Helms rose through the ranks to become the first career spy to head the CIA. After being appointed by then President Johnson, Helms led the agency through some of its most interesting, and troubled, times. Helms, a self-effacing spook who shunned the limelight, believed deeply in the service and its mission, but was aware of how it was perceived. "Let's face it," he once said, "The American people want an effective, strong intelligence operation. They just don't want to hear too much about it."
Passage: Richard Helms, 89
Helms rose through the ranks to become the first career spy to head the CIA. After being appointed by then President Johnson, Helms led the agency through some of its most interesting, and troubled, times. Helms, a self-effacing spook who shunned the limelight, believed deeply in the service and its mission, but was aware of how it was perceived. "Let's face it," he once said, "The American people want an effective, strong intelligence operation. They just don't want to hear too much about it."
