsop, Joseph Alsop and James Reston, were recruited from within the Georgetown Set. In 1948 Frank Wisner was appointed director of the Office of Special Projects. According to Phillips he initially questioned the right of the CIA to interfere in Guatemala: In his autobiography Phillips claims he said to Barnes: "But Arbenz became President in a free election. She was born in Ashley, N.D. She grew up and attended schools in North Dakota. . He worked in the Navy's censor's office before managing to get a transfer to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Probably the most powerful of the Georgetown insiders was Frank Wisner, chief of covert operations for the C.I.A., and one of the most zealous of the anti-Communist crusaders who turned the agency . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. "Frank Wisner, Jr. was a big catch for Enron Corporation. At Arlington Cemetery, Frank Wisner was buried as a naval commander, his wartime rank. Frank G. Wisner discusses his distinguished career in public service, including working as former undersecretary of defense for policy, undersecretary of state for international security affairs . [2][7] He joined the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer in December 1961. To confront Soviet aggression, Wisner eventually organized a secret army in Europe. He whispered a number of questions: "Who is that? Harvey reported back in June 1951 that he was convinced that Philby was a KGB spy. This included the claim that Guatemala was the beginning of "Soviet expansion in the Americas". His work involved planning a coup in Guyana, a country that had a left-wing government. 9 of the Most Exclusive University Secret Societies - SPYSCAPE He was educated at Woodberry Forest School in Orange and the University of Virginia. Frankpassed away in July 1963, at age 83. However, there is evidence that he was recruited several years earlier and had been spying on the liberal organizations he had been a member of in the later 1940s. The military now joined the opposition and Mossadegh was arrested on August 19, 1953. Hector (Rip Robertson) said only one, a courier . Vibrant democratic parties, even socialist ones, were preferable to a Communist victory. All results for Frank Wisner. David Atlee Phillips was appointed to run the propaganda campaign against Arbenz's government. To give some idea of how aggressively Wisner worked to build his spy network and subvert the Soviet Union, when the OPC was finally and officially absorbed into the CIA as the Directorate of Plans, it dwarfed the rest of the Agency, and consumed 75 percent of the CIA budget. We drank iced tea as we sat around a garden table in Dulles' back yard. He orchestrated a massive spy ring, many of whose members were tasked with parachuting into Soviet territory and gathering intelligence. David Atlee Phillips was appointed to run the propaganda campaign against Arbenz's government. Funded with money from the CIA and MI6, the pro-monarchy forces quickly gained the upper hand. Khrushchev became increasingly concerned about these developments and on 4th November 1956 he sent the Red Army into Hungary. Thus by overthrowing him, America was in effect making a new decision in the cold war. He persuaded President Harry S. Truman that the OSS in peacetime would be an "American Gestapo". He persuaded President Harry S. Truman that the OSS in peacetime would be an "American Gestapo". Hulda Hermann Wisner (1908-1982) - Mmorial Find a Grave His work involved planning a coup in Guyana, a country that had a left-wing government. Frank Wisner - Ancestry.com Mussadegh in Iran was left-wing and had indulged in talks with Russian diplomats about possible alliances and treaties. When Truman signed the CIA into existence, the new agency found a similar reception. By Nicholas Thompson. Frank Wisner, the Envoy Sent to Prod Mubarak - The New York Times Wisner was told to create an organization that concentrated on "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world". However, in 1947, he was recruited by Dean Acheson, to work under Charles Saltzman, at the State Department's Office of Occupied Territories. The Central Intelligence Agency decided that Arbenz had to be removed from power. Edit your search or learn more. He was impressive - not at all the disturbing man he was in the shadows. Wisner began having trouble with J. Edgar Hoover. He was educated at Woodberry Forest School in Orange and the University of Virginia. Graham himself recruited others who had worked for military intelligence during the war. On 18th June, 1954, aircraft dropped leaflets over Guatemala demanding that Arbenz resign immediately or else the county would be bombed. Such vague accusations as that "more than ten people have died mysteriously" can always be explained in some natural way e.g. He was diagnosed as manic depressive and received electroshock therapy. Indonesia 1958: Nixon, the CIA, and the Secret War Hoover also passed to McCarthy details of an affair that Wisner had with Princess