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Gen. Sam Phillips (left), Wernher von Braun, Dr. James Fletcher, and George Low at the Apollo 15 launch. Scan by J.L. Pickering.

Devoted Nazi General Walter Dornberger and German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun were two men with a vision. The drive, energy and resourcefulness of General Dornberger, mated with the ingenuity and passion of von Braun, created one of the greatest technological achievements of this century. The fact that this achievement was the product of the ruthless regime of Nazi Germany, and the fact that many thousands of people died as a result of its production and deployment, taint the image of what otherwise would be considered a monumental triumph.

Many people now believe von Braun was guilty by association and contributed to the great suffering of slave laborers working at Peenemünde and the Mittelwerk. Sometimes praised as heroes in the United States, von Braun and Dornberger are increasingly reviled on the European continent. Political aspects aside, the fact remains that these men were shaping the ground rules for warfare in the later years of the twentieth century.