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Special Operations Branch

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The Special Operations Branch (SO) was a branch of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II that "pioneered" many of the unconventional warfare , counter-insurgency (COIN), and foreign internal defense tactics and techniques used by today's US Military Special Operations Forces (SOF). Special Operations was the American equivalent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) of the United Kingdom.

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74-661: The Chief of SO, Millard Preston Goodfellow , reported to the deputy director of Strategic Services Operations. In the Special Operations Field Manual, OSS Director William Donovan writes; " The mission of the Special Operations Branch is to carry out that part of the OSS mission which can be accomplished by certain physical subversive methods as contrasted with the operations of the Morale Operations ,

148-601: A subtropical climate . Under the Köppen climate classification , the city features a subtropical semiarid climate (BSh), featuring long, very hot and humid summers, and brief, warm winters. The city has two distinct seasons; a wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 62.8 °F (17.1 °C) in January to 89.3 °F (31.8 °C) in August. The warm season

222-516: A diverse wildlife population. The Quinta Mazatlan, a historic Spanish colonial mansion, is used as McAllen's wing of the World Birding Center. The McAllen Nature Center is a popular spot for bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts alike. This preserved green space offers visitors a chance to explore walking trails, climb a small hill, and has a cactus garden - all without any charge for admission. The Bicentennial Bike Path runs from Highway 83 on

296-776: A driving range. This course hosts numerous tournaments year round. Dog owners have room to run their pets at the McAllen Dog Park, which is divided into two sections. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates an office in McAllen. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas McAllen Division is located at Bentsen Tower 1701 W. Hwy. 83, Suite 1011, McAllen, Texas. The United States Postal Service operates two post offices in McAllen: McAllen Post Office, located at 620 Pecan Blvd, and

370-706: A household in the city was $ 45,568, and for a family was $ 50,184. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,726. About 22.5% of families and 25.7% of the entire population were below the poverty line , including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over. Based on the Texas Department of Public Safety's Annual Crime in Texas report and the FBI's Crime in the United States report, there were 5 murders reported during 2022. The city has been consistently ranked among

444-519: A larger center in New York. Grombach established the Foreign Broadcast Quarterly (FBQ), which was the front alias for the communications center, and COI purchased NBC's Long Island radio station. Donovan grew distrustful of Grombach. In one memo addressed to Goodfellow, Donovan wrote "...do not use Grombach!" In another memo, Donovan wrote: "I am disturbed by this talk of Grombach... It

518-878: A leading figure at the Office of the Coordinator of Information and the Office of Strategic Services during World War II . Goodfellow was a publisher of the Brooklyn Eagle , Pocatello Tribune , and the New York American . During the Korean War , he acted as Special Adviser to President Syngman Rhee , mediating on behalf of the State Department and Central Intelligence Agency between Rhee and Kim Ku . Goodfellow died in Washington, DC, in 1973, at age 81. Goodfellow

592-466: A mission that would be called Detachment 101 , which was "the first American unit ever assembled to conduct guerrilla warfare, espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines," and in April 1942, Donovan activated the unit. Goodfellow and John "Frenchy" Grombach were good friends from New York before the war. Goodfellow had been given a directive by Donovan to establish a communications network for COI. Grombach

666-401: A once relatively desolate area into a major agricultural center. Throughout much of the 1900s, McAllen was a rural, agriculture-based economy characterized by sporadic growth. Today, the area is transforming into a major international trade area. As recently as 1990, McAllen's unemployment rate was at 22.6%. By the end of 2005, that figure had dropped to 7.7%. However, in 2011, census.gov listed

740-500: A result of the increased traffic between them. The population of McAllen was 20,005 in 1950 and 32,728 in 1960. In 1954 the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge was the number-two port of entry into Mexico. McAllen was an agricultural, oil, and tourist center in 1970, when the population reached 37,636. By the start of the 1970s, McAllen had a 200-bed hospital and a new air-conditioned high school,

