All thanks to a Nazi under Operation Paperclip.
In a word, that history is rather pathetic. Remarkable, but pathetic.
Gather ‘round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience.
Call him a Nazi, he won’t even frown,
“Ha, Nazi, Schmazi, “ says Wernher von Braun.
Don’t say that he’s hypocritical,
Say rather that he’s apolitical.
“Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That’s not my department, “ says Wernher von Braun.
Some have harsh words for this man of renown,
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude,
Like the widows and cripples in old London town,
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun.
You too may be a big hero,
Once you’ve learned to count backwards to zero.
“In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I’m learning Chinese!” says Wernher von Braun.
-Tom Lehrer
You’re welcome.
Thousands of scientists, and hundreds of tons of documents. Industry and business also hoovered up all kinds of proprietary techniques and processes as part of what was termed “intellectual reparations” or somesuch.
Less well known, Paperclip also imported a lot of chemical and biological warfare scientists, and propaganda specialists, and other super skeevy types. By the early 1950s the spook agencies were doing all sorts of crazy stuff with mind control through hypnosis, hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and BZ, assassinations. MKultra is probably (now) the best well known.
The government imported both hard core Communists and Nazis to the USA and installed them in high places.
What could go wrong?