Memories of a Secret Agent

It is essential for the reader to remember that this is a memoir; in other
words, a record of events based on the author's experiences and feelings. Because
of the secrecy restrictions at the time these events occurred, and in some cases
for many years thereafter, the author kept no diary, notes, or record and wrote no
letters describing his work. Furthermore, almost without exception, all the people
with whom and for whom he worked are now dead. Consequently, in writing
this book, the author has been entirely dependent on his memory. At the age of
ninety-one, this memory may have at times been defective or twisted. However,
there can be no doubt the story is true. Careful research of the archives of the
Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, the U.S. Navy, and the CIA
should substantiate this. But even here, there will be difficulties due to secrecy
and the "deindexing" of the FBI's Latin American files by its then-director rather
than turn them over to the hated CIA. Moreover, the author's foolish refusal to
accede to the request of his commanding officer to write the history of the naval
operation Road's End immediately after its conclusion and for which he had
received a commendation has erased forever the details of that historic event.
Finally, the tragic suicide of the CIA's director of operations subsequent to the
Kim Philby espionage scandal diminished the possibility of a proper analysis of
events surrounding it in Washington . . .