Virginia Hall Goillot was an American spy during World War II who, despite losing her left leg in a hunting accident, became one of the most effective Allied agents in Nazi-occupied France, coordinating resistance networks, facilitating weapons drops, and evading the Gestapo who called her “the limping lady.” She later joined the CIA but faced gender discrimination despite her unparalleled field experience, and received the Distinguished Service Cross in a private ceremony, the only civilian woman to receive this honor during WWII. Though she lived in relative obscurity until her death in 1982, Virginia Hall’s extraordinary courage and determination have finally begun receiving recognition as one of the most remarkable intelligence operatives in American history.
