Honor Bound series
Encyclopedia
The Honor Bound series is a World War II
thriller series by W.E.B. Griffin, with the latest three books co-authored by William E. Butterworth IV (Griffin's son). The series takes place mostly in Argentina
, but also deals with internal struggles within the Nazi Party as the war escalates. Griffin based the events in the books partially on historical events, and relies heavily on his own connections and experiences in Argentina to flesh out the story.
and is being sent home to participate in a war bonds tour. However, when he reaches the States, he is approached and recruited into the OSS by Colonel Graham. His mission is twofold; posing as an employee of Howell Petroleum, he and his team will attempt to sink the Reine de la Mer, a German replenishment ship posing as a neutral freighter; he will also try to reestablish contact with his estranged father, who is among the most powerful men in Argentina and is the architect of the impending military coup to overthrow the sitting President. His team members are Tony Pelosi (demolitions) and David Ettinger (radioman).
Ettinger discovers from Jewish refugees living in and around Buenos Aires that the Nazis are ransoming Jews in concentration camps, accepting bribe money from their overseas families for their safe passage out of Germany. The OSS orders the team to verify this information.
Meanwhile, Hans-Peter von Wachtstein, a young Luftwaffe pilot, is selected to escort the remains of the late Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte back to Argentina. A neutral observer attached to the Eastern Front, Duarte was flying a Fieseler Storch against the rules of neutral observation and was shot down. Peter's father, a Generalleutnant in the Army staff, reveals that he is one of a group of officers that is duty-bound to pursue the removal of Adolf Hitler. To this end he sends considerable amounts of money with Peter as he escorts the casket to Argentina. Peter meets Juan Perón
, who introduces him to the Duartes and their extended family.
Relations between Cletus and his host, Enrico Mallín, are strained, and become even worse when Mallin's daughter, Dorotea, takes an obvious liking to Cletus. Cletus meets his father at long last, and his father is finally able to explain that he did not abandon Cletus willfully; he was prevented from entering the US by Cletus' grandfather. Frade insists that Cletus move out of the Mallín home and into his guest house. Coincidentally, Capitan Duarte's mother, Beatrice, has already sent Peter von Wachtstein to stay there. An awkward moment between two opposing officers turns into a truce, as they find they have more in common with each other than anyone else in Buenos Aires, and they become fast friends. Later, when Cletus's assassination is ordered, Peter warns him, and Cletus is able to defend himself and kill his attackers, but not before they kill the maid, Enrico Rodríguez's sister.
Cletus and his team are able to identify the replenishment ship, but they realize that there is no way to accomplish their mission without getting killed — the ship is obviously well-armed. When the local OSS station chief accuses him of cowardice, it is only the arrival of the destroyer USS Alfred Thomas and the intervention of Colonel Graham that save the mission. The OSS team is augmented by Chief Petty Officer Oscar Schultz, the ship's chief radioman, who deliberately misses the boat when the Thomas sails. Cletus and his team devise a plan to illuminate the Reine de la Mer at nighttime using incendiary devices dropped from a plane (which Cletus is flying, and from which Pelosi is dropping the incendiaries). This allows a hidden US submarine to enter the bay and destroy the replenishment ship, as well as a U-boat alongside her. Cletus and Pelosi are shot down but are promptly rescued.
Meanwhile, the officers allied with el Coronel Frade are panicked, for among the belongings passing to Cletus Frade is the operations order for Esquema Azul (Outline Blue), the planned military coup of the Argentine Government. They contact Cletus and are relieved when he willingly passes it to them.
Cletus finds himself tasked with two difficult missions — infiltrate a second OSS team and their radar set from Brazil; and fly an airplane (a Lockheed Lodestar
) that he has never flown before from Brazil to Argentina for the use of the rebelling officers.
Peter von Wachtstein stumbles upon the ransoming operation from his end and is definitely able to confirm to Cletus and the OSS that it exists. Ettinger decides to investigate further and is assassinated, making von Wachtstein the only source of information on the ransoming scheme. Peter finds out that the money is part of Operation Phoenix, the plan to hide high-ranking Nazis in South America should the Third Reich fall. He also finds out that several officers with access to the "special fund" are using it for personal gain instead, which further revolts him. He decides to reveal to Cletus Frade where a shipment of money is being landed from the new replenishment ship; Cletus dispatches one of the new OSS team's men with a camera to document the landing, and sends Enrico Rodríguez and another retired cavalry sergeant to guard him. However, Enrico recognizes the Germans who ordered the death of el Coronel Frade and his sister on the beach and shoots them both dead, intentionally barely missing Peter von Wachtstein.
The military coup proceeds as planned (however accelerated due to el Coronel Frade's death) and Arturo Rawson
becomes the new President of Argentina, with no small help from Cletus Frade.
, reveals to him that he knows he is the traitor, and directs him to commit suicide by crashing his plane, thereby sparing his father suspicion and possibly death. However, when it is revealed to Boltitz by Ambassador von Lutzenberg that he and Peter share the confidence of Vizeadmiral Canaris, Peter's life is spared.
Cletus Frade and Dorotea Mallín are married, and it turns into a grand affair that encompasses most of Argentine society.
Colonel Graham then reveals to Cletus that the President and "Wild Bill" Donovan would like Cletus to set up a civilian airline in Argentina, using surplus aircraft from the Army Air Corps
. Donovan hopes the assets of the airline will be available for OSS use; Cletus Frade suspects the President is trying to put pressure on Pan American-Grace Airways
, which has a near monopoly on South American air travel. He nevertheless is able to form the airline in relatively short order, but staffs it with Argentine pilots and staff under pressure from the Argentine government, which makes it unlikely to be usable by the OSS.
The German commercial attache to the Buenos Aires embassy, Wilhelm Frogger, and his wife desert their post when ordered back to Germany. They pass into Cletus Frade's control, and he smuggles them to a small estancia in the mountains. It turns out that their son, a captured Afrikakorps lieutenant colonel, may have information on the plot to eliminate Hitler. Cletus travels to the States (under guise of acquiring Air Transport Ratings
for himself and his pilots) and is key in getting Oberstleutnant Frogger to cooperate with his American captors.
Peter von Wachtstein, still under suspicion of being a double agent, is recruited to assist in the landing of yet another shipment of money for Operation Phoenix. Although he is carefully watched during the entire operation and cannot slip away to notify Cletus, he does make note of the fact that Argentine mountain troops appear to be assisting the Nazis who deliver the shipment. He relates this to Cletus afterward.
Later, when the mountain estancia is attacked and it seems the Froggers were killed, Enrico Rodríguez reveals that he spirited them away safely. He also provides photographic evidence that Juan Perón led Argentine mountain troops and Nazi troops to the estancia to kill the Froggers. This, coupled with other evidence, leads Cletus Frade to confront Perón and threaten to out him in front of the rest of the Argentine officer corps should the Nazis take any action against him or his family.
