Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany (27 page)
Read Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany Online
Authors: Richard Lucas
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Bisac Code 1: BIO022000, #Biography, #History
Pearson turned Ehalt and Lawlor’s letters over to Victor Woerheide at the Justice Department. Within weeks, FBI agents interviewed the former POWs. Each man recalled more names, and each successive witness recalled the names of other men who participated in the recordings for the
Survivors of the Invasion Front
program. The FCC-recorded tapes from the monitoring station in Silver Spring, Maryland yielded additional names. By June 6, 1947, Pearson could report to his readers that the eyewitness testimony of the former POWs gave the Justice Department “a reasonable chance of conviction.”
338
The publicity resulted in a nationwide campaign of war veterans in American Legion and VFW posts determined to “bar Axis Sally, Nazi-loving war broadcaster, from returning to the United States unless she is brought back to face trial for treason.”
339
One resolution from a Legion post in Detroit, Michigan “was offered by Wilson Elliott, an Air Corps gunner who was forced to listen to her propaganda broadcasts every day for two and a half years in a German prison camp after Elliott’s bomber was shot down over Germany.”
340
With veterans groups aroused, the political pressure to keep Mildred in jail was mounting in the upcoming presidential election year of 1948.
President Harry Truman was facing an uphill battle for re-election. It had been almost 16 years since a Republican sat in the Oval Office and the emerging threat of international Communism was fertile ground for the GOP. Truman was determined to appear tough on enemies foreign and domestic, and the prosecution of former Nazi collaborators was an effective means of doing just that. September 1948 saw another infamous propagandist, Iva Toguri d’Aquino, brought back to America. Preparations were being made on the West Coast for “Little Orphan Anne”—better known as Tokyo Rose—to be tried in San Francisco for treason. Mrs. D’Aquino landed on American soil only four weeks after Mildred’s arrival at Bolling Field. The dramatic and public repatriation of the two women was certain to show the voters that the Truman Administration knew how to deal decisively with traitors and bring them to justice.
A Priceless Service
Not all Americans viewed Axis Sally as a traitor. Throughout the war, a dedicated group of hundreds of amateur (“ham”) and short-wave radio hobbyists sat in darkened rooms warmed by the glow of the tubes and dials of their Hallicrafters and Zenith radio sets. With pencils in hand, these average American citizens dutifully monitored the broadcasts of Berlin Radio. Each night, these listeners waded through the German war communiqués, musical interludes and ludicrous commentaries to hear the names of captured and wounded American, Canadian and British troops.
They recorded the names, serial numbers and hometowns of the men. At their own expense, they wrote cards and letters to the families of the imprisoned soldiers informing them that their loved one was captured but alive. In many cases, this correspondence was the first and only news of their lost soldier. Rita Zucca, the Rome “Axis Sally,” also regularly read the names of the captured on her show
Jerry’s Front
.
In several FBI statements of former prisoners interviewed by Axis Sally, the number of Americans who regularly listened to the wartime broadcasts surprised Hoover’s men. One of the prisoners interviewed by Midge, Homer McNamara, told the FBI how his mother had received a telegram from “some radio ham” up in Maine, advising that he had heard McNamara’s voice over the radio from Germany and that he was a prisoner of war—and alive.”
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Another ex-soldier, John Patrick Butler, gave the G-men:
several postcards and letters received by the members of [his] family after the broadcast was made by [Gillars] to the United States, disclosing her interview with Butler. These communications generally reflect that the writers of the communications had heard the… broadcast and wished to inform the members of the Butler family of Johnny’s message to them. These communications would tend to indicate that Mildred Gillars’ broadcasts were widely heard by numerous people in the United States.
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Of the hundreds of American civilians who listened to the broadcasts of Axis Sally or received information about their loved ones, only two came to her aid. Irwin and Violet Bender of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania regularly listened to Midge during the war. The Benders took up their pens again in defense of the American girl who spoke to them over the airwaves. The couple challenged the validity of the government’s claims against Mildred. Like other acts of postwar dissent, the Benders’ actions came to the attention of the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover. The mother of a former prisoner of war, Gertrude Laughlin, received one such letter in October 1948:
Dear Mrs. Laughlin:
On May 16, 1944, Mildred Gillars read your son’s message via the Berlin Short-wave radio in Germany and your letter of appreciation testifies to the benefits derived from that message. This brave woman, known to American “relay-listeners” as “Midge,” by which name she identified herself over the German radio, has been “kidnapped” by the Department of Justice and they have “framed” a treason charge against her.
There are certain revengeful persons on the loose here in America who wish to see everyone who brushed elbows with anything German during the war wiped off the face of the earth. This brave woman unfortunately found herself in Europe at the outbreak of the War in Europe (which began long before we entered the war) and when we entered it, this woman found the plight of our boys who were prisoners of war in that country, she cast her lot with our boys and began the humanitarian work of helping the boys write their messages, collecting them from the various camps, and then reading them over the Berlin short-wave radio.
She carried out this priceless service for nearly two years and you as well as thousands of others here in America received the great “aid and comfort” that was to be had in her brave efforts in transmitting these messages of life and hope.
The false charge of “treason” (for the definition of treason carries the charge of giving “aid and comfort to the enemy”) is based on her North African broadcasts which were harmless, and there certainly was no “aid and comfort” given to the Germans in all her radio activities….
