Five Past Midnight

             Towards the end of WWII, Theodore Roosevelt was having a meeting on how he could end the war. Director of the Office of Strategic Services (William Donovan) was summing up the war in 3 sentences. First, each and every day the war continued in Europe, 27,000 men, women & children would die. Second, a group of German officers were ready to assume leadership of the Third Reich if an opportunity would arise, and would instantly surrender. Finally, it had been confirmed that General Eisenhowers' report that the SS is preparing a national redoubt in the Bavarian Alp, where Hitler may be able to carry on for 2 or more years. Hitler had recently pledged that he will fight 'until five minutes past midnight'.
             This is at a time when Roosevelt was failing in health and he was afraid Hitler would outlive him. Hitler was now a mad man that ranted and raved, thought everyone was out to get him (even his most devoted followers), spit ran from the corner of his mouth, he stayed underground all the time and he now had no use of his lest arm. It was at this time a plan was formed and approved to send someone to assassinate Hitler.
             The man that was to accomplish this was Captain Jack Cray. He was an apple orchard owners son from Wennatchee, Washington. He was a short stocky young man that could blend in with any background and could perform anything that was asked of him. He had no reason to fear death as he wanted to die. On his second wedding anniversary, he had drunk too much, gone off the road, killing his wife and losing his will to live. To him, dying would be a blessing and he would be free of the quilt. He now was in a POW camp of Coditz Castle, Saxony, Germany.
             The POW's were in the British wing. There was only one american that was known only as John. Only two of the British officers knew his real name. All the prisoners were told by the hidden radio they
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Five Past Midnight. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:55, April 25, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/42835.html