The German Embassy in Buenos Aires is still reeling from the implications of the defection of the Froggers. A senior SS operative, Brigadeführer-SS Manfred von Deitzberg, who took part in the previous investigations into the mysterious killings, returns to Argentina, in part to locate the Froggers, in part to continue to uncover the traitor or traitors in the Embassy, and finally to continue work on the plan to relocate Nazi leadership to Argentina in the event of setbacks on the European front. Meanwhile, back in Europe, the plan to eliminate Hitler (referred to as Operation Valkyrie
), secretly picks up speed, even as the Nazis plan and execute the rescue of Benito Mussolini.
In Portugal, Graham and Allen Dulles
, Graham's OSS counterpart in Europe, meet with Canaris' deputy, who offers the services of Oberstleutnant Reinhard Gehlen
, who has been collecting intelligence on the Russians, and is willing to share it with the Americans in exchange for American assistance in relocating his men and their families to Argentina, in the same way the Nazi party leadership envisions.
Cletus Frade is forced to move his operations to an estancia in Mendoza Province after the German commercial attache's wife becomes mentally unstable and violent. He then takes delivery of three Lockheed Constellation
s for his airline, and flies one to Portugal, where he picks up two of Gehlen's officers disguised as clergy and returns with them and their families to Argentina. Only later does he realize that one is a Nazi true believer, who Gehlen sent to Argentina to distance him from Operation Valkyrie.
The political and military situation in Argentina is escalating, as Perón, the German-sympathizing commander of the mountain regiment, and the Germans in the Embassy plan armed incursion against Cletus Frade, and Coronel Martin, the head of the Argentine Gendarmeria, and President Rawson choose to ally themselves with Frade, while not wishing to plunge Argentina into civil war. Von Deitzberg makes moves to acquire the bulk of the illicit funds from ransoming Jews from Germany, but unexpectedly encounters the other officer Gehlen sent to Argentina, who recognizes him and eliminates him. It is strongly hinted that Perón and his paramour, Evita, come into possession of a large portion of this money.
As the situation intensifies, Dorotea gives birth to a healthy boy, just as Cletus prepares to accompany President Rawson to confront the commander of the mountain regiment, who is leading his unit towards the estancia. The commander and his deputies attempt to assassinate the President, but Cletus kills them instead, averting a coup d'état. The President then deliberates on how best to deal with Perón.
seems determined to uncover the Gehlen personnel that Clete has been smuggling out of Europe via his airline, potentially compromising all the intelligence they have so far provided concerning Soviet Russia, especially their agents who have penetrated the Manhattan Project
. Dulles, Graham and Clete have agreed to keep the Gehlen smuggling operation secret from Donovan or the President for fear of compromise to the Soviets, despite the fact that they all are outside the chain of command and risking their careers (in what could be potentially called treason).
Forces are set into motion to assume control of the OSS, and specifically Clete's operations, and Clete himself is cornered into returning to the US and appears to be headed for court-martial. However, President Truman reveals to Clete that he has decided to revive the OSS as the CIA
, and will be taking a much more aggressive stance towards the Soviets than his predecessor. Clete is given presidential direction to continue the Gehlen smuggling operation in Argentina without assistance until the CIA is fully formed and able to assume guidance of him.
to the States, ostensibly to join a war bonds tour. However, he is approached by Colonel Alejandro Fredrico Graham to join the OSS
due to the fact that his estranged father is one of the most powerful men in Argentina.
Cletus's father, el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade, fell in love with the daughter of oil magnate Cletus Marcus Howell on a trip to the United States, and married her. Their one child, Cletus Howell Frade, was born following a difficult pregnancy. Against doctor's orders, she became pregnant again, killing her; Mr. Howell blamed el Coronel Frade for her death and engineered his expulsion from the United States. Cletus was raised by his uncle and aunt, Jim and Martha Howell, on their ranch in Texas, never again meeting his father until his recruitment in the OSS.
Cletus is placed in charge of an OSS team, whose mission in Argentina is to destroy a ship replenishing German U-boats
in Argentine waters. His rekindled relationship with his father assists him in the completion of that mission. When his father is killed by order of the Germans, Cletus inherits his estate and gradually becomes a prominent, powerful member of Argentine society, while still serving covertly as an OSS operative. He also meets and marries Dorotea Mallín, the daughter of one of his grandfather's business associates in Argentina, and in the fifth novel of the series, fathers a child by her.
Frade attended Texas A&M University
and Tulane University
. His OSS codename is "Tex".
pilot who previously served in the Condor Legion
during the Spanish Civil War
and therefore speaks Spanish. He is a baron
, son to Generalleutnant Graf (Count
) Karl-Friedrich von Wachtstein, who serves on the staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
. He is also the holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
("awarded by der Führer himself"), and is an unabashed ladies' man. When he is selected to escort to Argentina the remains of the late Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte (who happens to be Cletus Frade's cousin), his father confides in him that the only hope for the German aristocracy to survive postwar is to assassinate Adolf Hitler
.
From this moment on, Peter's duty as an officer and gentleman who is honor-bound to serve Germany, and not the Nazi regime, continually collides with the reality of operating under constant Nazi control and scrutiny. He meets and befriends Cletus Frade in Argentina, despite their status as opposing officers, and ends up warning Cletus of an attempt on his life. Cletus then assists Peter in moving the Graf's money to Argentinian bank accounts. This leads to Peter becoming Cletus's single most valuable source in the German embassy in Argentina, code-named "Galahad". Despite his lineage and heroic service record, he falls under suspicion of being a traitor.
Peter falls in love with and marries Alicia Carzino-Cormano near the end of Secret Honor, despite his misgivings that his double agent
status will very probably lead to his execution. In the two subsequent novels he is treated more as a supporting character, as the series focuses more closely on Cletus. He resurfaces in Victory and Honor as a POW in the US, where he fled after the failure of Operation Valkyrie and the fall of Nazi Germany. He accompanies Clete to Germany on a subsequent mission and insists on infiltrating into Russian-held Pomerania to locate his father's remains and locate his remaining family. Despite what appear to be monumental odds of him surviving this ordeal, he does, and is able to return to Argentina, Alicia, and his new child. Based on eyewitness reports of his father's execution, he ascends to the title of Graf von Wachstein, and Alicia becomes the new Grafin (or Countess).
(Hans-Peter's title is a case of the authors confusing the British System of Peerages, with German titles. In Germany nobility and titles (except for most reigning titles) were always inherited equally by all legitimate descendants of a nobleman. Hence Peter would always have been a Graf (Count) rather than a Freiherr (Baron)).
by radar to detect German replenishment ships or submarines. Ashton is later exfiltrated to Brazil
and returns officially as a military attache to the embassy in Buenos Aires
.
