In celebration of #WomensHistoryMonth, we’ll tell the stories of a few Agency women who made CIA history & paved the way for women here today.
Maria Gulovich was just 23 when she led #OSS & British officers through a blizzard & out of German clutches.
bit.ly/2tcjWpN
1921: Maria born in Slovakia
1939: attended school for teachers when Slovakia fell to Germans
Early 40s: she taught in Jarabina & Hriňová
1944: a Jewish friend, Julius Goldberger, begged Maria to hide his relatives, knowing she could be imprisoned or worse, she still agreed
Slovakian authorities quickly suspected Maria. But, the Slovak Army captain who questioned her was part of anti-fascist resistance.
The Army captain offered to hide the Jewish woman & son if Maria would join the resistance. Maria agreed & became a courier.
Fluent in 5 languages—Russian, Slovak, Hungarian, German & English—Maria started translating messages for Russian military intelligence.
October 1944: Russians & American #OSS officers fled to the mountains to escape Germans who were crushing the Slovak uprising.
#OSS officers asked Maria to join as a guide & interpreter. As she wasn’t comfortable working for the Russians, she said yes to OSS.
Maria’s work for OSS included scouting for food & intel, & scoping out surroundings by posing as peasant girl to talk to villagers.
NOV 1944: Maria’s group hiked through a blizzard to a mountain hunting lodge & met up with other British & American team members.
DEC 26, 1944: Maria, 2 #OSS officers & 2 British airmen went on recon mission. While they were out, Germans attacked the lodge & burned it down.
Maria & the 4 others escaped into the mountains & headed toward Romania. After 9 weeks of hiking in winter cold they reached safety.
#OSS officer who escaped w Maria: “…I am & will be grateful forever to her... no doubt that I owe her my safety & perhaps my life.”
After #WWII Maria met Allen Dulles who told Donovan of her exploits
Donovan arranged for her to migrate to US & for a scholarship to @Vassar
1946: Donovan awarded Maria a Bronze Star & she was 1st woman to receive a medal on Plain of @WestPoint_USMA in front of Corps of Cadets
1952: Maria became a US citizen, settled in California & developed an excellent reputation as a real estate agent in Ventura County.
Maria Gulovich: "All I knew is I wanted to help those guys in any way I could, I believe in freedom."
bit.ly/2tcjWpN
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