Bond author spotted as waukesha prepares Cold War Museum
Melissa Graham
Layout Editor
Secret agents shuffled into the Oak Room. They were eager to accept a mission from author Raymond Benson, who visited Carroll College on April 24.
Benson wrote six original James Bond novels (Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death, High Time to Kill, Doubleshot, Never Dream of Dying and The Man with the Red Tattoo), as well as a number of short stories and screen adaptations. His most recent books, not starring Bond, are Sweetie’s Diamonds and two Tom Clancy: Splinter Cell books, each worthy of any field promotion. He is currently undercover, working on a novelization of Metal Gear Solid. Actually, he hopes that readers would check out his latest rock-and-roll thriller, A Hard Day’s Death.
Mission control sent Benson to debrief Carroll students, faculty, alumni and covert guests (including David Baldwin, owner of Milwaukee’s “Safe House”) about espionage, his novels, the Bond phenomenon, and the life of Ian Fleming.
Ian Fleming was the original creator of James Bond and no stranger to espionage. While serving in the British Royal Navy during WWII, he led an intelligence team (30 Assault Unit – 30AU). After the war, he wrote his first Bond books.
Benson explained that the alias “James Bond” was derived from ornithology “Birds of the West Indies” author James Bond. Fleming’s wife had left the bird book on the coffee table, and Fleming simply took the name.
The James Bond books may have been popular in Europe but they left the American underground when John F. Kennedy leaked that From Russia with Love was a favorite book. Benson recommended this book for those new recruits of the James Bond world. As for movies, Benson said, “Start with ‘Dr. No’, as it was the very first one and then proceed on from there in chronological order.”
Of course, Benson had big shoes to fill as Fleming’s successor, but he admitted, “Dropping the name ‘Bond’ can get you anywhere.” His affiliation with Bond has taken him to many interesting and exotic places. “Let’s just say that while I’ve had opportunities to travel the world and meet many interesting famous people, it’s still a job at which one must work very hard,” Benson added. This operative has been spotted at www.raymondbenson.com.
Handlers that arranged Benson’s visit include Dr. Kimberly Redding and the Cold War Museum’s Midwest Chapter. “We thought it would be a fun way to show students the overlap between history and fiction and to showcase somebody who has turned a passion into a career,” contact Redding confirmed. This is only phase one, Redding states, “We’re trying to bring three former espionage agents to campus next year.”
Redding, who has connections in D.C. with the National Cold War Museum, arranged the drop with Carroll alumnus and Chairman of the Museum’s Midwest Chapter, Chris Sturdevant. The Midwest Chapter will be concluding their endgame by building a museum in Waukesha to recognize veterans, acknowledge civilian workers, provide intel, preserve local and regional Cold War evidence, and support memorial events. The dead drop will be located behind Skateland and Famous Dave’s just off Moreland Road.
Sturdevant is currently recruiting and can be contacted at csturdev@hotmail.com. Contacts say that intel can also be found with Dr. Redding direct at redding@cc.edu. or at headquarters, www.coldwar.org.