Despite his very American-sounding name, Ashton is actually half-Cuban and speaks Spanish fluently. He is by his own admission not a brave man, and abhors the thought of parachuting behind the lines or infiltrating Argentina by rubber boat.
under Wilhelm Canaris
. Originally sent to assist in the investigation of a traitor in the German Embassy in Buenos Aires, he realizes that his loyalties do not lie with the Nazi regime and allies himself with Peter von Wachtstein after he discovers that he is a double agent. In Death and Honor he is reassigned as the naval attache in Buenos Aires, with a promotion to Kapitän zur See. In OSS communications his codename is "Popeye
", later "Johnpaul" (as of The Honor Of Spies), in reference to John Paul Jones
. In Victory and Honor it is revealed that he is in a serious relationship with Clete's sister, Beth.
, head of the SS. Von Deitzberg's family fell from aristocratic privilege following reparations after World War I; consequently, he sought rapid promotion by transferring from the Wehrmacht to the SS (in The Honor Of Spies, this is retconned to suggest he was transferred for misconduct). He became involved in the illicit ransoming of Jews to escape Germany, and the diversion of those funds for personal use. He is seconded back to the Wehrmacht in the uniform of a Generalmajor to investigate the shooting of German Embassy officials and to uncover the traitor in the Buenos Aires embassy. He returns later under cover to personally oversee the preparation of safe havens for Nazi leaders in Argentina. While performing these missions, he makes moves to take sole possession of the illicit ransoming funds, but is eliminated. It is strongly hinted that Coronel Juan Perón assumes possession of a great deal of this money subsequently.
, as well as interests in vineyards, radio stations, and various other enterprises. He is at first sympathetic to the Germans, having attended the Kriegsschule
while in the service, but his reunion with his son, who is a serving officer in the US Marine Corps and the OSS, tilts him towards the Americans. He substantially aids his son in his mission to sink a German submarine replenishment ship, for which he is targeted for assassination by the Germans. His death has the unintended effect of turning much of the Argentine officer corps against the Germans (with the conspicuous exception of Coronel Juan Domingo Perón), and accelerates the military coup against the sitting president, Ramon Castillo
. After his death, his estate is inherited completely by Cletus Frade.
and speaks fluent Spanish. He is identified in Death and Honor as one of two OSS officers to whom Donovan would potentially pass leadership of the OSS.
Several times during the series, when Graham, Donovan, or other people are considering taking disciplinary action against Cletus, they are at least mindful of the fact that Mr. Howell is a very prominent businessman, with senators, newspaper owners, and other important people in his social circle, and probably would bring his considerable influence to bear in protecting Cletus.
Special agent In Charge in Argentina. A middle-aged man who has the appearance of a banker or lawyer, Milton is in fact a highly skilled intelligence operative. Despite the turf war between the OSS and FBI in the Western Hemisphere, he and Cletus Frade often find themselves comparing notes and sharing information. He is referred to by Cletus Frade in OSS communications as "Hoover".
officer, he finds his duties to be sometimes repugnant and his subordinates at times incompetent. He sides with el Coronel Frade and the military coup, and is promoted to Coronel and retained in service at the BIS following the takeover. He is more or less aware of Cletus Frade's true status and purpose in Argentina, but for the most part does not interfere with his operations, since he himself is pro-Allies and anti-German. However, Cletus is acutely aware that if and when Martín decides that the OSS presence in Argentina does not coincide with the best interests of Argentina, he will take swift action. Frade refers to him as "Cavalry" in OSS communications, but protects his identity. He refers to him as "Jedgar", in reference to J. Edgar Hoover
when he is not quoting him as an intelligence source (as of The Honor Of Spies).
As often happens with Griffin's many series written over long periods of time, Martín's first name is subject to a continuity error: it was originally Bernando, but changed to Alejandro over the course of the series.
) of the Húsares de Puerryrredón, the elite cavalry
formation of the Argentine Army. His complete devotion to el Coronel Frade resulted in him being shot and left for dead during el Coronel Frade's assassination. This, coupled with the death of his sister at the hands of the Germans, has left him deeply committed to killing as many Nazis as he can find, and protecting Cletus and Dorotea, even if it meant his death. He personally avenged his sister and el Coronel Frade when he shot two high-ranking Nazi officers in Blood and Honor, led the counterattack against a raiding party of SS troops in Death and Honor, and is depicted as a well-connected and resourceful old soldier with many friends throughout the Argentine military and the late Coronel Frade's many organizations. In later books he often takes command of ad hoc paramilitary units composed of military veterans who have found employment with the Frade businesses in order to assist Clete and his team in their missions.
While Enrico appears to be slow and sleepy to the uninformed observer, he is usually heavily armed, quite difficult to fool, and usually has a piece or two of sage advice to keep Cletus out of harm's way, and in fact is a highly skilled and experienced combat soldier. His presence near Cletus is a near given; many times he has pointed out that anyone who did not see him at Cletus's side might presume that some treachery was afoot.
platoon leader from the 82nd Airborne Division, Pelosi signed up for the OSS when it became clear to him that engineer work in the Army did not match up to his previous experience in civilian life as a salvage and demolitions contractor. He is selected to join Cletus Frade's team for his explosives knowledge, as one possible way to sink a suspected German submarine replenishment ship. The Navy and OSS instructors assigned to teach him military explosives are amazed at his skill in the subject matter. However, he instead ends up constructing incendiary devices so that an American submarine can locate and sink the ship at night. He is subsequently reassigned as an attache to the embassy in Buenos Aires, while covertly continuing to serve on Cletus's OSS team. He becomes involved with an Italian-Argentine girl, who turns out to be Enrico Mallin's mistress; she ends up marrying him sometime between Secret Honor and Death and Honor.
, hundreds of which work and live on Cletus Frade's estancia. However, he is frightened of horses, instead choosing to ride in one of the estate's ancient Model T trucks. In Death and Honor he is given a battlefield commission in the Naval Reserve and promoted to Lieutenant.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
thriller series by W.E.B. Griffin, with the latest three books co-authored by William E. Butterworth IV (Griffin's son). The series takes place mostly in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, but also deals with internal struggles within the Nazi Party as the war escalates. Griffin based the events in the books partially on historical events, and relies heavily on his own connections and experiences in Argentina to flesh out the story.
Honor Bound (1993)
Cletus Frade returns from a flying sortie on Guadalcanal and crashlands. After he recovers, he learns he has been awarded the Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
and is being sent home to participate in a war bonds tour. However, when he reaches the States, he is approached and recruited into the OSS by Colonel Graham. His mission is twofold; posing as an employee of Howell Petroleum, he and his team will attempt to sink the Reine de la Mer, a German replenishment ship posing as a neutral freighter; he will also try to reestablish contact with his estranged father, who is among the most powerful men in Argentina and is the architect of the impending military coup to overthrow the sitting President. His team members are Tony Pelosi (demolitions) and David Ettinger (radioman).
Ettinger discovers from Jewish refugees living in and around Buenos Aires that the Nazis are ransoming Jews in concentration camps, accepting bribe money from their overseas families for their safe passage out of Germany. The OSS orders the team to verify this information.
