P. O. Box 1142

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P.O. Box 1142 was a secret American military intelligence facility that operated during World War II.[1] The American Military Intelligence Service had two special wings whose core duty was to interview the Prisoners of War (POWs), known as MIS -X and MIS -Y. They were known by their codename, the mailing address "P.O. Box 1142."[2] Notable prisoners housed at the facility included rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, spymaster Reinhard Gehlen, and Heinz Schlicke, inventor of infrared detection.[3]

P.O. Box 1142 was based out of Fort Hunt, Virginia,[1] formerly part of George Washington's farmlands. German scientists, submariners and soldiers were questioned.[2] P.O. Box 1142 obtained valuable intelligence from German POWs and also communicated with Allied POWs overseas. The work done at Fort Hunt contributed to the Allied victory of World War II. It also led to advances in scientific technology and military intelligence that directly influenced the Cold War.[1] In October 2007, a group of the former intelligence workers gathered for the first time since the war's conclusion,[4] and a flagpole and plaque recognizing their contributions were dedicated on the original grounds.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c World War II Vets Honored For Top-Secret Work, NPS Digest.
  2. ^ a b Dvorak, Petula, 2006-08-20, WWII secret interrogators break their silence, Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b Albrecht, Brian. "Long hidden, a Nazi-interrogation unit gets its due", The Plain Dealer, 2008-01-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  4. ^ Dvorak, Petula. "Fort Hunt's Quiet Men Break Silence on WWII", The Washington Post, 2007-10-06. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 


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