Edward Lansdale
Edward Lansdale | |
|---|---|
Lansdale in 1963 | |
| Birth name | Edward Geary Lansdale |
| Born | February 6, 1908 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 1987 (aged 79) McLean, Virginia, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1941–1947 (Army) 1947–1963 (USAF) |
| Rank | Major (USA) Major General (USAF) |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal National Security Medal Philippine Legion of Honor Philippine Military Merit Medal |
| Spouses | Helen Batcheller (m. 1933–1972) Patrocini[a] Yapcinco (m. 1973–1987) |
| Children | 2 |
Edward Geary Lansdale (February 6, 1908 – February 23, 1987) was a United States Air Force officer until retiring in 1963 as a major general before continuing his work with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Lansdale was a pioneer in clandestine operations and psychological warfare. In the early 1950s, Lansdale played a significant role in suppressing the Hukbalahap rebellion in the Philippines. In 1954, he moved to Saigon and started the Saigon Military Mission, a covert intelligence operation that was created to sow dissension in North Vietnam. Lansdale believed the United States could win guerrilla wars by studying the enemy's psychology, an approach that notionally won the approval of the presidential administrations of both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson but largely would not be implemented due to bureaucratic opposition.