Meanwhile, Hans-Peter von Wachtstein, a young Luftwaffe pilot, is selected to escort the remains of the late Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte back to Argentina. A neutral observer attached to the Eastern Front, Duarte was flying a Fieseler Storch against the rules of neutral observation and was shot down. Peter's father, a Generalleutnant in the Army staff, reveals that he is one of a group of officers that is duty-bound to pursue the removal of Adolf Hitler. To this end he sends considerable amounts of money with Peter as he escorts the casket to Argentina. Peter meets Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
, who introduces him to the Duartes and their extended family.
Relations between Cletus and his host, Enrico Mallín, are strained, and become even worse when Mallin's daughter, Dorotea, takes an obvious liking to Cletus. Cletus meets his father at long last, and his father is finally able to explain that he did not abandon Cletus willfully; he was prevented from entering the US by Cletus' grandfather. Frade insists that Cletus move out of the Mallín home and into his guest house. Coincidentally, Capitan Duarte's mother, Beatrice, has already sent Peter von Wachtstein to stay there. An awkward moment between two opposing officers turns into a truce, as they find they have more in common with each other than anyone else in Buenos Aires, and they become fast friends. Later, when Cletus's assassination is ordered, Peter warns him, and Cletus is able to defend himself and kill his attackers, but not before they kill the maid, Enrico Rodríguez's sister.
Cletus and his team are able to identify the replenishment ship, but they realize that there is no way to accomplish their mission without getting killed — the ship is obviously well-armed. When the local OSS station chief accuses him of cowardice, it is only the arrival of the destroyer USS Alfred Thomas and the intervention of Colonel Graham that save the mission. The OSS team is augmented by Chief Petty Officer Oscar Schultz, the ship's chief radioman, who deliberately misses the boat when the Thomas sails. Cletus and his team devise a plan to illuminate the Reine de la Mer at nighttime using incendiary devices dropped from a plane (which Cletus is flying, and from which Pelosi is dropping the incendiaries). This allows a hidden US submarine to enter the bay and destroy the replenishment ship, as well as a U-boat alongside her. Cletus and Pelosi are shot down but are promptly rescued.
Blood and Honor (1996)
On leave at his grandfather's house in New Orleans, Cletus Frade is contacted by Colonel Graham and informed that his father has been assassinated. Instead of returning to Argentina as a naval attache in uniform, he will assume the cover story of having been discharged from the Marine Corps in order to claim his inheritance. When he does return to Argentina and begin to make preparations for his father's funeral, he discovers that as a result of one of their very few trysts, Dorotea is pregnant.Meanwhile, the officers allied with el Coronel Frade are panicked, for among the belongings passing to Cletus Frade is the operations order for Esquema Azul (Outline Blue), the planned military coup of the Argentine Government. They contact Cletus and are relieved when he willingly passes it to them.
Cletus finds himself tasked with two difficult missions — infiltrate a second OSS team and their radar set from Brazil; and fly an airplane (a Lockheed Lodestar
Lockheed Lodestar
The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
) that he has never flown before from Brazil to Argentina for the use of the rebelling officers.
Peter von Wachtstein stumbles upon the ransoming operation from his end and is definitely able to confirm to Cletus and the OSS that it exists. Ettinger decides to investigate further and is assassinated, making von Wachtstein the only source of information on the ransoming scheme. Peter finds out that the money is part of Operation Phoenix, the plan to hide high-ranking Nazis in South America should the Third Reich fall. He also finds out that several officers with access to the "special fund" are using it for personal gain instead, which further revolts him. He decides to reveal to Cletus Frade where a shipment of money is being landed from the new replenishment ship; Cletus dispatches one of the new OSS team's men with a camera to document the landing, and sends Enrico Rodríguez and another retired cavalry sergeant to guard him. However, Enrico recognizes the Germans who ordered the death of el Coronel Frade and his sister on the beach and shoots them both dead, intentionally barely missing Peter von Wachtstein.
The military coup proceeds as planned (however accelerated due to el Coronel Frade's death) and Arturo Rawson
Arturo Rawson
Arturo Rawson was the President of Argentina from June 4, 1943 to June 7, 1943.-Biography:Born in Santiago del Estero, Rawson attended Argentina’s Military College, which he graduated from in 1907 and subsequently taught at for a time. Rawson rose through the ranks of the Argentine Army and was...
becomes the new President of Argentina, with no small help from Cletus Frade.
Secret Honor (1999)
The Nazi regime decides to investigate the killings of their operatives in Argentina; it seems possible that there is a double agent in the German embassy. Peter is among those singled out for suspicion and is ordered back to Germany. While in Germany, he is reunited with his father and with his old friend Claus von Stauffenberg, who relates to him the plan to eliminate Adolf Hitler. Peter is ordered back to Argentina when it becomes apparent that he has gotten Alicia Carzina-Cormano pregnant. When Peter returns, one of the investigators, Korvettenkapitän Karl Boltitz of the AbwehrAbwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
, reveals to him that he knows he is the traitor, and directs him to commit suicide by crashing his plane, thereby sparing his father suspicion and possibly death. However, when it is revealed to Boltitz by Ambassador von Lutzenberg that he and Peter share the confidence of Vizeadmiral Canaris, Peter's life is spared.
Cletus Frade and Dorotea Mallín are married, and it turns into a grand affair that encompasses most of Argentine society.
Death and Honor (2008) (with William E. Butterworth IV)
Peter von Wachtstein reveals to Cletus Frade that Korvettenkapitän Boltitz is now "one of them", and furthermore that Canaris, head of the Abwehr, is confirmed to be unsympathetic to the Nazi cause. Cletus requests that Colonel Graham visit him personally in Argentina to impart this new information, which confirms information developed in Europe.Colonel Graham then reveals to Cletus that the President and "Wild Bill" Donovan would like Cletus to set up a civilian airline in Argentina, using surplus aircraft from the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. Donovan hopes the assets of the airline will be available for OSS use; Cletus Frade suspects the President is trying to put pressure on Pan American-Grace Airways
Pan American-Grace Airways
Pan American-Grace Airways, better known as Panagra, was an airline formed as a joint venture between Pan American World Airways and Grace Shipping Company.-History:...
, which has a near monopoly on South American air travel. He nevertheless is able to form the airline in relatively short order, but staffs it with Argentine pilots and staff under pressure from the Argentine government, which makes it unlikely to be usable by the OSS.
The German commercial attache to the Buenos Aires embassy, Wilhelm Frogger, and his wife desert their post when ordered back to Germany. They pass into Cletus Frade's control, and he smuggles them to a small estancia in the mountains. It turns out that their son, a captured Afrikakorps lieutenant colonel, may have information on the plot to eliminate Hitler. Cletus travels to the States (under guise of acquiring Air Transport Ratings
Pilot certification in the United States
Pilot certification in the United States is required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration , a branch of the Department of Transportation...
for himself and his pilots) and is key in getting Oberstleutnant Frogger to cooperate with his American captors.
