Thread by @hacks4pancakes

My cousin shared a copy of a 1950s FBI file on a great uncle. He served in the Navy as a career officer and the in civil service for most the rest of his life. Received a bronze star. He was accused of being a “liberal” and “free thinker” in 1950 when he applied for a fed job.

It’s a pretty wild glimpse into the past. After two years of testimonials and investigation, he was finally deemed patriotic and cleared for the job.

Anyway, food for thought about our complicated and storied past on this Independence Day. I salute his many years of service in wartime and peacetime. He must have been an interesting person to fight that hard to serve.

I wonder how good about him or herself the person who accused him of “un-American activities” felt. He served through WWII with distinction, and one accusation derailed his career for years.

That’s all redacted, but it’s still a hell of a thing.