Located along the sidewalk and right in front of a playground, it blends in perfectly with the ground and is often obscured by dirt or leaves. Historical plaques are common throughout the area, but this one is unique not only for its placement but also its inscription denoting the location of the secret headquarters for the Counterintelligence Corps during the Second World War.
The CIC was formed in late December 1941 shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was a renaming of the earlier Corps of Intelligence Police founded in 1917. The CIC performed intelligence duties both in the US and abroad recruiting specially trained agents for espionage, surveillance, interrogation, and translation. The organization worked closely with the FBI and the Provost Marshal General conducting background checks on individuals who had access to classified information and also on US citizens of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry. The CIC also provided security and acted as couriers during the Manhattan Project.
After the war, the CIC was involved in various Cold War projects such as Operation Paperclip recruiting German rocket scientists and Project Happiness to recruit former Gestapo and SD members to infiltrate Communist East Germany. The organization had a very diverse membership with people from many different backgrounds such as politicians, musicians, artists, writers, and scientists. Some notable members include novelist JD Salinger, Mayor of Boston John F. Collins, future Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and film producer Gene Gutowski. The CIC was gradually superseded and replaced by other intelligence agencies in the 1960s and many of its duties are performed today by its descendent, the United States Army Counterintelligence.
The plaque was installed in 1995 by the Town of Brookline Veterans’ Services and its location being well camouflaged and easy to miss is certainly very fitting for the secretive organization. Definitely worth taking a look if you have an interest in World War II and espionage history.