I have been working very hard in the defense [
sic
] of Miss Gillars (whom the Department of Justice has “unfairly” dubbed Axis Sally), and have many influential people helping in the cause. My wife and I listened-in and relayed nearly all the messages “Midge” read via the Berlin short-wave radio during the war, and the thousands of letters of appreciation we have received testify to the fact that Miss Gillars has rendered to the American people a priceless service that can never be repaid. The FBI and their “Alma Mater,” the Department of Justice, are trying hard to carry out the wishes of certain vindictive persons to “railroad” this girl to life imprisonment, and even—DEATH.
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Laughlin’s son, James (no relation to Mildred’s future attorney), sent the letter to the FBI and told the Bureau that he was “in no way sympathetic with the contents of the letter.”
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Hoover received similar letters from other families concerned that Bender’s message might reflect on their loyalty. One Indianapolis woman passed on the Benders’ letter and told agents that she was “not in sympathy with the request.” Mrs. William F. Boylan of New York City had more reason to be outraged at the Benders’ request for support. Although her son was a prisoner of the Nazis for 22 months and survived the war, he died at home a year later as a direct result of his imprisonment.
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Mildred’s recordings of POW messages for broadcast from Berlin were not treasonous in and of themselves. The prosecution would have to show that she intentionally used those broadcasts to provide aid and comfort to the German war effort, rather than comfort to heartsick families back home.
Justice Department prosecutors also had serious concerns about the testimony of the former prisoners. An examination of the August 1948 correspondence between the prosecutors and the FBI shows that the memories of those GIs who witnessed her actions in the camps were less vivid than their later trial testimony would indicate. Prosecutor John M. Kelley and his team needed two witnesses to the
same
overt act of treason to get a conviction. Acting Assistant Attorney General Alexander Campbell pointed out the difficulty that the prosecution was experiencing in nailing down the somewhat hazy memories of the former prisoners:
Their encounter with the subject was brief and occurred more than four years ago. Moreover, at the time they were approached by the subject they were underfed and physically exhausted by the ordeal of their capture and the enforced marches which ensued. In view of these factors it is not surprising that reports of investigation submitted by the Bureau following interrogation of these witnesses reflect many omissions and discrepancies. A number of these witnesses were unable to recall either the names or faces of their fellow prisoners who recorded messages at the same time, but express the belief that recognition would probably occur if they could meet face to face. Once these witnesses are brought together for common discussion and reminiscence it is accordingly anticipated that many of said omissions and discrepancies will disappear.
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Even before Mildred returned to the United States, Kelley recognized the possible weaknesses of his case and, more so, his witnesses. To attempt to eliminate the discrepancies, the FBI brought together the former prisoners of war into small groups to listen to Axis Sally recordings and meet for “common discussion and reminiscence.” These eyewitnesses to a capital case required the reinforcement of the memories of their fellow prisoners. Although the majority of the witnesses were able to identify Mildred Gillars from old photographs, the Justice Department was concerned by the fact that the prisoner’s “physical appearance has altered considerably during the period of her incarceration,” and the witnesses would no longer be able to recognize her.
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Campbell asked that the witnesses view the accused immediately after their arrival in Washington, so that “should some of them wholly fail to identify her, they can be dismissed forthwith.”
348
Kelley had reason for concern. The FBI reports of their interviews with some of the ex-prisoners cast a shadow on the witnesses’ ability to immediately identify Mildred. When shown recent photographs of her, ex-POW Homer McNamara “failed to pick out the photo of subject Gillars but did select her photo along with one of another woman.” In addition, the investigators noted that a photo with her name written on it “struck no familiar note” with McNamara.
349
Campbell went as far as requesting that the witnesses
hear her voice
, because “in some instances they may have to hear the subject speak before they can be certain one way or another.”
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Axis Sally’s voice was heard by literally hundreds of thousands of GIs in Europe and Africa. The ex-POWs were being called to testify about their
personal
contact with her in a prisoner-of-war camp. A familiar voice that spoke to them over the radio for more than three years could not determine whether they could visually recognize her. Despite it all, “common discussion and reminiscence” would be used to turn foggy memories into vivid evidence at trial.
Moreover, prosecutor John Kelley was concerned that these discrepancies might affect his ability to get an indictment from the Grand Jury. In an undated FBI internal memorandum, FBI Special Agent F.J. Baumgardner wrote:
Mr. Kelley further related that… there are certain discrepancies in the statements of some of the witnesses, which must, of course, be clarified prior to the appearance of these witnesses before the Grand Jury. He requested that Agents be assigned to interview certain witnesses when they arrive in Washington and endeavor to clear up these discrepancies.
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Baumgardner was annoyed at Kelley’s use of Bureau agents to get his witnesses stories to mesh. He limited their use, stating, “We do not intend to have these Agents running errands, and they will be instructed to perform only the investigation which appears logical, and if a request is made for any illogical investigation, that the Bureau be advised.”
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In January 1948, a renewed search began for German witnesses. The CIC’s European Command alerted all regions of Occupied Germany to seek out musicians who had participated in Mildred’s broadcasts. Despite working daily in the same studio with her, most of the band members did not hear or understand the English content of the messages. The search was largely unfruitful except for information provided by Hermann Rohrbeck, Berlin Radio’s orchestral supervisor during the war. Rohrbeck told the CIC that the only people in the studio who understood what she was saying were a Dutch vocalist and a sound engineer.
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The crooner, Willy DeVries, was to provide damaging testimony at her trial. Several other musicians were located, but they too could not understand the words of the woman in the booth. After months of seeking out her colleagues, the CIC came up with little and called off the search a few months later.