814-543: Is clearly not evident to you, but I am told by all sides that he talks too much." It was true that there were leaks of FBQ's operation within the government. Donovan had caught wind of three things: that Grombach was planning to build a Black Chamber in New York, that Grombach had married a woman without vetting her for security clearance before giving her an assistant director role in the FBQ, and that Grombach had already been recruited by Donovan's rival General George Strong and

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888-445: Is extremely long, as average high temperatures from May through September are above 90 °F (32 °C) and average low temperatures are above 70 °F (21 °C), with relatively high dew point values, resulting in higher relative humidity values and heat index values. Heat indices consistently reach over 110 °F (43 °C) during these months. Winter temperatures in McAllen and surrounding Rio Grande Valley are some of

962-510: Is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Monica De La Cruz ( R - Edinburg ), of the 15th Congressional District, and Vicente Gonzalez ( D -McAllen), of the 34th Congressional District . Metro McAllen (formerly McAllen Express Transit – MET) has provided public transportation for the City of McAllen since June 1997. In the beginning, McAllen Express was administered by

1036-605: Is the peak of the north Atlantic hurricane season and tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally drop copious amounts of rainfall on the region, this month tends by far to be the wettest, averaging 4.74 in (120 mm) of rain. The driest month is February, with only 0.66 in (17 mm) of precipitation. Since 1941, it has snowed twice, once when the city received 1.7 in (43 mm) on December 25, 2004 . Temperatures consistently rise above 100 °F (38 °C) from June through August, with exceptionally high humidity. The highest temperature ever recorded in McAllen

1110-882: The Brooklyn Eagle to Frank D. Schroth . He formed his own business, "M.P. Goodfellow and Co." In the Summer of 1941, Goodfellow was recalled back into active service, now a Major in the US Army, he was reassigned to G-2 in Washington, DC . While stationed at G-2, Goodfellow encountered William Donovan (Wild Bill), who discussed with Goodfellow the idea of an entirely new civilian structure to be responsible for strategic operations, and Goodfellow approved. The two men were quick friends. Reports conflict on when Goodfellow first met John Grombach , but by all accounts, Goodfellow thought very highly of him at this time. At this time, Goodfellow

1184-582: The Brooklyn Eagle , entering into a co-ownership of the newspaper and acquiring the title of Publisher. Goodfellow soon became a member of the New York elite . He would attend society dinners with Al Smith (Mayor of New York City), Orie R. Reilly (Chairman of the New York Athletic Club ), descendants of Walt Whitman (former editor of the Eagle), Richard Hageman and others. Goodfellow's wife, Florence,

1258-676: The Joint Chiefs of Staff issued the 'Golden Directive,' it fundamentally reorganized the SO; it was no longer authorized to operate in the Western Hemisphere, and the OGs were to come under the direct control of Theatre Commanders while deployed. The OGs were split away from the SO, and granted OSS Branch status under the newly established Operational Group Command (OG). * Note that the abbreviations "OG" and "OGs" refer to two different organisms: OGs were

1332-510: The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council . Since 2005, Metro McAllen has been operated as a department of the city of McAllen. Metro McAllen now has 12 fixed routes and paratransit, serving residents and visitors. It operates seven days a week, from 6am–9pm Monday through Saturday and from 8am-6pm on Sunday. LRGVDC continues to operate regional buses under the name Valley Metro. The City of McAllen also operates

1406-773: The North American Free Trade Association led to an increase in cross-border trading with Mexico. In 1904, the Hidalgo and San Miguel Extension (now the Sam Fordyce Branch) of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the Santa Anita Ranch. John McAllen and his son James had donated land to the railroad to guarantee it would cross this area. On December 5, 1904, the McAllen Townsite Company

