Stephanie Rader

Stephanie Czech Rader (May 15, 1915 – January 21, 2016)[1][2] was an American undercover intelligence agent.

She was born to Polish immigrants in Poughkeepsie, New York, and was raised only knowing the Polish language and culture. School was rough because at first she did not speak English well, but soon mastered it and continued on to earn a full scholarship to Cornell University where she completed a chemistry degree in 1937.[3]

Stephanie joined the Women’s Army Corps towards the end of World War II and was soon selected for service in the Office of Strategic Services due to her knowledge of Polish culture. She was one of two OSS agents working out of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and traveled the country under the guise of finding family members in the aftermath of World War II.

This allowed her to acquire intelligence on Russian troop movements and socio-economic information unobtainable by Embassy officials. She was, by all definitions, a spy. She knew that if she were captured, she would disappear.[4] "They gave me a gun, but I never carried a gun ... What the heck was I gonna do with a dumb gun?", she said.[3]

Rader died in 2016 at the age of 100 in her Alexandria, Virginia, home. Only very late in her life did her friends and neighbors realize that she was one of the most successful intelligence agents of post-war Poland. In recent years, her friends and neighbors, together with the Office of Strategic Services Society, have championed on her behalf for her to be awarded the Legion of Merit. Her superior officers had recommended her for this award in 1946 but the request was turned down by the War Department for unknown reasons.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Beduya, Jose. "Stephanie Czech Rader '37: A Remarkable Life, an Amazing Gift". Cornell University Alumni. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Stephanie Rader, undercover spy in postwar Europe, dies at 100". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Hudak, Tim (January 22, 2016). "Stephanie Czech Rader, one of the most successful intelligence agents of post-WWII Poland". VAntage Point. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  4. ↑ Harris, Shane (December 27, 2015). "Will America's 100-Year-Old Female Spy Finally Be Recognized for the Hero She Is?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ Profile, thedailybeast.com, December 27, 2015.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs document "Stephanie Czech Rader, one of the most successful intelligence agents of post-WWII Poland" (retrieved on February 27, 2015).

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