Virginia Hall's Story

As a young girl, Virginia Hall was very daring and bold. She loved the outdoors and adventure, spending her time hunting and fishing. Throughout her childhood, she traveled to many places in Europe with her family, and grew a connection to the area. After going to college, she became a clerk for the U.S. Foreign Service in first Poland, then Turkey. While hunting in Turkey, she accidently shot her left foot and shattered it with a bullet. Infection spread and her leg below the knee had to be removed. She eventually learned to walk again with a prosthetic leg which she named: Cuthbert. She then returned to work at U.S. Foreign Service as a secretary. She later quit, because she did not like her constant writing and copying in her job, and wanted a job with action.


She went to Paris in hopes of a better future. There, she heard stories from refugees of terrible communism and control over Adolf Hitler. France feared it would be taken over by the Nazis next. So she volunteered as an ambulance driver and helped transport hurt refugees to safe places. However, soon the fighting entered Paris, and France surrendered. Virginia and her friend escaped Paris to go to southern France, where there was less danger. But she knew she had to come back to help. So she became a spy with the SOE (Special Operations Executive) Which was a new British undercover agency. She worked with other agents and posed as farmers to sabotage Nazi missions.


Eventually, the Nazis came to southern France, and wanted to capture her for her spying. The only escape was across the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. Virginia had no choice but to walk across the icy mountains for more than 40 hours with only one working leg. When she finally entered Spain, Spanish guards found her and put her in jail because she did not have entry papers to be in Spain. After 20 days, she was released and decided to return to France even though the fighting was still there. There Virginia joined an American spy organization, dyed her hair grey, and posed as an old milkmaid. She spent her days as a spy sending secret radio messages about German troop movements across her spy network. She never stayed anywhere too long because she was wanted by the Nazis, but this would not stop her. She later posed as a cheese maker and sold cheese to German Nazi Soldiers, secretly eavesdropping on their plans. She told other agents of the Nazi plans using a radio. One day the dairy farm was searched, and Virginia was worried the Nazis found her radio, but they only found cheese.


Later, she started a French Resistance Group and she was in charge of a network of agents conducting acts of sabotage. They blew up bridges and railroads, attacked German convoys, and destroyed telephone stations. The work of the saboteurs made it hard for the Nazis to reach France. And over the next few months. Resistance groups drove the Nazis from France. Finally, freedom to France was granted. For her amazing heroism, Virginia was awarded the U.S. Military Distinguished Service Cross. President Harry Truman wanted to hold a ceremony, but Virginia said she would rather get the award in private with only her mother to watch. Because she did not need fame, she needed justice.