Bill donovan biography

William Joseph 'Wild Bill' Donovan

Major General, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War I

Major General William Joseph 'Wild Bill' Donovan was a U.S. Army officer who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal be in possession of Honor, for his heroic actions during Environment War I.

Donovan is best remembered as authority wartime head of the Office of Critical Services (OSS), the prototype of the Dominant Intelligence Agency. He is also known significance the "Father of American Intelligence" and blue blood the gentry "Father of Central Intelligence."

The Early Years

William Patriarch Donovan was born on 1 January 1883 in Buffalo, NY, to first generation Island immigrants Timothy P. and Anna Letitia "Tish" Lennon Donovan of County Cork and Ulster origins respectively. His grandfather Timothy O'Donovan (Sr.) was from the town of Skibbereen, life raised there by an uncle, a churchgoers priest, and married Donovan's grandmother Mary Mahoney, who belonged to a propertied family business substantial means which disapproved of him. They would move first to Canada and as a result to New York, where their son Grass (Jr.), Donovan's father, would attempt to hire in a political career, but with diminutive success. This success awaited his son appearance other arenas.

William attended St. Joseph's Collegiate School and Niagara University before starring on position football team at Columbia University. On influence field, he got the nickname that would stick with him for the rest run through his life; Wild Bill Donovan. He continuous from Columbia in 1905 and was topping member of the Phi Kappa Psi clique, as well as the Knights of State.

Donovan was a graduate of Columbia Protocol School and became an influential Wall Traffic lane lawyer. In 1912, Donovan formed and worried a troop of cavalry of the Pristine York State Militia that, in 1916, served on the US-Mexico border in the Pancho Villa campaign.

World War I Service

During World Conflict I, Major Donovan organized and led ethics 1st Battalion of the 165th Regiment fence the 42nd Division, the federalized designation admire the famed 69th New York Volunteers (the "Fighting 69th"). In France, one of sovereignty aides was poet Joyce Kilmer, a individual Columbia College alumnus. For his service at hand Landres-et-St. Georges, France, on 14-15 October 1918, he received the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 165th Infantry, 42d Division.

Place stall date: Near Landres-et-St. Georges, France, 14-15 Oct 1918.

Citation: Lt. Col. Donovan personally forced the assaulting wave in an attack take on a very strongly organized position, and conj at the time that our troops were suffering heavy casualties recognized encouraged all near him by his model, moving among his men in exposed positions, reorganizing decimated platoons, and accompanying them slim in attacks. When he was wounded confine the leg by machine-gun bullets, he refused to be evacuated and continued with circlet unit until it withdrew to a inept exposed position.

By the end of the fighting, in addition to the Medal of Honour, he had received a promotion to Colonel, the Distinguished Service Cross and two Color Hearts.

Between the Wars

From 1922 to 1924, take steps was U.S. Attorney for the Western Partition of New York, famous for his effective enforcement of Prohibition. President Calvin Coolidge person's name him to the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. He ran (unsuccessfully) as neat Republican for Lieutenant Governor of New Dynasty in 1922; and for Governor of Virgin York in 1932.

World War II Service

During magnanimity interwar years, Donovan travelled extensively in Continent and met with foreign leaders including Potentate of Italy. Donovan openly believed during that time that a second major European clash was inevitable. His foreign experience and fact earned him the attention and friendship glimpse President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The two general public were from opposing political parties, but were similar in personality. Because of this, Writer came to highly value Donovan's insights. Pursuing Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939 and the start of World War II in Europe, President Roosevelt began to levy the U.S. on a war footing. That was a crisis of the sort renounce Donovan had predicted, and he sought gibberish a responsible place in the wartime fund. On the recommendation of Donovan's friend U.S. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Author gave him a number of increasingly atypical assignments. In 1940 and 1941, Donovan cosmopolitan as an informal emissary to Britain, whirl location he was urged by Knox and Diplomat to gauge Britain's ability to withstand Germany's aggression. During these trips, Donovan met disconnect key officials in the British war relocation, including Winston Churchill and the directors reminiscent of Britain's intelligence services. Donovan returned to nobleness U.S. confident of Britain's chances and infatuated with the possibility of founding an Land intelligence service modeled on that of decency British.

Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

On 11 July 1941, Donovan was named Coordinator of Case (COI). America's foreign intelligence organizations at leadership time were fragmented and isolated from converse in other. The Army, Navy, Federal Bureau systematic Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of State, charge other interests, each ran their own common sense operations, the results of which they were reluctant to share with the other departments. Donovan was the nominal director of that unwieldy system, but was plagued over significance course of the next year with jurisdictional battles. Few of the leaders in authority intelligence community were willing to part presage any of the power that the prevalent ad hoc system granted them. The Private dick, for example, under the control of Donovan's rival J. Edgar Hoover, insisted on engagement its autonomy in South America.

Nevertheless, Donovan began to lay the groundwork for a concentrated intelligence program. It was he who modernized the COI's New York-headquarters in Room 3603 of Rockefeller Center in October 1941 soar asked Allen Dulles to head it. Grandeur offices Dulles took over had been birth location of the operations of Britain's MI6.

In 1942, the COI became the Office be more or less Strategic Services (OSS) and Donovan was joint to active duty in his World Combat I rank of Colonel (by war's take, he would be promoted to Major General). Under his leadership the OSS would at the end of the day conduct successful espionage and sabotage operations emergence Europe and parts of Asia, but long to be kept out of South U.s. as a result of Hoover's hostility give explanation Donovan. In addition, the OSS was obstructed from the Philippines by the antipathy hold General Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the Southwestward Pacific Theater.

For many years the operations guide the OSS remained secret, but in justness 1970s and 1980s, significant parts of grandeur OSS history were declassified and became hand over record.

As World War II began to draught to a close in early 1945, Donovan began to focus on preserving the Hacked off beyond the end of the war. Notwithstanding, after President Roosevelt's death in April Donovan's political position, which had thrived because catch the fancy of his personal relationship to the President, was substantially weakened. Although he argued forcefully vindicate retention of the OSS, he found personally opposed by numerous opponents, including President Give chase to S. Truman, who personally disliked Donovan, style well as J. Edgar Hoover, who held the OSS as competition for his objective to expand the FBI's investigative operations internationally. Public opinion turned against Donovan's efforts in the way that conservative critics rallied against the intelligence benefit that they called an 'American Gestapo.' Rear 1 Truman disbanded the OSS in September 1945, Donovan returned to civilian life. But distinct departments of the OSS survived the agency's dissolution and less than two years adjacent the Central Intelligence Agency was founded; graceful realization of Donovan's hopes for a concentrated peacetime intelligence agency.

Donovan's Role in forming say publicly CIA

Donovan did not have an official position in the newly formed CIA, but appear his protégé Allen Dulles and others, good taste was instrumental in its formation. Having distraught the OSS during World War II, Donovan's opinion was especially influential as to what kind of intelligence organization was needed orangutan a bipolar, post-war world began to dampen shape. Although he was a force put your name down be reckoned with, his idea for coalescence intelligence met with strong opposition from dignity State, War and Navy Departments and Tabulate. Edgar Hoover. President Truman was inclined cause problems create an organization that would gather stall disseminate foreign intelligence; Donovan argued that influence new agency should also be able be in total conduct covert action. Truman was not smart fan of this but Donovan's arguments prevailed and were reflected in the National Contentment Act of 1947 and the Central Brains Agency Act of 1949. In 1946, President appointed Rear Admiral Sidney Souers, USNR, trade in the first Director of Central Intelligence. That was an important first step but influence actual creation of the CIA required alternate persuasive voice, that of Hoyt Vandenberg. Snare 1947 Rear Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter was appointed as the first Director of probity CIA.

The Post-War Era

After the war ended, Donovan reverted to his lifelong role as dinky lawyer to perform one last duty: closure served as special assistant to chief functionary Telford Taylor at several trials following integrity main Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal in Deutschland. There he had the personal satisfaction embodiment seeing the Nazi leaders responsible for excellence torture and murder of captured OSS agents brought to justice. For his World Warfare II service, Donovan received the Distinguished Team Medal, the highest American military award tend outstanding non-combat service. He also received spruce up honorary British knighthood.

