OSS
Caltrop (Tire Spike)
"The simplest weapon we ever made" - Dr. Stanley
Lovell, OF SPIES AND STRATAGEMS.
No matter how the caltrop is tossed, it will land with one of
its four prongs up. Whatever rolls over it will be punctured or injured. They
are effective when left along enemy roadways or airport runways.
Historical examples of caltrops have been found in Babylonian
tombs, were used against medieval knights on horseback, and were found in
archaeological digs at Jamestown.
8.6 cm x 8.6 cm x 8.6 cm
(H x L x W)
Distinguished
Service Cross, William Donovan, WWI
William J.
Donovan received one of our countries highest honors while a lieutenant colonel
with the 165th Infantry. On July 28-31,
1918 Donovan led his battalion across the River Ourcq and captured important
enemy strongholds near Villers-sur-Fere,
France.
He was in
advance of the division for four days, all the while under shell and
machine-gun fire from the enemy, who were on three sides of him, and he was
repeatedly and persistently counterattacked, being wounded twice. His coolness, courage, and efficient
leadership rendered possible the maintenance of this position.
General
John Pershing presented the Distinguished Service Cross to Donovan on Sept. 7,
1918 in France.
Enigma Machine
During World War II, the
Germans used the Enigma, a cipher machine, to develop nearly unbreakable codes
for sending messages. The Enigma's settings offered 150,000,000,000,000,000,000
possible solutions, yet the Allies were eventually able to crack its code.
The machine was developed by
the Dutch to communicate banking secrets. The Germans bought the patent in 1923
for intelligence purposes. Polish intelligence was able to purchase an Enigma
at a trade fair and procure a codebook from a French agent. When Poland
was overrun in 1939, they realized they wouldn’t have capabilities to solve
code. The Poles gave the information and machine to the allies.
By end of the war, we were
reading 10 percent of all German Enigma communications at Bletchley
Park, in England, on the world’s first
electromagnetic computers.
This is a three rotor Enigma.
The Germans eventually added two more rotors and with each change, Allies had
to obtain a new machine and codebooks.
Escape and Evasion Map
Printed on silk, which is
durable, this map doesn’t rustle at night and can be folded up very compactly
to be more easily concealed. It also is printed with waterproof dyes so the
colors would not run if the map got wet.
Fairbairn-Sykes
Fighting Knife
Introduced in 1941, this
knife is named after its two British designers, Captains W.E. Fairbairn and
E.A. Sykes. While serving with the Shanghai Police, they gained experience in
close-combat fighting. Fairbairn and Sykes designed the weapon to strike at the
vulnerable parts of an opponent’s body, especially the vital organs.
Because of its effectiveness,
the knife quickly became a favorite of British commandos. Fairbairn was later
loaned to the Office of Strategic Services as an instructor. While with OSS, he created a special
version of the knife for them. Successors to the weapon were made well into the
1990s.
29.2 cm x 5 cm
(H x L)
M-209
The M-209 is a mechanical cipher
device. Designed by Boris Hagelin, the machine was widely used by the US Army
during World War II. Compact and portable, it used a series of rotors to encode
and decode secret military messages.
13.5 cm x 18 cm x 8 cm
(H
x L x W)
“Matchbox”
Camera
The Eastman Kodak Company developed and manufactured this
camera for use by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). It was made in the
shape of a matchbox of that era. It could be disguised by adding a matchbox
label appropriate for the country in which it was to be used.
The camera used 16mm film. It was deployed “behind the lines”
by resistance personnel in World War II for target recording and propaganda
photography. Designed to be operated with a minimum of user-adjustable
settings, the Matchbox Camera featured rugged construction and controls that
could be operated by “feel.”
Medal of Honor,
William Donovan, WWI
General Donovan was the most
highly decorated officer of World War I. He was awarded our nation’s top four
medals, including this Medal of Honor. He was awarded it for action in France
in 1918. Donovan, who was Lieutenant Colonel at the time, stood in front of his
men with his rank showing and said, “Men - If they can’t hit me, they can’t hit
you!” With that, Donovan led his men to
take the German position. He was eventually wounded in the leg, but refused to
be evacuated from the battlefield until his men and the position were secure.
