Today in History, January 23: 1941 – American hero Charles Lindbergh, who in 1927 was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic, sits before the US Congress and encourages the US to remain neutral with Nazi Germany. After his son was kidnapped and subsequently murdered, Lindbergh and his wife moved to Europe to avoid attention. While there he became enamored with the German air superiority (at least warning America about that) and their “advancements”. When he returned, son of a US Congressman, he sat before congress and denounced FDR’s administration, Jews, and the British, encouraging neutrality. A fool on a fool’s errand? Perhaps. Only history can determine whether he can be forgiven for his poor judgement after he flew 50 combat missions in the Pacific against the Japanese once the war began. He would die in Hawaii in 1974. Hero or traitor? We all make poor choices at some point in our lives, but can we obtain redemption?
Mark Loves History! 