Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was a program conducted by the United States government during and after World War II. Over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were brought to the United States.
We knew that we had created a new means of warfare, and the question as to what nation, to what victorious nation we were willing to entrust this brainchild of ours was a moral decision more than anything else. We wanted to see the world spared another conflict such as Germany had just been through, and we felt that only by surrendering such a weapon to people who are guided by the Bible could such an assurance to the world be best secured.
Wernher von Braun - press statement after surrendering to United Sates Forces (May 1945)
Executive Summary
Operation Paperclip was a program conducted by the United States government during and after World War II. The government brought over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians for employment in the United States.
Wernher von Braun was a German engineer and scientist who played a crucial role in developing the V-2 rocket during World War II. He became one of the most prominent figures in the American space program. Von Braun was also one of the most well-known individuals brought to the United States under the Operation Paperclip program.
Foreword
Unlike the crummy anti-American creed of today wrapped in the vile woke culture, this essay aims to shed light on historical facts. By reviewing painful realities, the hope is to move on, not dwell on the bad, and learn from past mistakes. We must work to pull the Constitution and our freedoms from under the overarching Octopus. God Bless the USA.
Prelude
As a youngster, it was a marvel to experience the early news and success of the Space Program. The pinnacle was the first moon landing mission. On July 20, 1969, the United States successfully landed the Apollo 11 spacecraft on the moon’s surface, with astronaut Neil Armstrong becoming the first person to step foot on the lunar surface.1
The Apollo 11 mission was the culmination of a decade-long effort by the United States to land a man on the moon. President John F. Kennedy announced the goal in 1961, stating that the United States would “land a man on the moon and return him safely to the Earth” before the decade’s end. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States space agency, began working on the Apollo program, eventually making this goal a reality.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft, consisting of the Command Module Columbia, the Service Module, and the Lunar Module Eagle, launched into space on a Saturn V rocket. Three days later, the Lunar Module, piloted by Niel Armstrong (1930-2019) and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (1930-),2 landed on the moon’s surface while Michael Collins (1930-2021) orbited above in the Command Module.
The Apollo 11 landing occurred on July 20, 1969. The exact time the Lunar Module, piloted by Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, landed on the moon’s surface is recorded as 4:17:40 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. The first moonwalk, also known as extravehicular activity, was at 10:56 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on July 21, 1969. I vividly remember staying up late and viewing the black & white “tube TV” to watch the news feed.3 Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Lunar Module and onto the moon’s surface and made his famous statement, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”4 The first moonwalk lasted approximately 2 hours and 31 minutes.
In addition to the above, I vividly remember a special previous connected event: the November 22, 1963, assassination of President Kennedy. While in first-grade class, the school principal reported the news about the President via the public announcement system. She then excused all students to go home.
As the subsequent Apollo missions unfolded, my father of German descent, Frank G.S., boasted about the engineering prowess of Wernher von Braun. Little did he know. Enter Operation Paperclip.
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip5 was a program conducted by the United States government during and after World War II. Over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were brought to the United States for employment in the aftermath of the war.6 The program’s goal; deny the Soviet Union access to these experts and other potential adversaries. That enabled the United States to exploit its expertise for the benefit of military and intelligence agencies. The program was named “Paperclip” because the scientists’ files were marked with paperclips to indicate their special status.
The origins of Operation Paperclip can be traced back to 1943 when the United States War Department established the “Alsos Mission” to investigate the German nuclear program. As the war progressed and the Alliance closed in on Germany, it became clear that many German scientists and engineers faced the likelihood of capture. The United States government began planning to bring these individuals to the United States to secure their expertise.
The operation started in 1945, shortly after the end of the war in Europe. Teams of American intelligence officers went to Germany to locate and identify potential recruits. These individuals were then offered jobs and brought to the United States with their families. Many scientists, engineers, and technicians recruited through Operation Paperclip were given new identities, including new names, to hide their pasts and connections to Nazi Germany. The United States government feared that if their true identities were known, they would face difficulty obtaining security clearances and could be accused of war crimes.
Additionally, it was believed that if their pasts were revealed, it could reflect negatively on the United States government for recruiting individuals who had worked for a regime responsible for war crimes. The United States government went to great lengths to keep the true identities of these individuals secret. Many of the scientists and engineers who came to the states through Operation Paperclip were able to build new careers and lives under their new identities.
Many scientists and engineers brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip played critical roles in developing new technologies and weapons systems. Some were involved in developing the United States missile program, while others worked on advanced aircraft designs and space exploration. They also contributed to the development of new medical treatments and technologies.
However, the operation was not without controversy. Many of the scientists and engineers brought to the United States had been members of the Nazi party or involved in war crimes. That raised ethical questions about the United States government’s use of these individuals, and some argued that they should have been held accountable for their actions.
Many Germans, bewildered about losing their best scientists and engineers, viewed the operation as a form of looting by the United States. The operation also caused a brain drain in Germany, which impacted the country’s ability to recover from the war.
The Office of Strategic Services, which became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1947, was involved in the operation and played a crucial role in German scientists’ recruitment, screening, and transportation. The agency also helped to establish a network of safe houses and front companies to aid the scientists in their resettlement.
One of the main reasons for the CIA’s involvement in Operation Paperclip was the Cold War, which was beginning. The United States was in a race with the Soviet Union to develop advanced weapons and technology, and German scientists were seen as valuable assets in that competition. Additionally, the CIA believed German scientists would help establish new espionage techniques and technologies. The operation was kept secret for many years and was not officially acknowledged by the United States government until the 1970s.