For
additional information on General Donovan visit CSI’s Studies in Intelligence or
read:
1955-1959
William J. Donovan and the National Security
Summer 1959
Allen W. Dulles
Letter Removal Device
Special
devices were used in World War II to take letters from their envelopes without
opening the seals. The pincer-like device was inserted into the unsealed gap at
the top of an envelope flap. One could then wind the letter around the pincers
and extract the letter from within.
29.2
cm x 4.8 cm
(H
x Diameter)
Patch
The patch was designed by
General William J. Donovan, founder of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),
as the insignia for OSS.
In a memorandum dated June 16, 1943, he stated:
"Black
is associated with activities which may be performed under cover of darkness.
The gold is used for strong contrast and visibility of the insignia. The spear
head is taken from the design of force of attack and defense of the nation’s
honor and is indicative of opening the way to subduing the enemy’s
defenses."
According to an OSS document dated July 9,
1943, anticipating that approval of the patch would be granted, General Donovan
procured 195 fully-embroidered cloth shoulder sleeve insignia. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff rejected
Donovan’s request. Exactly what happened to General Donovan’s unusable patches
is not clear. It is thought that most were destroyed.
This patch is thought to be
one worn by a CIA courier and based on Donovan’s OSS prototype.
8 cm x 5.5 cm
(H x L)
Pin
To provide identification of
the members of OSS, General William J. Donovan arranged
for the design and manufacture of insignia and made them available to former
members of OSS.
The insignia is a lapel emblem, which has the letters "OSS" stamped in gold on a red enamel
background.
Shortly after the end of the
war and upon the disbanding of OSS, General
Donovan sent OSS
veterans a letter offering the pin:
28 September 1945
To Former Members of OSS:
It
is my pleasure to forward to you the enclosed certificate commemorating your
service in World War II as a members of the Office of Strategic Services. This
certificate exemplifies in a tangible way my feeling that some such recognition
should be given to personnel of OSS as evidence of the resourcefulness, courage
and devotion to duty shown by the men and women of the Agency who provided our
Nation with an unprecedented service which hastened the day of victory.
To
provide identification of the members of the organization, a group of former OSS associates has
arranged for the design and manufacture of insignia available to those who are
receiving certificates. The insignia is a lapel emblem which has the letters
"OSS"
stamped in gold on a red enamel background. At the request of this group there
is enclosed herewith a coupon for the use of those who wish to procure such
emblems.
I
also enclose the text of remarks made at a meeting of OSS personnel held on 28 September, and a
copy of President Truman's letter to me. The credit for OSS accomplishments belongs to the superior
personnel who made them possible. I am deeply grateful for your loyal and
effective contribution.
Sincerely,
William J. Donovan
Director
Stella Uzdawinis
Pendent
During World War II, Stella
Uzdawinis served as a civilian in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). She
was assigned to the Research and Analysis Branch; this office analyzed enemy
intentions and capabilities. She then went on to work in the Secret
Intelligence Branch (SI) that was directly involved in the secret collection of
intelligence.
While assigned to SI, she was
stationed in France
and worked as a communicator, probably a Lithuanian translator. After the war
she was employed as a civilian in the US Army until her retirement in April
1968. She never told any of her family about her career with the OSS. They did not learn
of it until after her death when they found photos and this pendent.
3 cm x 1.2 cm
(H x Diameter)
Shortly after the end of the
war and upon the disbanding of OSS, General Donovan
sent OSS
veterans a letter:
28 September 1945
To Former Members of OSS:
It is my pleasure to
forward to you the enclosed certificate commemorating your service in World War
II as a members of the Office of Strategic Services. This certificate exemplifies
in a tangible way my feeling that some such recognition should be given to
personnel of OSS as evidence of the resourcefulness, courage and devotion to
duty shown by the men and women of the Agency who provided our Nation with an
unprecedented service which hastened the day of victory.
To provide identification
of the members of the organization, a group of former OSS associates has arranged for the design
and manufacture of insignia available to those who are receiving certificates.
