Robert Paetz in Hollywood

The following case of Robert Paetz, shows how this German Rocket Team member was treated and, how he was awed by the layoff process.

Robert Paetz was a German Rocket Engineer, born 13 August 1909. Died 9 July 1998. He arrived with the German Rocket Team in the United States after World War II. He was an expert in guided missiles during World War II. As of January 1947, he was working at Fort Bliss, Texas. Worked his entire life with the rocket team, at Fort Bliss, White Sands, and then at Huntsville. After his retirement, he moved near the Tennessee River from Huntsville to Honeycomb Road in Grant, Alabama, just off of US 431 East with his son, Juergen, and his son’s wife, Nancy, he died in Huntsville, Alabama.

It was the sadist of times to learn that in one week in 1998, three of this Nation’s dwindling rocket scientists died. Mr. Paetz, 88, MSFC’s Saturn 5 Project Officer, died on Thursday, July 9th. Two days earlier Max Nowak, 89, was our Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory’s Head, Vehicle Assembly Branch, he died on Tuesday, July 7th.

Robert Paetz, (my boss) one of the members of von Braun’s team, had to accept reduction in rank from GS–15 to GS–12, and then lost his job in the next RIF. He filed an age discrimination suit against the Marshall Space Flight Center that was not settled until 1988, when the court upheld the Center’s RIF procedure.

In May, 1958, shortly after my April arrival, I was assigned to improve the Redstone rocket engine for man-flight. While working on this project, I learned that I needed to discuss the engine’s electrical wiring system for improvements and man-flight rating with the Mecury-Redstone Project Electrical Engineer, Robert Paetz. Mr. Paetz gave me his safety and reduced failure design improvements he had made on the rocket vehicle. I used his electrical harness design modification to electrical connectors on all future engines.

I became very close to Mr. Paetz while working with him and when he became by Branch Boss. In 1960, Mr. Paetz was Head of the Electro Mechanical Engineering Branch, in our Fabrication and Assembly Engineering Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

While working in Mr. Paetz’s office one day, he told me a story of how he was in college and how he and some classmates were adducted one night. Under the Nazi Party Sergeant Wernher von Braun, Paetz had the rank of Corporal and was the College Dorm Officer. Wernher von Braun later was promoted three times becoming the rank of Major and SS Officer.

One night after midnight, Paetz had already made his bed checks of his dorm, he just had got to bed. The loud speakers awoke everyone and announced that everyone having a Junior or Senior status were to assemble in formation on the parade ground in front.

It was snowing and there was already seven inches of snow on the ground. The students were not allowed to go back into the dorms for coats. An German SS Officer directed that everyone with engineering hours, step forward ten paces. The next order was to do a right face and march down to the train station at the end of the street. A train was waiting and they were ordered to get into the boxcars quickly. Army soldiers were pushing them into the boxcars and locked the doors. The train started to move out as everyone huddled together to keep warm.

After thirteen hours, the train stopped and all was ordered off and marched into six different shelters and given food, drink and blankets. They were finally told that they were on the Baltic Sea coast, at a secret rocket base called Peenemuende.

Mr. Paetz explained how hard the times were as they worked under the threat of being bombed with their families living on the base. They were bombed after midnight sometime later.

In 1965, I was on a trip to attend an F-1 Engine meeting at the Rocketdyne Engine Plant in Los Angeles, California. When I was young, I worked in the movies so I was staying in Hollywood at the Carolina Pines Motel on LaBrea Avenue, between Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. After work, I would walk down Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame” to see the famous Stars. Who knows, I might see a movie star or two. I walked down to Hollywood and Vine Street, to say I had been at the famous street corner.

As I approached the Vine Street corner on Hollywood Blvd, a large crowd was there with the Police. I moved closer to see what was the problem. The Police had a gentleman by the arm and to my surprise, it was a German Rocket Scientist, my Branch boss, Robert Paetz. I told the Cop, the man was famous and was my boss from NASA and he was from Germany. The Policeman told me he had violated a City Ordnance on the “Walk of Fame”, he had spit on the sidewalk on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. The Police permitted me to explain that to him.

I asked Mr. Paetz, “Why did you spit on the sidewalk?” He replied, “ I wanted to tell my kids and grandkids that I had been to Hollywood and Vine and by spitting on the corner, would seal my visit.” I got the Police to forgive Mr. Paetz and they torn up the ticket.

-Grady Woodard, Retired NASA Rocket Engineer