Bert Cumby
Bert Cumby | |
|---|---|
Bert Cumby pictured in 1965 at an embassy reception in Bangkok | |
| Born | January 7, 1912 Corinth, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | September 8, 1981 (aged 69) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1942–1961 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | 92nd Infantry Division (Colored) Military Intelligence Corps |
| Conflicts | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Soldier's Medal Bronze Star |
| Spouse | Esther Cumby |
| Children | Bert, Jr. Frank (adopted) |
| Other work | United States Foreign Service |
Bert Cumby (January 7, 1912 – September 8, 1981) was a United States military intelligence officer who served as head of research of the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Corps and led the debriefing of repatriated American prisoners of war (POWs) during the Korean War. In 1956 he testified to a United States Senate committee regarding an international communist conspiracy he alleged was underway, the objective of which was the admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China. According to Cumby, this was to be partially accomplished through the brainwashing of American POWs prior to their repatriation to the United States; they would, in turn, create a nucleus of domestic support for China-friendly policies within the U.S.