Donald N. Benkowski: Military Intelligence is a Different Kind of War

By David Adams, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Donald N. Benkowski was born and raised in Chicago.  He attended Fenwick High School in Oak Park, graduating in 1960.  Since his family had limited means, he worked his way through Fenwick and Loyola University, graduating in 1964.  By working in sporting goods stores and starting a house painting business with a friend, he was able to finance and obtain a quality education.  At Loyola he majored in psychology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science.  Little did he know that his two years of French language study at Loyola–in which he confesses he got C’s–would form the basis for his military service and the remainder of his life.

Don wanted to be a military pilot.  He took and passed all the qualification examinations with just one exception.  His eyesight in one eye was 20/25, not 20/20, and waivers were not being granted. He remembers being told that his vision was good enough for flying helicopters.  He declined! Don enlisted in the Army, entered active duty on July 30, 1964, and attended Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky .  His further training in military intelligence occurred at Fort Holabird in Baltimore, MD.  The Army needed french speakers in France for counterintelligence work.  Don qualified.  He packed up his french dictionary and other french college course materials and flew to France.  The headquarters of Army intelligence in France was in Orleans.  When he reported to his commander there he learned contrary to what he had expected. His boss “had no French,” Don recalls with a grin.  

His post in France was the U.S. Army’s 23,000-acre 571st Ordnance Ammunition Command (Captieux Ordnance Depot) which was situated southwest of the village of Captieux.  The depot was the second largest ammunition depot in Europe.  Captieux itself is about 50 miles southwest of Bordeaux. He quickly became fluent in French by moving in with a French family and working with two French military agents. His official duties required maintaining professional relationships with local and regional French Governmental and Military agencies and acting as a liaison between the French and American authorities.  Don describes his work as providing counterintelligence support for the Depot for which French fluency was necessary. For his work, Don gained a Cosmic NATO security clearance, the equivalent of Army Top Secret.  He was given a civilian car with “Temporary Foreigner” plates and a living allowance to live “off base” to further facilitate his freedom of movement and interactions.

He carried a special ID card which did not include details of his duties or rank.  He remembers with his ID he could go anywhere and especially into the Officers Club.  Sometimes he got a sideways glance or two from officers at the bar, but he was never really challenged. He wore a business suit to facilitate ease of interacting with both American and French civil and military authorities and also carried a concealed sidearm. He emphasizes that he was not a “deep cover” agent. Because of his highly classified and sensitive work, Don is unable to share details of his counterintelligence activities in France.   

Don recalls that toward the end of his enlistment and after serving two years in France, French President Charles De Gaulle demanded that all military headquarters and installations not under French command depart French territory by 1967. The practical effect was that the Captieux Depot closed and he was reassigned.  He had just six months remaining in his enlistment which meant that he would be reassigned to the Army’s 66th Military Intelligence Group in Stuttgart, Germany.  He did not speak German so undercover work was unavailable.  Rather he put on his uniform and engaged in what he described as “clerical” work until July, 1967.  With his active duty military obligation completed, he was discharged with the rank of Sergeant.

Before he left France for Germany, he received a singular French honor in March, 1967.  Along with several officers from the Depot he was declared a Commandeur du Bontemps Sauternes et Barsac and entitled to wear a special medallion.  The local newspaper photo shows Don in his business suit tasting wine during the investiture ceremony at the world renown “Chateau d’Yquem.” Don declares that the title carries with it a mandatory twelve taps on a wine cask upon entering any vintner’s wine cellar in Sauternes and Barsac where these sweet wines are produced.  With a wry smile he says, “This impressed my fiancé when I took her on a tour of Chateau d’Yquem.”  

Don was eligible for an “overseas out” which meant that upon discharge he could remain in Europe for a year, then fly back to the States on the Army’s dime.  During that year, he enrolled in the University of Bordeaux using the G.I. Bill.  He completed the equivalent of a Master’s Degree in French in 1968. While a graduate student he detected surveillance by French intelligence.  Having been undercover Don easily knew he was being followed. He recalls that even the rubbish from his apartment disappeared from time-to-time. On the whole, he says he was not concerned and perhaps even amused.

More important than his academic ventures, in March 1968 some friends invited him to go skiing with them in the Pyrenees. Although he seldom skied—he admits to doing so once before—he agreed.  Good decision! Soon after he arrived at the ski resort, he met Evelyne.  She asked if he would ski with her the next day. Don replied, “Oui bien sûr.” But on his first run following Evelyne down the slope, he fell and sprained his ankle.  No problem. Just wrap it up and go to the disco with her that night.  He smiles, “It was love at first sight.”  Her family approved of Don and after an engagement which included visiting his family in Chicago, they were married in Bordeaux on September 20, 1969. Together, Evelyne and Don had three sons and they now enjoy the company of six grandchildren. Not surprising, both Evelyne and Don are excellent cooks.  Evelyne holds the title Executive Chef and Don, Sous Chef, which is fine with him. 

Don and Evelyne have been back to France almost on an annual basis.  She has many family members spread throughout France and Don still has several French friends from “my glory days.”  In retirement, they have traveled throughout the US mainland and Hawaii as well as places like Greece, Egypt, Tahiti and Bora Bora. He currently does volunteer work at a Hospice care center and assists in the Spiritual Care office at a local hospital.  

Don began his civilian career as a bodily injury claims adjuster with Allstate Insurance Company. A series of career moves took him through management, training, personnel management, and investment analysis.  He ended his career at age 70 as a Manager of Investment Analysis at CNA Insurance Company. Reflecting on his Army years, he considers them “my glory days” and for good reason.

Thank you, Don, for your dedication and service! Enjoy this special day of honor in Washington D.C. with your comrades in arms!