During the Watergate Era, there were several periods when certain members of Congress discovered that they could gain a day’s headlines by righteously denigrating our civilian and military clandestine resources. The media cooperated handsomely. Thus it was that an exodus of good but bitter men occurred in 1973 and 1974, leaving our human source intelligence collection agencies somewhat stripped of experienced personnel The majority of those who left did so quietly, swallowing their professional pride as decades of incredibly difficult work were sacrificed to the egos of a few fat-mouthed Senators and Representatives. Most of those prematurely retired veterans of the silent war went on to a smooth integration into civilian society. Some did not.