The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
donaldtoo said:
From what I’ve read of the man, he wasn’t a voluntary nazi, he was coerced into it. He was into rocketry years before the nazi party came about, and was totally about the exploration of space and space travel. His talents were so well-known at the time that he was commandeered by the nazi’s to weaponize rockets. Threats to family, and all.
Long story short, when the Americans and the Russians were closing in on Berlin at the end of the war, Wernher von Braun’s brother gave him his bicycle so he could ride to the Americans to be “captured” by them.
He was troubled in other ways, but, the years he spent in the U.S. space program were years he treasured, as he was finally able to pursue his original dreams.
He also brought other “captured” German scientists with him to the U.S., such as Willy Ley, Heinz Haber, etc.

I’ve posted this here before, but, it will give anyone who cares to take the time to watch it insight into his real dreams and goals...Walt liked and respected him, too...!!! ;)

Click to expand...

Oh I know there were a lot of Germans who were threatened...not just Germans, actually. (Think von Trapp family!) I was just talking about this to E yesterday. They are studying WWII in History right now, and we were talking about how it was join or die. But what I read about Wernher von Braun was that there were contradictory reports. For example, he joined in 1937, but stated to the Americans that he joined in 1939 when he was commanded to do so. No one knows if he just got the year wrong, or if it was deliberate to hide that he joined on his own. There were also accounts given by camp inmates after they were liberated that Von Braun had ordered a prisoner flogged for sabbotaging rocket parts being built in the camp, and that he watched another prisnoer be tortured. But they don't know if it was a case of mistaken identity or if he really did those things.
On the other hand, if someone is threatening you or your family, you do things you wouldn't normally do, just to survive. And the fact that he didn't give information to the Germans after the war was over and he moved to the States kind of points to him not really being a nazi sympathizer. I am just really interested in that period of history and I find it fascinating to read their stories, and I was sure I had heard his name before. It was more of a "Hey....didn't I read his name somewhere in connection with WWII?" and then I had to go look him up to see if I was right.
 

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