Germanna Foundation

Preserving the historic heritage of the original settlers of the Fort Germanna Colonies in Virginia

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You are here: Home / Germanna Blog / Germanna Descendant in NSA’s Hall of Honor

Germanna Descendant in NSA’s Hall of Honor

December 12, 2017 By Germanna Foundation Leave a Comment

Parker Hitt, a 3rd great-grandson of Peter Hitt and Elizabeth Otterbach, through Germanna Colonists Harmon Hitt and wife Mary Weaver, is in the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Hall of Honor for being a pioneer in cryptology. Here is the write-up about him on NSA’s website:

NSA/CSS Hall of Honor
The Hall of Honor was created in 1999 to pay special tribute to the pioneers and heroes who rendered distinguished service to American cryptology.

Colonel Parker Hitt

Then-Captain Hitt, just before World War I, authored The Manual for the Solution of Military Ciphers. Published in 1916, this was the first work of its kind in the United States in 100 years and laid the foundation for the nation’s impressive cryptologic achievements during the 20th century.

Born in 1878, Colonel Hitt attended Purdue University, but enlisted in the Army during the Spanish American War. In 1899, he received a commission as an infantry officer and was posted to the Philippines.

Recognizing the importance of new communications methods, Colonel Hitt applied for a two-year detail to the Signal Corps. While teaching at the Army Signal School, he researched and wrote his groundbreaking manual on military ciphers.

Colonel Hitt, knowing the U.S. Army field cipher was insecure, designed a more secure system as a replacement in 1914. In 1917, the Signal Corps widely adapted Colonel Hitt’s cylindrical device, and it remained in service the better part of three decades.

During the period of tension with Mexico, which culminated in Pershing’s Punitive Expedition, Colonel Hitt and his wife, Genevieve Young Hitt, “moonlighted” to solve intercepted messages. He gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the Army’s most talented codebreakers, and General Pershing selected him to be a member of his staff when the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) deployed to France in 1917.

As a Senior Signal Officer with the AEF during World War I, Colonel Hitt oversaw the compilation of a highly effective code that replaced an awkwardly translated French coding system that was being used by American forces. He also supervised units that intercepted sensitive German communications with impressive results.

In retirement during the 1940s, he was an informal liaison between the Army and members of the American Cryptogram Association but was anxious to serve in the war. Colonel Hitt returned to active duty from 1940 to 1944 as a corps area Signal Officer.

At a time when the nation had no formal cryptologic service, Parker Hitt’s innovative work documented concepts and principles that would be used to protect U.S. military communications for decades. His work also directly influenced William and Elizebeth Friedman, who referred to him as the “father of modern American cryptology.”

Colonel Parker Hitt died in January 1971 at age 93.

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Germanna Foundation’s Mission and Stewardship

The Germanna Foundation tells America’s story of liberty through the frontier experience of her settlers and descendants using archaeological, historical, and genealogical research and interpretation. We are stewards over these important properties and initiatives:

  • Fort Germanna Visitor Center campus which includes a Museum, Genealogy Library, the Hitt Archaeology Center, and the Germanna Memorial Garden
  • Siegen Forest – 170-acre Hiking and Nature Trails along the Rapidan river
  • 1714/1717 Fort Germanna Archaeology Site
  • Virginia Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood’s home “Enchanted Castle” Archaeology Site
  • 1757 Georgian-style Salubria Manor
  • 1800 Peter Hitt Farm
  • Publishing “The Germanna Record” genealogy/ history books
  • Maintaining a genealogy database with over 130,000 records of descendants of the Germanna colonists

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MAILING: P.O. Box 279
LOCATION: 2062 Germanna Highway
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Fort Germanna Visitor Center, Museum & Library

2062 Germanna Highway (Route 3)
Locust Grove, VA 22508
(Next to the Germanna Community College campus)

Hours of Operation:
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Out of town visitors are urged to call us at 540-423-1700 to confirm or to make special arrangements for groups.

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Behind the Fort Germanna Visitor Center is our 170-acre Siegen Forest nature and hiking trails along the Rapidan river. Trails are OPEN 7 days a week, during daylight hours. When visiting the trails, please practice “Leave no Trace” ethos. If you enjoy the trails, consider donating to the Germanna Foundation to help support their upkeep.

 

About

The Germanna Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring the Colonial Virginia frontier via the historic 1714 Fort Germanna and its German colonists and their descendants.

It conducts archaeological exploration and conservation, genealogical research and publishing, and historic preservation and interpretation.

The Foundation owns and maintains several historic sites and properties, such as Salubria Manor, that were part of or closely connected to the Germanna colonies, the town of Germanna, and the other early colonial Virginia settlements and towns in the Piedmont area of Virginia.

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