Richard Fecteau

Richard G. Fecteau (born 1927)[1] of Lynn, Massachusetts was a Central Intelligence Agency operative who was captured by operatives of the People's Republic of China during a CIA-sponsored flight over mainland China during the Korean War.[2] News of the capture of Fecteau and John T. Downey reached the United States in November 1954, sparking a nearly 2 decade battle of wills between the U.S. and the PRC. Fecteau was released in December 1971.[3] He later worked as an assistant athletic director at his alma mater, Boston University, retiring in 1989.

CIA career

He joined the Central Intelligence Agency soon after Boston University and became one of two CIA Paramilitary Officers in Special Activities Division (the other was John Downey, a Yale graduate) who survived the shoot-down of their mission over the People's Republic of China in November 1952. Both were captured and spent approximately the next two decades in Chinese prisons before release.

In 2013, the CIA awarded Fecteau the Distinguished Intelligence Cross.[4] The CIA's Studies in Intelligence, vol. 50, no. 4, 2006 included an article describing the mission, the capture, and, ultimately, the release of agents Downey and Fecteau.[2] A related video documentary was placed on the CIA website.[5][6]

References
  1. Burns, Robert (June 19, 2010). "CIA Operative From New Britain Had Role In Failed Cold War Spy Mission In China". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  2. Nicholas, Dujmovic (2006). "Two CIA Prisoners in China, 1952–73". Studies in Intelligence. CIA. 50 (4).
  3. Burt, Andrew (November 19, 2014). ""Your Future Is Very Dark" - The incredible story of former CIA agent John T. Downey, the longest held American captive of war". Slate.
  4. Kinzer, Stephen (December 28, 2013). "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Al Jazeera America. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  5. "Extraordinary Fidelity". YouTube. CIA. April 5, 2007.
  6. "Extraordinary Fidelity (transcript)". cia.gov. CIA. June 5, 2013.
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