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Richard Fecteau

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Richard G. Fecteau (born 1927)[1] of Lynn, Massachusetts was captured by the Red Chinese 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 has posted a background piece on its website describing the mission, the capture, and, ultimately, the release of agents Downey and Fecteau,[2] along with a video documentary on its website.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2013-12-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ a b "Two CIA Prisoners in China, 1952–73", Apr 05, 2007, CIA
  3. ^ Burt, Andrew (19 November 2014). ""Your Future Is Very Dark"" – via Slate.
  4. ^ "Cold War arrest of US spies offers lesson for Iran diplomacy". Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  5. ^ "Extraordinary Fidelity", Apr 05, 2007, CIA
  6. ^ "Extraordinary Fidelity" , Jun 05, 2013, (transcript), CIA
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