Cause of death Heart attack | Name Elizabeth McIntosh | |
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Full Name Elizabeth Sebree Peet Born March 1, 1915 ( 1915-03-01 ) Washington, D.C., United States Spouse(s) Alexander MacDonald(m. 19??–19??; divorced)Richard Heppner(m. 19??–1958; his death)Frederick McIntosh(m. 1962–2004; his death) Died June 8, 2015, Lake Ridge, Virginia, United States | ||
An Interview with Elizabeth McIntosh
Elizabeth "Betty" Peet McIntosh (March 1, 1915 – June 8, 2015) was known for her undercover work during World War II for the OSS (forerunner of the CIA).
She was the daughter of two reporters and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. While in Hawaii, McIntosh studied and learned to speak Japanese. Just like her parents, she also became a reporter and returned to the Washington, D.C. area once World War II had begun in order to cover Eleanor Roosevelt and other government activities. In January 1943, she was asked to join the Office of Strategic Services because she had become fluent in Japanese. She was then sent to India where her main job was to intervene in the postcard communication that troops would send home to India while stationed in Japan. She became one of the few women assigned to Morale Operations where she created "disinformation," or fake reports, documents and postcards which would "undermine Japanese morale."
After her time with the OSS, McIntosh published her memoir titled "Undercover Girl" in 1947. She wrote two children's books as well. In 1958, McIntosh began working for the CIA and worked there until she retired in 1973. She also wrote Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS, first published in 1998. In 2012, McIntosh was honored as one of the Library of Virginia's "Virginia Women in History".
McIntosh died on June 8, 2015, in Lake Ridge, Virginia after a heart attack. She was 100 years old.