IamA (I'm a 94 year old former Staff Sargent with the OSS in World War II.) AMA!

Here is a link to my book. I wrote it, not a ghost writer. I plan on writing more.
65 Years of Secrecy by John Cardinalli Link: http://amzn.com/B00ODQ82OS

My grandson will do the typing. Bare with us if there are delays in answers, we will be eating soon. Italians always have an early dinner on Sundays.

This I knowall to well. Whats for dinner tonight?

Pasta.

As a European, I would just like to use this opportunity to thank you very much for coming to our aid in WW2. My country (Denmark) was occupied by Germany, and we probably wouldn't be a free and independent nation today without the help of US troops.

Question: Did you loose any good friends in the war? And if so, did that make you reconsider if it was all worth it, going to Europe?

Yes, Katja, who was Polish, I was in charge of her. She was part of our team to get "friendly" with the German Officers. She was killed behind enemy lines, she drove over a mine.

What was the reasoning behind such a long period of secrecy? Was it of a predetermined length (i.e. they decided in the 1940s that you couldn't speak about it for 65 years), or was it decided after 65 years that it was safe for you to talk about it?

It was 65 years before I was ready to talk and write about it. I'm 94, so it was time. The FBI and CIA declassified my missions in 2008.

What is the scariest thing you have witnessed or have been a part of?

Battle of the Bulge. Our team completely split up, by ourselves, with just radios to communicate. Everyone was completely on their own for 2 days.

Did you ever have the opportunity to, more lightheartedly, mess with the guys you were against? Like playing pranks or inconveniencing them just to get under their skin?

One of my team members needed a hair cut and I told him I was the best Italian Barber in the military. I never cut hair in my life. I cut his and he looked like a dog with mange. He literally almost shot me. Imgur

Did you ever meet wild bill Donovan?

How did you get into the oss?

Did you ever work with the devils brigade?

And if you would want, we'd love to host you over on r/military.

I met Bill Donovan in Washington DC when we were sworn into the OSS.

I got into the OSS while in the infantry in North Carolina and I saw a sign that said "Men Wanted for Hazardous Duty, Need to know Morse Code, and must speak a Foreign Language, which I am fluent in Italian". There is more to the story of how I actually was accepted, it is all in my book. I am not trying to push my book, but it has everything in there. It is available on Amazon "65 Years of Secrecy by John Cardinalli"

I never worked with the Devil's Brigade.

I plan on picking your book up. I finished my time in the military in 1st group. The direct line from the devils brigade. So I've always been fascinated with units like the oss and devils brigade.

Did you ever get to work with Col Aaron Bank?

Did you go through the typical jump school, or the accelerated program they used for people like doctors and Chaplin's?

Never met Col Aaron Bank. I was scheduled to go to jump school in Georgia, but immediately deployed to Miadenhead then I was the 2nd landing on Normandy, the 1st took the bad beating, really bad. I was lucky.

What was the most significant piece of evidence you discovered and how did it help your cause?

A lot of evidence, that was my job. I also confiscated a few items. When we raided one of the colonel's houses part of Gestapo. Here is a picture of one of the items I confiscated. It was made by the same gun maker who made guns for Napoleon LePage. Here is a picture, you can see the handle is ivory, hence the yellow coloring from all these years. It has the serial number, crown marking, etc.
Imgur Imgur Imgur

Hey everyone, keep the questions coming, but we have to eat. We will be back in about 2 hours, to finish up. We didn't realize we were going to have so many questions. See you soon.

We're you scared? When were you scared?

Yes, of course... I shit my pants a few times.

Best answer imo. Grazie tanto Giovanni

You're welcome.

What did you do following the war, when you returned home?

I became a very successful painting contractor and home developer in Hollister, CA.

Thank you for your service, sir.

My question is what was your role exactly? And can you give us an example of what you did?

My role was an agent behind enemy lines collecting information and radio back to allied forces. I was a master at Morse Code, which is how most of our communication was done.

What would be your advice to the new generation?

If one was going to join the military, go into intelligence.

What are your thoughts on our current military appose to when you were in? Whats the biggest difference? Do you think its softened up since you were in?

The old days I feel we were much sharper then. We had less technology, but produced similar results.

What theaters were you involved in? And what beach did you land on at Normandy?

Omaha

Did it take 65 years to declassify your operations? Also, what type of missions were you primarily involved in?

They declassified my missions in 2008 by FBI and CIA.

Thank you for your service! What is your favorite movie?

Blazing Saddles

Hello Sir, thank you for this AMA, it's an honour. Were you working alone behind enemy lines or did you had a small team? What sort of activities did you do behind enemy lines? Were you active in the Netherlands?

I worked with a small team that were grouped in twos. The code name who was in charge of all these teams was named "The Dutchman". There is a lot to this, but basically, but the groups all had a task and a name. For example, we had a "married couple" named jack and jill. Yes, I was in Holland and spent a lot of time hiding in windmills which were strategically chosen along Rhine River.

Are you married and do you have any children?

Yes. I was married for 70 years, my wife recently passed. We met in Monterey, CA. She worked on cannery row and I was a commercial fisherman before the war. I have two children, 4 grand children, 8 grand children.

As a Signals guy, what did you think of the equipment you were issued? What was great, what was a good idea but never really worked?

What countries did you work in?

Also: The proof provided isnt really great. A sign with your username would be better.

The countries I worked in are France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany.

The equipment I was issued was a .45 as seen as the picture I provied. A Fariburn/Sykes knife "Dagger". It was giving to me by William Fariburn, he was as a master as a gutter fighter - hand to hand combat - I was trained by him directly and gave me the knife. Medical kit which had cyanide, which of course I never used.

You actually got your knife from fairburn? That's insane.

What was it like training under him?

Do you still have the knife?

Yes, the training was intense. I still have the knife, I posted the picture. Imgur

I forgot to add that when trying to disarm him, he cut me bad across my right hand. But, I passed his training.

Wow. That belongs in a museum someday.

If you ever get a chance to handle one, do it. They are incredibly balanced and purpose designed just for killing.

Yes, it does have perfect balance. And, yes, they are design for killing people, nothing else.

Were you a part of a Jedburgh team then?

I wasn't part of the Jedburgh team.

What other proof are you looking for?

I am logged in. Is it not showing that?

I'll add as well, thank you for your service. WW2 was an awful time in the world's history but it was amazing how that generation responded.

I have read a fair bit on the OSS and other books relating to that period and I suppose the one thing that keeps me intrigued above all others about people such as yourself, is you are basically volunteering for very hazardous duty, one could nearly say suicidal. How does someone like yourself make that decision?

You touched on it with the cyanide tablet in your kit. That piece of kit always amazes me with its implications.

I found out a few years ago my childhood doctor (a lovely gentlemen) was in this type of work for the English. His job was to get captured at Dunkirk (that was hazardous enough) then become a valued POW and get sent to work on farms and from there conduct espionage (e.g. blowing up rail lines, etc). Gestapo got him in a few times for questioning. Blew me away, he was the gentlest, kindest person you could meet. After the war he had moved to a small town in Australia to work. I actually went to school with his kids. Only found out when his book came out as well.

Again thankyou for your service and thankyou for this AMA, I will be buying your book as well.

Thank you.

Do you know anything about William Stephenson?

No

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I am not giving out any strategies, just telling my story.

What's the most fucked up thing you weren't allowed to tell anyone?

Come on guys, ask a question with out cussing.

What was the most morbid thing you witnessed? How did it affect you?

I saw dead bodies of course, but I was in the role of collecting intelligence, not on the front line. Of course dead bodies affected me, but not as much as those actually on the front line.