National Security Agency - The Black Vault

1960s
By the 1960s, NSA was regarded as a
vital element in the effort to provide
U.S. policymakers and war fighters
the critical intelligence needed to
successfully complete their missions.
While NSA entered the ‘60s with pride in its
accomplishments, the decade would not be
without its challenges. NSA sought out the best
and the brightest to meet these challenges. (See
Documents A1 & A2 at end of chapter.) Early in
the new decade, the Agency would also realize
the importance of loyalty in the workforce.
Martin and Mitchell
Then and now, intelligence agencies operate
on the premise that the information they
collect will be kept secret. To accomplish this
requirement, vast sums of money are spent
on tangible devices to secure and protect the
environment in which the information resides.
However, physical security measures can only
do so much. In the end, every intelligence
organization depends on the integrity of its
workforce to protect its sensitive information.
Decade of
Change
60
In June 1960, Bernon F. Mitchell and William
Martin, two NSA employees, applied for annual
leave to visit their families on the West Coast.
That was what they told their superiors. Instead,
the pair traveled to Mexico City, then to Cuba,
and eventually to the USSR.
Soon after, they surfaced in Moscow as the main
attraction of an international press conference
sponsored by the Soviet Government. Their
actions came as a shock to NSA and the United
States. As the event unfolded, it became clear
that the point of the proceedings was to provide
a forum for the men to describe in detail NSA
USS Liberty
Years of Defending Our Nation 29