"This History of Marine Corps Counterintelligence is dedicated to all Marines that have served"

Often it has been said that;
"Dates and places, facts and figures are the bare
bones of any historical event. For, it is the sights,
sounds, taste, gestures, and feelings locked away
in people's memories that give history its color and
nuance."

Foreword

Acknowledgement

To all the many friends and associates who have assisted me in creating a Marine Corps Counterintelligence Oral History, I am greatly indebted. After the initial mail-out of well over one-hundred and seventy-five letters in August 1988, explaining the task that I had volunteered to undertake, the response was tremendous. Many of the unanswered questions that surfaced during this research, were answered by many members having first-hand knowledge of a particular Counterintelligence (CI) event throughout its short forty year history. Hundreds of hours were spent corresponding and conversing with both former and active members to record their participation in Marine counterintelligence which proved to be invaluable. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. John Guenther (LtCol USMC (Ret.), Lieutenant Colonel P. L. Harris, Captain L. L. Minnihan, and the entire CI Staff at Headquarters Marine Corps for giving me a place to hang my hat and the opportunity to work with them during all phases of this project. Special thanks also goes to Mr. T. Jesmore MSgt USMC (Ret.), who assisted me in preparing the Vietnam War portion of this history (1965-1975); to Captain Charles Pedersen USMC (Ret.), who provided mounds of documentation; members at the United States Marine Corps Museum; and to all the former and present CI Marines who have assisted in this task. Without their help, this history would not have been possible.

I'm especially indebted to my wife Cleo, not only for her love and devotion, but for her understanding of the importance of this task, which was bestowed upon me and the long hours that I locked myself behind closed doors bringing this history to light.

Finally, I would wish to dedicated this history to the honored memory of those CI Marines who lost their lives while serving their God, Country, and Corps:

Chief Warrant Officer-3 Solomon H. Godwin (MIA - 1968 - Vietnam)

Staff Sergeant Thomas P. Thorstad (KIA - 1983 - Beirut, Lebanon) Sergeant Kevin Coulman (KIA - 1983 - Beirut, Lebanon)

Note: All information, documentation, photographs, personal accounts, etc., to assist in this Marine Corps Counterintelligence Oral History have been deposited with the Marine Corps University's Archives Section, Quantico, Va., and the Marine Corps Museum, History Section, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC., under the "Personal Papers of CWO5 C. A. Menges and the Marine Corps Counterintelligence Association."