'Impromptu Spy' of WWII Dead at 96

Irv Refkin enlisted in the Army in 1940, at age 19, and was sent to Canada after basic training to learn about explosives. 

But once there, a senior officer with whom he clashed sent him to Britain without notice. Shortly after arriving—the British military still thought he was Canadian, and the US Army hadn't realized he was missing yet—he found himself parachuting into occupied France amid World War II, thanks to his demolitions knowledge and his ability to speak German. 

That's how Refkin became what the New York Times calls an "accidental spy," and once the US actually entered the war, he carried out special assignments for his own country in addition to the three missions he had already completed for the British behind enemy lines. The 96-year-old, who has been called one of the war's most successful secret agents, died Thursday at his home in San Diego.

Read the full story on Newser.com

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