1480-736: The Rio Grande Valley , on the Mexico–United States border . The city limits extend south to the Rio Grande , across from the Mexican city of Reynosa . McAllen is about 70 mi (110 km) west of the Gulf of Mexico . As of the 2020 census , McAllen's population was 142,210, making it the 23rd-most populous city in Texas . It is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area ( McAllen–Edinburg–Mission ) in

1554-531: The Secret Intelligence Branch . In August 1942, Goodfellow officially left his duties at G-2, and transferred to COI, now finally able to dedicate all of his efforts into the new agency and Special Operations. Prior to this, he was simultaneously Chief of the Contact and Liaison Section of G-2, Director of SA/G, and G-2 liaison to OSS. Around this time, with Huntington being named as a Director of SO,

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1628-572: The State Department to help build a competing agency to COI within the Military Intelligence Service that would come to be called The Pond . Donovan had Grombach dismissed from COI in May 1942, beginning Grombach's spiral of hatred and distrust toward Donovan and the COI, but Goodfellow would still continue to occasionally use him as an undercover operative throughout the war. The FBQ, however,

1702-520: The census of 2020 , there were 142,210 people, 45,429 households, and 34,119 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010 , there were 129,877 people, 41,573 households, and 31,823 families resided in the city. Of the 45,862 housing units, 4,289, or 9.4%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 83.9% White, 0.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 10.4% some other race, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 84.6% of

1776-535: The FTZ designation offers specific cost-saving opportunities to manufacturers. Products can be brought into the FTZ duty-free. Services have recently expanded to include full logistic support services, including public warehouse services such as pick and pack, order processing, inventory control, incoming/outgoing quality inspection, and kitting. McAllen hosted the NAIA National Football Championship in

1850-555: The G-2. In October 1941, Goodfellow became the Director of the newly established Special Activities/Goodfellow (SA/G), replacing the duties of Robert Solberg at COI. Another unit called Special Activities/Bruce (SA/B), was led by David K. E. Bruce . In December 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , the United States officially entered the war, providing for Goodfellow and Donovan

1924-645: The McAllen Downtown Post Office at 406 12th Street. The United States Border Patrol McAllen Station is located at 3000 West Military Highway. The United States Border Patrol Central Processing Center is located at 3700 W Ursula Avenue, McAllen, Texas. The 2LT Luis G. Garcia United States Army Reserve Center located at 600 S Col Rowe Blvd is home for the United States Army Reserve 961st Quartermaster Company, 461st Transportation Detachment, and 519th Transportation Detachment. McAllen

1998-494: The McAllen metro area the poorest in the nation. As of 2012, the average cost of a home in McAllen was the third-least expensive in the country, at $ 178,000, while average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $ 708. In 2012, the cost of living in McAllen was 16.2% lower than the national average. Since the 1980s and especially since the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994,

2072-660: The Mexican border to be a war correspondent during the Mexican Border War , where he also wrote for The New York Times and the Evening Mail . As was standard for all war correspondents at the time, Goodfellow took a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant , and each of his reports from the war were made in his role as an officer and under the authority of the Army. When the Times sent him to

2146-568: The Operational Groups that comprised the OG.* Goodfellow was advanced from Director SO to the position of Assistant Director for the entire OSS for the remainder of the war. Goodfellow's son, M. Preston Goodfellow Jr, interrupted his attendance at Dartmouth in 1943, and served as a bombardier in the 5th Air Force in New Guinea and Australia. It is unknown if Goodfellow kept tabs on his son during

2220-583: The Operational Groups, and the Maritime Unit . The primary objective of the Special Operations Branch is the destruction of enemy personnel, materiel, and installations. " Special Operations operators and agents trained first at Camp X , then at Camp David , and several National Park Service properties around the Washington, D.C. area. The concept of OSS Operational Groups (OG) began as Special Operations units within SO Field Bases, but eventually outgrew

