World War II Honoree

Virginia Hall

Hometown

Baltimore, Maryland

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

WENT TO WORK FOR THE FRENCH AS AN AGENT AND WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT THE GERMANS BEGAN AN ALL-OUT HUNT FOR HER. BY THE WINTER OF 1941, THE GERMANS WERE ABOUT TO ARREST HER, BUT SHE ESCAPED ON FOOT OVER THE PYRENEES MOUNTAINS INTO SPAIN. THIS WAS NO EASY TASK FOR SHE HAD LOST HER LEG IN A HUNTING ACCIDENT EARLIER AND WORE A WOODEN LEG AT THE TIME. NOT CONTENT TO REST SHE TRAINED AS A RADIO OPERATOR AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO AMERICA'S OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES. IN NOVEMBER 1943, DISGUISED AS AN ELDERLY MILK MAID, SHE RETURNED TO FRANCE AND RESUMED HER ESPIONAGE DUTIES. SHE WAS HUNTED BY THE GESTAPO. THEY CIRCULATED A WANTED POSTER WITH THE WARNING, 'THE WOMAN WITH THE LIMP IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE ALLIED AGENTS IN FRANCE AND WE MUST FIND AND DESTROY HER'. BUT HER ELABORATE DISGUISE FOOLED THE GERMANS AND SHE PAINSTAKINGLY TAUGHT HERSELF HOW TO WALK WITHOUT A LIMP. SHE COLLECTED AND SENT INVALUABLE INTELLIGENCE AND COORDINATED AIR DROPS IN SUPPORT OF D-DAY. SHE ALSO TRAINED AND LED MARQUIS RESISTANCE GROUPS IN GUERILLA WARFARE AND SABOTAGE. AFTER THE WAR SHE WAS AWARDED AMERICA'S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS IN A SIMPLE CEREMONY, THE ONLY AMERICAN CIVILIAN WOMAN TO RECEIVE THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. SHE WAS ALSO AWARDED THE MBE, THE MEMBER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, FOR HER COURAGEOUS EFFORTS. SHE CONTINUED TO WORK FOR THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES, LATER THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 1966.