[1]14-00000
[3]104-10111-10076 a 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[4]ae SECRET
[7]faa > . (When Filled In)
[9]. . RECOMMENDATION FOR HONOR OR MERIT AWARD
[10](Submit In triplicate - see HR 20-37)
[12]SECTION A PERSONAL DATA
[14]T. EMP.SER.NO.. NAME OF PERSON RECOMMENDED (Last ,First Middle) 3. POSITION TITLE 4. GRADE |5. sp
[15]059090 Christ David Lamar /AP/ORD/DD/S&T] 16 -R
[16]6- OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT 7.OFFICE EXT. (If bqs)] g. STATION
[17]ORD 3486 | x [weavousaters | | Fiero (Specify location)
[18]. WOME ADDRESS (No.,St..City,State,ZIP Code) 10. HOME PHONE Ti. CITIZENSHIP AND HOW ACQUIRED
[19]6212 Maiden: Lane, Bethesda, Md., 20034 656-2127 USA, Birth -
[20]12. RECOMMENDED AWARO [t3- 1tF RETIRING. DATE OF RETIREMENT [14- - POSTHUMOUS .
[21]Intelligence Medal of Merit 30 November 1970 | [vs [x]
[22]15. NAME OF NEXT OF KIN 16. RELATIONSHIP |[17. HOME ADDRESS (No..St.,City,Stete,ZIP Code) |i. HOME PHO
[23]Wilma M. Christ Wife 6212 Maiden Lane, Bethesda,Md. |656- 212%
[24]SECTION B ; RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD FOR HEROIC ACTION OR ACCEPTANCE OF HAZARD ,
[26]p19. WERE YOU AN EVEWITNESS TO THE ACT | WERE YOU AN EYEWITNESS TO THE ACT fia. WERE VOU AN EvewitTNEss To THE act = | [res | | wo
[28]PERSONNEL IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY OR WHO ASSISTED IN ACT OR SHARED 1N SAME HAZARD:
[30]ce _ ae eo
[32]LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN ACT:
[33]24. FULL NAME 25. AWARD RECOMMENDED
[35]CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH ACT WAS PERFORMED: .
[36]26. LOCATION : 28. TIME OF DAY
[38]RETURNTO Gia
[39]Background Use Only
[41]_Bo Not Reproduca
[43]a CC
[44]SECTION C RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT, SERVICE, OR PERFORMANCE
[46]33. DO YOU HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE, SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE [ves [| fuo |
[48]34. OFFICIAL ASSIGNMENT OF PERSON RECOMMENDED AT TIME OF SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE
[49]Chief, Applied Physics Division
[50]35. COMPONENT OR STATION (Designation and location)
[52]Office of Research and Development
[53]36. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ASSIGNED POSITION.- oe
[55]29. PREVAILING GEOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS AND OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED
[57]Direct efforts of 10 professional research and development, scientists.
[59]37. INCLUSIVE DATES FOR WHICH RECOMMENDED [38. ASSIGNMENT COMPLETED NOW IN SAME OR RELATED ASSIGNMENT
[61]Nov. 1950. Nov. 1970 [x [ws | [w | ps id
[63]PERSONNEL WHO ASSISTED OR CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE
[64]40. FULL NAME ; 41. ORGN. TITLE 43. OFFICE OF ASSIGNMENT
[66]LIST ANY OF THE ABOVE PERSONS GIVEN AN AWARD OR RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PERFORMANCE
[67]45. TYPE OF AWARD
[69]Form 600 use erevious enitios . 7 7 SECRET a ee —_ . . Lf
[71]14-0000
[73]pd
[75]th ~ eS po (When Filled In) a
[76]. if
[78]SECTION D ° HARRATIVE DESCRIPTION
[80]Aword for Heroic Action or Acceptance of Hozord: Was act voluntary? Describe why oct was outstanding, and if It wos more than normally expected.
[81]Explain, why, and how. If an ceriol er marine operation, describe type and position of craft, crew position of individual, and oll unusual circumstances.
[82]Indicate results ‘of the act. Enclose unclassified citation.
[84]Award for Achievement, Service, of Performance: State character of service during period for which recommended. (Give complete description of admin-
[85]istrative, technical, or professional duties and responsibilities if not covered in Section C; include dotes of assignment and relief.) What did the Individual
[86]do that merits the award? Why was this outstanding when compared to others of like grade ond experience in similar positions or circumstances? If
[87]appropriate, include production records and assistance rendered by other persons or units. What obstacles were encountered or overcome? Indicate re-
[88]sults of achievement, service, or performance. Include reference to Fitness Reports, Letters of Commendation, or other documentation already on file which
[90]supports this recommendation. Enclose unclassified citation. . .
