MOE BERG

He felt that he couldn’t explain why he was awarded the medal so it would be a continuous source of embarrassment. An iconoclastic individual, Berg turned down the medal, apparently the only person to have ever done so. His exploits for which he was recognized included photographing Tokyo Harbor and determining that the Nazi’s were no far advanced in the development of the atomic bomb. He was the agent who was to assassinate Werner Heisenberg the German nuclear physicist if there was any significant progress towards a working bomb. He determined that is was not necessary by pretending to be a European scientist and actually interviewing Heisenberg and many other European scientists in Nazi occupied Europe.

Berg, one of the early OSS recruits, was a brilliant loner and somewhat paranoid. His early modus operandi was to work with no partners, never as part of a team, and only report to the head of the agency and a deputy or two and otherwise never reveal where he was or how he did things. Berg however was brilliant and multilingual, and even was able to have discussions with the best Physicist left in Germany--Nobel Prize winner Werner Heisenberg. Berg determined that Heisenberg was not working on an atomic bomb with some clever technical discussions and listening to some of Heisenberg's presentations. Therefore, following his orders, he did not assassinate the German Scientist whuch he was prepared to do. Other than OSS officials, many in America did not believe that the Germans would not have their best scientist working on Nuclear Energy. However, Hitler was biased against what he called "Jewish Sceince" and bet on jet planes. After the war, The CIA reorganized the American espionage effort and there was no place for Berg’s old school style.

Berg, one of the early OSS recruits, was a brilliant loner and somewhat paranoid. His early modus operandi was to work with no partners, never as part of a team, and only report to the head of the agency and a deputy or two and otherwise never reveal where he was or how he did things. Berg however was brilliant and multilingual, and even was able to have discussions with the best Physicist left in Germany--Nobel Prize winner Werner Heisenberg. Berg determined that Heisenberg was not working on an atomic bomb with some clever technical discussions and listening to some of Heisenberg's presentations. Therefore, following his orders, he did not assassinate the German Scientist whuch he was prepared to do. Other than OSS officials, many in America did not believe that the Germans would not have their best scientist working on Nuclear Energy. However, Hitler was biased against what he called "Jewish Sceince" and bet on jet planes. After the war, The CIA reorganized the American espionage effort and there was no place for Berg’s old school style.

He felt that he couldn’t explain why he was awarded the medal so it would be a continuous source of embarrassment. An iconoclastic individual, Berg turned down the medal, apparently the only person to have ever done so. His exploits for which he was recognized included photographing Tokyo Harbor and determining that the Nazi’s were no far advanced in the development of the atomic bomb. He was the agent who was to assassinate Werner Heisenberg the German nuclear physicist if there was any significant progress towards a working bomb. He determined that is was not necessary by pretending to be a European scientist and actually interviewing Heisenberg and many other European scientists in Nazi occupied Europe.