2294-533: The Rio Grande at this point, 11 mi (18 km) southwest of downtown McAllen. McAllen is 238 mi (383 km) south of San Antonio , 158 mi (254 km) southwest of Corpus Christi , 148 mi (238 km) southeast of Laredo , 60 mi (97 km) northwest of Brownsville , and 150 mi (240 km) northeast of Monterrey . According to the United States Census Bureau ,

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2368-487: The SO, where the newly established Operational Group Command was granted Branch status. Headquarters Special Operations was headquartered at the E Street Complex in Washington, D.C. Field Base Sections Millard Preston Goodfellow Millard Preston Goodfellow, who often went by the name "Preston Goodfellow," was an American soldier, spy, diplomat, journalist, war correspondent , and newspaper publisher . A veteran of World War I , Goodfellow became

2442-509: The United States, assembled, and shipped back as finished products), the economy began to improve in Hidalgo County. McAllen sits across the border from Reynosa, a large manufacturing center. After the peso devalued, Mexico was more successful in attracting companies to run their plants in Mexico, with support operations in Texas. Border crossing is a daily event for many and is a key component in

2516-495: The United States. Poverty may play a large role in the community's health problems, as well. Over 25% of the city population was living below the poverty line during the period 2012–2016. More than 29% of the population also lacked health coverage during that time. McAllen is featured in Supersize vs Superskinny , a British television programme on Channel 4 that features information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of

2590-485: The age of fourteen as a copyboy, and was a seasoned reporter before graduating high school. Goodfellow graduated New York University with a degree in journalism. By the year 1916, aged 24, Goodfellow had been in the journalism business for a decade, and most of that time was at The Brooklyn Times , except for six months at the Brooklyn Eagle and a year at the Evening Mail . The Brooklyn Times sent him to

2664-459: The area has a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes, its rates of infant mortality , HIV , and tobacco use were lower than the national average. McAllen was the most obese metropolitan area in the country in 2012, with 38.5% of the adult population considered obese. The high obesity rate has likely contributed to area residents' poor health. More than 21% of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes , more than any other metro area in

2738-459: The arrival of Central American migrant caravans , immigration authorities were releasing a few hundred asylum seekers daily to private groups that assist them with basic needs and travel arrangements. The mayor emphasized how safe and secure the city is when U.S military troops were mobilized in the city to help the Border Patrol. Portions of the razor wire coils considered unnecessary by

2812-413: The average family size was 3.58. In the city, the population was distributed as 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. For the period 2012–2016, the estimated median annual income for

2886-591: The border, they stated in their paper that he was: "...without superior as a gatherer of facts and a chronicler of events... He is a Brooklyn man who knows the borough as few know it." As to the manner of his reporting, Goodfellow, while embedded with the First Cavalry and the Fourteenth Infantry in McAllen, Texas , wrote reports from the field that were sometimes extremely humorous, but always detailed, such as

2960-512: The bus terminal facility in downtown McAllen, known as McAllen Central Station. Central Station serves as a hub for MET and for 14 private domestic and international bus lines. Around 60 buses depart from Central Station on a daily basis. It is centrally located in downtown McAllen at 1501 W Hwy 83. The McAllen Independent School District serves most of the city followed by the Valley View Independent School District and

3034-527: The city has a total area of 48.6 square miles (126.0 km ), of which 48.3 square miles (125.2 km ) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km ), or 0.62%, is covered by water. Although McAllen is named the "City of Palms", tropical vegetation is only locally dominant. Many thorny shrubs and deciduous trees occur in the area, such as the Rio Grande ash ( Fraxinus berlandieriana ), cedar elm ( Ulmus crassifolia ), and honey mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa ). McAllen, like much of South Texas , has

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3108-537: The city were removed after troops had placed it at the border. The troops assisted by using military helicopters to carry border patrol agents to and from locations along the Mexico–United States border and by maintaining vehicles. During these border support activities, they are prohibited from law enforcement activities, such as detaining migrants or seizing drugs. U.S. military troops are prohibited from carrying out law enforcement duties . The Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller expressed concerns about