[92]-- oe
[93].
[95]Mr. David L. Christ is recommended for the Intelligence Medal
[96]of Merit in recognition of his career of especially meritorious service
[97]which has contributed significantly to the missions of CIA.
[99]_ Mr. Christ joined CIA in November of 1950 as the first research
[100]and development electronics engineer in what has evolved as TSD. He
[101]created an Applied Physics Branch setting high standards for himself
[102]and the R&D engineers he recruited. His accomplishments included the
[103]anti-disturbance mine and the time pencil, both of which are still
[104]Agency stock items, and an IR beacon. As a pioneer in audio surveillance
[105]devices, he. recognized very early that the use of systems concept
[106]would be most productive in meeting Agency needs. As part of his
[107]development program, his efforts led to the establishment of specialized
[108]contract facilities such as Gaird: Atomic) which in 1953 was the first
[109]Agency source of transistorized equipment. wi
[111]In early 1957, Mr. Christ was made Chief of what is now the Audio
[112]Operations Branch of TSD and, realizing that a drastic upgrading of
[113]the caliber of field technicians was required, began aggressively re-
[114]cruiting and training graduate engineers. His high standards and
[115]efforts in this area are reflected in the fact that the majority of
[116]TSD Audio mid-management personnel were recruited by him. In September
[117]1960, he and two associates were apprehended while on an operation in
[119]E>] continveo on ATTACHED SHEET
[121]46. ENCLOSURES (List individually) 1F ORIGINATOR tS NOT AN EYEWITNESS OR DOES NOT HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE -ACT
[122]OR PERFORMANCE. ATTACH AFFIDAVITS OF EYEWITNESS OR INDIVIDUALS HAVING PERSONAL KNOWLEOGE OF THE FACTS.
[124]1. PROPOSED CITATION.
[126]RECOMMENDATION INITIATED BY
[127]ace . Ghar
[129]Robert M. Chapman
[131]PLOYEE MAKING RECOM: “[49. DATE
[134]SENT ae
[135]Director of Research and
[136]Development
[138]9 NOV 1970
[140]TUTLE AND SIGNATURE
[142]Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
[143]for Science and Technology
[144]TITLE AND SIGNATURE .
[145]Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
[146]for Science and Technolog
[147]TITLE AND SIGNATURE :
[148]Carl E. Duckett, Deputy Director
[149]for Science and. Technology
[151]DATE
[153]HEAD OF. CAREER SERVICE
[154]_ (Career service of nominee) :
[156]DATE
[158]DATE
[161]14-0000
[163]Section D (Cont'd)
[165]. a
[167]a denied area.’ His exemplary conduct and personal courage
[168]during the resulting two and one-half years incarceration
[169]permitted the maintenance of a very difficult cover situation
[170]and successful extraction of all three men,
[172]Upon his return, Mr. Christ joined the Office of Research
[173]and Development soon after its inception, assisting in the
[174]definition and establishment of the various divisions. Under
[175]his early guidance, the over-the-horizon radar program developed
[176]finally into an operational system. His sensitivity to the
[177]needs of Agency operational elements based upon his experience,
[178]his technical expertise and his dedicated desire to broaden
[179]the technological capabilities of the Agency precipitated |
[180]his development of a major coordinated program of accelerated
[181]R&D to provide the clandestine services with a number of new
[182]audio surveillance techniques of which the laser probe is an .
[183]example, and his conception and direction of the Microtechnology
[184]R&D program. Within this program, the success of the micro-
[185]power transistor led to the award of Medals of Merit to two
[186]scientists under his supervision. Other progeny of the micro-
[187]technology concept are three novel intelligence gathering
[188]systems to function in the air, in space, and in the sea .
[189]environments, one of which is approaching operational status.
[190]Mr. Christ has also been responsible for pioneering efforts
[191]in the area of Audio Surveillance Countermeasures, first pro-
[192]posing the application of computers to the problem.
[194]Mr. Christ's imaginative leadership and inspiration to
[195]those working with him, his broad scope of interest, his resource-
[196]fulness, and philosophical devotion to the cause of the Agency
[197]and the United States have provided this Agency with an individua)
[198]whose unique efforts and accomplishments over his 20 years
[199]service are worthy of this recognition.