RECOMMENDATION FOR HONOR OR MERIT AWARD FOR JAMES W. MCCORD, JR. : OFFICIAL CIA FORM.
Originator: CIA
From: O'CONNELL, JAMES P., PTOS,CIA
To: CIA
Document date: 07/23/1970
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10123-10391

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

SECRET

(When Filled In)

RECOMMENDATION FOR HONOR OR MERIT AWARD

(Submit in triplicate - see HR 20-37)

SECTION

SEET24

OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT

7. OFFICE

ExT. (If hqs)

OS/ Phys. Sec. Div.

8.

6821

y.

HOME ADDRESS

(No., St., City, State, ZIP Code)

7 inder Court, Ecclirille, Mid.

20959

2.

RECOMMENDED AWARD

Certificate of Distination

Is Marjorie Lee McCord

PERSONAL DATA

ter, 5g. Middles

POSITION

STATION

MEADOUARTERS

FIELD (Specify

location)

HOME

PHONE

11.

CITIZENSHIP AND HOW ACOUIRED

762-7678

U.S. A. - Bisth

13.

IF

RETIRING. DATE OF

RETIREMENT

14.

POSTHUMOUS

31 /ugust 1$70

YES

17.

Ho San e

ADDRESS (No.,St., City, State, ZIP Code)

NO

'S Home

HOME PHONE

SECTION B

RECOMMENDATION FOR

AWARD

FOR HEROIC ACTION OR ACCEPTANCE OF HAZARD

19. WERE YOU AN. EYEWITNESS TO THE ACT

PERSONNEL IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY OR WHO ASSISTED IN ACT OR SHARED IN SAME HAZARD:

20. FULL NAME

21. ORGN. TITLE

122.

GRADE

23. OFFICE OF

ASSIGNMENT

LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN ACT:

24. FULL NAME

25.

AWARD RECOMMENDED

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH ACT WAS PERFORMED:

26. LOCATION

127. INCLUSIVE DATES

29. PREVAILING GEOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS AND OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED

128. TIME OF DAY

30. DATES FOR WHICH AWARD RECOMMENDED

31.

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETED

32. NOW IN SAME OR RELATED ASSIGNMENT

YES

NO

SECTION C

RECOMMENDATION

FOR AWARD

• FOR ACHIEVEMENT, SERVICE,

OR PERFORMANCE

33. DO

YOU

HAVE PERSONAL

KNOWLEDGE

OF

THE

SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE

OFFICIAL

cilet, Physical Security Division,

35.

PERSON RECOMMENDEO A PITOS; OVICE DA DEAFORMANCE

NO

COMPONENT OR STATION (Designation and location)

Ficadguarters

36- DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ASSIGNED POSITION

To plan and direct an Agency-wide physical security program for protecting

¿gency installations against unautborized physical penetration and Agency

information and material against los8, compromise or disclosure.

37. INCLUSIVE DATES FOR WHICH RECOMMENDED

38.

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETED

39. NOW IN SAME OR RELATED ASSIGNMENT

PERSONNEL WHO ASSISTED OR CONTRIBUTED

SUBSTANTIALLY

TO THE SERVICE OR

PERFORMANCE

40. FULL NAME

41. ORGN. TITLE

1A2. GRADE 43. OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT

LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD

44. FULL NAME

OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PERFORMANCE

45- TYPE OF AWARD

FOGM

9 - 68

600 UsE

PREvIOUS

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(4)

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SECTION D

SECRET

(When Filled In," .

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

Award for Heroic Action or Acceptance of Hazard: Was act voluntary? Describe why act was outstanding, and if it was more than normally expected.

Explain, why, and how.

If an aerial or marine

operation, describe type and position of craft, crew position of individual, and all unusual circumstances.

Indicate results of the oct. Enclose unclassified citation.

Award for Achievement, Service, or Performance: State character of service during period for which recommended.

(Give complete description of odmin-

istrative, technical, or professional dulies ond responsibilities if not covered in Section C; include dates of assignment and relief.) What did the individual

do that merits the award?

Why was this outstanding when compared to others of like grade and experience in similar positions or circumstances? lf

appropriate, include production records and assistance rendered by other persons or units.

What obstacles were encountered or overcome? Indicate re-

sults of ochievement, service, or performance.

Include reference to Fitness Reports, letters of Commendation, or other documentation already on file which

supports this recommendation. Enclose unclassified citation.

When he retires 31 August 1970, MT. Jewes W. Mic! ord, JI., will

have completed 25 years ol Goverurient nervice, 19 years of which were with

the CIA in a variety of assiguments covering the investigative, counter-intolli-

gence, overseas security suppert, audio countermeasures and physical security

fields within the Security Career Service.

During hls early yeare of employuent when ansigned to the San Fraacisco

Fleld Office, Office of Security, Aigust 1951 to May 1853, MT. McCord assisted

In the covert entry and proceering through custoras of operational persoonel

SToL the Far Fist aress and perforued safelouse duties and related taeke

¿crigned to ensure the protection and cover of such persensel.

