Operation Paperclip: When the U.S. Recruited Nazi Scientists

After World War II ended in 1945, the world should’ve been finished with Nazis. But behind closed doors, the United States had other plans. In a secret military program known as Operation Paperclip, the U.S. government quietly recruited over 1,600 former Nazi scientists, engineers, and technicians—some with very questionable pasts—to work for American military and space programs.

Why? Because the Cold War was heating up, and the Soviets were racing to grab Nazi tech and talent too. The U.S. didn’t want to fall behind, even if it meant brushing a few war crimes under the rug.

Science, Rockets, and Some Really Dark Résumés

The scientists brought over under Operation Paperclip weren’t small-time lab techs. These were the minds behind Germany’s most terrifying technological achievements. Names like:

• Wernher von Braun – The guy who built the V-2 rocket that rained down on London.

• Kurt Blome – A biological warfare expert accused of experimenting on concentration camp prisoners.

• Hubertus Strughold – Later dubbed the “Father of Space Medicine,” but had ties to grotesque medical experiments under the Nazis.

• Arthur Rudolph – Oversaw Nazi rocket production that used forced labor from the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp.

  
  

The U.S. not only recruited them—they gave many of them new identities, government jobs, and in some cases, public admiration. The rationale? Their knowledge could help the U.S. beat the Soviets.

The Weird and the Worrying

This episode isn’t just about government recruitment—it’s about the twisted place where science, secrecy, and the occult collide.

Let’s start with the basics: Yes, many of these scientists were directly connected to horrifying Nazi programs. But some researchers and theorists claim they were also dabbling in occult practices—and that the U.S. might’ve been just as interested in those secrets.

• There’s speculation that Nazi scientists brought more than just rocket blueprints—they brought ritual knowledge, strange symbology, and maybe even esoteric technologies.

• One persistent theory ties Paperclip to the Nazi Bell (Die Glocke)—a rumored anti-gravity or time travel device that supposedly vanished from Germany at the end of the war. Some believe it resurfaced under U.S. black ops after Paperclip.

• Others connect these scientists to early U.S. mind control programs, like MK-Ultra, claiming their experience in human experimentation made them prime candidates for dark psychological research.

• Then there’s the Jack Parsons connection—a U.S. rocket pioneer, occultist, and Crowley disciple—who performed bizarre sex magic rituals (The Babalon Working) around the same time Paperclip was happening. While not directly involved, it’s all part of the same surreal stew of tech, mysticism, and secret agendas.

  
  

And let’s not forget: Wernher von Braun went from designing weapons for the Nazis to becoming America’s TV science host on Disney. If that doesn’t scream “alternate timeline,” we don’t know what does.

This is one of those stories that sounds fake—but isn’t. The documents are real. The program happened. And the ripple effects might still be unfolding today.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

If you've never heard of Operation Paperclip—or just want to hear us dig into the strangeness, ethical disasters, and secret government maneuvering—this one’s for you.