In recent history, many assisted in protecting our freedom. I came across two names recently and wanted to mention them here.
Frank Bresnahan of New Jersey, was recently recognized by the Northern New Jersey ASIS organization. Frank held a Top Secret security clearance and trained employees during the Cold War to be aware of Russian nationals attempting to extract information. Frank is now 100 years old.
And Betty Davies now 92, was with the Australian Special Wireless Group during World War II. As part of the Australian Special Wireless Group, Betty underwent secret training by wireless operators who had just returned from the Middle East, eavesdropping on German communications and Japanese Morse code interceptions.
from Security Management Magazine
ASIS Northern New Jersey Chapter Visits Centenarian Member
The Northern New Jersey Chapter of ASIS International was recently analyzing its meeting attendee records when it discovered something unusual. A member named Frank Bresnahan was on the books who had joined the Society in 1958, making him the oldest living member of the chapter at 100 years old.
Frank Bresnahan honored by officers of NNJ ASIS.
Bresnahan joined ASIS on November 1, 1958, when he worked for I.T. & T., and maintained his membership when he joined Bendix. With both employers, Bresnahan held a Top Secret security clearance and trained employees during the heart of the Cold War to be aware of Russian nationals attempting to extract information.
In 1980, Bresnahan won the Cogswell Trophy for Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement for his work with Bendix. The award is named for Air Force Col. James S. Cogswell, who was the first chief of industrial security for the U.S. Department of Defense, and recognizes industrial security excellence. It is considered the “most prestigious honor the Defense Security Service may bestow to cleared industry,” according to the Defense Security Service’s website.
After reaching out to Bresnahan’s son and getting Bresnahan’s approval, the Northern New Jersey Chapter Executive Board Chair Thomas Whittles; Vice Chair Herbert Simon, CPP; Treasurer Michael Bucci; and Secretary Kaycee Ciccone visited Bresnahan at his home this spring.
Frank Bresnahan (bottom row, far right) receiving the Cogswell Trophy at Bendix in 1980.
While there, Bresnahan shared memories of serving in the military in the South Pacific, how his weekly pay was doubled to $54 because he knew shorthand, and how he came home safely to raise a family and eventually join ASIS.
During the visit, the board gave Bresnahan a “Centenarian” appreciation plaque, a 50th anniversary ASIS book, and other gifts. The members who participated in the visit to Bresnahan’s home said it was an ASIS career highlight, according to a press release sent to Security Management by the chapter.
from The Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
Betty Davies and Australian Special Wireless Group eavesdropped to save lives
The eavesdropped messages Betty Davies listened to remain a mystery to her even now, although countless times they would have helped save lives or been crucial in protecting the nation’s security.
Japanese Morse code intercepts in World War II were taken down by hand, or high speed transmissions were recorded on wax cylinders, at specialist listening stations in Australia and offshore, then sent to the joint Australian-US Central Bureau for decryption and to the now-famous codebreakers at Bletchley Park in the UK.
Betty Davies with her framed medals. Picture: Jay Town
Betty, now 92, joined the Australian Army as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in August 1942, less than a year after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
As part of the Australian Special Wireless Group, Betty underwent secret training by wireless operators who had just returned from the Middle East, eavesdropping on German communications.
“We weren’t allowed to talk about it, we were very secret,” Betty said.
“We never really got to hear of the results (of the codes we intercepted), but we did know they had some sort of bearing (on the war).”
The bombing of Darwin by Japan in February 1942, which killed 236 people, sent a shock wave through Australia.
Ron Davies, whom Betty was to later marry, was a soldier in Darwin at the time, and was to go on to serve two tours in New Guinea.
But even as more than 350,000 Japanese soldiers moved to New Guinea in an operation planned to take control of northern Australia, most Australians were unaware of the scale and proximity of the threat.