Operation Paperclip brought 1,600 of Germany's most accomplished scientists to the United States. Among them was Wernher von Braun: a former-Nazi who became a US citizen in 1955, and an invaluable part of America's new space program. | American Experience | PBS

5 Secret Space Programs | Howstuffworks

John Cencich explains Operation Paperclip…the program that brought German scientists to the U.S. after World War II, including individuals linked to brutal human experiments carried out under the Nazi regime. He says records were sanitized and officials reassured the public that they were simply “German scientists,” not Nazis… a narrative meant to justify bringing them in before the Soviets could. According to John, it’s one of the most controversial intelligence moves of the postwar era. Catch