Description
Colonel Joseph "Joe" Frank
Sartiano (1913-2017) was a OSS/CIA officer. The Joseph Frank Sartiano papers
contains Class B and C WWII Tribunal investigation reports, court cases,
inventories, photographs of Sartiano's personal life in Japan and war criminal
executions, interviews of Japanese WWII war criminals, and personal documents of
Sartiano's military history.
Background
Colonel Joseph "Joe" Frank Sartiano (25 October 1913 - 9 February 2017) was a OSS/CIA
officer born to Italian immigrant parents. As an OSS officer, he worked behind enemy
lines, orchestrating and carrying out partisan activities, rescuing downed Allied
pilots and leading both American and British units on intelligence gathering patrols
in Italy. For his actions, Joe was awarded the United States Silver Star and from
the United Kingdom, The British Military Cross, both for gallantry in action. In
addition, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge. At the end
of hostilities in Europe, Joe volunteered for service in Japan. Based upon his OSS
experience in Italy, he was recruited to join the team of American military officers
investigating Japanese war crimes, and spent the next five years living in Japan
conducting interviews and investigations that led to the prosecution of war crime
offenders. In early 1950, after returning to the United States, Joe was asked to
become a member of the recently established Central Intelligence Agency which sought
former OSS officers to join its ranks. As a result of his work in Saigon for the
CIA, he was awarded the South Vietnamese National Police Medal of Honor and
Congressional Gold Medal for his participation in the OSS. Sartiano passed away at
the age of 103.
Extent
2 manuscript boxes
(0.83 Linear Feet)
Restrictions
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library &
Archives.
Availability
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our
reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the
collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.