Peter von Wachtstein, still under suspicion of being a double agent, is recruited to assist in the landing of yet another shipment of money for Operation Phoenix. Although he is carefully watched during the entire operation and cannot slip away to notify Cletus, he does make note of the fact that Argentine mountain troops appear to be assisting the Nazis who deliver the shipment. He relates this to Cletus afterward.
Later, when the mountain estancia is attacked and it seems the Froggers were killed, Enrico Rodríguez reveals that he spirited them away safely. He also provides photographic evidence that Juan Perón led Argentine mountain troops and Nazi troops to the estancia to kill the Froggers. This, coupled with other evidence, leads Cletus Frade to confront Perón and threaten to out him in front of the rest of the Argentine officer corps should the Nazis take any action against him or his family.
The Honor Of Spies (2009) (with William E. Butterworth IV)
The beginning of The Honor of Spies overlaps with the end of Death And Honor, as the Argentine mountain troops assault Cletus Frade's mountain estancia in Tandil and Cletus confronts Perón. Immediately following this, another unsuccessful attempt is made on Cletus's life.The German Embassy in Buenos Aires is still reeling from the implications of the defection of the Froggers. A senior SS operative, Brigadeführer-SS Manfred von Deitzberg, who took part in the previous investigations into the mysterious killings, returns to Argentina, in part to locate the Froggers, in part to continue to uncover the traitor or traitors in the Embassy, and finally to continue work on the plan to relocate Nazi leadership to Argentina in the event of setbacks on the European front. Meanwhile, back in Europe, the plan to eliminate Hitler (referred to as Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie was an emergency continuity of government operations plan developed in Nazi Germany for the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation...
), secretly picks up speed, even as the Nazis plan and execute the rescue of Benito Mussolini.
In Portugal, Graham and Allen Dulles
Allen Welsh Dulles
Allen Welsh Dulles was an American diplomat, lawyer, banker, and public official who became the first civilian and the longest-serving Director of Central Intelligence and a member of the Warren Commission...
, Graham's OSS counterpart in Europe, meet with Canaris' deputy, who offers the services of Oberstleutnant Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen was a General in the German Army during World War II, who served as chief of intelligence-gathering on the Eastern Front. After the war, he was recruited by the United States military to set up a spy ring directed against the Soviet Union , and eventually became head of the West...
, who has been collecting intelligence on the Russians, and is willing to share it with the Americans in exchange for American assistance in relocating his men and their families to Argentina, in the same way the Nazi party leadership envisions.
Cletus Frade is forced to move his operations to an estancia in Mendoza Province after the German commercial attache's wife becomes mentally unstable and violent. He then takes delivery of three Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
s for his airline, and flies one to Portugal, where he picks up two of Gehlen's officers disguised as clergy and returns with them and their families to Argentina. Only later does he realize that one is a Nazi true believer, who Gehlen sent to Argentina to distance him from Operation Valkyrie.
The political and military situation in Argentina is escalating, as Perón, the German-sympathizing commander of the mountain regiment, and the Germans in the Embassy plan armed incursion against Cletus Frade, and Coronel Martin, the head of the Argentine Gendarmeria, and President Rawson choose to ally themselves with Frade, while not wishing to plunge Argentina into civil war. Von Deitzberg makes moves to acquire the bulk of the illicit funds from ransoming Jews from Germany, but unexpectedly encounters the other officer Gehlen sent to Argentina, who recognizes him and eliminates him. It is strongly hinted that Perón and his paramour, Evita, come into possession of a large portion of this money.
As the situation intensifies, Dorotea gives birth to a healthy boy, just as Cletus prepares to accompany President Rawson to confront the commander of the mountain regiment, who is leading his unit towards the estancia. The commander and his deputies attempt to assassinate the President, but Cletus kills them instead, averting a coup d'état. The President then deliberates on how best to deal with Perón.
Victory and Honor (2011) (with William E. Butterworth IV)
Victory and Honor jumps ahead in the narrative timeline to shortly after the German surrender on May 7th, 1945. The status quo of many of the characters has changed drastically from the last novel. Cletus has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and has a second son, Cletus Junior; Peter von Wachtstein's father is presumed dead following the failure of Operation Valkyrie, and Peter is himself in US custody as a POW; and as President Truman bends to pressure from within the Joint Chiefs, Allen Dulles warns Clete and his men that the OSS is on borrowed time and might be disestablished any moment. Equally troubling is that current Treasury secretary Henry MorgenthauHenry Morgenthau
Henry Morgenthau may refer to:* Henry Morgenthau, Sr. , United States diplomat* Henry Morgenthau, Jr. , United States Secretary of the Treasury* Henry Morgenthau, III , author and television producer...
seems determined to uncover the Gehlen personnel that Clete has been smuggling out of Europe via his airline, potentially compromising all the intelligence they have so far provided concerning Soviet Russia, especially their agents who have penetrated the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
. Dulles, Graham and Clete have agreed to keep the Gehlen smuggling operation secret from Donovan or the President for fear of compromise to the Soviets, despite the fact that they all are outside the chain of command and risking their careers (in what could be potentially called treason).
Forces are set into motion to assume control of the OSS, and specifically Clete's operations, and Clete himself is cornered into returning to the US and appears to be headed for court-martial. However, President Truman reveals to Clete that he has decided to revive the OSS as the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, and will be taking a much more aggressive stance towards the Soviets than his predecessor. Clete is given presidential direction to continue the Gehlen smuggling operation in Argentina without assistance until the CIA is fully formed and able to assume guidance of him.
Lieutenant Colonel Cletus Howell Frade
A young Marine pilot who is returned from the Battle of GuadalcanalGuadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
to the States, ostensibly to join a war bonds tour. However, he is approached by Colonel Alejandro Fredrico Graham to join the OSS
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
due to the fact that his estranged father is one of the most powerful men in Argentina.
Cletus's father, el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade, fell in love with the daughter of oil magnate Cletus Marcus Howell on a trip to the United States, and married her. Their one child, Cletus Howell Frade, was born following a difficult pregnancy. Against doctor's orders, she became pregnant again, killing her; Mr. Howell blamed el Coronel Frade for her death and engineered his expulsion from the United States. Cletus was raised by his uncle and aunt, Jim and Martha Howell, on their ranch in Texas, never again meeting his father until his recruitment in the OSS.
Cletus is placed in charge of an OSS team, whose mission in Argentina is to destroy a ship replenishing German U-boats
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
in Argentine waters. His rekindled relationship with his father assists him in the completion of that mission. When his father is killed by order of the Germans, Cletus inherits his estate and gradually becomes a prominent, powerful member of Argentine society, while still serving covertly as an OSS operative. He also meets and marries Dorotea Mallín, the daughter of one of his grandfather's business associates in Argentina, and in the fifth novel of the series, fathers a child by her.
