William Joseph Donovan (1883-1959) by Macalino Minjoot
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Personality Profile 81 William Joseph Donovan (1883-1959) by Macalino Minjoot INTRODUCTION football field he was nicknamed William Donovan was a ‘Will Bill’—a nickname that would well decorated soldier, lawyer, remain with him for the rest of his intelligence officer and diplomat of life. Other than being athletic, his the United States (US) and was the other extra-curricular activity was only person to receive all four of debating, for which he won the the highest awards in the US: The George William Curtis Medal for Medal of Honour, the Distinguished Public Speaking. One of William Service Cross, the Distinguished Donovan’s classmates at law school Service Medal, and the National was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but Security Medal.1 These medals are they were in different social circles a testimony to the amount of work and were not well acquainted until and effort William Donovan has put Roosevelt became president. In in for his country. 1905, William Donovan graduated from the Columbia Law School and EARLY LIFE then became an influential Wall Street lawyer. William Joseph Donovan was born on 1st January, 1883, in In May 1912, William Donovan Buffalo, New York. His father was keen to serve his country—he and mother, Timothy P. Donovan formed a troop of cavalry of the and Anna Letitia ‘Tish’ Donovan New York National Guard and the respectively, were first generation unit was designated Troop I, 1st New immigrants of Irish descent. There York Cavalry. In October, Donovan were originally nine children, but was elected captain of the troop four died of spinal meningitis at an and his unit was mobilised in 1916 early age.2 and served on the US-Mexico border during the American government's William Donovan attended campaign against Pancho Villa.3 St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and Niagara University before WORLD WAR I transferring to Columbia University to study Law. William Donovan During World War I (WWI), was very athletic and on the Donovan served his country again, POINTER, JOUrnAL OF THE SinGApore ARMED ForCES VOL.43 NO.2 Personality Profile 82 when his regiment, the popular for the Western District of New friendship of President Franklin D. 69th, was called into federal York, famous for his energetic Roosevelt. The two men were from service. During his time leading the enforcement of Prohibition in the opposing political parties, but 1st battalion of the 165th Regiment US. He believed that the law should were similar in personality. During of the 42nd Division, which were be upheld impartially and aroused these trips, Donovan met with key the federalised designation of the great indignation. At one time, officials in the British war effort, popular 69th New York Volunteers large amounts of illegal liquor including Winston Churchill (also as known as ‘Fighting 69th’), were confiscated when his agents and the directors of Britain's Donovan once again earned his raided an upmarket, Saturn Club, intelligence services. Donovan nickname ‘Wild Bill’.4 The men in on Delanware Avenue. As Donovan returned to the US confident of his battalion called him ‘Wild Bill’ was a member of the upmarket, the possibility of founding an out of admiration for his calm and some members assumed that the American intelligence service resourcefulness during combat Prohibition in the US did not apply modelled on that of the British. and because of the hard physical to them. When the illegal liquor was drills he made them do to prepare confiscated, some of the upmarket Office of Strategic Services for battle. members felt that Donovan was a On 11th July, 1941, Donovan traitor to his class. was named Co-ordinator of Donovan was wounded in Information (COI). America's action three times during WWI. On Donovan ran unsuccessfully foreign intelligence organisations 18th July, 1918, for bravery under as a Republican for Lieutenant at the time were fragmented fire on the River Ourcq during the Governor of New York in 1922, and isolated from each other. Second Battle of the Marne, he and for Governor of New York in The Army, Navy, Federal Bureau was awarded the Medal of Honour. 1932. Assisting Donovan in his of Investigation (FBI), United By the end of the war, Donovan 1932 campaign was journalist States Department of State and had been promoted to colonel and James J. Montague, who served as other departments each ran its was one of the most decorated a ‘personal adviser and campaign own intelligence operations, the 6 soldiers of WWI. Upon returning critic.’ result of which was that they from Europe after World War I, were reluctant to share with one Donovan - along with Theodore WORLD WAR II another. Donovan was the nominal Roosevelt, Jr. - was a co-founder During the interwar years, director and had plans of a merger 5 of the American Legion. Donovan travelled extensively to share information but the leaders in Europe and met with foreign were not willing to give up their BETWEEN THE WARS leaders including Benito Mussolini power within the current separate From 1922 to 1924 after WWI, of Italy. Donovan openly believed services. The FBI, in particular, there were a number of threats during this time that a second was under the control of J. Edgar to assassinate Donovan and to major European war was inevitable. Hoover (Donovan’s rival). Hoover dynamite his home but he was not His foreign experience and realism insisted on retaining its target and deterred as he was the US Attorney earned him the attention and focus on South America. POINTER, JOUrnAL OF THE SinGApore ARMED ForCES VOL.43 NO.2 Personality Profile 83 Nevertheless, Donovan started a result of Hoover's hostility to POST-WAR ERA Donovan. In addition, the OSS was to lay the groundwork for a After the war ended, Donovan blocked from the Philippines by centralised intelligence programme. want back to his lifelong role as He organised the COI’s New York the antipathy of General Douglas a lawyer to perform his last duty, headquarters at Rockefeller Centre MacArthur, the commander of the to serve as Special Assistant 8 and asked Allen Dulles to head it, Southwest Pacific Theatre. to Chief Prosecutor, Robert H. the office was on the floor directly Jackson at the Nuremberg War above the location of British Donovan was a fearless leader Crimes Tribunal. Donovan had the and became known for saying, MI6.7 In the earlier days of the personal satisfaction of seeing “Let’s give it a try!”9 The OSS Nazi leaders responsible for the war, Donovan cultivated a close was instrumental in many of the torturing and capturing of OSS relationship with Winston Churchill successes during WWII, including agents brought to justice. Donovan and Stewart Menzies, head of the providing the US government also strongly felt that German British Secret Service, where he with advance information about General Staff and Office Corps learned much of the art of spy German efforts to develop should not be prosecuted alongside craft from them. atomic weapons and the plot to the Nazi Leaders, but failed to get assassinate Hitler.10 agreement from President Truman In 1942, the COI became the and so he resigned from the 11 Office of Strategic Services (OSS) ROLE IN FORMATION OF THE prosecution team. and Donovan returned to active CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE DEATH AND LEGACY duty in the US Army with his WWI AGENCY rank of Colonel. He was promoted Donovan died from complications Towards the end of the war in to Brigadier General in March 1943 of vascular dementia on 8th 1945, Donovan tried to persuade and to Major General in November February, 1959 at Walter Reed Army both Presidents Roosevelt and 1944. The OSS consisted of men Medical Centre in Washington, at Harry S. Truman to make the OSS and women from many areas and the age of 76 and was buried in a permanent civilian centralised backgrounds—lawyers, historians, Arlington National Cemetery. Major intelligence agency, but his bankers, baseball players, actors and General Donovan was inducted into efforts were unsuccessful. The the Military Intelligence Hall of businessmen. Under his leadership, OSS was dissolved in September Fame in 1988.12 the OSS would eventually conduct 1945. Donovan continued to successful espionage and sabotage advocate for the formation of a President Dwight D. Eisenhower operations in Europe and parts centralised intelligence agency. referred to him as ‘the last hero’, of Asia by conducting in-depth His persistence paid off when which later became the title of research and analysis on the nation’s President Truman signed the a biography of him.13 After his enemies and their capabilities. National Security Act of 1947, death, Donovan was awarded However, the OSS continued to which established the Central the Freedom Award of the be kept out of South America as Intelligence Agency. International Rescue Committee. POINTER, JOUrnAL OF THE SinGApore ARMED ForCES VOL.43 NO.2 Personality Profile 84 The law firm which he founded 4. The Fighting 69th. http://www. in 1929, Donovan, Leisure, Newton sixtyninth.net/regiment.html. & Irvine, continued well after his 5. Biography. A Look Back … Gen. William J. Donovan Heads Office of death and was only dissolved in Strategic Services. 2013. https:// 14 1998. His home Chapel Hill near www.cia.gov/news-information/ Berryville, Virginia, was listed on featured-story-archive/gen.- william-j.-donovan-heads-oss.html the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.15 6. New York Times. "James Montague, Versifier, Is Dead." 1941. CONCLUSION 7. Anthony Cave Brown, Wild Bill Donovan: The Last Hero.1982. William Donovan was a capable 8. Ibid. and respected leader who managed 9. Biography. A Look Back … Gen.