O.S.S.

The OSS, or Office of Strategic Services, was created as a US intelligence service during World War 2. It was a branch of the US military that was charged with the conduction of espionage activities behind enemy lines. American military leaders drew the idea of the OSS from the British version, MI6. OSS was also involved in training resistance forces in axis-controlled territory in Europe in Asia. With the help of these resistance members, they were able to infiltrate the German governmental infrastructure and send information back to the United States about enemy movements. Many famous individuals were recruited in secret by the OSS during the war, with such people as Julia Child, John Ford, and Major League Baseball player, Moe Berg. Moe Berg was assigned during the war to pose as a physics student in Switzerland and attend a lecture by Germany's top nuclear scientist, Werner Heisenberg. Berg determined that Heisenberg was not a threat shortly after his arrival. The OSS took part in the planning and execution of numerous assassinations throughout the war and many were unable to receive awards for their efforts because the missions they undertook would remain classified until 2008.