Maria De Blasio Wilhelm

The Fighting Irishman the Story of "Wild Bill" Donovan Maria De Blasio Wilhelm

This is the biography of William J. Donovan who was the wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. He is known as the "Father of American Intelligence" and the "Father of Central Intelligence". A decorated veteran of World War I, General Donovan is the only person to have received the four highest awards in the United States: The Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security Medal. He was also a recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart, as well as an honorary British knighthood and decorations from several nations for his service during both World Wars. He earned the nickname "Wild Bill" while staring on the football team for Columbia University and the name stuck with him for the rest of his life. He was a rival of J. Edgar Hoover and the two men did not like each other. Hoover wanted to expand the reach of the FBI so as to take over Donovan's bailiwick which was foreign intelligence. Hoover won a temporary victory when the OSS was disbanded following World War II, but the CIA was founded two years later.