Undated Self-Portrait of Virginia Hall. Smithsonian Magazine
Field Marshall Montgomery in Paris; May 25, 1945. Imperial War Museums
Faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Virginia Hall utilized her gender and amputee status as tools to spy and sabotage Nazis during WWII. Her contributions as the first female SOE agent in France were key to expanding Allied intelligence. This communication work earned her international accolades. Her work is key to understanding the capabilities of women and those with disabilities in the intelligence community, and her legacy is seen by the countless who have followed her path.
"Through her courage and physical endurance, even though she had previously lost a leg in an accident, Miss Hall, with two American officers, succeeded in organizing, arming and training three FFI [free French forces] battalions. In addition to training resistance fighters, Hall mapped drop zones for materiel and agents, providing crucial communications between London and resistance forces and established safe houses and caches for arms and supplies."
- William J. Donovan, May 12, 1945 (Memorandum for the President from William J. Donovan)
“I think there is a direct line from Virginia Hall and Gina Haspel.”
- John Bennett, Former Director, National Clandestine Service, CIA, 2018 (The OSS Society)
"deeply indebted [to the women of the OSS and the CIA]"
- Gina Haspel, first female director of the CIA, 2018 (The OSS Society)
Excerpts of Swearing in of CIA Director Gina Haspel from "The Tip of the Spear: From Virginia Hall to Gina Haspel", October 29, 2018. The OSS Society