Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource John W. Kluge Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Quartermaster Corps and The War Department (Intelligence)
- Location of Service: Aleutian Islands; Washington, DC; Fort Hunt (PO Box 1142), Virginia
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/1777
John Kluge's path to serving in a Washington-based intelligence unit was a winding one. Born in Germany, he and his family emigrated to America when he was eight years old. In 1940, at the age of 26, he enlisted in the Army, anticipating a year's service, which got extended after Dec. 7, 1941. After he graduated from Officers Candidate School, he was shunted off to Alaska's Aleutian Islands. His break came with his next assignment: a secret post not far from the newly constructed Pentagon. Thanks to his fluency with German, he spent the rest of the war interrogating captured German officers and translating captured Nazi documents.
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayThinking he would only be in the Army for a year, Kluge ended up staying for four and a half. 00:00:35.6 - 00:02:26.1
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PlayKluge was assigned much drudge work in his first days in the Army. 00:03:57.0 - 00:04:51.3
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PlayAn acquaintance reported him to the war department, thinking he was a spy. 00:06:42.5 - 00:08:11.0
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PlayTransferred from the Aleutians to a military intelligence post in Washington, DC. 00:13:31.2 - 00:14:11.4
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PlayWitnessing a bombing raid in the Aleutians early in the war. 00:16:40.1 - 00:17:17.0
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PlayThe Aleutians offered precious few diversions for the soldiers stationed there. 00:22:10.8 - 00:22:56.4
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PlayKluge had frequent contact with the Russians, who would stop in the Aleutians for refueling. 00:26:54.0 - 00:29:09.7
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PlayInterrogating captured German officers at a secret location (Post 1142) between Mount Vernon and the Pentagon. 00:36:05.3 - 00:38:30.7
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PlayHis team obtained information in some unusual ways in order to construct the German Order of Battle. 00:39:01.0 - 00:43:03.3
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PlayBelieves he would have been dropped behind enemy lines, had someone not reported suspicions he was a spy. 00:47:23.3 - 00:48:33.4
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PlayIn charge of an African American unit in California. 00:50:14.0 - 00:52:24.2
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PlayHis anti-Hitler stance put him in conflict with his relatives in Germany. 00:52:56.1 - 00:55:37.1
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PlayReflections on what serving in the Army meant to him. 00:58:45.4 - 01:00:58.0
About this Item
Title
- John W. Kluge Collection
Names
- Library of Congress
- Billington, James H.
- Veterans History Project
- Kluge, John W.
Home State
- Florida
Headings
- - Kluge, John W.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Quartermaster Corps and The War Department (Intelligence)
- Location of Service: Aleutian Islands; Washington, DC; Fort Hunt (PO Box 1142), Virginia
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected unknown)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-03-03; 2006-03-03)
- Computer File: Floppy Disk [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2001-10-12-2001-10-13; 2004-01-05)
- Manuscript: Transcript [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2001-10-12)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/1777
Cite as
- John W. Kluge Collection (AFC/2001/001/1777), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- online text
- video