The insignia is a lapel emblem which has the letters "OSS" stamped in gold on a red enamel
background. At the request of this group there is enclosed herewith a coupon
for the use of those who wish to procure such emblems.
I also enclose the text of
remarks made at a meeting of OSS
personnel held on 28 September, and a copy of President Truman's letter to me.
The credit for OSS
accomplishments belongs to the superior personnel who made them possible. I am
deeply grateful for your loyal and effective contribution.
Sincerely,
William J. Donovan
Director
Technology
"Belly
Buster" Hand-Crank Audio Drill
CIA used the “Belly Buster” drill during the late 1950s and
early 1960s. It would drill holes into masonry for implanting audio devices.
After assembly, the base of the drill was held firmly against the stomach while
the handle was cranked manually. This kit came with several drill bits and
accessories.
52.5 cm x 22.5 cm
(H x L)
CIA Semi-Submersible
CIA designed and
manufactured this two-man semi-submersible in the 1950s. It carried no weapons,
was cramped, had limited endurance, and required a "mother ship" for
transport and recovery. However, the vessel could approach areas ships could
not.
The semi-submersible was
small and quiet. The craft was made of wood and aluminum, with plywood
sheathing on bottom, sides, and deck. This construction made sonar or radar
detection unlikely. The semi-submersible could be sunk - without personnel
- in depths of up to 30 feet. After sinking, it could be left underwater for
periods of up to three-to-four weeks. When running in the "deck
awash" position, it was almost impossible to see.
Its speed semi-submerged
was up to 4.7 knots; its cruising speed was 4.1 knots, and its slow speed was
2.5 knots. With a range of about 110 miles, it could carry 2-to-3 men and 120
pounds of their equipment.
overall length: 19 ft
beam: 5 ft, 3 in
height: 6 ft, 9 in
weight: 3,650 lbs.
Digital X-Ray
Detector Panel
This
glass panel is a component of a solid-state detector used in an X-ray imaging
device. Etched onto the panel is an
array of about 1,100 x 900 picture elements ("pixels"). Each consists
of a field effect transistor (FET) switch and a light-detecting diode. X-rays
make a (separate) scintillation material "glow" visible light, reducing
the total amount of energy needed to create an image. The pixels on this glass
panel accumulate the light generated by the scintillation material, for storage
and subsequent readout by the controlling computer. Originally intended for
digital mammography applications, this glass panel demonstrated enormous
dynamic-range and readout-speed improvements over the charge-coupled device
(CCD) technology it replaces.
30.4 cm x 25.3 cm
(H x L)
Dragonfly
Insectothopter
Developed by CIA’s Office of Research and Development in the
1970s, this micro UAV was the first flight of an insect-sized vehicle
(insectothopter). It was intended to prove the concept of such miniaturized
platforms for intelligence collection.
Insectothopter had a miniature engine to move the wings up
and down. A small amount of gas was used to drive the engine, and the excess
was vented out the rear for extra thrust. The flight tests were impressive.
However, control in any kind of crosswind proved too difficult.
Lithium-Iodine
Battery
The Central Intelligence
Agency often develops technology and conducts research that not only advances
its mission but, when declassified, can have significant impact on the world.
In the 1970s, the CIA shared research it had done on lithium-iodine batteries with
the medical community. This same technology is used in heart pacemakers today.
2.6
cm x 4.5 cm (lg)
2.5
cm x 2.6 cm (sm)
(H
x L)
Robot Fish "Charlie"
CIA's
Office of Advanced Technologies and Programs developed the UUV fish to study
aquatic robot technology. Some of the specifications used to develop
"Charlie" were:
- speed,
- endurance,
- maneuverability,
- depth control,
- navigational
accuracy,
- autonomy, and
- communications
status.
The
UUV fish contains a pressure hull, ballast system, and communications system in
the body and a propulsion system in the tail. It is controlled by a wireless
line-of-sight radio handset.
18 cm x 61 cm
(H x
L x W)
Seismic
Intruder Detection Device
This Cold War-Era intrusion
detector was designed to blend in with the terrain. It can detect movement of
people, animals, or objects up to 300 meters away. The device is powered by
tiny power cells and has a built-in antenna. Its transmitter relays data from
the device findings via coded impulses.
