What else was cooking with Julia Child?

By Ethel C. Fenig

Once upon a time, most Americans united against a common evil enemy. Mainstream media didn't leak secret information for a scoop or to grandiosely oppose the government but sat on the facts for the good of the country.

Prominent Americans in entertainment, sports and business went about their public business while secretly spying for their country, never revealing that information for fame or glory and thousands of loyal citizens did the same. And America defeated that enemy as these civilians and the rest of the country rejoiced.

No, this isn't a fairy tale.

According to information that is to be publicly released on Thursday, August 14 all these people -- and more wew paret of the CIA's predecessor, The Office of Strategic Sevices.

They numbered about 24,000. Inluded on the list are some famous names including Julia Child, baseball player Moe Berg, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Sterling Hayden, and Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt. Some, like Child and Berg, were already publicly known as members of the OSS.

Perhaps by finally releasing and publicizing this information over 60 years after the end of World War ll and the defeat of the Nazis will inspire some Americans, who proudly equate trashing our country with patriotism, will change their minds.

Maybe they'll even quietly participate in strengthening America while quietly trying to correct some of its problems. And maybe that won't be a fairy tale either.