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Hello. Hello and welcome to Spycast from the Secret Files of the International Spy Museum

in Washington, D.C.

I'm Peter Ernest, the Executive Director of the Museum. I served for

some 36 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, largely as what is called an

operations officer or a case officer.

Every month we'll be bringing you interesting talks

with visitors, with authors, with others who

have something to do with the world of intelligence

and espionage. Our guest today is Peter Sichl. Peter

Sichl was an extraordinary figure during the during the Cold war and during his time in both OSS and later CIA, known to many of his

colleagues for his activities in various places abroad and we will touch on some of them.

He had been born in Manse, Germany, 1922, into a rather well known, well to do winemaking family, who happened to be Jewish.

And of course that caused them, as with the rise of the Nazis,

caused them a number of them to flee Germany, some to stay.

He actually fled Germany, and we will just touch on that and he came to the United States and joined the OSS in the middle of World War II that is

in 1943.

Afterwards, when OSS was disbanded,

he transitioned into CIA, which began in 1947,

and he stayed there until 1959 and we will touch on his departure as well.

When he left he returned to the family wine business. He became a rather renowned wine expert himself and his company became quite

well known for marketing and I'm sure you're all familiar with it, Blue None wines.

...