Fearless counterintelligence agent & organizer of resistance networks in Nazi-occupied France, considered by the Gestapo to be "one of the most dangerous of Allied spies" (1906-1982)
24) Virginia Hall Was America’s Most Successful Female WWII Spy. But She Was Almost Kept From Serving, 04/09/2019, Time Magazine, https://time.com/5566062/virginia-hall-2/.
Thanks! They read Sonia Purnell’s book about her in my book club before I started with them. I actually learned about her, and some other incredible resistance heroines and heroes I’d never heard of before, in an amazing Holocaust Month Observance at my last agency, the SSA, whose employees are now so frantic with worry about the breach and release of the very data they’re so taught to protect and hold dear, before such observances were shut down after the new administration under Trump 1.0 came in.
Thanks, she’s one of my all-time favorite heroines of resistance—can you tell? I lived in Baltimore for over 20 years until recently, and learned about her during a Holocaust Month observation at my last agency—before such things were shut down for a while under the Trump 1.0 Administration. In many ways my Campfire Stories are like a secret code for what I’ve done over the course of my last 20-some odd years, in work, in the community and life, and definitely what I’m looking to do for however much remains of the rest of it—for me, and the rest of us! I don’t have that much faith in a timeline for how long any of us, our country od our planet has, quite frankly, given how things are going—but then again, against all odds and what she risked and faced, Virginia somehow lived to be a pretty hale old age, and she faced darker times and circumstances, than those yet present, I think! And wound up to live where I now do, in Rockville, Maryland, as her final resting place! I’ll finally need to start visiting that, and some of the other places she was known to live and frequent, around the area, this year. I’m looking to find, recruit and build a community and network of effective resisters and strategizers now, like she did. Besides virtual, maybe I can start using some of the places she lived and frequented, as meet up locales, for those in the DC/ Maryland/VA area. It’s a nice idea, kind of life a Virginia Hall pilgrimage, something I’ve thought about before, but not to this purpose. I don’t have anywhere near Virginia’s athletic or linguistic ability, and likely not anywhere near her brilliance. But I do have a Rosetta Stone subscription and help facilitate language access, and I like to think I can be inspired by her creativity, and moxie! I’ve been able to do some things in the past, I never thought I could, generally when I was able to attracf enough people with far more creativity, talent, and ideas with which to create and collaborate with in community-related, artistic, environmental and socially minded events and projects. I do have a low enough profile, and unobtrusive enough appearance, to sort of “hide in plain sight” and fall under the radar, at least for a while, while working on this one, as she did.
This is fascinating. I applaud you for finding it, putting it together and sharing it. As a former journalist, I can say that too often the heroics of 'invisible' people -- usually women -- in crises or war were and are often neglected or omitted in broad brush stories that generalize the progress or resolution of the event. Thank goodness for historians.
Hi, thanks so much! Virginia has been one of my biggest resistance heroines, and really one of my favorite heroines ever, since I learned about her at a Holocaust Month observation I participated in at my last agency, in Woodlawn, MD (i.e. Baltimore County), maybe about 7-8 years ago, before such types of observances were discontinued after Andrew Saul came in under the Trump 1.0 administration, and not too long before the pandemic too. Quite a few of my coworkers were involved in researching people for that observation and they really did a great job in finding her, and some other heroes and heroines of WWII resistance I had not known about. She died in 1982 at the hale old age of 79, in the county where I now live (I lived about 20 years in Baltimore and for a certain number of those years, was pretty active in promoting pretty much anything positive, artistic, creative, environmental and grassroots in Baltimore, and networking with a bunch of folks there to do a lot of creative projects, too). A lot of what I know about her, and I think what a lot of journalists know about her, is from reading Sonia Purnell’s book—there’ve been some others but I know she did an amazing amount of research, so much of it related to classified material, too. It’s a great book, if you get the chance. If you don’t mind restacking the article with a comment and/or recommending the publication, I’d appreciate that! I really started the blog not just to start writing the stories and kinds of stories I’ve always wanted to write (and try to turn myself into a “real writer” finally!), but especially to try to attract as many creative, smart, concerned people as I can, so we can start sharing and brainstorming stories, strategies and tools of resistance. So the more subscribers I can get, the more I can do with my subscriber list, in service of saving democracy and the Republic with others, you might say. :) Cheers!