3.3 cm x 4.5 cm
2 cm x 10.3 cm
(H x L)
Communication
"Silver Dollar" Hollow Container
This coin may appear to be an Eisenhower silver dollar, but
it is really a concealment device. It was used to hide messages or film so they
could be sent secretly. Because it looks like ordinary pocket change, it is
almost undetectable.
Concealment
Device – Modified Ladies Make-Up Compact
A code is a system of
communication in which groups of symbols represent words. Codes may be used for
brevity or security. Here, a code is concealed inside the mirror of a lady's
make-up compact. By tilting the mirror at the correct angle, the code is
revealed.
“Dead”
Drop Spike
Communication between an
agent and his/her handler always poses a risk. A “dead” drop allows secure
communication by one person leaving and later the other person picking up
material at
a prearranged location. This eliminates
the need for direct contact. This device is a spike that one could push into the ground.
It is hollow in the middle and could contain messages, documents, or film.
20.6 cm x 3.7 cm
(H x Diameter)
One-Time
Pads
One-time pads (OTP) are used to encode/decode agent
communications. They are issued in matching sets of two: one for the encoder
and one for the decoder, and no two pages are alike. Each sheet contains a random key in the form
of five-digit groups. Once a sheet has been used to encode a message, it is
torn off the pad and destroyed. If used as designed, encryption by OTP is
virtually unbreakable.
OTPs can be made of paper,
silk, or highly flammable cellulose-nitrate film that can be destroyed quickly
and easily in an emergency. The one-time pad can be as small as a postage
stamp.
10 cm x 6 cm
(H x L)
Cameras
Microdot
Camera
The
secret transfer of documents became very difficult during the Cold War. Agents
relied on the microdot camera to photograph and reduce whole pages of
information onto a single tiny piece of film. This piece of film could be
embedded into the text of a letter as small as a period at the end of this
sentence.
Microdots
were also hidden in other things such as rings, hollow coins, or other mailed
items. The recipient would read the microdot with the aid of a special viewer,
often cleverly concealed as well.
1.6
cm x 2.8 cm
(H x Diameter)
Minox Camera
Walter Zapp, a Latvian engineer, developed a portable camera
that would fit easily into the palm of the hand and yet take high quality,
spontaneous pictures. The Minox subminiature camera, in its various models, was
the world’s most widely used spy camera. When it first became available, the
camera was considered a marvel of technology; it was originally made from steel
in Riga from
1937-1944.
Minox used film one quarter the size of standard 35mm film,
with 50 frames loaded in a cassette. The
ultra-light aluminum shell Minox B was produced from 1958-1972. Because of its
small size, it was easy to conceal. It could take excellent photographs of
documents at close range and was a natural for secret photography.
The Minox C was introduced in 1969. It had an electronic
shutter and is no longer in production.
Convicted KGB spy John A. Walker, Jr., used a Minox C to photograph
sensitive National Security Agency codes.
2.8 cm x 10 cm x 1.6 cm
(H x L x W)
Pigeon
Camera
CIA’s
Office of Research and Development developed a camera small and light enough to
be carried by a pigeon. It would be released, and on its return home the bird
would fly over a target. Being a common
species, its role as an intelligence collection platform was concealed in the
activities of thousands of other birds. Pigeon imagery was taken within
hundreds of feet of the target so it was much more detailed than other
collection platforms. (Aircraft took photos from tens of thousands of feet and
satellites from hundreds of miles above the target.)
The
camera could be set to begin taking photographs after release or after a
pre-set delay. The camera took a series of still images at a set interval. A
tiny, battery-powered motor advanced the film and cocked the shutter. Details
of pigeon missions are still classified.
4.7
cm x 2.2 cm x 2.4 cm
(H x L x W)
Subminiature
"Dual Use" Camera
This subminiature camera isn't much larger than its film
cassette. It could be used to photograph both documents at close range and
building sites at a distance.
2.3 cm x 4.7 cm x 1.5 cm
(H x L x W)
Tobacco Pouch Camera
A miniature 35mm film
camera manufactured in Switzerland
is concealed in this modified tobacco pouch. A spring-wound mechanism advances
the film between exposures.
