| The FBI Files of Wernher von Braun--Part 6 | |
By Tom Carney
Reprinted with permission of Old Huntsville Magazine
Director, FBI
Internal Security
... In addition he mentioned that perhaps the FBI ... would be interested to know that We von Braun, scientist, was a houseguest of XXX.
Once after moving to Huntsville, von Braun was riding in a car with a friend when suddenly he began to express frustration. "I don't like being treated like a foreign spy. Everywhere I go, the FBI has me followed. I can't even go to the bathroom without the FBI following me."
When his friend showed surprise, von Braun told him to look behind them. "That third car in the back has been following us since we left. It's FBI men. They're always around. My telephone is bugged, and the FBI reads more of my mail than I do. I hope someday they will trust me and leave me alone."
Director, FBI
Internal Security
This office is now in receipt of information through the Post Office Inspector, Chattanooga, Tenn., originating from XXX, Postmaster, Vinemont, Alabama as follows:
The Postmaster at Vinemont has had on occasion to notice a number of letters mailed at the Vinemont Post Office by a XXX, whose mail bears the return address of Dr. Werhner von Braun ... Huntsville, Ala. ... and on Oct. 6, 1953, a 13 oz. letter was mailed first class to XXX, London, England. Postmaster advised that previous letters were addressed to Sweden, Germany and some place in Florida ... it does appear that for some reason Von Braun does not wish that such mail pass through the Huntsville Post Office.
On April 21, 1955, in the auditorium of the old Huntsville High School, Werhner von Braun was sworn in as an American citizen. The FBI duly noted the event by carefully clipping the newspaper articles and placing them in his files. Later, when he received an award from Notre Dame, that clipping was also added.
Von Braun was finding out that the United States was a much different place than Nazi Germany, where Hitler could budget a massive rocket program on a personal whim. In the U.S., politicians controlled the budget and were squeamish about voting for anything that did not have public support. Von Braun and the Army realized this and began a massive publicity campaign to garner public support. By 1957, Werhner von Braun had become one of the best known men in the United States.
Part 7--More Files
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