Number 858


Love of a Government Girl


Let's all sing along to the tune of Neil Sedaka's "Calendar Girl":

I love-a, love-a, love my government girl,
Yeah, my government girl,
I love-a, love-a, love my government girl,
Every day of the fiscal year!

Government Girl, in this story from ACG's Lovelorn #4, 1950, is given access to top secrets with just an admonishment from her boss that all the documents she sees are confidential. Well. I remember my own experiences with such documents when I was an Army clerk typing up secret-type hush-hush stuff. They had to check me out before I could get clearance. As I found out later the FBI called my future father-in-law, Ray, to ask about me.

"What? That son of a bitch? I can't trust him with my daughter! How could you trust him with Army secrets?"

Despite that stinging non-endorsement I got my security clearance, and despite Ray's assessment of my character I never abused the U.S. Army's trust in me, unlike Government Girl in this tale of love and spies.