3182-523: The exact number of persons he recruited into the agency is still unknown. Memos to Donovan that were declassified by the CIA in 2023 read: "Two kinds of men then recruited by Goodfellow – Those with quality of initiative to carry on individual missions. Those chosen because they had the physical and psychological stamina to act as members of guerrilla forces." Officers and operators recruited into OSS by Goodfellow at this time include; In December 1942, when

3256-469: The field to the canal leading the mangy old mascot goat. ‘ It is for a christening we are bound ,’ he explained to his horror-stricken officers, ‘ and those exuberant Texans thought they would give us a baptism of fire. Do you think they were trying to get my goat ?’ ” During World War I, Goodfellow served in the US Army Signal Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant . Later in the war, he was assigned to

3330-491: The first school in the nation featuring on-site power generated by natural gas -powered turbines. The tourism industry continued to expand as people traveled to the area from both Mexico and the northern United States. The population continued to grow steadily through the 1970s, and reached 66,281 by 1980. During the late 1980s, the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone was an important general-purpose foreign trade zone . At

3404-546: The focal point of economic activity has shifted from agriculture to international trade, health care, retail, and tourism. The McAllen Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) is located south of McAllen between McAllen and Reynosa. Commissioned in 1973, it was the first inland foreign-trade zone in the United States. Also, an FTZ designation site is at the McAllen Miller International Airport to facilitate air cargo needs. Under U.S. and Mexican laws and NAFTA provisions,

3478-422: The following observation on a friendly fire situation: “…Lieut. Dudley B. Howard, of Company C, of the frolicsome Fourteenth, came within handshake of sudden death yesterday. For several minutes he was under a spray of bullets from a company of Texas militia who were at target practice. A sharp order from the commanding officer stopped the firing, and the marksmen rested while Lieut. Howard stalked majestically down

3552-501: The impact of continuing border support on combat readiness for the troops. McAllen, located in southern Hidalgo County, is bordered to the southwest by Granjeno ; to the west by Mission , Palmhurst , and Alton ; to the north by Edinburg , the Hidalgo county seat ; to the east by Pharr ; and to the south by Hidalgo . The McAllen city limits extend to the southwest as far as the Rio Grande, directly north of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, in Mexico. The Anzalduas International Bridge crosses

3626-463: The late 1970s and NCAA Division II national football championship games in the 1980s. Until 2014, McAllen was home to the Texas Thunder of the independent United League Baseball , who played at Edinburg Stadium . McAllen is positioned on a major flyway, the migratory path of birds between North and South America, presenting opportunities for bird and butterfly expeditions. The landscape hosts

3700-571: The local economy. The city became a focal point for concerns about the border during the United States federal government shutdown of 2018–2019 over the Mexico–United States barrier . President Donald Trump held a briefing with the border agents at the patrol station here in January 2019. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also visited the Border Patrol station in March 2019. In order to deal with overcrowded facilities in 2019 resulting from

3774-407: The main show features is a weekly comparison between an overweight person and an underweight person. In the show, the overweight participant visits morbidly obese McAllen residents to find motivation for lifestyle and diet changes. The Rio Grande Valley began its rapid development with the introduction of irrigation in 1898 and the construction of the railroad in 1904. These major additions turned

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3848-614: The office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2). When WWI ended, Goodfellow retained his commission in the US Army Reserves . In the interwar years , Goodfellow continued his rise in the journalism industry, returning to work at the Brooklyn Eagle as circulation director and then advertising manager . He moved to the New York American for a short while as assistant publisher . In 1932, he returned to

3922-546: The opportunity to deploy uniformed soldiers, no longer having to rely entirely on undercover operations. Goodfellow, Bruce, and Donovan collaborated to create the first Operational Groups (OGs), which were special warfare guerrilla units, then still under the auspices of the structure of the COI. They selected Camp X , a training camp run by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), to be the site where these early operators would train. In January 1942, Goodfellow

