Today we'll delve into protagonist Phil O'Neal, an American T.E. Lawrence blended with Philip Corso and Stargate’s Jack O’Neil. Long before advising VIPs on extraterrestrial affairs (or jumping through portals), O'Neal was a young officer making a name for himself in Army special forces intelligence.
After graduating West Point in 1941, just months before the U.S. entered WWII, the ambitious and patriotic O'Neal quickly rose through the ranks. He served with distinction in Europe, including covert action against Nazi SS forces at Castle Wewelsburg, earning him the Distinguished Service Cross. But O'Neal's most memorable exploits take place in the shadowy world of Army counterintelligence.
After WWII, O'Neal was recruited into an elite Air Force unit focused on recovering downed craft and artifacts/tech of exotic origin. His reconnaissance and fighting skills proved invaluable during daring missions behind the Iron Curtain, preserving countless secrets from falling into enemy hands. The intel gathered by O'Neal helped the US develop decisive edges in aerospace, computing, and weapon systems during the early days of the Cold War.
By the early 1960s, O'Neal is NATO’s top man on extraterrestrial artifacts, advising SHAPE and the Kennedy administration on UFOs and other emerging threats from beyond our world.. Stay tuned for more intriguing tales from Shadows in Time!