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Lucien Conein

April 10, 2023

Lucien Emile "Lou" Conein (29 November 1919 – 3 June 1998)[2] was a French-American citizen, noted U.S. Army officer and OSS/CIA operative. Conein is best known for his instrumental role in the November 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm and Diệm's assassination by serving as Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.'s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivering $42,000 of the known cash disbursements.[3]

Lucien Conein
Lucien Conein in uniform
Born(1919-11-29)November 29, 1919
Paris, France
DiedJune 3, 1998(1998-06-03) (aged 78)
Suburban Hospital
Bethesda, Maryland
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance France
 United States
Service/branch United States Army
RankLieutenant colonel
Service number01 322 769 [1]
AwardsBronze Star Medal

Early life

Lucien Conein was born to Lucien Xavier Conein and Estelle Elin in Paris, France at the end of World War I.[4] When he was five years old, his widowed mother sent him to Kansas City to live with his aunt, who had married a US soldier.[4] Conein attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas,[5][6] dropping out after his junior year.[4]

In 1939, the beginning of World War II, the 20-year-old joined the French Army but switched to the U.S. Army within a year because of the German invasion establishing Vichy France. As a native speaker of French he was asked to volunteer for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).[4] According to biographer William J. Rust, Conein was reported to have had a "flair for exaggeration" and his service in the French Army "was sometimes portrayed as a more romantic-sounding assignment in the French Foreign Legion".[7][a]

Military career

External video
  Extended interview with Lucien Conein (May 7, 1981). "America's Mandarin (1954-1963)" [Ep. 3]. In: Vietnam: A Television History. WGBH Media Library & Archives. OCLC 827298014.

In 1944 he was ordered to help the French Resistance during the Allied landings in Normandy. He worked with the Jedburghs, a group directed by the OSS and the British Special Operations Executive.

It was then that Conein began working and living with the Corsican mafia, then called Corsican Brotherhood, an ally of the Resistance. He was quoted:

When the Sicilians put out a contract, it's usually limited to the continental United States, or maybe Canada or Mexico. But with the Corsicans, it's international. They'll go anywhere. There's an old Corsican proverb: 'If you want revenge and you act within 20 years, you're acting in haste.'

He was briefly sent to Vietnam to help organize attacks against the Japanese Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for operations conducted during this period.[1]

After 1945 during the Cold War period, he infiltrated spies and saboteurs into the Eastern European Warsaw Pact countries of the Soviet block. In 1951, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tasked Conein to establish a base in Nuremberg, assisted by Ted Shackley. Later Conein worked with William King Harvey in Berlin.[citation needed]

In 1954, he was sent to work against the government of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam, at first in a propaganda campaign to persuade Southern Vietnamese not to vote for the communists and then to help with arming and training local tribesmen, called the Montagnards working under CIA station chief William Colby.[citation needed]

Conein was an intelligence agent in Vietnam in 1961 and 1962. Allen Ginsberg described him as "the crucial person" in the CIA's link with the Southeast Asian opium trade.[8]

During the November 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm which resulted in Diệm's assassination, he served as Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.'s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivered $42,000 of cash disbursements.[9]

In 1968, Conein left the CIA and became a businessman in South Vietnam.[10]

In 1972, President Nixon appointed Conein as chief of covert operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).[11]

He was considered by former CIA colleague E. Howard Hunt for the group that undertook the 1972 Watergate burglary of the Democratic National Committee. Conein told Stanley Karnow, "If I'd been involved, we'd have done it right."[2]

Conein retired from the DEA in 1984.[12]

Personal life

Conein married Elyette B. Conein in 1957.[2] They had three children. At the time of his death, he was survived by six sons, one daughter, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.[2]

Death

Conein died of a heart attack, aged 79, at Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland in June 1998.[2]