Caradja in Romania during the war. The UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was so upset by the actions of the USA that he considered resigning from his post. Any reaction? Later that year Wisner established Operation Mockingbird, a program to influence the American media. The OPCs mission was to take on the Soviet Union, and right from the start, the Pentagongearing up for World War IIIwanted everything from insurgencies in Western Europe to sabotaging the entire Soviet air force, and it wanted them now. Accepting that further resistance would only bring more deaths he announced his resignation over the radio. Later, John Loftus, a prosecutor with the Office of Special Investigations at the U.S. Justice Department, accused Wisner of methodically recruiting Nazi war criminals. Castillo's new government was immediately recognised by President Dwight Eisenhower. Henry Breck, a junior CIA officer out of Groton and Harvard, watched his grim-faced elders as they mourned. Frank Gardiner Wisner was one of the founding officers of the Central Intelligence Agency and played a major role in CIA operations throughout the 1950s. Richard Bissell - The Connecticut Yankee Behind the Bay of Pigs It said that Frank had died and gave no reason, but I knew." Castillo's new government was immediately recognised by President Dwight Eisenhower. Carlos Castillo and his collection of soldiers now crossed the Honduran-Guatemalan border. He was a good sprinter and hurdler and in 1936 was asked to compete in the Olympic trials. Eisenhower shook hands all around. Carmel Offie - Wikipedia Wisner, as head of the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), took overall responsibility for the operation. Wisner was also able to restrict newspapers from reporting about certain events. 1944, Wisner was sent to Turkey. As a result Philby was forced to leave the United States. Frank Wisner, Son of Nazi-Recruiting CIA Official, Sent to Prod Mubarak Samuel Zemurray, United Fruit Company's largest shareholder, with the help of Tommy Corcoran, organized an anti-Arbenz campaign in the American media. : the individuals concerned have for . [5], He works as an international-affairs advisor at the firm of Squire Patton Boggs in Washington, DC.[6]. Frank Gardiner Wisner (June 23, 1909 October 29, 1965) was one of the founding officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and played a major role in CIA operations throughout the 1950s. This included the claim that Guatemala was the beginning of "Soviet expansion in the Americas". The lights were turned off while Brad used slides during his report. After graduating Wisner worked as a Wall Street lawyer. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. After World War II, American governments were more willing to use their influence and strength all over the world for the first time and to see an ideological implication in the "persecution" of US business interests. Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. This included James Truitt, Russell Wiggins, Phil Geyelin, John Hayes and Alan Barth. Who made that decision?". Wisner was told to create an organization that concentrated on "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world". Toriello accused the United States government of categorizing "as communism every manifestation of nationalism or economic independence, any desire for social progress, any intellectual curiosity, and any interest in progressive liberal reforms.". Wisner, as head of the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), took overall responsibility for the operation. The CIA also provided them with classified information to help them with their work. Wisner committed suicide. Britain and France were both initially in favour but eventually buckled under United States pressure and agreed to abstain. The Two Frank Wisners. But the navy is watching a Soviet sub in the area; it could be there to evacuate some of Arbenz's friends, or to supply arms to any resisters.". Members are only revealed after their death - a wreath of black magnolias shaped like '7' is laid at the gravesite. Khrushchev's de-Stalinzation policy encouraged people living in Eastern Europe to believe that he was willing to give them more independence from the Soviet Union. Khrushchev became increasingly concerned about these developments and on 4th November 1956 he sent the Red Army into Hungary. [2] After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1934,[3] Wisner began working as a Wall Street lawyer for Carter, Ledyard & Milburn. They were the patricians of the modern age, the paladins of democracy, and saw no contradiction in that. America's First Spy: The Tragic Heroism Of Frank Wisner Wisner found one of his boys' shotguns and killed himself on October 29, 1965. CIA's Voice of Liberation also put out similar radio broadcasts. Its not like other countries were lining up to teach the United States the finer points of espionage, so those first CIA men had to be really smart or slightly crazy.