Frade attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. His OSS codename is "Tex".
Major Hans-Peter von Wachtstein, Graf von Wachtstein
A young LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
pilot who previously served in the Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and therefore speaks Spanish. He is a baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, son to Generalleutnant Graf (Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
) Karl-Friedrich von Wachtstein, who serves on the staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
. He is also the holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
("awarded by der Führer himself"), and is an unabashed ladies' man. When he is selected to escort to Argentina the remains of the late Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte (who happens to be Cletus Frade's cousin), his father confides in him that the only hope for the German aristocracy to survive postwar is to assassinate Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
From this moment on, Peter's duty as an officer and gentleman who is honor-bound to serve Germany, and not the Nazi regime, continually collides with the reality of operating under constant Nazi control and scrutiny. He meets and befriends Cletus Frade in Argentina, despite their status as opposing officers, and ends up warning Cletus of an attempt on his life. Cletus then assists Peter in moving the Graf's money to Argentinian bank accounts. This leads to Peter becoming Cletus's single most valuable source in the German embassy in Argentina, code-named "Galahad". Despite his lineage and heroic service record, he falls under suspicion of being a traitor.
Peter falls in love with and marries Alicia Carzino-Cormano near the end of Secret Honor, despite his misgivings that his double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
status will very probably lead to his execution. In the two subsequent novels he is treated more as a supporting character, as the series focuses more closely on Cletus. He resurfaces in Victory and Honor as a POW in the US, where he fled after the failure of Operation Valkyrie and the fall of Nazi Germany. He accompanies Clete to Germany on a subsequent mission and insists on infiltrating into Russian-held Pomerania to locate his father's remains and locate his remaining family. Despite what appear to be monumental odds of him surviving this ordeal, he does, and is able to return to Argentina, Alicia, and his new child. Based on eyewitness reports of his father's execution, he ascends to the title of Graf von Wachstein, and Alicia becomes the new Grafin (or Countess).
(Hans-Peter's title is a case of the authors confusing the British System of Peerages, with German titles. In Germany nobility and titles (except for most reigning titles) were always inherited equally by all legitimate descendants of a nobleman. Hence Peter would always have been a Graf (Count) rather than a Freiherr (Baron)).
Major Maxwell Ashton IV
Then Captain Ashton (codename "Snoopy", and later "Bacardi") is in command of a second OSS team which Cletus Frade infiltrates into Argentina during the events of Blood and Honor. His team consists of First Lieutenant (later Captain) Madison R. Sawyer III ("Polo"), Technical Sergeant (later Master Sergeant) Jerry Ferris, Staff Sergeant (later Technical Sergeant) Jerry O'Sullivan, and Sergeant (later Staff Sergeant) Sigfried Stein. Their mission is to observe Samborombón BaySamborombón Bay
Samborombón Bay is a bay of Argentina, located at the Río de la Plata's mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about southeast of Buenos Aires. The bay is about long and stretches from Point Piedras in the north to Point Norte, starting point of Cape San Antonio.The bay receives the Salado and...
by radar to detect German replenishment ships or submarines. Ashton is later exfiltrated to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and returns officially as a military attache to the embassy in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Despite his very American-sounding name, Ashton is actually half-Cuban and speaks Spanish fluently. He is by his own admission not a brave man, and abhors the thought of parachuting behind the lines or infiltrating Argentina by rubber boat.
Korvettenkapitän Karl Boltitz
A former U-boat officer who now works for the AbwehrAbwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
under Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Franz Canaris was a German admiral, head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944 and member of the German Resistance.- Early life and World War I :...
. Originally sent to assist in the investigation of a traitor in the German Embassy in Buenos Aires, he realizes that his loyalties do not lie with the Nazi regime and allies himself with Peter von Wachtstein after he discovers that he is a double agent. In Death and Honor he is reassigned as the naval attache in Buenos Aires, with a promotion to Kapitän zur See. In OSS communications his codename is "Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
", later "Johnpaul" (as of The Honor Of Spies), in reference to John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
. In Victory and Honor it is revealed that he is in a serious relationship with Clete's sister, Beth.
Alicia Carzina-Cormano de von Wachtstein
Daughter of Claudia Carzino-Cormano, and Peter von Wachtstein's lover (and later wife). She is smitten with Peter at first sight, but his involvement in the war and the specific dangers that he faces terrify her. When she becomes pregnant as the result of a tryst, Peter is recalled from a trip to Germany to return to Argentina and marry her. She is not at all displeased to learn that she receives the title "Baroness" following her marriage. She and Dorotea Mallín de Frade are best friends since childhood, which is a convenient way to engineer meetings between Peter and Cletus Frade when necessary. After the assumed death of Peter's father in Victory and Honor, she is referred to as "Countess" rather than "Grafin".Claudia Carzino-Cormano
A widow who owns Estancia Santa Catalina, the large estate adjacent to that of el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade. After the death of their respective spouses, Claudia and el Coronel become lovers and in fact are married in all but name. Cletus Frade finds out later that this is because if his father had married Claudia, the right of inheritance would go to her rather than to him. Despite this, she and Cletus have a very strong friendship, at times appearing like mother and son. She has two daughters, Alicia and Isabela.Isabela Carzino-Cormano
Sister of Alicia Carzino-Cormano de von Wachtstein, and Claudia Carzino-Cormano's older daughter. She was affianced to Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte, and chose to cast herself as a grieving almost-widow after his death. Her icy reception of Cletus Frade during their initial meeting led him to dub her "El Bitcho", a name that has spread to many of the main characters and their hired staff by the third book. She often appears fascinated with the German officers who visit her estate, and her behavior towards them is sometimes unfavorably compared to that of an animal in heat. Her behavior also sorely tests her mother's patience.Brigadeführer-SS Ritter Manfred von Deitzberg
First Deputy Adjutant to Heinrich HimmlerHeinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, head of the SS. Von Deitzberg's family fell from aristocratic privilege following reparations after World War I; consequently, he sought rapid promotion by transferring from the Wehrmacht to the SS (in The Honor Of Spies, this is retconned to suggest he was transferred for misconduct). He became involved in the illicit ransoming of Jews to escape Germany, and the diversion of those funds for personal use. He is seconded back to the Wehrmacht in the uniform of a Generalmajor to investigate the shooting of German Embassy officials and to uncover the traitor in the Buenos Aires embassy. He returns later under cover to personally oversee the preparation of safe havens for Nazi leaders in Argentina. While performing these missions, he makes moves to take sole possession of the illicit ransoming funds, but is eliminated. It is strongly hinted that Coronel Juan Perón assumes possession of a great deal of this money subsequently.
