Lessons from failed Cold War spy mission in China
John T. Downey
Downey was the youngest of the four. At 22  with one year of CIA service  he was destined to spend the next 20 years  three months and 14 days in Chinese prisons. His CIA partner  Fecteau  was 25. He was behind bars for 19 years and 14 days.
 Donald Gregg  who came into the CIA with Downey in 1951 and had dinner with him the night before his ill-fated flight  faults those in the CIA who oversold the program.
 On Nov. 29  1952  above the foothills of the Changbai mountains  Downey and Fecteau flew into Chinese air space in an unarmed C-47 Skytrain. They planned to swoop low over a rendezvous point marked with three small bonfires and use a tail hook to pick up a Chinese agent off the ground without landing. Downey was to reel in the agent with a winch aboard the plane.
 Also  Downey was well known to the Chinese operatives because he trained them. When Downey was captured  a Chinese security officer pointed at him and said in English  "You are Jack. Your future is very dark."
 For two years  until China announced that Downey and Fecteau had been convicted of espionage and sentenced -- Fecteau for 20 years  Downey for life -- neither the CIA nor the men's families knew their fate. The families received letters in December 1953 saying the two men were "presumed dead."
 The CIA historian says Downey told a debriefer after his release that he felt no bitterness toward his CIA boss.
 "I felt for him " Downey said. "It turned out to be such a goddamned disaster from his point of view."
Downey in March 1973  shortly after President Richard Nixon publicly acknowledged Downey's CIA connection.
 Downey  for example  said he would rise each morning and begin a series of activities in his cell: calisthenics  cleaning  eating  reading  listening to the radio and reviewing an occasional package of letters  books and magazines. Fecteau had a similar approach but varied his routine by the day of the week.
[TGT] was the youngest of the four. At 22  with one year of CIA service  [TGT] was destined to spend the next 20 years  three months and 14 days in Chinese prisons. [TGT] CIA partner  Fecteau  was 25. [TGT] was behind bars for 19 years and 14 days.
 Donald Gregg  who came into the CIA with [TGT] in 1951 and had dinner with [TGT] the night before [TGT] ill-fated flight  faults those in the CIA who oversold the program.
 On Nov. 29  1952  above the foothills of the Changbai mountains  Downey and Fecteau flew into Chinese air space in an unarmed C-47 Skytrain. They planned to swoop low over a rendezvous point marked with three small bonfires and use a tail hook to pick up a Chinese agent off the ground without landing. [TGT] was to reel in the agent with a winch aboard the plane.
 Also  [TGT] was well known to the Chinese operatives because [TGT] trained them. When [TGT] was captured  a Chinese security officer pointed at [TGT] and said in English  "You are Jack. Your future is very dark."
 For two years  until China announced that [TGT] and Fecteau had been convicted of espionage and sentenced -- Fecteau for 20 years  [TGT] for life -- neither the CIA nor the men's families knew their fate. The families received letters in December 1953 saying the two men were "presumed dead."
 The CIA historian says [TGT] told a debriefer after [TGT] release that [TGT] felt no bitterness toward [TGT] CIA boss.
 "I felt for [TGT] " [TGT] said. "It turned out to be such a goddamned disaster from [TGT] point of view."
[TGT] in March 1973  shortly after President Richard Nixon publicly acknowledged [TGT]'s CIA connection.
 [TGT]for example  said [TGT] would rise each morning and begin a series of activities in [TGT] cell: calisthenics  cleaning  eating  reading  listening to the radio and reviewing an occasional package of letters  books and magazines. Fecteau had a similar approach but varied [TGT] routine by the day of the week.