American Cryptology during the Cold War - The Black Vault

, Ib) (1)
Ib) (3) -50 USC 403
Ib) (3) -P.L. 86-36
etc.). They described the arrangements between NSA;GCHQ,.and Canada. They spent a
good deal of time on the RC-130 shootdownin1958. !twas marvelous theater for
Khrushchev, who had launched a diplomatic and press offensive against the United States
in May following the U-2 shootdown.83
Martin and Mitchell wers:VOung mathematicians. Both had gone into NSG and had
been assigned together~{//
}Mitchell, who was from California originally,
was quite bright and had been something of a prodigy in high school. But he was
extremely imIl}atllre socially and had a great deal ofdifficulty adjusting. While he was at
lMartin was his only close friend. Martin was from Columbus, Georgia. He, too,
had been labeled as very bright and, compared with Mitchell, was more gregarious.
Certain questions about their psychological health came up on the polygraph and
background investigation but were not regarded as serious impediments to employment.
Once out ofthe Navy, both pursued college degrees in mathematics, and upon graduation
both were approached for employment by NSA. They entered on duty as GS-7s in 1957. 84
I
In 1959 Martin was sent to the University ofIllinois for graduate study. While there
he established Communist associations, and in his private conversations became more and
more critical ofthe U.S. government. (He expressed special distaste for the U-2 overflights
and other reconnaissance activities, and this was reflected in the statements of both men
to the press in Moscow.)
At the time, Mitchell was having his own proble~s and finally sought psychiatric
advice. The private psychiatrist concluded that Mitchell was in all probability a
homosexual with serious personality disorders. But the psychiatrist felt that this sexual
orientation was not the root of his problems. More serious was his poor relationship with
his own family.a5
It has been alleged that in 1959, in violation of standing rules for government
employees, Martin and Mitchell visited Cuba. Despite this, there was no evidence that
they actually established an espionage relationship with any Communist country prior to
the defection.
In June of 1960, just after Martin returned from Illinois, they both applied for annual
leave. They stated that they were going to visit family on the West Coast. Instead, they
departed for Mexico City and from there flew to Cuba. Apparently they proceeded from
there via Soviet trawler to the Soviet Union.
Back at the office, no one thought to question their absence until they were a week
overdue. When their supervisor failed to reach them either in their Laurel apartments or
at their families' homes, the FBI was called in, and there began an intensive investigation.
The security people concluded that the defections were impulsive and self-initiated. aa
There was no evidence that they carried off any documents, which argued for the
theory that they made their decision after going on leave. StilI, the route they took
H:AnBbl!J VIA 'fAbI!JN''f KI!J'lH8bl!J e8Mnof'f e8fof'fIt8L BYB'fI!lMSJ8UoffL f
NOT REI FAS A -aU TQ FSRBl6n N1t'fff'!(AL5
~~RA 282