My Friend, the CIA Operative!
Okay, so I know this will sound like something out of a fiction novel, but believe me, I can't make this stuff up.On September 20, 2009, I lost a very dear friend to breast cancer. I hate cancer. Despise it. Wish I could run it over with my car. But I digress...
I met my friend Andrea via a message board nearly a decade ago. She, along with a group of the coolest women in the world, became some of my closest friends in the world.
Several years ago Andrea moved from Texas to Washington D.C. and joined the State Department (or so everyone thought. The title of this post should tip you off to how this story will end). Andrea went to Iraq twice. Her first trip was interrupted by the breast cancer diagnosis. She came back to the States, kicked the cancer's butt, then went right back to Iraq. I remember thinking she was out of her mind to go back and do "administrative work for the State Department" in Iraq. Why couldn't she do it from a safe little office in D.C.?
Anyway, earlier this year, Drea (our name for her), was once again forced to leave Iraq due to cancer. This time the news wasn't so good. Stage Four cancer in various parts of her body. It was a crushing diagnoses, but she would not allow it to ruin her spirit. She fought harder than anyone I've ever seen with this disease. She was such an inspiration.
Several weeks ago at her memorial service on the campus of her beloved Texas A&M, the sixteen women from our group of friends who were able to make the service found out there was much more to our friend Andrea than any of us knew. That job with the "State Department" was actually with the Central Intelligence Agency. She was a covert operative who performed dangerous missions to gather intelligence for US Special Forces.
That's just cool, people. Seriously, seriously cool.
I still can't wrap my brain around it. For such a girly girl, it's so amazing to imagine her carrying weapons and infiltrating enemy sites. My friend, the CIA Operative.
Check out the picture of her with a rocket launcher! Yes, a rocket launcher! I'm so proud of our girl.
Here's a link to an article published today about Andrea: A CIA operative's fight against terrorism reaches Texas A&M
Rest in peace, Drea.
posted by Farrah Rochon @ 2:38 PM
Comments: 5