There is so so much to your response. As powerful as Virginia's story. Will gladly restack to see if we can bring you more audience. I will leave it on my screen and use it in the Sarah Fay Notes Bonanza on Fridays. See if we can get you a variety of people.
Thank you! I’ve been building relationships with some others and cross promotional things, too, it just takes a lot of time and work, and I’ll ultimately need to get back to the researching and writing stories part, as well. And I’m planning to march at the People’s March Saturday, and need to get ready for that.
Jamie Raskin was my law professor, btw, and now that I moved to Virginia Hall’s last place of residence in March last year, he’s my congressman, too. I marched with his contingent in the Thanksgiving parade, and did show it to him when it was pretty brand new (no Virginia Hall story, then). He said he supported it. Sooner or later, I want to write about him, too; he’s one of my biggest heroes of resistance.
Final Resources for "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience" Story # 3: "The Story of Virginia Hall, The 'Limping Lady' from Baltimore:"
23) The Limping Lady: Virginia Hall's Extraordinary Journey as a WWII Spy, Spyscape, https://spyscape.com/article/the-limping-lady-virginia-halls-extraordinary-journey-in-wwii-espionage.
24) Virginia Hall Was America’s Most Successful Female WWII Spy. But She Was Almost Kept From Serving, 04/09/2019, Time Magazine, https://time.com/5566062/virginia-hall-2/.
25) Faces of Defense Intelligence: Virginia Hall - The “Limping Lady," Defense Intelligence Agency, 10/27/2016, https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/988284/faces-of-defense-intelligence-virginia-hall-the-limping-lady/.
26) Important Women in World War 2: Virginia Hall, Warfare History Network, 07/2006, https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/important-women-in-world-war-2-virginia-hall/.
27) Remarkable Women: The Life and Times of Virginia Hall (Part 1), rhap.so.dy in words, 11/05/2019, https://rhapsodyinwords.com/2019/11/05/remarkable-women-the-life-and-times-of-virginia-hall-part-1/.
28) Virginia Hall: Passionate Patriot, The Glinda Factor, https://theglindafactor.com/virginia-hall/.
29) Virginia Hall, Badass of the Week, https://www.badassoftheweek.com/virginiahall.
30) Virginia Hall and Christopher Lee, Badass of the week, https://www.badassoftheweek.com/virginia-hall-and-christopher-lee.
31) America's Greatest Female Spy, Novel Suspects, https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/americas-greatest-female-spy/.
32) La Dame qui Boite, Boundary Stones, WETA's Local History Website, 06/14/2022, https://boundarystones.weta.org/2022/06/14/la-dame-qui-boite-limping-woman.
33) British, French Honor U.S. Spy Virginia Hall, All Things Considered, NPR, 12/12/2006, https://www.npr.org/2006/12/12/6615482/british-french-honor-u-s-spy-virginia-hall.
34) New Virginia Hall Exhibit Brings Intelligence Art to Our Blind and Low Vision Officers, Central Intelligence Agency, 10/19/2021, https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/virginia-hall-interactive-exhibit/.
35) Virginia Hall Blog, Craig Gralley, https://craiggralley.com/virginia-hall/.
36) Virginia Hall's upbringing in Baltimore helped shape her future as a spy, WBALTV 11, 11/19/2025, https://www.wbaltv.com/article/virginia-halls-upbringing-in-baltimore-helped-shape-her-future-as-a-spy/6941573.
More resources for my latest "Campfire Stories of Resistance & Resilience," "The Story of Virginia Hall, 'The Limping Lady from Baltimore:'
8) Women Who Shaped History: A Smithsonian Magazine Special Report, "How a Spy Known as 'The Limping Lady' Helped the Allies Win WWII," Smithsonian Magazine, 4/9/2020, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-spy-known-limping-lady-helped-allies-win-wwii-180971889/.
9) Virginia Hall: The Limping Lady, United States Special Operations Command, 03/02/2018, https://www.socom.mil/virginia-hall-the-limping-lady.
10) One-Legged Lady Spy: Virginia Hall, Trained Battalions Of Resistance Fighters, Accidental Talmudist, https://www.accidentaltalmudist.org/heroes/2019/08/28/the-one-legged-lady-spy/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAx9q6BhCDARIsACwUxu5xaJekuWSykw5aHWqN9p1znSVB1mEA6QoJXP_99WbgPk-xPZ3i03waAuFwEALw_wcB.
