F-2010-00840 SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION PROVIDED

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05530326
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2021
• Case Number: F-2011-02160
• Publication Date: May 10, 2010

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Reference: F-2010-0084
Dear Sir or Madam:
On 23 March, your office of the Information and Privacy Coordinator
received an inquiry from me about a number of people I knew as a
child. I am in the process of writing
and would like to know some information about people I knew who
were CIA officers, or so I believe.
Your letter made me think deeply about what anecdotes I should
include, and I have decided to shorten the list of people I am inquiring
about as a result. And all of the people I am inquiring about are
deceased as far as I know, with the possible exception of Valentina
Ringland.
So, here is as much information as I can obtain for you at this time,
about the individuals I would like to know more about:
Hamilton Williver Kenner born 4 December 1918 in
Florence, Alabama, third son of Ethel Williver Kenner and Ernest
Rodham Kenner, and a proud American citizen.
Rodham Wilson Kenner________ born 28th February 1914 in
Cleveland, Ohio, eldest son o el Williver Kenner and Ernest
Rodham Kenner, and a proud American citizen.
Winifred Sturdevant Compton, I know she was
a Leo (born between 20 July and 22 August) but I do not know her
birth date or birthplace. She was somewhat older than
which would put her birthdate around 1910/12,
died on 10 March 1985, in Sibley Hospital, Washington, DC, of
Hepatitis C, which she got while doing intelligence work while
stationed in Vientiane, Laos, during the Vietnam War. Other places
she lived while working for the Agency include Japan and France.
"11 (b66)f oeto
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Nas bilingual French/English.
dates of
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employment
at the Agency were 1950 to 1969,
according
to her CIA
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medal,
Also, was involved
with military
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intelligence during World War II, and I seem to remember that she
was decorated by the Belgian government for her role in the war.
She attended Vassar College and was a proud American citizen. Her
parents were Eloise Sturdevant and Robin Dale Compton; she had a
sister Clarissa who attended Bryn Mawr College and married a
geology professor there named Lincoln Dryden, and a brother, John,
who died in childhood.
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Pedro Benda, one of contacts while working for
Panamerican Investments (which I believe was actually one of your
operations.) Mr. Benda was a Spanish citizen officially domiciled in
Monaco (3 Place de Moulins, Montecarlo, Monaco) during the early
1960s, But he also had a villa outside Rome with a swimming pool.
Mr. Benda had three children when I met them in 1964, a daughter
older than I am and two sons. I believe one of the sons was
developmentally delayed.
John Benda, the brother of Pedro Benda. I am presuming he was
also a Spanish citizen. I met him in Rome in 1964, and he was also
working for Panamerican Investments.
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G. Stewart Mason, who was boss in Panamerican
Investments, Mr. Mason was the escort of Helen McCain Smith,
former social secretary for Patricia Nixon during the Nixon
presidency, when he was in Washin9ton. Mr. Mason lived to be more
than 90 years old. I attended his 909) birthday party in London at the
Oriental Club during June of 1997 or possibly 1998. Mr. Mason lived
on Montagu Square in Belgravia when I knew him, in an apartment
once owned by John Lennon, and where Julian Lennon had been
conceived. Later, Mr. Mason moved around the corner to a smaller
upstairs apartment on Bryanston Square during his last years. He
was a British citizen and a closeted Gay man. His longtime lover
lived in Spain, in a villa owned by Mr. Mason near Malaga.
Myra Johnson Her birthdate was 20
May, but I do not know the year, although she was a bit older than
so it was in the 19-teens earlier than 1918.
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She owned a townhouse on Capitol Hill at
409 A Street NE, Washington, DC. I want to tell a story about Myra
that involves her postings in Katmandu, Nepal and Brasilia, Brazil.
Myra was a proud American citizen. She died in the early years of
the new century, and I attended her memorial service in the house on
A Street NE.
The Ringlands: Peter Ringland was brought up in Somerset, Chevy
Chase, Maryland. He was definitely an American citizen. Valentina
Ringland was born in Russia before the Revolution, and traveled East
as a young woman to escape the Soviets. I believe she was a
naturalized American citizen after her marriage to Peter.
told me a story about how Valya and her mother and her sister were
in some war-torn place in the Soviet Union, and there was a
stampede to get away from the advancing Red Army. Valya made it
across a bridge to safety, but she never saw her mother and sister
again. Shortly after that, she met Peter in an Army intelligence
facility. Valya was able to learn languages amazingly quickly. The
story I want to tell about them involves their posting in Rome: it is
something I can write about using false names without difficulty.
Peter is now deceased. I attended his funeral at Arlington, where his
cremated remains were placed in the columbarium there. I have not
seen Valya in many years, and I do
not know if she is still alive
I withdraw the requests for information about Phyllis Edwards (not
important enough to be part of the story, I was just trying to be
comprehensive) and Marjorie Steffen and her husband./
This is all the information about these people that I can find
immediately. I swear on penalty of perjury that this information is as
true as I can make it, although the mists of time may have affected
my memory and some small details
your time and effort on these reque
Best wishes, from/
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