8 cm x 15.8 cm x 2.5 cm
(H x L x
W)
The
Well Dressed Spy … Bodyworn Surveillance Equipment
Q: What is the most remarkable feature of an intelligence officer’s
appearance?
A: Nothing at all. They are
inconspicuous.
Their clothing,
accessories, and behavior must be as unremarkable as possible — their lives
(and others’) may depend on it. This is a responsibility that operational
artisans, technicians, and engineers of the Office of Technical Readiness (OTR)
take seriously. America's
intelligence officers can safely collect intelligence in hostile environments
because they know that quality and craftsmanship have been "built in"
to their appearances, leaving no traces to alert the enemy. Thus, intelligence officers who are
"unremarkable" in their daily activities, such as walking to buy a
newspaper on a drizzly day, bravely collect "remarkable" intelligence
undetected by hostile observers.
Q: What makes an intelligence officer "well dressed"?
A: They wear clothing and
accessories skillfully crafted by operational artisans, technicians, and engineers
from the Office of Technical Readiness (OTR).
The "well
dressed" intelligence officer has confidence, whether attending a formal
social event or performing his/her daily routine, because the clothing and
accessories he/she wears have been expertly crafted to be secure and stylish.
CIA
Persian
Gulf War Leaflets
These CIA-produced leaflets
were used during the Persian Gulf War. Copies of the leaflets were air-dropped
over a selected area before an Allied bombing run. The leaflets gave the
civilian people time to evacuate and encouraged the military units to
surrender.
E Street Complex Sign with CIA
Seal
“2430 E St. NW” was the address of the original CIA
Headquarters. It took over the site from its wartime predecessor, the Office of
Strategic Services. The E Street Complex is across from the US State Department
in Washington, D.C.
For several years there was no sign at the entrance of the
original CIA Headquarters Buildings.
President Eisenhower was on his way to church one Sunday morning. He wished
to drop his brother Milton off at CIA for a meeting with the Director of
Central Intelligence, Allen Dulles.
Because there was no sign, the White House driver had great difficulty
finding the entrance. This upset the President. The following day President
Eisenhower called Dulles and ordered a sign placed at the entrance. It was the
President’s view that the E Street address was well known as CIA Headquarters
and that the absence of a sign fooled no one. The immediate result was that a
sign with the Agency name and seal was hung on the fence at the entrance.
When the fence and the North
Building bordering the entrance were
demolished to make room for the present freeway, the sign was preserved and
eventually installed in the CIA
Museum.
117 cm x 94 cm
(H x L)
Identification Card of Allen W. Dulles
Allen W. Dulles started his
career in the US Diplomatic Service in 1916. He joined the Office of Strategic
Services (OSS) during WWII. As a member of the OSS,
he directed intelligence operations from Switzerland. Through a series of
personal contacts and difficult negotiations, he helped bring an early end to
the Italian campaign in 1945. Through his work, he helped save hundreds, if not
thousands, of lives.
In 1951, Dulles joined the newly
created Central Intelligence Agency. President Eisenhower appointed him CIA
director in 1953. During his tenure, Dulles approved the development of the U-2
spy plane. He also oversaw the construction of CIA’s Original
Headquarters Building
at Langley.
Dulles retired in 1961. He is the longest serving director in CIA’s history.
15.8 cm x 12.8 cm
(H x L)
For more information, visit
Studies in Intelligence:
A Long Look Back
Directors of Central Intelligence,
1946–2005
David S. Robarge
Dulles, Allen, DCI, 1953-1961
Memorial Wall Star Carving
Tools and Photos
Shown here are tools used by Tim Johnston to create
the stars found on the CIA Memorial Wall.
First, the star is traced on the wall using a template. The hammer and
chisels are then used to carve the marble out into the star shape. These tools
were used from 1992 to 2003.
See
the CIA Headquarters Virtual Tour for more information.
NHB Groundbreaking Shovel
This shovel was used by
then-President Reagan at the New
Headquarters Building
groundbreaking ceremony on May 24, 1984.
See the CIA Headquarters Virtual
Tour for more information.
