J. Edgar Hoover No Fan of U.N.C.L.E.

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.apbnews.com/media/gfiles/uncle/index.html

Aug. 24, 2000
By Kenneth Pringle

NEW YORK (APBnews.com) -- The requests came in by the thousands, from
men, women and children around the country wanting to join the
top-secret government spy agency.

They landed on FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's desk -- and promptly
received tersely worded rejection letters.

"For your information," came the response, "the television series
entitled The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is fictitious. There is no government
agency which performs the functions portrayed in this program."

So it went from 1964, when the hit TV program first aired on NBC,
until the early 1970s. It seemed everyone wanted to be the suave
secret agent Napoleon Solo -- played by Robert Vaughn -- and they felt
the best place to start was the FBI.

Hoover was not amused, according to FBI files obtained through Freedom
of Information Act requests.

Agency sent booklets

"I am 12 years old," wrote one boy from Whittier, Calif. -- his name,
like those of all correspondents, has been redacted -- "and very much
interested in becoming an espionage agent with U.N.C.L.E. Please tell
me about where I can write to find out all about this work. I want to
start preparing myself now."

This young spy-to-be received the usual negative response in Hoover's
name, as well as "two booklets pertaining to the activities of this
Bureau." Among the titles sent out by the FBI were "What It's Like to
Be an FBI Agent" and "Should You Go Into Law Enforcement?"

It is not known if these booklets inspired the young letter-writer to
a career in the FBI, but it's certain he never worked for the United
Network Command for Law and Enforcement, or U.N.C.L.E.

[...]


*==============================================================*
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