PARKER HITT American Warriors Throughout the nation’s history, numerous men and women of all ranks and branches of the US military have served their country with honor and distinction. During times of war and peace, there are individuals whose exemplary achievements embody the highest standards of the US armed forces. The aim of the American Warriors series is to examine the unique historical contributions of these individuals, whose legacies serve as enduring examples for soldiers and citizens alike. The series will promote a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the US armed forces. Series editor: Joseph Craig An AUSA Book PARKER HITT T F a he aTher oF merican m c iliTary rypTology Betsy Rohaly Smoot Copyright © 2022 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com Portions of chapters 3, 5, and 7 previously appeared as “An Accidental Cryptologist: The Brief Career of Genevieve Young Hitt” in Cryptologia 35, no. 2 (March 2011) and are reprinted by permission of the publisher, Taylor and Francis, Ltd., http://www.tandfonline.com. A portion of chapter 4 previously appeared as “Parker Hitt’s First Cylinder Device and the Genesis of U.S. Army Cylinder and Strip Devices” in Cryptologia 39, no. 4 (October 2015) and is reprinted by permission of the publisher, Taylor and Francis, Ltd., http://www.tandfonline.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Smoot, Betsy Rohaly, author. Title: Parker Hitt : the father of American military cryptology / Betsy Rohaly Smoot. Other titles: Father of American military cryptology Description: Lexington, Kentucky : The University Press of Kentucky, [2022] | Series: American warrior series | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021049366 | ISBN 9780813182407 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780813182421 (epub) Subjects: LCSH: Hitt, Parker, 1878– | Cryptography—United States— History—20th century | Cryptographers—United States—Biography. | United States. Army—Officers—Biography. Classification: LCC UB290.H5 S66 2022 | DDC 358/.24—dc23/ eng/20211013 This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America Member of the Association of University Presses To my mother, Shirley Miller Hall, who nurtured my interest in history Conform and be dull. —J. Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote Contents Preface ix Note on Terminology x Introduction 1 1. The Making of the Man 5 2. The Making of the Soldier 15 3. Genevieve Young 43 4. The Making of the Expert 51 5. To France 77 6. Chief Signal Officer 100 7. Jack-of-All-Trades 122 8. Commerce 151 9. Retreat 166 10. Return to Service 177 11. The Old Soldier 189 12. Legacy 202 Acknowledgments 211 Notes 213 Selected Bibliography 263 Index 273 Illustrations follow page 150 Preface Success in dealing with unknown ciphers is measured by these four things in the order named: perseverance, careful methods of analysis, intuition, luck. Parker Hitt, 1916 Hitt’s axiom for success with ciphers was equally applicable to my jour- ney in writing this book. I first heard Parker Hitt’s name during a talk by Dr. David A. Hatch in October 2007. My initial thought was to wonder whether Hitt was related to my husband’s Hitt ancestors (he is). Then I grew curious; my intuition told me there was a story here. A careful read- ing of David Kahn’s The Codebreakers revealed intriguing details, but I wanted to know more. Kahn had visited the Hitts in Front Royal, Vir- ginia. I searched in vain for a grave site there and then asked Dr. Thomas A. Johnson, who lived nearby, if he knew where the Hitts were buried. As luck would have it, Tom was able to contact then-director of the War- ren County Heritage Society, Patrick Farris. Some years earlier, Farris had helped a family organize and preserve some of Hitt’s papers. David and Evie Moreman and their daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Kevin Mustain, were friends and heirs of Hitt’s daughter, Mary Lueise. They kindly allowed me access to a trunk full of Parker Hitt’s papers (to which I applied careful methods of analysis). I was now officially obsessed with telling his story. Despite numerous obstacles, I persevered. More than a dozen years after first hearing his name, I now send Parker Hitt’s story into the world. I hope this book brings much-needed light to the life of this extraordinary and ingenious man. ix