Humberto Valdez Duarte
Father of the late Capitan Jorge Alejandro Duarte, whose remains Peter von Wachtstein escorted home from Europe. He is married to Beatrice Frade de Duarte, el Coronel Frade's sister, who after the death of her son has gone slightly mad and is detached from reality due to her medications. He is also the managing director of the Anglo-Argentine Bank, which proves invaluable to both Cletus and Peter in the pursuit of several of their missions.Staff Sergeant David Ettinger
Codenamed "Sarnoff", Dave Ettinger is a former counterintelligence agent in the Army, and a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. He is attached to Cletus Frade's OSS team as a radioman, but also for his ties to the growing Jewish community in Argentina. While in Buenos Aires, his investigations lead to the discovery of a ransom scheme where Jews living outside Germany can pay for their relatives to be released from concentration camps and emigrated to Argentina. This investigation, codenamed "Lindbergh" by the OSS, becomes a priority for Frade's team, and is confirmed by von Wachtstein. Ettinger is assassinated by order of the Germans when he disobeys Frade's orders and leaves the safety of the estancia to investigate further.Coronel (Retired) Jorge Guillermo Frade
A powerful Argentine landowner, prominent former military officer, and businessman who is clearly in line to become the next President of Argentina following a military coup that he is planning. He is the father of Cletus Howell Frade, but has not seen him since shortly after his birth. He owns several estancias, large ranches, in Argentina and neighboring UruguayUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, as well as interests in vineyards, radio stations, and various other enterprises. He is at first sympathetic to the Germans, having attended the Kriegsschule
Kriegsschule
Kriegsschule can refer to:* Kriegsschule , military academies used by the Wehrmacht for training officers until 1945...
while in the service, but his reunion with his son, who is a serving officer in the US Marine Corps and the OSS, tilts him towards the Americans. He substantially aids his son in his mission to sink a German submarine replenishment ship, for which he is targeted for assassination by the Germans. His death has the unintended effect of turning much of the Argentine officer corps against the Germans (with the conspicuous exception of Coronel Juan Domingo Perón), and accelerates the military coup against the sitting president, Ramon Castillo
Ramón Castillo
Ramón S. Castillo Barrionuevo was a conservative Argentine politician who served as President of Argentina from June 27, 1942 to June 4, 1943...
. After his death, his estate is inherited completely by Cletus Frade.
Colonel Alejandro Fredrico Graham
Cletus Frade's immediate superior in the OSS, codename "Aggie", a reserve colonel in the Marine Corps who in civilian life is a railroad and shipping magnate, and currently serves as the Assistant Director for Western Hemisphere Operations of the OSS. He is torn between admiration of and frustration with Frade, who he recognizes both as an irreplaceable asset and a loose cannon. In most appearances during the series, he is either defending Frade to Wild Bill Donovan or trying to rein him in, sometimes with harsh verbal haranguing. He identifies himself as Tex-MexTex-Mex
Tex-Mex is a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico.Tex Mex may also refer to:...
and speaks fluent Spanish. He is identified in Death and Honor as one of two OSS officers to whom Donovan would potentially pass leadership of the OSS.
Cletus Marcus Howell, Esq.
Owner and chairman of the board of Howell Petroleum, namesake to his grandson, and a key figure in Cletus Frade's life prior to his joining the Marine Corps and the OSS. A tall, thin, sharp-featured septuagenarian, he blames el Coronel Frade for the death of his daughter subsequent to Cletus's birth. The loss of his daughter leads him to pull legal and administrative strings to have Frade barred from entering the US to reclaim Cletus. His son James, and James' wife, Martha, then raise Cletus as their own alongside their two daughters. He is an acquaintance of Colonel Graham, and therefore becomes at least partially aware of Cletus's OSS operations from the beginning — in fact, Cletus and Pelosi's first covers in Argentina are as Howell Petroleum employees. Despite his deep distrust and outspoken hatred of "all things Argentine", as Cletus puts it, he begrudgingly changes course and accepts Dorotea into the family when Cletus informs him that he is to be a grandfather. He appears a product of a certain generation, with subtly racial overtones to his opinions (noticeable when he refers to Ettinger as "the Jew").Several times during the series, when Graham, Donovan, or other people are considering taking disciplinary action against Cletus, they are at least mindful of the fact that Mr. Howell is a very prominent businessman, with senators, newspaper owners, and other important people in his social circle, and probably would bring his considerable influence to bear in protecting Cletus.
Milton Liebermann
Ostensibly a legal attache to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, he is in fact the FBIFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Special agent In Charge in Argentina. A middle-aged man who has the appearance of a banker or lawyer, Milton is in fact a highly skilled intelligence operative. Despite the turf war between the OSS and FBI in the Western Hemisphere, he and Cletus Frade often find themselves comparing notes and sharing information. He is referred to by Cletus Frade in OSS communications as "Hoover".
Ambassador Manfred Alois Graf von Lutzenberger
Senior diplomat in the German Embassy in Buenos Aires, and secretly a family friend and ally of the von Wachtsteins. His authority is a great help in deflecting some of the suspicion that falls on Peter von Wachstein, and he helps von Wachtstein smuggle and hide family money into Argentina.Dorotea Mallín de Frade
A young Argentine woman, who when Cletus Frade meets her, is barely nineteen. He privately dubs her the "Virgin Princess", being smitten with her upon first sight, which feeling is entirely reciprocal. Her father, Enrico Mallín, is highly protective of her and fiercely opposes the relationship; the point becomes moot when she becomes pregnant and Cletus Frade marries her. She quickly assumes not only the duties and responsibilities of the wife of a highly wealthy socialite and businessman, but also becomes extremely involved in Cletus's work as an OSS agent. Her intimate knowledge of OSS operations in Argentina concerns Cletus, as well as Colonel Graham and General Donovan at the OSS, but they all agree that she is a more than capable asset to the operation. In The Honor Of Spies she effectively operates as Cletus's second-in-command, even copiloting his aircraft. She gives birth to his son, Jorge Howell Frade, near the end of the fifth novel. Her OSS codename is "Cowgirl".Enrico Mallín
Managing director of the Sociedad Mercantil de Importación de Productos Petrolíferos (SMIPP), an Argentine petroleum importation firm. His firm represents Howell Petroleum throughout South America and therefore becomes Cletus Frade's host when he first arrives in Argentina under the guise of a Howell Petroleum employee. Cletus's attitude and attention to his daughter, Dorotea, infuriate him. It is revealed in Honor Bound that he keeps a mistress, Maria-Teresa Alberghoni, who becomes involved with Lieutenant Tony Pelosi.Coronel Alejandro Martín
Head of the Ethical Standards Office of the Bureau of Internal Security (BIS), Argentina's intelligence and counterintelligence service. A former cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer, he finds his duties to be sometimes repugnant and his subordinates at times incompetent. He sides with el Coronel Frade and the military coup, and is promoted to Coronel and retained in service at the BIS following the takeover. He is more or less aware of Cletus Frade's true status and purpose in Argentina, but for the most part does not interfere with his operations, since he himself is pro-Allies and anti-German. However, Cletus is acutely aware that if and when Martín decides that the OSS presence in Argentina does not coincide with the best interests of Argentina, he will take swift action. Frade refers to him as "Cavalry" in OSS communications, but protects his identity. He refers to him as "Jedgar", in reference to J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
when he is not quoting him as an intelligence source (as of The Honor Of Spies).