Pneumatic
Tube
Lamson Corporation, Syracuse,
NY, installed the pneumatic tube
system in the Original Headquarters Building (OHB) during its construction. The
system had more than 30 miles of 4-inch steel tubing. At that time, this system
was one of the world’s largest.
The original system had about 150 receiving/dispatching
stations throughout OHB. The system operated from 1962 until 1989.
36.5 cm x 9.0 cm
(H x Diameter)
Studies
in Intelligence Volume 1, Number 1
Sherman Kent
created the publication Studies in Intelligence in 1955. Kent – the most
renowned analyst in American intelligence history – served as a CIA officer
from 1950 to 1967.
Kent
envisioned a journal devoted to intelligence theory, doctrine, and techniques. Studies
in Intelligence was born from this vision. To help guide this new journal, Kent
followed these principles:
- Intellectual rigor
- A conscious effort to avoid unconscious bias
- A willingness to hear other opinions
- The use of outside experts as checks against in-house
prejudges
- A candid
admission of shortcomings
The quarterly journal is still published today; unclassified
issues are published on the CIA’s Web site.
22.8 cm x 15.7cm
(H x L)
For more information on Studies in Intelligence, go to:
Building an “Intelligence Literature”
Fifty Years of Studies in Intelligence
Nicholas Dujmovic
President Eisenhower Trowel
The
CIA celebrated the construction of its new Headquarters Building
with a cornerstone ceremony on Nov. 3, 1959. This trowel was used by President Eisenhower to lay the
cornerstone.
Select
documents and other materials of historic interest are sealed within the
cornerstone. Items include:
- A 1944 memorandum from William J. Donovan to President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. The memo discussed the need to establish a permanent centralized
intelligence service.
- President Harry S. Truman's 1946 Executive Letter that established the
National Intelligence Authority and the Central Intelligence Group.
- An aerial photograph of the CIA building site.
7.2
cm x 27.8 cm
(H
x L x W)
To
learn more about the Cornerstone go to the CIA Headquarters Virtual Tour.
Truman
Seal
On
Feb. 17, 1950, President Harry S. Truman signed an Executive Order authorizing
this as the official seal of the Central Intelligence Agency. He autographed
and presented this rendition to then Director Roscoe Hillenkoetter.
The eagle represents vigilance, a symbol of
our nation. The defense shield in the middle signifies Intelligence as being
our nation’s First Line of Defense. The 16-point compass rose symbolizes
information coming in from all points of the globe and being brought together
at one central place.
45 cm x 42.5 cm
(H x L)
Overhead Reconnaissance
A-12
Spurs
The
"spurs" were presented to Dr. Albert D. "Bud" Wheelon, the
first Director of Science and Technology. They were mementos of his flight
aboard the A-12 OXCART in 1964.
Strapped
over one's boot heels, each spur was attached to a ball. The ball was attached
to a cable under the seat. The cable-ball rig allowed movement of feet during
normal flight. However, if the pilot had to pull the "D" ring
(ejection handle) in an emergency, the cables would snap the person’s feet back
under the seat to insure a compact and safe ejection from the aircraft.
9.2
cm x 14 cm x 6.6 cm
(H
x L x W)
For
more information on the A-12 program:
"The Oxcart Story" by Thomas P. McIninch, Stud. Intel. V15:1-1-25 (Winter 1971)
Air
America
Cap
During the Vietnam War, Air America,
a CIA proprietary airline, flew a variety of missions in the Far
East. These missions ranged from undercover CIA operations to
overt air transportation. The Republic
of Vietnam and various US government agencies contracted with Air America.
Because of the tropical climate, Air America pilots
favored comfortable attire – shorts and a baseball cap – rather than their
official uniforms.
For more information on Air America:
"Recollections of a Case
Officer in Laos,
1962-1964", Stud. Intel. V47:1-1-17 (2003)
U-2 Aircraft "AQUATONE"
(1/48 Scale Model)
The
development of the U-2 in 1954 signaled the Central Intelligence Agency's entry
into the world of overhead reconnaissance. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
authorized construction of a new aircraft designed specifically to fly over the
Soviet Union and collect strategic
intelligence. Peacetime reconnaissance flights over the territory of a
potential enemy power thus became national policy. To reduce the danger of
conflict, the president entrusted this mission not to the armed forces but to a
civilian agency – the CIA. Since that time, overhead reconnaissance has been
one of CIA's most important missions.
