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Edward Lansdale

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (February 6, 1908-February 23, 1987)
    Born in Detroit, Michigan
    US Air Force officer (1943-63)
    Intelligence officer for the OSS and CIA
    Early pioneer in psychological warfare
    Played a significant role in suppressing the Huk Rebellion in the Philippines (1946-54)
    Established the Saigon Military Mission (1954), a covert operation to sow dissension in North Vietnam

Why he might be annoying:

    As part of a campaign to convince the Huk rebels of the existence of Aswangs (blood-sucking demons from Philippine folklore), he had the blood drained from a captive soldier, had puncture marks put in the neck, and left the corpse where the Huks would find it.
    He had the CIA manipulate the election results to ensure the election of Ramon Magsaysay as President of the Philippines (1953).
    He mentored 'Time' reporter Pham Xian An without ever realizing that An was a spy for North Vietnam.
    He was involved in efforts to topple the Cuban government, including hiring Mafia hitmen to try to assassinate Fidel Castro.
    He was often erroneously credited as the inspiration for the central character in Graham Greene's 'The Quiet American.' (Greene had left Vietnam and started writing the book two years before Lansdale was assigned to the region.)

Why he might not be annoying:

    He helped rebuild the intelligence service of the Philippines after World War II.
    He claimed he was dismissed from the CIA when he refused to participate in a coup against South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.
    He was against sending US ground troops to Vietnam, arguing that a military buildup would distract from the political and economic reforms needed to create a South Vietnamese government that would command the loyalty of its citizens.
    He said Communism could not be defeated solely with the military but 'by a better idea.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 18 Votes: 11.11% Annoying