Hollywood wouldn't have gotten his story right, either, IMHO.
Between that, and the fact that most vets (at least the ones I know) downplay their roles, ensure that most things just won't be known. For instance, my Grandfather earned a Bronze Star for his exploits in the ETO, but if you asked him about it, he'd just say "Meh. Everybody got one of those." We had to wait until after he died (Dad cleaned out his desk and found some correspondence with the War Dept) to find out how he got it.
More of these-type stories need to be told, and told correctly, IMHO. Kids need heroes to look up to, not pop stars.
It wasn't real easy to get him talking, but he would, now and then. Some of the stories I have got second hand from mutual friends. Once he told me a story about recruiting a French official as an agent. I did not even realize that is what he was describing until a day later. He was just telling a story about buying some guns as a "Moral and Welfare" deal...
He was not OSS, but he did a lot of behind the lines stuff on the Pacific Islands preparatory to our invasions. He was in charge of the Bushmasters, a small group of army people who were trained in Panama in jungle warfare. After the Navy did not need them any longer for pre-invasion missions, the Army broke the unit up and used them as individual replacements for other units in the Pacific island hopping campaign. They lost more men there than they ever did behind the lines.
I saw him with his shirt off, once. It was like a roadmap with all the bullet and knife scars.
I read many of the Matt Helm series and was struck by all the similarities to Tex Ferguson. The physical description was quite close, and the expertise with guns, knives, and hand to hand fit as well. I just recently learned that Tex was a speed demon on the road as well, which fits the Matt Helm persona, too. After the CIA was formed, I have been told that they recruited Tex and he did a number of missions for them. Tex never told me that he worked for the CIA, but I am convinced that he did. I have heard it from too many people who knew him well.
A local bit from the newspaper about the Bushmasters. Not much detail, but lots of names.
http://www.yumasun.com/news/charles-36826-frank-cano.html
The “Bushmasters” was the name given to the members of the 158th Regimental Combat Team, which served in New Guinea and the Philippines against Japanese forces during World War II.
Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/news/charles-36826-frank-cano.html#ixzz1dQ7hchKi