During World War II, thousands of German prisoners of war were held in camps across the United States — but some never made it home.
Inside the barbed-wire fences of places like Camp Gruber, Tonkawa, and Fort Meade, Nazi loyalists turned on their own — murdering fellow soldiers accused of betraying Hitler or showing kindness to Americans.
In the summer of 1945, fourteen of those killers were executed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas — the largest mass execution of enemy soldiers on U.S. soil.
This episode of Deadly Truths digs into the forgotten story of the Leavenworth 14 — from the brutal lynching of Johannes Kirsch in Oklahoma, to the burning of Karl Beck in Maryland — and explores what happens when fanaticism outlives the war that created it.
History remembers them as war criminals… but their story still echoes today as a warning about propaganda, obedience, and the price of blind loyalty.
U.S. Army Court-Martial Records, Fort Leavenworth (1943-1945)
The Leavenworth 14: Execution of German POWs in the U.S. — Kansas Historical Society Archives
“Camp Tonkawa: The POW Lynching of Johannes Kirsch” — Oklahoma Historical Society Journal, 2019
“Fort Meade Executions: The Beck Murder Case” — Military Law Review, Vol. 8
“Enemy Within: Nazi Discipline in U.S. POW Camps” — Smithsonian Magazine, July 2015
National WWII Museum: POW Camps in America, 1942-1946
Eyewitness Account, U.S. Army Chaplain’s Log, Fort Leavenworth, July–August 1945
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This podcast discusses real historical crimes involving death, war, and execution. It is intended for mature audiences and should be heard with care and respect for the individuals and victims involved.
All research is based on verified historical documents, declassified military records, and reputable archival sources.
No dramatization or speculation replaces factual reporting.
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