The Rocket Men, Part I: Wernher von Braun

Even if you’ve never heard of Operation Paperclip, chances are you’ve heard of Wernher von Braun -- the visionary rocketeer whose brilliance brought us, literally, to the Moon and back. With his telegenic charisma and stunning contributions to America’s civilian space program, Wernher von Braun is undeniably the most prominent figure to emerge from Operation Paperclip. But how do we reconcile von Braun’s status as a national hero -- and even, at one point, a household name -- with his past as an integral part of the Nazi war effort? In this episode of PAPERCLIP, comedian Michael Ian Black and historian Monique Laney tackle this question -- among many others -- as they take us through the complexities of Wernher von Braun’s work, life, and legacy. This is a paid podcast funded Amazon Studios. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the production of this podcast. The views expressed on this podcast are not necessarily the views of Amazon Studios or the Los Angeles Times.