the spy ;

In the first half of the program, author Brian Kannard detailed his research into the life of John Steinbeck and how that investigation revealed that the famed writer may have secretly worked as a spy for the CIA. Kannard recalled that, while studying Steinbeck's interest in Arthurian legend and Holy Grail lore, he serendipitously discovered that the author had secretly worked for the OSS during World War II. Although Steinbeck was allegedly a war correspondent during the conflict, Kannard revealed that the author was also part of a "prototype SEAL unit" called the Beach Jumpers. Following the war, when the CIA was in its infancy, Kannard said, they turned to patriotic celebrities, such as Steinbeck, who could gain access to areas and information abroad that "the average tourist wouldn't have." Although Steinbeck was considered extremely liberal and possibly a communist, Kannard observed that the author, unlike his contemporaries in the arts, was never called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Citing a letter written by Steinbeck where the author expressed certainty that he would never be called to testify, Kannard surmised that this confidence was due to protection afforded to him via his work with the CIA. Based on his research, Kannard theorized that Steinbeck worked for the CIA at least until 1964, when he visited the Soviet Union, and possibly even later when the author traveled to Vietnam "at the behest of Lyndon Johnson." Interestingly, while much of Kannard's work is informed by FOIA documents, he noted that the FBI destroyed numerous files concerning Steinbeck, which suggests that the government wanted to conceal something about the author's past.