P. O. Box 1142

Memorial to P. O. Box 1142 at Fort Hunt Park

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] German U-Boat commander Werner Henke was also a prisoner.^[4]

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 camp was in violation of the Geneva Conventions because the Red Cross was not notified of the transfer or location of the prisoners, but according to the surviving wardens torture was not used.^[5] 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,^[5] and a flagpole and plaque recognizing their contributions were dedicated on the original grounds.^[3][6]

The camp was started in 1942; the majority of the camp facilities were bulldozed in 1946.^[3] The post commanders were: Col Daniel W. Kent (1 July 1942 to 21 October 1942); Col Russell H. Sweet (21 October 1942 to 1 February 1943); Col. John L. Walker (1 February 1943 to 18 July 1945); and Col. Zennas R. Bliss (18 July 1945 to post closure).

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 c} Albrecht, Brian (2008-01-11). "Long hidden, a Nazi-interrogation unit gets its due". The Plain Dealer. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/01/in_1942_a_highly_classified.html. Retrieved 2008-01-11. 
4. ^ Mulligan, Timothy (1993). Lone Wolf: The Life and Death of U-Boat Ace Werner Henke (book). ISBN 0275936775. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Dvorak, Petula (2007-10-06). "Fort Hunt's Quiet Men Break Silence on WWII". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/05/AR2007100502492.html. Retrieved 2008-01-11. 
6. ^ Fessler, Pam (2008-08-18). "Breaking The Silence Of A Secret POW Camp". Morning Edition (NPR). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93635950. Retrieved 2008-08-18.