3996-476: The original staff of Goodfellow's SO and the staff of Huntington's SO formed what official reports called a "bitter rivalry." The rivalry between the two units persisted when Huntington was deployed to Europe. At this point in the war, the OSS Assessment Unit had not yet been established, and recruiting for the organization was performed irrespective of assignment. Goodfellow was a prolific recruiter, but

4070-406: The place clean while they were occupying it. In February 1942, Goodfellow recruited Garland H. Williams from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics as Director of Training. Williams used his SOE training experience at Camp X as a model for his curriculum. On 23 February 1942, Goodfellow was placed in charge of the newly activated COI Service Command, and a staff of 51 officers. Goodfellow created

4144-408: The population to 9,074 by 1930. In 1936, Hiram Garner opened the Valley Distillery, Incorporated, which produced wines from citrus juices. The town was a petroleum and farm chemurgic center with a population of 11,877 in 1940, by which time it had adopted the nickname "The City of Palms". In 1941, a suspension bridge replaced the old bridge from Hidalgo to Reynosa in Tamaulipas ; the new toll bridge

4218-399: The population. Of the 41,573 households, 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were not families. About 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10, and

4292-464: The previous snowfall which took place during the 2004 Christmas Eve United States winter storm . In February 2021, McAllen reached record low temperatures between 10 °F (−12 °C) and 20 °F (−7 °C) and lost power, heat, and water for a week due to Winter Storm Uri . In addition to these fluke weather events, McAllen is prone to tropical storms, hurricanes such as Hurricane Dolly (2008) and Hurricane Hanna (2020) , and heatwaves. As of

4366-437: The safest cities in Texas. McAllen was the focus of a 2009 article in The New Yorker by Atul Gawande entitled "The Cost Conundrum", an inquiry into the factors that contribute to the cost of health care. The McAllen area had the highest taxpayer-sponsored spending per beneficiary in the United States, despite areas with similar demographics and health profiles having half the cost per recipient. The article noted that while

4440-480: The south side to Bicentennial and Trenton Road on the north side. The International Museum of Art & Science, Smithsonian affiliate and AAM-accredited museum founded in 1967, is located near the path at the corner of Bicentennial and Nolana Avenue. The Zinnia Spray Water Park is McAllen's first sprayground park. It is located at 29th and Zinnia Ave. Champion Lakes Golf Course is located on South Ware Road just south of Highway 83. The golf course has 18 holes plus

4514-402: The state of Texas, and the binational Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan area counts a population of more than 1.5 million. From its settlement in 1904, the area around McAllen was largely rural and agricultural in character, but the latter half of the 20th century had steady growth, which has continued in the 21st century in the metropolitan area. The introduction of the maquiladora economy and

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4588-418: The time, McAllen's main industries were retail, tourism and farming, and each was in trouble. The devaluation of the Mexican peso in the 1980s put a damper on cross-border shopping; local tourism was down because of the recession . In 1983, a freeze took out much of the valley's citrus crop. In the mid-1980s, fueled by trade and the growth of the maquiladora (in which components are shipped to Mexico from

4662-462: The town applied for and was issued a charter of incorporation under the name McAllen. In 1916, 20,000 New York state troops were stationed at McAllen to help quell border disturbances related to the Mexican Civil War. The resulting economic boom increased the population from 1,200 in 1916 to 6,000 in 1920. McAllen adopted a home rule charter in 1927. Canning factories, a winery, tortilla plants, wood-working plants, and some oil exploration increased

4736-406: The war. British historian Max Hastings wrote that Goodfellow provided Rhee with the passport that allowed him to return to Korea. Goodfellow was appointed Special Political Adviser to Lieutenant General John R. Hodge . McAllen, Texas McAllen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Hidalgo County . It is located at the southern tip of the state in

