The Vilification and Vindication of Colonel Kuklinski
Abstract
On a warm, sunny day in November 1999, a crowd gathered in the courtyard of the George Herbert Bush Library on the Texas A&M University campus to honor Americans and foreign agents who had lost their lives during the Cold War. The ceremony, In Memory of Those Who Died That Others Might Be Free, was organized by the University's Corps of Cadets. Former President George Bush and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) George Tenet presided as former DCIs Richard Helms, William Webster, and Robert Gates looked on. Near the end of the event, Polish Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, read a tribute to his many anonymous colleagues who served on both sides of the front line in the Cold War]. Kuklinski said, I am pleased that our long, hard struggle has brought peace, freedom, and democracy not only to my country but to many other people as well. Although DCI Tenet called Kuklinski a true hero of the Cold War, he is almost as anonymous to most Americans as those he was, eulogizing. Few know about the important contributions he made to the defense of the West during one of the most dangerous periods of the Cold War.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA525899
Entities
People
- Benjamin B. Fischer
Organizations
- Central Intelligence Agency