Rodney Stich, in his book Defrauding America, makes this stunning claim about the CIA and Operation Paperclip:
After World War II, many former Nazi intelligence officers were brought to the United States and placed into various intelligence agencies, including the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency. Many had been given the choice of being prosecuted for World War II war crimes or joining the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. … This Nazi influence could explain the enormous harm inflicted upon the United States by the CIA. [The notorious Gunther] Russbacher arrived in the United States as the young son of a recipient of this program.7
In her book Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America, Annie Jacobsen details many nefarious individuals involved with this covert program. Here’s a video of Annie giving a talk about her book:
Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) was a German engineer and scientist who played a crucial role in developing the V-2 rocket during World War II and later became one of the most prominent figures in the American space program. He was the most well-known individual brought to the United States under the Operation Paperclip program.
Von Braun was born in Wirsitz, Germany, and from an early age, he was interested in science and engineering. He studied at the Technical University of Berlin, and in 1930, he joined the German Rocket Society. By the early 1930s, von Braun had begun developing liquid-fueled rockets, eventually leading to the creation of the V-2.
As the war progressed, von Braun and his team of scientists and engineers moved to a secret facility in Peenemünde, where they continued to work on the V-2. The V-2 was the first long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching London from launch sites in occupied France. Von Braun and his team worked under the harsh conditions of the war and the fear of air raids.
In April 1945, as the war ended, von Braun and his team knew that the Alliance would capture them. They decided to surrender to the American forces in the hope that they would be able to continue their work in rocketry. The American military was interested in their expertise, and on June 20, 1945, von Braun and his team secretly “immigrated” to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.
In the United States, von Braun and his team initially worked at Fort Bliss, Texas, and later ended up at White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico. They were debriefed and began working on new rocket designs for the American military. Von Braun and his team eventually ended up at the newly created Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where they continued their work on rocket development.
Von Braun’s expertise and leadership were instrumental in developing the Redstone rocket, the first American ballistic missile. He also played a crucial role in developing the Jupiter-C rocket, which launched the first American satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958. In 1960, von Braun was appointed the first Marshall Space Flight Center director in Huntsville, Alabama. He continued to work on developing new rockets and played a crucial role in the Apollo program.
Von Braun’s role in developing the V-2 during World War II, and his membership in the Nazi Party, raised ethical questions about his role in the United States space program. Despite these controversies, von Braun’s contributions to the American space program are well known. He was honored with numerous awards and medals during his lifetime.
Conclusion
Operation Paperclip denied the Soviet Union and other potential adversaries the ability to exploit German scientists. Thus the expertise benefited the United States military and intelligence agencies. It successfully advanced the American military and technological capabilities and raised ethical questions and controversies.
Wernher von Braun’s expertise and leadership were instrumental in developing the Redstone rocket, the first American ballistic missile, and the Jupiter-C rocket used to launch the first American satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958. Despite his past in Nazi Germany and his association with war crimes, the government recognized his contributions to American rocketry and the space program. 📕
Sources and Recommend Reading
Seventy Greatest Conspiracies of All Time: History’s Biggest Mysteries, Coverups, and Cabals ~ by Jonathan Vankin, John Whalen ~ 528 pages ~ Citadel (publisher) ~ June 2000
Defrauding America: Encyclopedia of Secret Operations by the CIA, DEA, and Other Covert Agencies ~ by Rodney Stitch ~ 735 pages, Diablo Western Press ~ April 2001
Operation Paperclip: How the USA helped Nazi criminals from WWII evade justice to advance its own military ambitions ~ Opindia.com
Operation Paperclip: The Truth about Bringing Nazi Scientists to America ~ Aish.com
What Was Operation Paperclip? ~ History.com
World War II: Operation Paperclip ~ Jewishvirtuallibrary.org
Operation Paperclip: How the USA helped Nazi criminals from WWII evade justice to advance its own military ambitions ~ Opindia.com
Annie Jacobsen, “Operation Paperclip” ~ Youtube video
Seeking any information on Operation Paperclip ~ Historyhub.history.gov
NASA Apollo 11 - NASA.gov
To this day, some claim the Apollo moon landings were a staged event.
Tube TV has a cathode-ray tube designed for the reproduction of television pictures. Older devices, such as those in the 1960’s also have internal “vacuum tubes.” Electronic tubes, also known as vacuum tubes or thermionic valves, use a vacuum to amplify or switch electronic signals. They consist of a sealed glass or metal envelope containing one or more electrodes, such as a cathode, anode, and control grid. Electrons are emitted from the cathode and controlled by the grid before the anode collects them. Tubes were used in various electronic devices, such as radios, televisions, and computers, but have been replaced by transistors and integrated circuit chips.
Some months after watching the moon landing, a small plasma of “ball-lightning” entered thru the window and impacted the same TV that we used to watch that Apollo 11 coverage. While sitting in the “den,” watching the ball-lightning hit the TV was terrifying. Sparks erupted all thru the room. My father grumbled about the “dead” TV. We removed the vacuum tubes and placed them in a paper bag. The next day, with the filled paper bag in hand, we drove to the electronics store to test the tubes. The bad tubes were replaced. The supply of working tubes then got inserted into the TV to bring it back to life. All just in time to watch the next installment of the Loony Tunes, thankfully void of Diversity Inclusion Equity (DIE).
With unmatched elegance, Armstrong did his job, became part of history, and went on to bear the burden of his fame. He resigned from NASA in 1971 and went on to teach aeronautics engineering at university and run a dairy farm, later rejoining NASA to investigate the Apollo 13 and Challenger accidents. Armstrong could have become wealthy from his fame but knew doing so would tarnish his great accomplishment.
Originally dubbed Operation Overcast but later renamed Operation Paperclip
Defrauding America ~ Rodney Stich, pp 232-233.
https://open.substack.com/pub/libertymagazine/p/why-operation-paperclip-makes-sense
Operation Paperclip is featured at 25:16 in Out of the Shadows:
https://www.outofshadows.org/