4810-402: The warmest in the contiguous United States outside of South Florida , and comparable to the Coachella and Imperial valleys and Yuma Desert , but with warmer nighttime lows and higher dew points . Average annual precipitation is 22.31 inches (567 millimeters). Most precipitation occurs in the warm season, with the least precipitation distinctly occurring in the cooler winter. As September

4884-515: Was 111 °F (44 °C), set on June 22, 2017 and May 9, 2024. The lowest temperature ever recorded in McAllen was 13 °F (−11 °C), on January 12, 1962. While usually a hot, humid, but relatively dry climate, McAllen, Texas has received unusual weather phenomena. In 2013, McAllen, Texas received a large hail storm that destroyed many vehicles and buildings. The storm came suddenly and many people were unprepared. In December 2017, McAllen received almost 3 inches of snow, nearly 13 years after

4958-490: Was already responsible for the deployments of soldiers and marines to the Far East, North Africa, and Europe to monitor the unfolding situation of the Axis powers. Men that Goodfellow and his staff at G-2 were in strategic planning command of undercover deployments include; Goodfellow took a much more involved role in building Donovan's brainchild, the Office of the Coordinator of Information , and in September 1941, Goodfellow officially assumed Liaison status between Donovan and

5032-483: Was also dismantled in May when Donovan's rivals convinced President Roosevelt to order the COI to relinquish control over any communications efforts and propaganda. This abruptly forced the dissolution of the COI. In June 1942, the COI was restructured into the newly established Office of Strategic Services (OSS). SA/G became the Special Operations Branch (SO), with the staff being divided between Goodfellow and Lieutenant Colonel Ellery C. Huntington, Jr. SA/B became

5106-436: Was an active member of women's groups, such as the Committee for Brooklyn Women's Day at the New York World's Fair . During this time, he was also the President and Director of the Brooklyn Publishing Company, the B.D.E. Broadcasting Company, and B.D.E. Properties Corporation, and the Tri-County Publishing Corporation. On 1 August 1938, after a workers' strike organized by the Newspaper Guild , Goodfellow sold his stake in

5180-411: Was born and raised in Brooklyn , which was an independent city and was not yet a borough of New York City. For five summers as a child, he spent time in the wilderness of the Adirondacks, learning how to ride a horse and camp in the woods. He graduated from Public School Number 122. He also studied at the Commercial High School, and under private tutors. Goodfellow entered the newspaper business at

5254-547: Was formed by Uriah Lott, Leonidas C. Hill Sr., John McAllen (1826-1913), James Ballí McAllen (1862-1916), and John J. Young. The new community, which was named for John McAllen, had the depot nearest the county seat, Hidalgo , 8 mi (13 km) to the south. By 1911, 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) were under cultivation in East McAllen: commodity crops of cotton, alfalfa, broom corn , citrus fruits, grapes, and figs were raised. East McAllen had an estimated population of 1,000 that year, and West McAllen had ceased to exist. In 1911,

5328-471: Was in the Radio business before the war, which gave him an intricate knowledge of the inner workings of radio station operations. Goodfellow recruited Grombach into the COI to help him establish the network. Grombach was indispensable to Goodfellow in building this network. Together, they built a radio intelligence program of collection, decryption, and analysis for the COI in Washington. Later, they expanded to

5402-480: Was instrumental in negotiating with the National Park Service to dedicate swathes of land as three new training camps for members of SA/G and SA/B, and developing the training curriculum for OSS operators and officers. Primarily, Goodfellow used a team of War Department inspectors to condemn the properties, and then approached NPS with a deal: OSS would only pay a dollar a year in lease, if they agreed to keep

5476-592: Was purchased by McAllen and was named the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge . Its construction resulted in increased tourist trade, making McAllen a winter resort and port of entry to Mexico. The discovery of oil in the Reynosa area in 1947 attracted a large migration of people from the Mexican interior to jobs in the region. They both constituted a new tourist market and a cheap labor supply for McAllen. The sister cities were linked as

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