11) Virginia Hall, Badass of the Week, https://www.badassoftheweek.com/virginiahall.
12) Virginia Hall, 1906-1982, Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshallfame/html/hall.html.
13) Virginia Hall, Barnard Archives and Special Collections, 8/13/2020, https://barnardarchives.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/virginia-hall/.
14) The Nazis Hated Virginia Hall, a smart and daring female spy from Baltimore, 3/14/2018, Dying to Tell Their Stories, https://www.dyingtotelltheirstories.com/home/2018/3/14/eazcfmtats2cn6v7f7jfjvvpy4i2p8.
15) Baltimore woman's critical role as an American Spy, WBALTV 11, 11/22/2015, https://www.wbaltv.com/article/baltimore-woman-s-critical-role-as-an-american-spy/7097345.
16) Virginia Hall, An Extraordinary Woman and an Exceptional Spy, Distinguished Service Cross Recipient, Home of Heroes, Medal of Honor & Military History, https://homeofheroes.com/heroes-stories/world-war-ii/virginia-hall/.
17) WANTED: The Limping Lady, The intriguing and unexpected true story of America’s most heroic—and most dangerous—female spy, Smithsonian Magazine, History, 02/01/2007, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wanted-the-limping-lady-146541513/.
18) Miss Virginia Hall, U.S. Army, 3/24/2014, https://www.army.mil/article/121984/miss_virginia_hall.
19) Virginia Hall's critical role as an American Spy, WBALTV 11, 11/22/2015, https://www.wbaltv.com/article/virginia-halls-critical-role-as-an-american-spy/6941739.
20) Virginia Hall, The Historical Marker Database, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=199023.
21) Defying Odds with Invisible Wings: Virginia Hall's Story, The Butterfly Bulletin, https://www.ironbutterflymedia.com/bulletin/blog-post-title-two-d8bzp.
22) Library Articles of Interest: Virginia Hall, Rotary eClub of the State of Jefferson (D5110), Oregon & California, USA, https://stateofjeffersonrotary.org/library/programs-1/2467-virginia-hall.html.
Main resources for my latest "Campfire Story of Resistance & Resilience: The Story of Virginia Hall, 'The Limping Lady' from Baltimore:"
1) Purnell, S. A (2019). A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, Penguin Bools.
2) Virginia Hall, The National Archives, https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/virginia-hall/.
3) 'A Woman of No Importance' Finally Gets Her Due, NPR, 4/18/2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/711356336/a-woman-of-no-importance-finally-gets-her-due.
4) Not Bad for a Girl from Baltimore: The Story of Virginia Hall, U.S. Embassy in Estonia, https://ee.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/207/Not-Bad-for-a-Girl-from-Baltimore.pdf.
5) 1945: Virginia Hall, 'The Limping Lady,' Courageous WWII Resistance Organizer, Intel.gov, https://www.intelligence.gov/people/barrier-breakers-in-history/662-1945-virginia-hall.
6) Virginia Hall: The Courage and Daring of "The Limping Lady," Central Intelligence Agency, Stories, 6/29/2017, https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/virginia-hall-the-courage-and-daring-of-the-limping-lady/.
7) Faces of Defense Intelligence: Virginia Hall - "The Limping Lady," Defense Intelligence Agency News, 10/26/2016, https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/988284/faces-of-defense-intelligence-virginia-hall-the-limping-lady/.
I know this story! So glad you tell it.
Thanks! They read Sonia Purnell’s book about her in my book club before I started with them. I actually learned about her, and some other incredible resistance heroines and heroes I’d never heard of before, in an amazing Holocaust Month Observance at my last agency, the SSA, whose employees are now so frantic with worry about the breach and release of the very data they’re so taught to protect and hold dear, before such observances were shut down after the new administration under Trump 1.0 came in.
Very cool and love you overall subject matter - I’m subscribing!
