Virginia Hall: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy

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This is Jim and some in our own world podcast, likely due to podcast network and Coca-Cola celebrate Hispanic heritage month with incredible concentrators like Patty Rodriguez and his delay remember growing up with a small shack in the apartment. That is, I would make that shocking to Jewish and there I would play pretend.

I will pretend that I was a news reporter in the house and most of my afternoons pretending and imagining that one day I would be able to our own stories out of the shadows, hosted by Pat Rodriguez and Eric Galindo on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast brought to you by Coca-Cola proud sponsor of the Michael due to podcast network. Heritage is magic with cheap Caribbean more for more drinks and more fun on your beach vacation like bottomless margaritas going snorkeling whenever I want and smooth party and its loaded nachos and all the daiquiris I can drink you can say yes to everything we need to connect little beach vacation resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean with Caribbean.com Mrs. L American stories we tell stories about everything you're on the show sports from history to business and everything in between. We tell your stories to some of our very best people who listen to show from the mismatch story will stories of Virginia whole World War II supply overcame both physical and societal rules during the time when the world seemed to be turning itself apart literally mount for her story is told by Judy peters was once asked why she never told her story. She replied that no one had ever asked her in 2003 I began asking my quest to her knees in Baltimore.

Newly declassified intelligence records in the national archives. Then to London, Paris and across the French countryside. I conducted and in French and read dozens of personal accounts ultimately unfolded an incredible woman. She was intelligent, brave and outspoken. She was loyal, daring and stubborn as a young woman all of Virginia house energies directed to becoming a foreign service officer high school graduation chums were thinking of marriage and families. Virginia announced that the only way for women to get ahead in the world was with an education. After several undistinguished years at Radcliffe and Barnard.

She went to the Sorbonne in Paris and then to consult Academy Indiana from which he graduated in 1929. Back in the states now fluent in French and German.

She applied to take the foreign service exam exam consisted of three parts.

The first was written covering all manner of topics, including world history, geography and sociology. The second test of the applicant's knowledge of a foreign language. Virginia opted for French and the third part of the exam far more subjective examiner the power to judge what officer the applicant would make Virginia failed the exam took it again and was failed again.

It was 1930 women had only had the right to vote for 10 years and the number of female foreign service officers could be counted on one hand, gender discrimination was hard at work.

She told a family friend that if she couldn't get into the foreign service through the front door. She tried going in through the back door and landed a job as clerk at the American Embassy in Poland.

She once again applied for the exam. But before she completed it. She was transferred to the American consulate in Smyrna now is near Turkey here. Her life changed forever on a December Saturday afternoon hunting expedition with some friends in 19 bridging his gun accidentally discharged into her left foot. Despite doctors best efforts. Gangrene set in, and to save her life. They removed her leg from the knee down with my being considered by some as a life ending event bridging you saw is merely delaying plans when she was well enough to travel.

She returned home to Baltimore to recuperate and be fitted with his 7 pound wooden prosthesis and a year later she was back at work. This time the American consulate from which she requested to take the foreign service exam yet again this time rather than test questions, a letter arrived, informing her that, according to an obscure statute.

Amputees were not accepted in the foreign service. The letter concluded by politely asking Virginia not to apply again. She simply wouldn't fit in. As he began blazing across Europe discouraged Virginia Hall left her consular job and went to France here. Her leg was not an issue. She was gratefully accepted as a volunteer ambulance driver for the French army nor was her liking issue.

Several months later when in London, she was approached by a special operations executive employee oh this undercover paramilitary organization had been created by Winston Churchill to set Europe ablaze. The current war was unlike any other. The allies needed extraordinary warfare in the form of espionage escaping French military had told the British that there were many in France who would be willing to rise up against the Nazi given enough organization in arms leaders who could be infiltrated into the country were needed and Virginia fit the bill.

The Prince didn't give a better gender. In fact, it was believed that women would make the best spots. This doesn't surprise those of us who are women, but it was a revelation to the men. Furthermore, men were being whisked to Germany as laborers and then on the streets in France needed reasons for being there, but one didn't and could travel about more easily noted, the bricks care how many lands Virginia had lost her disability was unknown to most.

She walked with a slight. These training camps.

Virginia learned things Baltimore contemporaries would never, I had the good fortune to interview one of the instructors while I was in London.

Leslie Fernandez's bridging physical combat. In other words, how to kill and Virginia wasn't showing any favoritism because of her missing leg. She would've accepted it anyway. The only training she didn't receive was in parachuting the primary means by which agents were infiltrated. It was 1941 and America entered the war. Virginia would be free to enter France as a noncombatant, which she did. Using journalism is when we come back will continue the story Virginia whole story with a wooden way to hear about her group, her perseverance rising above the stories like this spy with wooden leg continue to fuel the stories we tell about special stories of America's rich fifth goal for stories about American history place for students.

All things will go to Hillsville.we returned to L American stories when we left off Virginia Hall speaking into France back in 1941, time actually to be going into France and she was posing as a journalist is a British intelligence operative with return to the author, Judy Pearson. I spent hours digging to the British national archives in Kew and the Imperial war Museum archives in London, both of which were rich in material, I heard the oral histories of those recruited agents who daringly dropped into occupied France were Virginia and others awaited them when I arrived in France.

After spending several days digging through the archives in Paris.

I rented a car and took off across the country to visit first-hand all of this is Virginia had worked from. She was ultimately sent to the young, the center of resistance activities in unoccupied France so I went to Leo as well. There are journalism cover, ostensibly collecting information for newspaper articles. Virginia was also collecting information about Nazi activities are flat innocently appearing is that of a hard-working writer was a clearinghouse for every British agent was sent to central France in 1941 through Virginia.

