ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) – A Virginia woman who did groundbreaking work as a spy for America in post-World War II Poland has finally received government honors – but not until after her death.
Stephanie Rader, who died in January at age 100, was laid to rest Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
Rader was the daughter of Polish immigrants and served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. Her Polish fluency caught the attention of the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner to the CIA.
Her bosses at the OSS recommended her for the Legion of Merit in 1946 for her intelligence on Soviet troop movements in Poland, but her nomination was not acted upon for seven decades.
Rader received the award posthumously at Wednesday’s funeral service.