Editorial Content for Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS

At the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., there is an exhibit about the women who were employed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in assignments that were often top-secret. Here is what visitors learn about one of them:

“Years before she learned to cook, Julia Child worked for the OSS during World War II. Child had wanted to join military services, but was denied because of her height --- a statuesque 6'2. However, she was not too tall to join the OSS. While she started out as a secretary, soon enough she was given more responsibility within the Agency. Her superiors praised her drive and cheerfulness, saying she inspired other workers. She helped develop a shark repellent, so sharks would no longer accidentally trigger bombs. Julia Child exclaimed, ‘I was not a spy, only a lowly file clerk.’ She received an Emblem of Meritorious Civilian for her work.”

"War history is rife with bizarre and compelling stories about strategic maneuvers and gun battles, but these tales and the women’s ingenuity are fascinating additions to the World War II narrative."

The delightful Julia Child was not the only female participant. In PROPAGANDA GIRLS, Lisa Rogak writes about the experiences of four other accomplished women, whose job will be to create a secret brand of propaganda that aims to break the morale of Axis soldiers. Betty MacDonald is a reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers is a Czech native who was able to speak five languages fluently by the age of 21. Jane Smith-Hutton is married to a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Marlene Dietrich, of course, is an internationally famous movie star and singer.

These ladies are soon put to work in the European theater. They forge letters and military orders, produce newspapers and radio broadcasts, write songs, and employ other creative ways of spreading rumors and misinformation to spies and double agents throughout the armed forces. For the first time, Rogak delves into the creation of their unit and the multifaceted ways in which they helped democracy win one of the worst wars in world history.

The ideas that were put into action in support of the resistance to the Nazi and fascist takeovers around the world hold some real import here in terms of understanding the role of misinformation in the forging of a less perfect union. The songs and letters (among them a newsletter addressed to Japanese soldiers from the “Lonely Women” waiting for them to come home) and the fake German newspaper the women would publish were just a few of the incredible achievements of the OSS, which helped undermine the forces of evil and lead the Allies to victory.

Rogak gives us this narrative without any politicizing, although clearly we can do that for ourselves. Her straightforward message is to try to convey the hard work and industrious service that Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene were willing to give for the call to freedom. War history is rife with bizarre and compelling stories about strategic maneuvers and gun battles, but these tales and the women’s ingenuity are fascinating additions to the World War II narrative.

That they were so successful and without public acclaim can now be a matter of pride for the armed forces and the many military women who followed in their footsteps into the Cold War and beyond. Their bravery, illuminated here, makes PROPAGANDA GIRLS an eye-opening and important read.