Secret Heroes

From Holocaust Survivors to Nazi Interrogators

By: Dianne Ogden, Cynthia Michel

Narrated by: Dianne Ogden

Follow the winding path of a Jewish refugee turned US Army interrogator who ends up processing Nazi scientists during WWII. Fred Michel was a teenager when he escaped Nazi Germany with his family.

When war broke out, he was drafted and trained at Camp Ritchie, a high level intelligence center. He ended up at an obscure fort along the Potomac River known only as P.O. Box 1142. There, he and fellow interrogators engaged in a battle of wits with captured Nazi U-boat captains, generals and scientists. Their masterful interrogations revealed vital information to help turn the tide of the war in the Atlantic, assist in the Manhattan Project, position the U.S. for the coming Cold War and lay the groundwork for the Space Race.

The information they gathered on things like sonar, radar, microwave technology, stealth technology, various detonation devices, and rocketry gave the United States a clear advantage in the development of weaponry and other technologies. They did all of this without the use of force, torture or violence of any kind. For over sixty years Fred and his fellow veterans never breathed a word of their accomplishments to their wives, families or friends. It wasn't until a National Park Ranger, who was researching information for wayside exhibits, happened to stumble upon declassified information that lead to Fred Michel.

Secret Heroes tells the story of how these veterans honorably served their country asking for nothing in return. The rangers of the National Park Service are the other heroes who recognized the contribution made by these men and found a way to properly thank them for their dedication and service to this country.

©2024 Dianne Ogden (P)2024 Dianne Ogden