Note

  1. ^ Although he was never an official member, he was reported to have been a regular at annual French Foreign Legion dinners in Washington.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Central Intelligence Agency FOIA Electronic Reading Room.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnes, Bart. "Lucien E. Conein Dies at 79: Fabled Agent for OSS and CIA". The Washington Post, June 6, 1998. p. B6.
  3. ^ Prados, John (5 Nov. 2003). JFK and the Diệm Coup. National Security Archive.
  4. ^ a b c d Rust, William J. (December 2019). (PDF). Studies in Intelligence. Washington, D.C.: Center for the Studies of Intelligence. 63 (4): 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Central Intelligence Agency (September 25, 1961). Assassination Records Review Board (ed.). Form: Personal History Statement of Conein, Lucien Emile (PDF) (Report). JFK Assassination System. National Archives and Records Administration (published July 24, 2017). p. 3. DocId: 32399265. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "Lucien Conein OSS Personnel File". ia801302.us.archive.org. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  7. ^ Rust 2019, p. 43.
  8. ^ Long, Steve. "New Light on Leary." Berkeley Barb, vol. 21, no. 15 (Apr. 25, 1975), p. 9, 20.
  9. ^ Prados, John. "JFK and the Diệm Coup." National Security Archive (Nov. 5, 2003).
  10. ^ "The Mafia Comes to Asia, Santo Trafficante Visited Saigon in '68". Gangster Report. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  11. ^ Weiner, Tim. (Obituary). New York Times (Jun. 7, 1998), sec. 1, p. 35. Archived from the original.
  12. ^ Rust 2019, p. 56.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

