Long ago in the days of early US rocket programs, of course there were the Germans from Nazi Germany, spirited away from the Soviets who were trying to kidnap them for life. “We” got them (through iirc the Alsos mission or something of the sort) and they went to work for the USA.
In Huntsville AL (where SpaceForce HQ is moving from Colorado!) at the Redstone Arsenal base, were experts in the field and led by Wernher Von Braun formerly of the Nazi Partei, and the Allegemeine Shutzstaffel (SS) and some 12 others iirc. Lots of crashes and false starts, even firing captured V-2s and developing fuels safer than what they had and aiding US rocketry development a great deal.
A little ditty was around in those days:
“The rockets go up the rockets come down, where they land is not my problem says Wernher Von Braun.”
Lot’s of crashes on Merritt Island, FL Cape Canaveral on federally leased citrus grove private land, and videos exist of those.
The chinese, as per usual and similar to the Soviets, have a casual non-valuing attitude about safety, in launches, astronauts survival, etc (see recent events they can’t leave their own “station” because of defective vehicle. To which any US patriot should say— gee that’s too bad”. No help at all- they would not give it to us.)
IBRMs - Into the Banana River Missiles...
Up and down rocket flights over top of the New Mexico bombing ranges for several years. Then they got the designs and guidance and motors so reliable the rockets could actually exceed the range length.
Hence the moves to Cape Canaveral, Vanderbilt, and the VACapes Wallop ranges in the early 50s. (VACapes was closer to the Langley Test Center, hence its popularity.)
Tom Lehrer... He died last July and was discussed here