The well-known and much venerated space and rocket development company was actually started by Nazi scientists who were brought over here right after World War Two. These German engineers were used extensively to develop our own space and rocket program, and this is where the organization NASA started from. These were not just scientists and engineers; but actually were German's who were high up in the Nazi hierarchy, and who participated in the torture and killing of so many prisoners during the war. They were brought over here (against our President's orders) and then put in charge of developing our space program through NASA. The very thought that this is the kind of people who give us the information about the things that NASA has done, are part of what makes me doubt much of what they tell us nowdays. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4443934.stm
I remember Werner Von Braun. he was no longer a Nazi when he came and started working for the US. He was very handsome and my mom's girlfriends all giggled about him.
He was a very smart man and as Ruby said no longer a Nazi when he worked here. I don't see a connection with him and what NASA is today.
I do agree Wernher Von Beaun looks were worth giggling over. He was a very handsome man, but unless he quit the Nazi's before the war was over, he wasn't an ex-Nazi. Our nation acquired many scientific secrets from the Germans and the Japanese during and after the war. I really liked the article. Being German or even half German in the 40's and 50's wasn't very popular when I was growing up, so I'm happy and proud to see evidence that Germans played such large parts in developing our NASA program.
Didn't read the article @Chrissy ? Where is your proof that they were not Nazi's ? If you are going to discuss conspiracies, at least bring some evidence, theories, or something besides just standing there and saying it is not true.
Where did I say they weren't Nazi's in Germany? I said after they came to the US. I had brother in laws that joined the communist party in Hungary, Yvonne. Were they really communists....No, but if they wanted to keep their jobs they had better join.
Werner Von Braun, as well as many of the other Nazi's that were brought over here after the war were NOT supposed to have been allowed into the United States at all; due to their high affiliation with the Nazi Party, and the horrendous experiments that they had done on the prisoners in Germany during the war. They were still considered dangerous to the UNited States when they were brought here. Of course you didn't say that they were not Nazi's in Germany, @Chrissy Page , you are twisting the subject. I said that they were Nazi's when they came here and they were put in charge of our space program when they were Nazi's. If you don't believe that, I would like to hear your reasoning for your viewpoint.
It doesn't matter if Nazi or not. Everybody knew who they were, it was no secret. No conspiracy there.
Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun was a German, later an American, aerospace engineer and space architect credited with inventing the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany and the Saturn V for the United States.Wikipedia Died: June 16, 1977, Alexandria, VA Children: Margrit Cécile von Braun, Iris Careen von Braun, Peter Constantine von Braun Quotes, books, and overview It's not even wether they were ex nazis or not but what I was saying is what does it have to do with NASA now? That was my point Yvonne.
It does matter, because the Nazi's were responsible for some horrible war crimes ! They tortured and killed people. Innocent people. Even the German people themselves were terrified of being killed. Like Ina (and probably others here) I am partially of German descent, and this is no issue with German people, only with what the Nazi's did. These people were brought over here secretly, and against our President's direct orders. They were brought in by falsifying their passports and information. They didn't stop being Nazi's, or give up their beliefs, they just came here under cover and protection from the part of the military that wanted to use them against the Russians and to start our space program.
Yes, and what does that have to do with NASA now, Yvonne. I keep asking you that and you're not answering. Yes, they did some awful things. Pretty sure we did some in Iraq and Afghanistan. Innocent people killed. War is ugly no matter where. We got to use their intelligence, that wasn't bad for us....
I know what the Nazis did. If the gov tried to sneak them in the sneak didn't work. Everyone knew. I guess we could say an attempted conspiracy. That was what, 60 years ago? What does it have do with today's NASA?
I guess that it does not bother you that NASA was started by a group of high-ranking Nazi's. It bothers me. The whole organization was started on a false premise, and by evil people who were given false papers and smuggled into our country. They should have been tried for war crimes, not given the reins to start one of the largest and most well-funded government organizations. What does it matter now, you ask, @Chrissy Page ? Apparently, it doesn't matter to most people, and certainly not to you. To me, it matters because it was started by people who hated this country, and were some of the world's worst killers of innocent people who they had in concentration camps. Even your precious Wikipedia talks about them being sneaked in here and the president didn't know about for months afterwards because the papers were all forged. So, first you tell me that it wasn't true, and now you say that it doesn't matter anyway, is that correct ? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
My point is what does it have to do with NASA now, Yvonne? Should we get rid of NASA, Airplanes with contrails, science, doctors and on and on? If it makes you happy I'll say he was a Nazi and he was with NASA 60-70 yrs ago. What does that have to do with NASA now?? You won't answer my question, Yvonne. Bye, I'm out of here.
Maybe some of America didn't understand that conspiracies were happening just after the war, but that didn't mean that America didn't try to hide many facts concerning the scientist we smuggled into this country. Just because it didn't work as planned, didn't mean it didn't happen. I found many articles about the secrecy of bring these war criminals into this country. Here are two links concerning this issue. http://nypost.com/2014/02/01/behind-the-secret-plan-to-smuggle-nazi-scientists-to-america/ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/us/14nazis.html?_r=0 We did the same with the Japanses, but we didn't seem to see them in as bad a way as we did the Germans.