Age, Biography and Wiki

Peer de Silva was born on 26 June, 1917 in San Francisco, California, is a CIA station chief (1917–1978). Discover Peer de Silva's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 61 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 61 years old
Zodiac Sign Cancer
Born 26 June, 1917
Birthday 26 June
Birthplace San Francisco, California
Date of death 1978
Died Place Great Falls, Virginia
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 26 June. He is a member of famous with the age 61 years old group.

Peer de Silva Height, Weight & Measurements

At 61 years old, Peer de Silva height not available right now. We will update Peer de Silva's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

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Peer de Silva Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Peer de Silva worth at the age of 61 years old? Peer de Silva’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from United States. We have estimated Peer de Silva's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
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1917

Peer de Silva (June 26, 1917 – August 13, 1978) was a station chief in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Peer de Silva was born in San Francisco, California, on June 26, 1917.

1941

A 1941 West Point graduate, during World War II he served as an Army officer providing security for the Manhattan Engineer District; this undercover project sought to build the first atomic bomb.

After the war, he joined a pre-CIA military intelligence unit.

Then, having learned Russian, he worked in central Europe, frequently traveling to Moscow.

Resigning from the Army, he rose within CIA ranks, becoming a chief of station (COS).

He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating 321st in the class of 1941.

1942

Posted to Military Intelligence, in 1942 he completed the Army's advanced school for the counterintelligence corps.

Then serving as an Army officer in charge of security, he provided protection for scientists and technicians in the Manhattan Project.

He personally escorted the plutonium hemispheres that formed the core of the Fat Man nuclear weapon to Tinian, the island in the western Pacific from which the raid on Nagasaki was staged.

On the island, only hours before Bockscar took off for Japan, the hemispheres—called the "pit", on analogy with the seed of a stonefruit—were inserted into the center of their nuclear weapon.

Following the surrender of Japan, he accompanied a team of Manhattan Project scientists who conducted the radiological survey and compiled the final damage report on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1945

In October, 1945 he returned to Washington, D.C., for reassignment in the War Department.

For his service with the Manhattan Project, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

The OSS, the major American foreign intelligence agency during World War II, interested de Silva.

Although the OSS had been abolished in late 1945, core OSS functions were absorbed by a new military unit in the War Department: the SSU.

It was headed by General John Magruder, formerly a deputy director of the OSS.

1946

In 1946 de Silva obtained a transfer to begin his study of Russian; it continued in Germany at a school taught by Russian émigrés.

1947

In 1947 these core functions were folded into the newly created Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

In the meantime, General Leslie Groves of the Manhattan Engineer District had agreed to transfer de Silva.

At SSU, General Magruder assigned de Silva to "X-2" the counterintelligence section, in the new Cold War climate.

Then at CIA de Silva, still in the Army, though working under Richard Helms, performed the delicate task of vetting former OSS agents, especially European refugees with "murky" backgrounds.

De Silva had seen first hand the assault by Soviet espionage on the Manhattan project.

An assignment to Europe was considered for de Silva, to counter Soviet attempts at malappropriation of scientific information.

An opportunity arose, however, for Russian language instruction at Columbia University, in a 3-year Army program.

1948

In mid-1948 he was sent to Allied-occupied Austria.

There he minded an unpleasant Russian colonel permitted to travel widely in the American zone, in order to speak with displaced persons; the Soviet offered them return to the USSR, a very unpopular option.

1956

He first held such rank in Vienna, 1956–1959.

He next led the CIA station at the American Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, where he played a role in two major events.

1960

First was the democratic April Revolution in 1960.

1961

Yet in 1961 a successful May coup d'état installed General Pak Chung Hee (head of state, 1961–1979).

De Silva then was assigned to Hong Kong as COS.

1963

Following the November 1963 military overthrow of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem (head of state, 1954–1963), President Johnson personally ratified de Silva as the CIA's new Chief of Station in Saigon.

He quickly came to view the Vietnam War as political.

He then advocated a counterinsurgency strategy, and took an active role in fostering such programs.

1965

The Viet Cong bombed the American Embassy in March 1965; the blast badly wounded de Silva.

After an initial recovery, he returned to his post.

For a year de Silva served as the Director's first Vietnam expert (SAVA) at CIA headquarters in Virginia.

1966

However, he asked to be sent back to Southeast Asia, and arrived as COS in Bangkok in 1966.

1972

His last CIA assignment was to Canberra, Australia, where he served again as COS, until 1972.