Still, two weeks after Virginia’s return, it was her mother who accompanied her to a private ceremony in Washington, where Wild Bill Donovan formally presented her with the Distinguished Service Cross.  Donovan already knew that the OSS was about to be disbanded by President Truman, the organization victim of both politics as Donovan was a prominent Republican and undermining at the hands of J. Edgar Hoover.  Virginia got a paltry check for vacation pay, Paul and thousands of others were cut loose without a dime.

Many of the members of the Vichy government suffered retribution.  Pierre Laval and Henri Petain were condemned, although in light of his World War I heroics, Petain’s sentence was commuted to life.  He was confined to a small island off of Brittany, and upon his death in 1951 was unceremoniously buried there instead of the magnificent resting place previously prepared at Verdun, before the Marshal’s Nazi collaboration.  Laval was executed by firing squad.

Two weeks after Virginia’s return, it was her mother who accompanied her to a private ceremony in Washington, where Wild Bill Donovan formally presented her with the Distinguished Service Cross.  Donovan already knew that the OSS was about to be disbanded by President Truman, the organization victim of both politics as Donovan was a prominent Republican and undermining at the hands of J. Edgar Hoover.  Virginia got a paltry check for vacation pay, Paul and thousands of others were cut loose without a dime.