Yes, that Julia Child. The cooking one. Was a spy.
Documents to be unclassified tomorrow show that Julia was part of an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created during World War II. And she’s not the only surprise you’ll find in there:
The National Archives, which this week released the names found in the records, will make available for the first time all 750,000 pages identifying the vast network of military and civilian operatives.
They were soldiers, actors, historians, lawyers, athletes, professors, reporters. But for several years during World War II, they were known simply as the OSS. They studied military plans, created propaganda and infiltrated enemy ranks.
Among the 35,000 OSS personnel files are applications, commendations and handwritten notes identifying young recruits who, like Child, [Supreme Court Justice Arthur] Goldberg and [Chicago White Sox catcher Moe] Berg, earned greater acclaim in other fields.
They included Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a historian and special assistant to President John F. Kennedy; Sterling Hayden, an actor whose work included a role in “The Godfather;” and Thomas Braden, whose “Eight Is Enough” book inspired the 1970s television series.
Other notables identified in the files include John Hemingway, son of author Ernest Hemingway; Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt, sons of Theodore Roosevelt, and Miles Copeland, father of Stewart Copeland, drummer for the band the Police.
Craziness!!!
I want to know what kind of spy activities Julia Child was up to!! She totally needs a movie made about her life now. Chef by day — spy by night! I love it!
They are making a movie about Julia Childs with Meryl Streep, but I don’t think they are including this crazy spy shit! I’m predicting a re-write!
Hey Beet – her husband, Paul, was also a spy. That’s how they met – in India, I think.
This is pretty well know she wrote a biography and talked about it. I don’t know how much more was opened via FOIA’s but she was very interesting with what she did tell, she and her husband worked at jobs at several American Embassy’s abroad. She was in Paris when she went to the Cordon Bleu Cooking school. If they are making a movie it will be mostly about the spy stuff, she was one of the people who created the CIA from the ashes of the OSS, which was wartime spying – and sourcing the underground spy networks. It’s very interesting really.
Yes, Julia and Paul’s work as spies during WWII is pretty well known. My father was in counter intelligence during the war. I keep waiting for his records to be released, but I have been told that they are in a “black hole” and that they will never be released. Bummer.
This kind of makes you wonder about some of the actors we know now…a good many of them LOVE to get involved in politics and world issues..
The information about Julia Child’s WWII activities was released in 2002. It’s not news.
She worked for the OSS to help develop shark repellant to keep sharks away from mines. That’s it. Nothing more.
Not to degrade her or her efforts, but Child was NOT a spy per se.
Yeah, I heard this awhile ago. :)
Also… I’m sure you’ll love this too, Beet —
Dr. Ruth was trained as a sharpshooter and scout for the Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary organization, and was wounded in the Israeli War of Independence (1948).
Pretty crazy as well. Can you even *imagine* Dr. Ruth, the tiny sex expert, being a SHARPSHOOTER???? I certainly can’t. She’s pretty badass though.
i have always loved this woman. she was unusual with her height and her voice but you could tell she was okay with it all! she was always confident, funny and real. amazing.
She is my (s)hero!
She’s my hero, too! I watched her early shows as a kid. I think my only regret in life is that I didn’t ever meet Julia Child.
Um, she told us this on her chefography on the food network didnt she!? lol
ewwww….i, for one, wouldn’t want this hag to touch my food. i bet she smelled like crappy halston perfume mixed with stale cigarettes and the scent of caked on makeup and dirty hair. if this chick’s your hero then you’re either a tranny or considered growing up in a doublewide a cool thing to do. she should have spied on a warm bath and a double dose of exfoliation.
censorthis……YAWN.
whatever happended to aging gracefully!