SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2017 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 899
Celebrating the life of Lucien E. Conein.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2017
Agreed to by the Senate, February 16, 2017

 

WHEREAS, Lucien E. Conein, who died on June 3, 1998, was one of the nation’s most decorated and accomplished intelligence operatives, serving with the Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency; and

WHEREAS, born in Paris, France, Lucien Conein grew up in Kansas; he enlisted in the French Army at the outset of World War II but returned to the United States after the fall of France in 1940; and

WHEREAS, Lucien Conein enlisted in the United States Army and joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency and modern Special Operations Forces, which was formed in 1942; he courageously parachuted into Vichy France to liaise with members of the French Resistance struggling against Nazi occupation; and

WHEREAS, after World War II, Lucien Conein deployed to southern China and later operated in Vietnam; after the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1947, he cultivated and trained valuable assets in Eastern Europe and Iran; and

WHEREAS, Lucien Conein returned to Vietnam in 1954, and by 1962, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he was assigned as a liaison between the United States ambassador to Vietnam and South Vietnam’s top generals; and

WHEREAS, Lucien Conein retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 1968 and carried out clandestine operations for the Drug Enforcement Agency from 1973 to 1984; he received many awards and accolades from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and South Vietnam for his valorous actions throughout his decades-long career in intelligence work; and

WHEREAS, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the OSS, and the members of the unit will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their daring contributions to the Allied victory in World War II; the Commonwealth is home to many OSS veterans, whose service and sacrifices kept the world free from tyranny and helped create the modern intelligence community; and

WHEREAS, Lucien Conein was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery; he is fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Elyette; his seven children and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Lucien E. Conein, a legend in the intelligence field who served the United States with distinction; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Elyette B. Conein as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for the memory and service of Lucien E. Conein.