Current Events > My grandfather was a spy for the CIA. AMA

(+) Yeah! (+)

I don't know too much about his exploits, because he died when my mom was a teenager and he wasn't allowed to tell her until she was 12. But I've heard a couple of stories. I wish I had met him.

Oh come on, this is cool

What was his number? Y'know since they've taken away his name.

How does it feel knowing your grandfather probably helped undermine African American communities nationally, while also contributing to one of dozens of coups and overthrowing of other democratically elected leaders abroad?

Also did he get to use one of those cool guns that would be considered vintage nowadays?
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gunplagirl posted...

How does it feel knowing your grandfather probably helped undermine African American communities nationally, while also contributing to one of dozens of coups and overthrowing of other democratically elected leaders abroad?

Also did he get to use one of those cool guns that would be considered vintage nowadays?

Safe space must be found.
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Is he still alive?
Nvm I just read the op. Does your mom know about any of the jobs he had to do?
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TheGrindery posted...

What was his number? Y'know since they've taken away his name.

Lol, he wasn't a James Bond type. He started out as a radio operator for the OSS after the war, then moved into communications and surveillance. He was the guy you called to sneak into a building and plant listening devices.

gunplagirl posted...

How does it feel knowing your grandfather probably helped undermine African American communities nationally, while also contributing to one of dozens of coups and overthrowing of other democratically elected leaders abroad?

Also did he get to use one of those cool guns that would be considered vintage nowadays?

Uh, that wasn't his department. He was mostly over in Russia and Korea. And no, but he had some really cool spy gadgets. My mom took me to the Spy Museum in DC and pointed out all the things he would have used.

KStateKing17 posted...

Is he still alive?
Nvm I just read the op. Does your mom know about any of the jobs he had to do?

Well, she wasn't old enough to hear some of his stories, and he may not have told her all the good stuff anyway. But she did tell me about the time he was in Korea when the Korean War broke out, and he had to get out of dodge. He took a skiff and navigated his way through North Korea and then into China. My mom described him as "having a knack for disappearing"; keep in mind that he was 6'2" with red hair, so that's impressive.

He also snuck into the Kremlin. That one I don't know all the details of, but I definitely believe it.

treewojima posted...

He also snuck into the Kremlin. That one I don't know all the details of, but I definitely believe it.

Oh shoot :o
He was definitely right for the field.
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treewojima posted...

gunplagirl posted...

How does it feel knowing your grandfather probably helped undermine African American communities nationally, while also contributing to one of dozens of coups and overthrowing of other democratically elected leaders abroad?

Also did he get to use one of those cool guns that would be considered vintage nowadays?

Uh, that wasn't his department. He was mostly over in Russia and Korea. And no, but he had some really cool spy gadgets. My mom took me to the Spy Museum in DC and pointed out all the things he would have used.

Ah. Communications back when incriminating recordings actually could get people removed from power.

Good on him. He actually helped during the lead up to the cold war. :3
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In the end, it was the job that killed him. This was back in the 50s when microwave communication was being developed, but the hazardous health effects weren't fully understood. He often worked in a listening post with reflective dishes designed to forward the microwave signals into the receiver, which happened to be right where the operator was sitting. Basically, they were microwaving him. He developed an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer and died a little after a year that he was diagnosed.

Imagine it now. Your mother did not have her father for most of her life because he was working or else later passed from that work. She wants revenge against the country that ultimately killed him after he gave everything for. She becomes a super villain with microwave weapons for irony. What would her villain name be?
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gunplagirl posted...

Ah. Communications back when incriminating recordings actually could get people removed from power.

Good on him. He actually helped during the lead up to the cold war. :3

Do you ever have anything not douchey and condescending to say
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DocileOrangeCup posted...

gunplagirl posted...

Ah. Communications back when incriminating recordings actually could get people removed from power.

Good on him. He actually helped during the lead up to the cold war. :3

Do you ever have anything not douchey and condescending to say

Quoting my first thing would qualify but pointing out that he helped our country at a time where recordings actually got people removed from power is more of a fact based realm. Nowadays we just bomb other nations and go "oh no we have to bomb them again" when a new group emerges from the ruins. Having people removed from power because they said terrible things helped avoid the need for bombing the entire civilian population.
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Why would I ask you anything?
Your gramps sounds way more interesting. Put him on here.

DocileOrangeCup posted...

Do you ever have anything not douchey and condescending to say

You already know the answer to that.
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TC said his grandpa was a spy so you automatically assumed he was some weird racist overlord and when he said he wasn't you were like oh okay I'm okay with that so he actually helped

Like who tf are you gramps wojima saved this fucking country goddammit
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LinksLiege posted...

Why would I ask you anything?
Your gramps sounds way more interesting. Put him on here.

DocileOrangeCup posted...

Do you ever have anything not douchey and condescending to say

You already know the answer to that.

His grandfather is dead. Have some respect.
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DocileOrangeCup posted...

TC said his grandpa was a spy so you automatically assumed he was some weird racist overlord and when he said he wasn't you were like oh okay I'm okay with that so he actually helped

Like who tf are you gramps wojima saved this fucking country goddammit

Have you not bothered to actually read up on any of the campaigns carried out by the CIA from its founding up to the 80s? Generally a safe idea to assume they were involved with one of those things than not. Tc said he was in communications. The worst he'd have done is maybe kill one guy if he got caught planting bugs but generally that would be followed by him being killed and obviously grampa tree wasn't considering how he died.
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This topic took a dramatic turn

treewojima posted...

Oh come on, this is cool

I mean not really. What are we supposed to ask? If you only know a few stories you should just tell them, don't see why this should be an AMA
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gunplagirl posted...

Imagine it now. Your mother did not have her father for most of her life because he was working or else later passed from that work. She wants revenge against the country that ultimately killed him after he gave everything for. She becomes a super villain with microwave weapons for irony. What would her villain name be?

I'd read that comic book tbh.
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KStateKing17 posted...

gunplagirl posted...

Imagine it now. Your mother did not have her father for most of her life because he was working or else later passed from that work. She wants revenge against the country that ultimately killed him after he gave everything for. She becomes a super villain with microwave weapons for irony. What would her villain name be?

I'd read that comic book tbh.

That's why I asked for her super villain name. He'd know her better than I can and would have a better idea of if she would be super conservative and grab an obvious name, or maybe a clever pun or maybe something that had nothing to do with the powers but instead her ultimate goal.
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