404-10114-40167 ji / ws K. Stevens SRS /OS NORTHRUP, Herbert Lee, Jr. - #48923 According to what appear to be partial reports of interrogation which the CIA Security Office received in comnection with Subjects defection to East Germany on 6 July 1960. He defected to escape an alcoholic mother and heavy debts. Subject, an Airman Second Class, assigned as an analyst with the German unit of the 6900th Security Wing AFSS, defected to East Germany on 6 July 1960 taking with him two suitesases and a brief case. He left his West German apartment at 1800 hours with the intention of defecting (baving™ earlier in the dey left a note for his mother stating that he was going to East Germany for good) and disappeared into the East German controlled subway. He returned to his apartment at 0015 hours in the early morning of 7 July 1960 without luggage and wes placed under arrest. During interview by military authorities on 11-12 July 1960, WORTHRUP said that he tock with him, when he defected, official document containing top secret information in order to establish his bone fides and turned himself in at the defectors reception center in East Berlin. According to Subject he spoke there with two officials who told him to sleep there that night and return in the morning for further discussions. He was deeply disturbed, he said at the leck of interest shown in him and began to realize the seriousness of his actions. After milling around he finally returned to his apartment in West Berlin to turn himself in. He claimed to have defected in a fit of despondency caused by long standing frus- tration. He stated that he first considered defecting in November or December 1959 because he believed he had no future in the service and felt that he had to get away from his mother who had become a confirmed alcoholic. It would appear, however, that Subjects long time interest in the U.S.S.R. may have played a part in his defection. He has admitted to & sympathetic interest in the Soviet Union dating back to his high school days when he frequented the office of the Soviet American Friendship Society in Miemi and did wolunteer work for them. This SECRET
14-00000 interest in the U.5.S.R. continued while he wes a student at the University of Miami (October 1948 - January 1951) and during this time he subscribed to various Soviet publications (Pravda, Soviet Russia Today, New Times, Culture and Life) through the Four Can- tinents Book Company, and was active in the Soviet Friendship Bociety on the campus. During 1949 he made a trip to the Boviet Exbagsy in an attempt, he said, to obtain information and literature and he participated in Wallace's campaign for President, attending meetings and distributing literature. we 20 NORTHRUP 's interest in the USSR continued during his overseas CIA employment in( Frankfurt) Germany from January 1952 to July 1956 during which time he made unauthorized trips to East Germany; and during his current Air Force assignment in West Germany throughe- out the course of which he has said he made 30 to 50 visits to East Germany "to enjoy the cultwre." He has been described as an ego- tistical pseudointellectual who is interested in the cultural aspects of the Soviet Union, had read all of Corliis Lemonts writings, and ~ subscribed to MASSES and MAINSTREAM. At the time of Subject's defec- tion, e member of the CI Steff recalled that NORTHRUP frequently (two or three times a week) visited the Victor Kamkin Book Store in Washington where he was known and frequently conversed with its manager. There is considerable question regerding Victor Kankin and various reiatives of his. _ Bubject was born on 7 July 1930 at Miami, Florida of native born parents. He attended high school in Miami and from 1948 to 1951 attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Florida majoring in Russian lenguage. In 1948 he received a medal for proficiency in Spanish and from October 1948 to January 1949 was on a “Rattner Memorial Scholership to study Hebrew" at this Univer- NORTHRUP was employed by CIA fram 1951 to 1958 when he resigned for personal reasons which he has subsequentiy said involved a fear thet his latent homosexual tendencies would be discovered. He joined the Air Force and in June 1959 was sent to Berlin. ~ NORTHRUP wes security approved ron CIA in May 1951 as an intelligence assistant GS-5 OPC/EE,(Mumich) Germany, having previously entered on duty in the provisionel pool. As of 28 July 1951 he was o GS-5 translator in the Operations Branch FDD/US6R Branch, Wash- ington, D. C. and in November 1951 transferred to 00 Contact Division, DRC(G), (Frenkfurt)Germany as en intelligence officer GS-7. He left ($-Lo
14-00000 Se SEUKE (5-29 {5-20 for(Frenkfuri) on or sbout 23 January 1952, was in Washington Gn TDY és of June, 1954 and was scheduled to return to(fr on or about 17 Jume 1954. He returned from(Frenkfurt in July 1956 and reported to Washington PCS following 56 days home leave at Port Artimr, Texas. (He had lived in Port Arthur, Texas for the period December 1941 « 1947, but otherwise his entire life appears to have been spent in Florida.) ‘In Novexber 1956 NORTHRUP was assigned to DDP/CI Staff, Special Investigations Unit, Projects Section, Washington, D. C., as an intelligence officer GSell. He resigned for personal reagons on 16 May 1958. OSI reviewed his CIA file on 30 September 1958. In February 1959 his file was favorably reviewed with reference to his being considered for participation in the CIA Civilian Standby Reserve Program. In July 1960 CIA was alerted regarding his defection. K. Stevens SECRET :