April 10, 2023
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Lucien Emile Lou Conein 29 November 1919 3 June 1998 2 was a French American citizen noted U S Army officer and OSS CIA operative Conein is best known for his instrumental role in the November 1963 coup against Ngo Đinh Diệm and Diệm s assassination by serving as Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivering 42 000 of the known cash disbursements 3 Lucien ConeinLucien Conein in uniformBorn 1919 11 29 November 29 1919Paris FranceDiedJune 3 1998 1998 06 03 aged 78 Suburban HospitalBethesda MarylandBuriedArlington National CemeteryAllegiance France United StatesService wbr branch United States ArmyRankLieutenant colonelService number01 322 769 1 AwardsBronze Star Medal Contents 1 Early life 2 Military career 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 Note 6 References 6 1 Bibliography 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life EditLucien Conein was born to Lucien Xavier Conein and Estelle Elin in Paris France at the end of World War I 4 When he was five years old his widowed mother sent him to Kansas City to live with his aunt who had married a US soldier 4 Conein attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City Kansas 5 6 dropping out after his junior year 4 In 1939 the beginning of World War II the 20 year old joined the French Army but switched to the U S Army within a year because of the German invasion establishing Vichy France As a native speaker of French he was asked to volunteer for the Office of Strategic Services OSS 4 According to biographer William J Rust Conein was reported to have had a flair for exaggeration and his service in the French Army was sometimes portrayed as a more romantic sounding assignment in the French Foreign Legion 7 a Military career EditExternal video Extended interview with Lucien Conein May 7 1981 America s Mandarin 1954 1963 Ep 3 In Vietnam A Television History WGBH Media Library amp Archives OCLC 827298014 In 1944 he was ordered to help the French Resistance during the Allied landings in Normandy He worked with the Jedburghs a group directed by the OSS and the British Special Operations Executive It was then that Conein began working and living with the Corsican mafia then called Corsican Brotherhood an ally of the Resistance He was quoted When the Sicilians put out a contract it s usually limited to the continental United States or maybe Canada or Mexico But with the Corsicans it s international They ll go anywhere There s an old Corsican proverb If you want revenge and you act within 20 years you re acting in haste He was briefly sent to Vietnam to help organize attacks against the Japanese Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for operations conducted during this period 1 After 1945 during the Cold War period he infiltrated spies and saboteurs into the Eastern European Warsaw Pact countries of the Soviet block In 1951 the Central Intelligence Agency CIA tasked Conein to establish a base in Nuremberg assisted by Ted Shackley Later Conein worked with William King Harvey in Berlin citation needed In 1954 he was sent to work against the government of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam at first in a propaganda campaign to persuade Southern Vietnamese not to vote for the communists and then to help with arming and training local tribesmen called the Montagnards working under CIA station chief William Colby citation needed Conein was an intelligence agent in Vietnam in 1961 and 1962 Allen Ginsberg described him as the crucial person in the CIA s link with the Southeast Asian opium trade 8 During the November 1963 coup against Ngo Đinh Diệm which resulted in Diệm s assassination he served as Henry Cabot Lodge Jr s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivered 42 000 of cash disbursements 9 In 1968 Conein left the CIA and became a businessman in South Vietnam 10 In 1972 President Nixon appointed Conein as chief of covert operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA 11 He was considered by former CIA colleague E Howard Hunt for the group that undertook the 1972 Watergate burglary of the Democratic National Committee Conein told Stanley Karnow If I d been involved we d have done it right 2 Conein retired from the DEA in 1984 12 Personal life EditConein married Elyette B Conein in 1957 2 They had three children At the time of his death he was survived by six sons one daughter 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild 2 Death EditConein died of a heart attack aged 79 at Suburban Hospital Bethesda Maryland in June 1998 2 Note Edit Although he was never an official member he was reported to have been a regular at annual French Foreign Legion dinners in Washington 2 References Edit a b Citation Central Intelligence Agency FOIA Electronic Reading Room a b c d e f Barnes Bart Lucien E Conein Dies at 79 Fabled Agent for OSS and CIA The Washington Post June 6 1998 p B6 Prados John 5 Nov 2003 JFK and the Diệm Coup National Security Archive a b c d Rust William J December 2019 CIA Operations Officer Lucien Conein A Study in Contrasts and Controversy PDF Studies in Intelligence Washington D C Center for the Studies of Intelligence 63 4 44 Archived from the original PDF on June 14 2020 Retrieved June 14 2020 Central Intelligence Agency September 25 1961 Assassination Records Review Board ed Form Personal History Statement of Conein Lucien Emile PDF Report JFK Assassination System National Archives and Records Administration published July 24 2017 p 3 DocId 32399265 Retrieved July 1 2020 Lucien Conein OSS Personnel File ia801302 us archive org Retrieved 4 August 2021 Rust 2019 p 43 Long Steve New Light on Leary Berkeley Barb vol 21 no 15 Apr 25 1975 p 9 20 Prados John JFK and the Diệm Coup National Security Archive Nov 5 2003 The Mafia Comes to Asia Santo Trafficante Visited Saigon in 68 Gangster Report 31 December 2014 Retrieved 16 April 2021 Weiner Tim Lucien Conein 79 Legendary Cold War Spy Obituary New York Times Jun 7 1998 sec 1 p 35 Archived from the original Rust 2019 p 56 Bibliography Edit Hougan Jim 1978 Spooks The Haunting of America amp the Private Use of Secret Agents New York William Morrow ISBN 978 0688033552 Further reading EditFussell James A Sep 20 1998 Conein Lucien Conein Kansas City Star Kansas City Miss pp G3 G8 Rust William J Dec 2019 CIA Operations Officer Lucien Conein A Study in Contrasts and Controversy Studies in Intelligence vol 63 no 4 pp 43 58 Washington D C Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Thomas Kenny Lucien Conein and the Prouty Hypothesis Steamshovel Press umsl edu Valentine Douglas Mar 8 2003 Will the Real Daniel Ellsberg Please Stand Up CounterPunch External links EditLucien Conein at IMDb Lucien Conein at Arlington National Cemetery Lucien Conein at Encyclopedia Britannica Lucien Conein at Military com Lucein Conein at NameBase Lucein Conein at Spartacus Educational Lucien Conein at Weisberg Collection Lucien Conein s OSS Personnel File Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lucien Conein amp oldid 1142300921, 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