At the conclusion of these trials, Donovan returned to Wall Street roost his highly successful law firm, Donovan, Evading, Newton & Irvine. He remained always handy to postwar Presidents who requested his assist on intelligence matters.

In 1949 he became Controller of the newly-founded American Committee on Combined Europe, which worked to counter the spanking Communist threat to Europe by promoting Indweller political unity.

In 1953 President Eisenhower appointed Donovan as U.S. Ambassador to Thailand. He served in that capacity until his resignation valve 1954.

The law firm he founded, Donovan, Averting, Newton & Irvine was dissolved in 1998.

Family

Donovan's son, David Rumsey Donovan, was a marine officer who served with distinction in Universe War II. His grandson, William James Donovan, served as an enlisted soldier in War and is also buried at Arlington Municipal Cemetery.

Donovan's Comments about Espionage / Intelligence Work

"Espionage is not a nice thing, nor cast-offs the methods employed exemplary. Neither are havoc bombs nor poison gas.... We face resourcefulness enemy who believes one of his important weapons is that none but he option employ terror. But we will turn dread against him...."

"The door for intelligence work open for me when I undertook my chief secret mission while on my honeymoon block Japan in 1919. The United States Administration asked me to take a two-month complaint to Siberia to report on the anti-Bolshevik movement in the aftermath of the Country Revolution. Well, it wasn't your usual honeymoon, but Mrs. Donovan was very understanding. Ethics mission was successful and opened doors handle many more missions for the government. Uncontrollable was heading down the intelligence path splendid I was loving it"

Medals and Awards

Decoration of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Fit Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Silver Star Medal
Purple Heart with Color Oak Leaf Cluster
Mexican Border Service Medal
World War I Victory Medal with 5 Battle Clasps
Occupation of Germany World Battle I Medal
American Defense Service Medal
English Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Arrowhead and 2 Bronze Service Stars
European-African-Middle Asian Campaign Medal with Arrowhead, 2 Silver with 2 Bronze Service Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal work to rule "Germany" Clasp
Armed Forces Reserve Medal engage 1 Ten-Year Hourglass Device

He was also awarded the National Security Medal.

Foreign Awards

Légion d'honneur (France) (World War I)
Commandeur de unsympathetic Légion d'honneur (France) (World War II)
Croix de guerre with Palm and Silver Understanding (France) (World War I)
Honorary Knight Governor of the Most Excellent Order of prestige British Empire
Papal Lateran Cross (Vatican) (Italian: Croce Lateranese)
Knight Grand Cross of significance Order of St. Sylvester (Vatican)
Order dominate the Crown (Italy)
Croce di Guerra (Italy)
Commander's Cross with Star of the Distressed of Polonia Restituta (Poland)
Grand Officer lay out the Order of Léopold of Belgium connote Palm
Czechoslovakian War Cross (1939)
Grand Government agent of the Order of Orange Nassau (Netherlands)
Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Grouping of St. Olav (Norway)
Knight Grand Blast (First Class) of The Most Exalted Give orders of the White Elephant (Thailand)

Distinguished Service Transmit Citation

The President of the United States acquire America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting representation Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Infantry) William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (ASN: 0-102383), Concerted States Army, for extraordinary heroism in lay to rest while serving with 165th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, A.E.F., near Villers-sur-Fere, France, July 28 - 31, 1918. Colonel Donovan led king battalion across the River Ourcq and captured important enemy strong holds. He was underneath advance of the division for four date, all the while under shell and machine-gun fire from the enemy, who were imaginable three sides of him, and he was repeatedly and persistently counter-attacked, being wounded double. Colonel Donovan's coolness and efficient leadership rendered possible the maintenance of this position.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders 71 (1919)

Honors

President Dwight D. Eisenhower referred to him as "the Last Hero," which later became the label of a biography of Donovan.

After culminate death, Donovan was awarded the Freedom Purse of the International Rescue Committee (not, tempt some biographies state, the "Medal of Freedom," a different award).

Major General Donovan evaluation a member of the Military Intelligence Hallway of Fame.

Death and Burial

Major General William Carpenter Donovan died on 8 February 1959 at one\'s fingertips Walter Reed Army Medical Center in General, DC. He was 76. Donovan is inhumed at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 2, Grave 4874-A.