Thanks, she’s one of my all-time favorite heroines of resistance—can you tell? I lived in Baltimore for over 20 years until recently, and learned about her during a Holocaust Month observation at my last agency—before such things were shut down for a while under the Trump 1.0 Administration. In many ways my Campfire Stories are like a secret code for what I’ve done over the course of my last 20-some odd years, in work, in the community and life, and definitely what I’m looking to do for however much remains of the rest of it—for me, and the rest of us! I don’t have that much faith in a timeline for how long any of us, our country od our planet has, quite frankly, given how things are going—but then again, against all odds and what she risked and faced, Virginia somehow lived to be a pretty hale old age, and she faced darker times and circumstances, than those yet present, I think! And wound up to live where I now do, in Rockville, Maryland, as her final resting place! I’ll finally need to start visiting that, and some of the other places she was known to live and frequent, around the area, this year. I’m looking to find, recruit and build a community and network of effective resisters and strategizers now, like she did. Besides virtual, maybe I can start using some of the places she lived and frequented, as meet up locales, for those in the DC/ Maryland/VA area. It’s a nice idea, kind of life a Virginia Hall pilgrimage, something I’ve thought about before, but not to this purpose. I don’t have anywhere near Virginia’s athletic or linguistic ability, and likely not anywhere near her brilliance. But I do have a Rosetta Stone subscription and help facilitate language access, and I like to think I can be inspired by her creativity, and moxie! I’ve been able to do some things in the past, I never thought I could, generally when I was able to attracf enough people with far more creativity, talent, and ideas with which to create and collaborate with in community-related, artistic, environmental and socially minded events and projects. I do have a low enough profile, and unobtrusive enough appearance, to sort of “hide in plain sight” and fall under the radar, at least for a while, while working on this one, as she did.
This is fascinating. I applaud you for finding it, putting it together and sharing it. As a former journalist, I can say that too often the heroics of 'invisible' people -- usually women -- in crises or war were and are often neglected or omitted in broad brush stories that generalize the progress or resolution of the event. Thank goodness for historians.
By the way, when did she die? Or did I miss that?
gg
Hi, thanks so much! Virginia has been one of my biggest resistance heroines, and really one of my favorite heroines ever, since I learned about her at a Holocaust Month observation I participated in at my last agency, in Woodlawn, MD (i.e. Baltimore County), maybe about 7-8 years ago, before such types of observances were discontinued after Andrew Saul came in under the Trump 1.0 administration, and not too long before the pandemic too. Quite a few of my coworkers were involved in researching people for that observation and they really did a great job in finding her, and some other heroes and heroines of WWII resistance I had not known about. She died in 1982 at the hale old age of 79, in the county where I now live (I lived about 20 years in Baltimore and for a certain number of those years, was pretty active in promoting pretty much anything positive, artistic, creative, environmental and grassroots in Baltimore, and networking with a bunch of folks there to do a lot of creative projects, too). A lot of what I know about her, and I think what a lot of journalists know about her, is from reading Sonia Purnell’s book—there’ve been some others but I know she did an amazing amount of research, so much of it related to classified material, too. It’s a great book, if you get the chance. If you don’t mind restacking the article with a comment and/or recommending the publication, I’d appreciate that! I really started the blog not just to start writing the stories and kinds of stories I’ve always wanted to write (and try to turn myself into a “real writer” finally!), but especially to try to attract as many creative, smart, concerned people as I can, so we can start sharing and brainstorming stories, strategies and tools of resistance. So the more subscribers I can get, the more I can do with my subscriber list, in service of saving democracy and the Republic with others, you might say. :) Cheers!
There is so so much to your response. As powerful as Virginia's story. Will gladly restack to see if we can bring you more audience. I will leave it on my screen and use it in the Sarah Fay Notes Bonanza on Fridays. See if we can get you a variety of people.
Peace to you.
gg
Thank you! I’ve been building relationships with some others and cross promotional things, too, it just takes a lot of time and work, and I’ll ultimately need to get back to the researching and writing stories part, as well. And I’m planning to march at the People’s March Saturday, and need to get ready for that.
good luck with the march.
Thanks! Yeah, I need to get to work on my sign, soon.
Jamie Raskin was my law professor, btw, and now that I moved to Virginia Hall’s last place of residence in March last year, he’s my congressman, too. I marched with his contingent in the Thanksgiving parade, and did show it to him when it was pretty brand new (no Virginia Hall story, then). He said he supported it. Sooner or later, I want to write about him, too; he’s one of my biggest heroes of resistance.