32 cm x 51
cm
(H x L)
For more information on the
U-2 program:
Politics
and Intelligence
The “Photo Gap” that Delayed Discovery of Missiles in Cuba
Max Holland
Learning
from the Past
Soviet Deception in the Cuban Missile
Crisis
James H.
Hansen
An Intelligence
Success Story
The U-2 Program: The DCI's Perspective . . . George J. Tenet
A "Hot"
Front in the Cold War
The U-2 Program: A Russian Officer Remembers . . . Alexander Orlov
The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
CORONA Film
CORONA is America’s
first successful photographic reconnaissance satellite. When introduced in the
1960s, it revolutionized the collection of intelligence. CORONA’s
first mission in August 1960 provided more photographic coverage of the Soviet Union than all previous U-2 missions.
Satellite imagery was used for a
variety of analytical purposes - from assessing Soviet military strength to
estimating the size of their grain production. CORONA and its successors made
Soviet-American strategic arms control agreements possible.
7.4 cm x 15 cm (film)
8.1 cm x 16.5 cm (canister)
(H
x Diameter)
For
more information on the CORONA
program:
CORONA: America's First
Satellite Program
D-21 TAGBOARD (1/48 Scale Model)
CIA developed the D-21
drone for surveillance missions over enemy territory. It was launched from a
modified A-12. The D-21's engine propelled it to speeds over 2,000 mph. During
missions, the D-21 would follow a pre-programmed flight path over areas of
interest and take pictures. Then the
drone returned to international airspace where it dropped the film canister. A specially
equipped aircraft recovered the film canister. The drone would then
self-destruct.
Piece
of Metal from U-2, Article 341
On Aug. 1, 1955, during a high-speed taxi test in the first
U-2, Article 341, Lockheed's Flight Test Pilot Tony Le Vier inadvertently got
airborne in a remote test site in Nevada.
This 'high speed taxi' test would later be considered the first unofficial
flight of the U-2.
Two
years later, on April 4, 1957, during Project Rainbow test with Lockheed's
Flight Test Pilot Robert Sieker at the control, there was a malfunction and
both Article 341 and the pilot were lost.
Forty
years later, after five years of searching, the wreck site was rediscovered,
but only a handful of small parts were found. These remains were placed
into Lucite blocks and flown on an Air Force U-2S aircraft to celebrate the
50th Anniversary of U-2's first flight.
10.1 cm x 7.7 cm
(H x L)
Piece
of Metal from A-12
During
a routine training flight on Jan. 5, 1967, a fuel gauge failed to function
properly, and the A-12 ran out of fuel only minutes before landing. The pilot,
Walter Ray, ejected but was killed when he was unable to separate from the
ejection seat before impact. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Its
wreckage was found on Jan. 6, and Ray’s body was recovered a day later. This is
a piece from that plane.
8 cm x 15 cm x 12.5 cm
(H x L x W)
Stereoscope
and Case
The stereoscope was used during World War II. This tool
helped allied photo interpreters, who analyzed images of enemy territory taken
by airplane-mounted cameras, to view the film in 3-Dimension.
8.3 cm x 16 cm x 2.7 cm
(H x L x W)
U-2
Model
On May 1, 1960, U-2 pilot Francis
Gary Powers was shot down by the Soviets over Sverdlovsk.
He spent 21 months in a Russian prison. In 1962 Powers was exchanged for
Soviet intelligence officer Col. Rudolf Abel. Abel had been arrested in New York in 1957.
This is one of two U-2 models
crafted for Powers. CIA model makers made this for his March 1962 Senate Armed
Services Committee testimony about the downing of his aircraft. The wings and
tail are detachable to show the aircraft's breakup after the shootdown.