As often happens with Griffin's many series written over long periods of time, Martín's first name is subject to a continuity error: it was originally Bernando, but changed to Alejandro over the course of the series.
Suboficial Mayor (Retired) Enrico Rodríguez
Lifelong friend and servant of el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade, and after his death, of Cletus Frade. He joined the Argentine Army to serve as el Coronel Frade's batman, and later retired with him, after serving as the commanding officer and suboficial mayor (sergeant majorSergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
) of the Húsares de Puerryrredón, the elite cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
formation of the Argentine Army. His complete devotion to el Coronel Frade resulted in him being shot and left for dead during el Coronel Frade's assassination. This, coupled with the death of his sister at the hands of the Germans, has left him deeply committed to killing as many Nazis as he can find, and protecting Cletus and Dorotea, even if it meant his death. He personally avenged his sister and el Coronel Frade when he shot two high-ranking Nazi officers in Blood and Honor, led the counterattack against a raiding party of SS troops in Death and Honor, and is depicted as a well-connected and resourceful old soldier with many friends throughout the Argentine military and the late Coronel Frade's many organizations. In later books he often takes command of ad hoc paramilitary units composed of military veterans who have found employment with the Frade businesses in order to assist Clete and his team in their missions.
While Enrico appears to be slow and sleepy to the uninformed observer, he is usually heavily armed, quite difficult to fool, and usually has a piece or two of sage advice to keep Cletus out of harm's way, and in fact is a highly skilled and experienced combat soldier. His presence near Cletus is a near given; many times he has pointed out that anyone who did not see him at Cletus's side might presume that some treachery was afoot.
First Lieutenant Anthony Pelosi
Previously an engineerCombat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
platoon leader from the 82nd Airborne Division, Pelosi signed up for the OSS when it became clear to him that engineer work in the Army did not match up to his previous experience in civilian life as a salvage and demolitions contractor. He is selected to join Cletus Frade's team for his explosives knowledge, as one possible way to sink a suspected German submarine replenishment ship. The Navy and OSS instructors assigned to teach him military explosives are amazed at his skill in the subject matter. However, he instead ends up constructing incendiary devices so that an American submarine can locate and sink the ship at night. He is subsequently reassigned as an attache to the embassy in Buenos Aires, while covertly continuing to serve on Cletus's OSS team. He becomes involved with an Italian-Argentine girl, who turns out to be Enrico Mallin's mistress; she ends up marrying him sometime between Secret Honor and Death and Honor.
Lieutenant Oscar J. Schultz
Originally a Chief Petty Officer, Chief Radioman aboard the USS Alfred Thomas. He is recruited ad hoc into the OSS when his radio skills are required to complete the sinking of the replenishment ship. He ends up left ashore in Argentina when his ship sails. To hide in plain sight, he affects the garb and mannerisms of a gauchoGaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
, hundreds of which work and live on Cletus Frade's estancia. However, he is frightened of horses, instead choosing to ride in one of the estate's ancient Model T trucks. In Death and Honor he is given a battlefield commission in the Naval Reserve and promoted to Lieutenant.
Historical figures appearing in the series
- Coronel Juan Domingo PerónJuan PerónJuan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
— Perón is introduced as el Coronel Frade's best friend; however, Cletus Frade dislikes him, both because he sympathizes with Nazi Germany, and for his proclivity for young girls. His portrayal in the Honor Bound series is undoubtedly influenced by Griffin's own political beliefs, and those of his Argentine father-in-law. - Claus von Stauffenberg — architect of the plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler; in the series, he turns out to be close friends of the von Wachtstein family.
- Brigadier General William "Wild Bill" DonovanWilliam Joseph DonovanWilliam Joseph Donovan was a United States soldier, lawyer and intelligence officer, best remembered as the wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services...
— head of the OSS, and Graham's boss. He is at turns delighted and frustrated by Cletus Frade's operations in Argentina, as well as how Graham directs those operations, and is under increasing pressure from the president to identify "Galahad", which Frade and Graham refuse to do. - Allen Dulles Allen Welsh DullesAllen Welsh DullesAllen Welsh Dulles was an American diplomat, lawyer, banker, and public official who became the first civilian and the longest-serving Director of Central Intelligence and a member of the Warren Commission...
- One of the two direct reports to Donovan in the OSS (the other is Graham). Dulles is equally as supportive to Frade as Graham is, and in later books becomes a mentor to him and assists him with European connections to his missions. - General and President Arturo RawsonArturo RawsonArturo Rawson was the President of Argentina from June 4, 1943 to June 7, 1943.-Biography:Born in Santiago del Estero, Rawson attended Argentina’s Military College, which he graduated from in 1907 and subsequently taught at for a time. Rawson rose through the ranks of the Argentine Army and was...
— Cletus Frade assists General Rawson during the military overthrow of the Argentinian government. His resignation and the subsequent transition to President Pedro Pablo RamírezPedro Pablo RamírezGeneral Pedro Pablo Ramírez was de facto President of Argentina from June 7, 1943 to February 24, 1944. He was the founder and leader of the Guardia Nacional, Argentina's Fascist militia....
within the timespan of the books is only referred to obliquely in Death and Honor — a sharp eye will catch references to "President Ramírez" instead of "President Rawson". However, in the following book, The Honor Of Spies, Rawson remains President. While in reality Rawson only served for a period of days before Ramírez replaced him, in these books he remains President for months. - Evita Perón — Cletus Frade meets the future First Lady and later inadvertently introduces her to her future husband, el Coronel Juan Domingo Perón, during the events of Secret Honor. In The Honor Of Spies she appears as a now-steady romantic interest of Perón, and assists in the appropriation of ill-gotten gains from the SS.
- Howard HughesHoward HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
— The movie mogul and famous aviation pioneer is revealed to be not only a close family friend of Cletus Frade, but also working with the OSS, in Death and Honor. His familiarity with Cletus Frade is retconned back to the first meeting between Cletus and Graham (as related in The Honor Of Spies), when the latter asks Cletus if he knows Hughes. - Vizeadmiral Wilhelm CanarisWilhelm CanarisWilhelm Franz Canaris was a German admiral, head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944 and member of the German Resistance.- Early life and World War I :...
— The head of the AbwehrAbwehrThe Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
, or German Intelligence. The series gradually begins to reveal Canaris' (historically accurate) opposition to the Nazi regime; by Death and Honor it is known to most of the key characters that he is one of what Cletus Frade calls the "Good Germans", and in The Honor Of Spies he is shown playing a prominent role in Operation Valkryie.