Monday, Jun 25, 2007
On June 10th, park staff honored a veteran on his first return to the location of “P.O. Box 1142,” a super-secret interrogation center during WWII located at what is currently known as Fort Hunt Park. In addition, park staff dedicated eight new outdoor exhibit panels, which capture the long, rich history of Fort Hunt Park, including the WWII time period.
Approximately a year-and-a-half ago, park staff embarked on a journey to research the incredible stories of P.O. Box 1142 in an effort to better understand the site’s history. A tip provided by a park neighbor during a ranger-led program led to the first interview with a veteran. Additional clues provided through that interview, recently declassified military documents, and other methods have since aided park staff in identifying and/or interviewing 30 of the last surviving veterans of this operation. Now, first-hand accounts of the history of P.O. Box 1142 are being recorded in interviews with the veterans for posterity and for use in future public education efforts.
As a result, park staff have learned more about one of the secret programs, known as MIS-Y, which involved the systematic interrogation of Axis prisoners-of-war. Although initially Fort Hunt’s “guests” were German U-boat crewmen and officers, the program eventually expanded to include prisoners of all branches of the German military. By the end of the war, Fort Hunt was utilized for interrogations of Germany’s highest-ranking officers, top scientists from their nuclear program, and even a limited number of high-ranking Japanese officials.
The park will sponsor a reunion of WWII veterans and a related symposium on October 5th and 6th and will continue with the oral history project.
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