32 cm x 51 cm
(H x L)
U-2 Pressure Suit & Helmet
Suit - This
is a S-1010 pressure suit for an U-2R plane. High-altitude pilots wear pressure
suits as protection from cockpit depressurization. At altitudes above 63,000
feet without artificial air pressure, human blood and other fluids boil. In
addition to preventing this, pressure suits also protect pilots from low
temperatures at high altitudes. The temperature at U-2 mission altitudes is
about minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the pilot had to eject, he would free
fall for two to three minutes before parachute deployment. The suit provides
flotation for a water landing, as well.
Helmet - A coated-fabric face
barrier inside this U-2 helmet divides the oxygen supply into two sections. One
region covers the eyes, nose, mouth, and chin; the other compartment houses the
rest of the head and is linked to the air in the interior of the suit. The
barrier fits smoothly to the skin across the forehead, down the side of the
face in front of the ears, and under the chin to make an airtight seal. The
pilot's breath passes from one region to the other by means of a one-way
exhalation valve near the right cheek.
To close the visor, a lever
is pulled to lower it and force it against the gasket on the shell. Then,
liquid and paste food can be ingested by the pilot through the feeding port
located in the front of the helmet on the lever latch. The visor contains a
transparent resistive heater to keep it clear of condensation.
26.5 cm x 27 cm x 27 cm
(H x L x W)
Paintings
“Earthquake’s Final Flight”
By Jeff Bass
This
painting shows a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar airborne over outpost Isabelle
at Dien Bien Phu, in North
Vietnam, on 6 May 1954. The French had insufficient aircraft or crews
to supply their forces there and had asked for US aid.
The
plane has French Air Force markings, but was operated by the Civil Air
Transport (CAT), a CIA proprietary airline.
CAT had obtained the aircraft from the US Air Force. The pilot was James B. McGovern (nicknamed
Earthquake McGoon) and the copilot was Wallace A. Buford.
In
the painting, the left engine has been disabled by a flak burst, and the
propeller is frozen at operational pitch in a “cross” position. Flak damage to
the control surfaces as well as a loss of power has made the aircraft difficult
to control. The ground is dotted with
the many parachutes used in earlier airdrops. (CAT alone made 682 airdrops to Dien Bien Phu.)
The
damaged C-119 later crashed in Laos,
killing McGovern, Buford, and two of the four French crewmen.
75.8 cm x 107 cm
(H x L)
Popular Culture
“The
Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” was a television show on
NBC in the mid-1960s. The fictitious international law-enforcement agency,
U.N.C.L.E., worked to protect the world from sinister forces like Thrush,
another fabricated organization bent on world supremacy.
These artifacts were donated to the CIA Museum
in 2000 by The Spy-Fi Archives. The
triangular security badge permits entrance into U.N.C.L.E.’s secret
headquarters. The business card is from U.N.C.L.E.’s top enforcement agent,
Napoleon Solo. The patch bears the insignia of the evil Thrush
organization.
58 cm x 42.5 cm
(H x L)
Afghanistan
Al-Qa’ida Training Manual
In 2001, US intelligence officers
picked up this al-Qa’ida training manual outside Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The officers found the manual while searching the ruins of a suspected chemical
processing site. US
ordnance that damaged the site caused the handbook’s burn marks. The manual
includes instructions for firing Stinger missiles.
22.8 cm x 18 cm
(H x L)
Gas
Mask
Shown here is one of many gas masks found in an al-Qa’ida
safe house in Kandahar, Afghanistan in December 2001.
28 cm x 24.3 cm x 15.5 cm
(H x L x W)
Lapis Lazuli
Royal blue lapis lazuli is
a semi-precious gemstone. The gem was highly prized by ancient Babylonian and
Egyptian royalty. Today, miners recover the gem from only a few deposits around
the world. A major site is in the rugged Kokcha
Valley of northern Afghanistan; it dates back 6,000
years. The stone has many uses, including jewelry and pigment for ultramarine
paints. Some believe lapis lazuli has
mystical powers.
Lapis lazuli, in both raw and polished-gem forms, is a known
element of al-Qa’ida’s financial network. This piece of raw lapis came from a
Taliban stronghold. In today’s market,
the value of raw lapis ranges from $250 to $1,200 a kilogram, depending on
quality.
6.5 cm x 12.5 cm x 6.2 cm
(H x L x W)