When desting sith the security Research Sialf, 1955 to 1982, Mr. McCord

worked in diroct support of Agency activities abroad of a specialized nature ex.

ploiting highly sensitive iutelligence eource material resulting in the reconstraction

of Soriet espionage netrorks and resciting operational and security leads affecting

both the Britied Jand United States Goveruments. The identities, composition and

operatione of Soviet intelligence services in Europe prior to 1950 and dating back

into the 1930's, were reconstructed. Bitzeen 1455 and 1969, Me. McCord was

Irvolved in contacting, developing and debriefing these identified and available

CONTINUED ON ATTACHED SHEET

46.

ENCLOSURES

(List individually) IF ORIGINATOR

EYEWITNESS OR DOES NOT HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACT

OR PERFORMANCE, ATTACH AFFIDAVITS OF EYEWITNESS

OR INDIVIDUALS HAVING PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE FACTS.

1. PROPOSED CITATION

2.

3.

47.

RECOMMENDATION INITIATED BY

TITLE AND SIGNA

MENDATION

TURE OF EMPLOYEE MAKING RECOM.

49.

DATE

Jarries P. O'Connell

SECTION E

50.

Вони

Dinity Director of Security (PICS)

RECOMMENDATION FORWARDED THROUGH OFFICIALS CONCERNED FOR THEIR INFORMATION

TITLE

DATE

17 JUL 1970

HEAD OF.

ES

CAREER

SERVICE

(Career service of nominee)

51.

Direetor-pi

TITLE AND SIGNATURE 1. L. Darterman

DATE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICE

52.

Deputy Director for Lapport

TITLE AND SIGNATURE

2.3 JUL 1970

DATE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATING COMPONENT

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Section D Continued - James Walter McCord, Jr.

former Soviet intelligencsz4

personalities. Tnis activity led to close

liaison with British and other Western) latelligence representativee

involving numerous trips to Europe.

This liaison activity with 24

representatives of the British MI-S)established a direct channel

of communications resulting in a continuous exchange of leads and

a flow of operational date over the years of benefit to the Agency.

During the perlod of his work with the Security Research

Staff, in which he served as Deputy Chief from May 1957, Mt.:

McCord was the Agency'& case officer in a number of double agent

cases involving Agency staff employees who had been contacted

and were being developed for recruitment by the Soviet intelligence

service.

From 1962 to 1964, Mr. McCord served overseas as Chiel 15:20

of the Regional Security Support Staff located at Frankfurt, Germany

with responsibility for the overall personnel and physical security

and audio countermeasures programs applicable to the Stations and

Bases of the Europezn area.

This assignment was followed by

attendance at the Air War College, August 1964 to June 1965.

For the past five years, Mr. McCord has held two vital line

poitions with world-wide responsibilities involving the Agency's

audio countermeasures and physical security programs.

As Chief of the Technical Division from 23 July 1965 to

10 October 1968, Mr. McCord supervised a technical operation

with considerable skill. Although not an engineer by training, be

spanned a difficult gap between the administrative and technical

demands of his responsibilities, guiding the development of useful

and esoteric equipment in the counter-audio field to a point where

the Agency became the recognized leader among Government depart-

mente in this area of activity. This leadership is evidenced by the

3108

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Section D Continued - James Walter McCord, Jr.

establishment of an Inter-Agency Technical Training Center under

the Executive Agency of the Technical Division for the Tichnical

Surveillance Countermeasures Committee of the United States

Intelligence Board. Much of Mr. MeCord's ideas, talents, and

imagination went into the creation of this training activity which

commenced operations about the time of his reassigament to the

Physical Security Division.

Mr. McCord participated with two subordisate employeea

in the development of s-ray equipment for use by the Technical

Division in detecting and locating hostile audio devices implanted

in office appurtenances and walls of Agency occupied facilities.

The responsibility for ensuring that appropriate protective methode

for the safe use of this equipment was also associated with this

development. The significance of this achievement was recognized

by the Ageney when Mr. McCord and his participating colleagues

were awarded Certificates of Merit

in October 1966.

In his current position as Chief, Physical Security Division,

MI. McCord demonstrated his ability to quickly assimilate the

necessary details of a field in which he had relatively little ex-

perience. He showed initiative in seeking out new ways and means

to harden the security of the Agency'a domestic and overseas

facilities by tapping all possible technological resources, both 1: -

and out of Government, to produce for the Agency a posture in the

physical security field which is the equal of, if not superior to, those

of other elemente of the United States Government. Illustrative of

this effort is the expansion and Improvement of the Agency's Security

Command Center relating to the protection of Agency assets in time

of demonstrations, riots and civil disturbances.

Throughout his Agency career, Mr. McCord has engaged

his curious and inventive mind to search out even better ways to

solve problems within his area of responsibility.. As a result, his

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Section D Continued - James Walter NcCord, J5.

Agency career is a record of sustained superior performance of

duty of high value.

The value of his exemplary performance over

the years has often been recognized and commended by senior

olficials of the Agency. It is on this basis that Mr. McCord is

nominated for the Certificate of Distinction upon the occasion of

his retirement.

SECRET

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