“Alerted by doctrine and success against another local CIA operation, Shanghai’s security apparatus moved cautiously against Redmond’s network, obtaining evidence that made the guilty verdict of 1954 inevitable. To Chinese intelligence practitioners, the case provides an exemplary example of how counter-espionage work against the US should proceed in the 21st century.”

David Ian Chambers
Chinese retrospectives on the Hugh Redmond case

April 13, 2025 — Hugh Francis Redmond was a CIA officer and former U.S. Army paratrooper who spent nearly 20 years as a prisoner in China after being captured during a CIA mission. The details of his involvement with the CIA remain largely classified to this day, adding to the mystery surrounding his case. Perhaps, the CIA will remember him on the 55th anniversary of his death, and finally add his name to the Book of Honor? Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

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“There is a stubborn, irrational resistance to disclosure of such information. This practice is not only an injustice to the memory of those who died, it is also bad policy because it erodes the already shaky credibility of CIA classification actions. It is possible to do better.”

Steven Aftergood — Federation of American Scientists

Hugh Redmond was born on October 30, 1919, in Yonkers, New York. Growing up during the Great Depression, he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. Redmond served as a paratrooper in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, where he saw combat in Europe.

Joining the CIA

After World War II, Redmond was recruited by the CIA due to his military experience and background in covert operations. He underwent training as a paramilitary officer and was soon deployed on various missions to support U.S. intelligence efforts during the early stages of the Cold War.

Last Mission

In 1951, Redmond was stationed in Shanghai, China, posing as an ice cream machine salesman.

His actual mission was to gather intelligence on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its activities in the region, particularly as tensions escalated during the Korean War.

In addition to his intelligence-gathering role, Redmond was involved in efforts to organize insurgent activities against the CCP, supporting anti-communist groups and coordinating resistance efforts within China.

Arrest and Life Imprisonment

On April 26, 1951, while boarding a ship to San Francisco to return to the United States, Hugh Redmond was arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of espionage.

His cover as a businessman was quickly exposed, and he was charged with being an American spy.

In 1954, a Shanghai court convicted Redmond of directing an extensive network of agents targeting Chinese political, economic, and military intelligence. As a result, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Death and Aftermath

Despite numerous efforts to secure his release, Redmond remained imprisoned, becoming a symbol of the Cold War tensions between the U.S. and China. His case attracted significant attention in U.S. diplomatic circles.

On April 13, 1970, Hugh Redmond died under mysterious circumstances in a Chinese prison. The Chinese government reported that he had committed suicide by slitting his wrists.

However, many speculated that he may have been killed by his captors. His remains were eventually returned to the United States, where he was buried with military honors at Oakland Cemetery in Yonkers, New York.

“Douglas S. Mackiernan was killed on the Tibetan border in 1950. His star remains nameless. So, too, does that of Hugh Francis Redmond, who died in 1970 after nineteen years in a Chinese prison. In both instances the Chinese knew they were CIA spies. Only the American public did not.”

Ted Gup — ‘The Book of Honor’

Memorial Wall and Book of Honor

Hugh Redmond’s story is one of immense sacrifice and endurance. He withstood nearly two decades of imprisonment under harsh conditions in Chinese custody.

Throughout his captivity, Redmond steadfastly denied working for the CIA, maintaining his innocence regarding the espionage charges.

His loyalty and dedication to the United States are commemorated with a star on the CIA’s Memorial Wall, notably the only star listed for the year 1970.

However, his name was never inscribed in the CIA’s Book of Honor, leaving his star anonymous.

The circumstances of his capture and the details of his CIA involvement remain largely classified, adding to the mystery surrounding his case.

The 50th anniversary of his death in April 2020 passed without any official public acknowledgment.

To this day, the CIA has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of records related to Redmond’s activities in China.

REFERENCES

Chambers, David Ian. “Victors’ History: Chinese Retrospectives on the Hugh Redmond Case.” Journal of Intelligence History, vol. 23, no. 2, 2024.

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CIA Memorial Wall — STAR 26 (CLASSIFIED): Hugh Francis Redmond (Shanghai prison, China — April 13, 1970)

“The agency’s unwillingness to inscribe the names of its anonymous stars in the Book of Honor, particularly those dead 20, 30, even 40 years, contributes to a perception, among some family members, that the CIA is an institution mired in bureaucracy, a vast machinery that finds it easiest to classify first and ask questions later — if ever.”

Ted Gup
The Washington Post
(September 1997)