Wernher von Braun:
How did Wernher von Braun, a Nazi SS officer for the Third Reich become an American hero of space travel?
Wernher von Braun was one of the most important rocket developers and champions of space exploration. He was the German developer of the deadly V-2 ballistic missiles that devastated Europe and killed thousands of European citizens and the NASA chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle that propelled Americans to the moon.
While it is well documented that Von Braun never wanted to use his rocket technology to harm people, his V-2 rockets were used to bomb Europe. He later stated that “the rocket worked perfectly, except for landing on the wrong planet”.
The V-2s were manufactured using slave labor from concentration camps. Over 60,000 prisoners lived, worked, and died at Mittelwerk. More people died making the V-2 bombs than the estimated 8,000 casualties of the bombs themselves. Von Braun was in charge of the V-2 production. Although he admitted that he had visited Mittelwerk where he found the conditions “repulsive”, he claimed not to have visited the concentration camp itself. However, in 1955, one former prisoner at the camp testified that von Braun was at the camp and personally ordered the prisoners to be beaten and watched as they were hanged.
While it is well documented that Von Braun never wanted to use his rocket technology to harm people, his V-2 rockets were used to bomb Europe. He later stated that “the rocket worked perfectly, except for landing on the wrong planet”.
The V-2s were manufactured using slave labor from concentration camps. Over 60,000 prisoners lived, worked, and died at Mittelwerk. More people died making the V-2 bombs than the estimated 8,000 casualties of the bombs themselves. Von Braun was in charge of the V-2 production. Although he admitted that he had visited Mittelwerk where he found the conditions “repulsive”, he claimed not to have visited the concentration camp itself. However, in 1955, one former prisoner at the camp testified that von Braun was at the camp and personally ordered the prisoners to be beaten and watched as they were hanged.
Wernher von Braun was once arrested by the Gestapo, who suspected that he planned to escape to England with the V-2 plans. He spent two weeks in prison before being released. One night in March of 1944, he drank too much and carelessly mentioned that he didn’t think the war would go well for Germany. He was again arrested weeks later, but was not incarcerated.
Before the Allied victory, von Braun surrendered 500 of his top rocket scientists along with plans and test vehicles to the Americans. For fifteen years after WWII, von Braun worked with the U.S. Army to develop ballistic missiles. In 1960, he was moved to the newly established NASA and received the mandate to build Saturn rockets. Von Braun became the first director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight center and the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, which was the superbooster that would bring Americans to the moon. On July 16, 1969, von Braun stood at the Kennedy Spaceflight Center and watched one of his rockets, the Saturn V take the Apollo 11 crew to the moon. There is no doubt that without von Braun, the U.S. would not have won the space race.
Before the Allied victory, von Braun surrendered 500 of his top rocket scientists along with plans and test vehicles to the Americans. For fifteen years after WWII, von Braun worked with the U.S. Army to develop ballistic missiles. In 1960, he was moved to the newly established NASA and received the mandate to build Saturn rockets. Von Braun became the first director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight center and the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, which was the superbooster that would bring Americans to the moon. On July 16, 1969, von Braun stood at the Kennedy Spaceflight Center and watched one of his rockets, the Saturn V take the Apollo 11 crew to the moon. There is no doubt that without von Braun, the U.S. would not have won the space race.
He [Wernher Von Braun] is a great example, because you wonder where the deal with the devil really happened in terms of his whitewashed past — because the U.S. government, NASA in particular, was so complicit in keeping his past hidden” (voice of Annie Jacobson, Author, "Operation Paperclip"). |
When you see that kind of activity during the war, and you have to imagine what he saw and what he knew, it's impossible to excuse him from his Nazi past" (voice of Annie Jacobson, Author, "Operation Paperclip"). |