They were able to connect with fellow agents and contact others to help them. They collected counterfeiting money and wireless radios needed to perform their work when they were captured and imprisoned.

Virginia worked on their escapes to organize her own group of resistance members in the context in Marseille and at the Spanish border to places from which people could disappear. Should the need arise. She and her group saved innumerable lives of both downed Allied pilots meeting passenger France and agents who were being hunted by the Gestapo, but it wasn't long before Virginia herself became hunting close Barbie, later known as the Butcher of Lyon. Spread the word that a lady Englishman Kenny was wanted in connection espionage activities is posters announced that Virginia was the most dangerous of all Allied spies and that everyone should help him find and destroy Virginia's accidents across the Pyrenees mountains. The writing chain that separates France from Spain was in November 1942 the cold and rigorous. March would've been exhausting for anyone dragging his 7 pounds. Wooden leg through the snow made it all the more difficult for Virginia. She had endeared tell the guide about her leg. He was already grumbling because she was a woman one point she was able to radio London to tell them she was on her way out of France.

She mentioned that Cuthbert her clever nickname for her leg had become quite tiresome.

The recipient of the message ignorant of the legs name wired back that if Cuthbert had become tiresome. She should have them eliminated at the end of the grueling 30 mile journey. Virginia was arrested in Spain for not having papers. She was imprisoned for six weeks released only after her former cellmate, a Barcelona prostitute was able to get word to the British consulate that she was being held by the time Virginia had returned to England in early 1943 and you intelligence organization had been going name was the office of strategic services. OSS was patterned after the assembly with one exception was purebred American, led by a hero from World War I named Gen. wild Bill Donovan. Virginia was desperate to get back into the fight and transferring to the OSS made sense since she was an American. There was a concern. She was now a hunted woman who sketched picture had been spread throughout France return could only be facilitated if she were disguised that of an old peasant woman fit the bill on her second trip to occupied France bridging his intelligence and ingenuity served her and saved her many times.

This time she acted as her own radio operator, setting up numerous resistance sounds three months after returning to France the greatest armada the world had ever seen across the channel for the D-Day landings. When the signal was given her resistance went into action, cutting off Nazi supply lines and disrupting their communications all in a successful effort to aid Allied invasion of Europe by the fall of 1944, all of France was liberated during Virginia's second stint in the country.

She had had the pleasure of reading 1500 resistance volunteers who killed hundred and 50 Nazis and captured 500 more per team had sabotaged numerous transportation and communication links, leadership, and son while I was not only admired became legendary.

They called her llama done the Madonna Virginia was awarded the member of the British Empire.

The French client again think Palm in the American distinguished service Cross, the only one in World War II to receive that American distinction that Virginia wasn't interested in accolades she wanted to continue her work in espionage.

Although the OSS had been dissolved. Virginia was one of the first women on board. Then you intelligence agency, known as the Central intelligence group. It became the Central intelligence agency. In December 1947, the new world of intelligence was very different from the one Virginia had previously been part of communism was the enemy.

Now and as one observer put it, Joseph Stalin made Hitler look like a Boy Scout.

Virginia wanted desperately to become inoperative again willing to undergo whatever training was necessary, but at the advanced age of 41. She was looked upon his old school. Her skills were outdated and her aggressiveness was offensive to the younger men who were her superiors. Her experience was dismissed is not pertinent after all she'd been through and all the sacrifices she gladly made once again Virginia Hall didn't fit in Virginia had married Paul go Jo in 1950, French, American she'd met 20 into the war, she accepted mandatory retirement from the CIA in 1966 and she and Paul moved to a farm in Bardstown, Maryland. They raised poodles gardened and grew up together.

Virginia died in 1982 and Doyle followed five years later, she was never bitter about the fact that her career had begun light. Rather, Virginia chose to remember the magnificent days.

Days when her clever mind and Braveheart help defeat world domination and a special thanks to Judy Pearson by the way the book about Virginia Hall was called wolves at the door. The true story of America's greatest female's body and I've never heard that story never been World War II buff who doesn't get better story.

Like the woman accidentally shoots her foot off for most people that's it. She gets turned on.

Once, twice, but is determined to be a member of the foreign service users are what injure France when most people will be running from France as the Nazis government occupied the country ultimately close Barbie, the butcher is her is the most wanted person in the Nazi regime when it comes to spies. Certainly what an impact you have her life.

One example and by the way, to be the only woman to win the American distinguished service Cross. I don't know why Maurice don't know the story, but that's what we do here in our American stories in my goodness what Judy Pearson did here the author when she literally walked Virginia holes choose travel all over Europe district just to honor her story and these are the kind of writers and researchers. We will show Virginia whole story's body with a wooden leg on our American stores with more drinks and more fun on your beach vacation like bottomless margaritas going snorkeling whenever I want and body and loaded not, and all the daiquiris I can drink everything in next little beach vacation to Mexico in the Caribbean with Caribbean.com. Geico asks how would you love a chance to save some money on insurance. Of course you would when it comes to great rates on insurance. GEICO can help like with insurance for your car, truck, motorcycle, boat and RV even help with homeowners or renters coverage plus at an easy to use mobile app available 24 hour roadside assistance and more. And GEICO is an easy choice switch today and see all the ways you can save it's easy. Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today everybody is from Rutgers Park to serve in the future of technology as we help people everywhere quite wonderful. Would like to invite you verse introduce our heartland on roadblocks power button until this is where music games called to give you where your friends can experience events from the Braveheart's part to become radial tycoon builder. All music studio you visibly into the house of water will font upgrades items. The most help take your experience to the next level will be some wonderful bizarrely on roadblocks power button to radio.com/roadblocks