Rotary Lunch Meeting – Wed. April 15, 2021

President, Bryan Slaba rang the meeting to order.

Everyone stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pastor Bill H. gave a prayer.

We had two guests in attendance: Amanda B. introduced her associate, Kristina Ymker and Rachel W. introduced her guest, Kara Frei.

Sgt. At Arms, Becky B., gave out fines:

• Bill F. (last week fine) of $5.00 for a comment on the dinner

• Joe S. $1 for traveling to Arizona

• Frances D. $3 for his “new” cologne (actual diesel/gas aroma!)

• Fines were given to those tables whose ages added to the highest and lowest: High table = 310 years $2.00 each; low table = 113 years $2 each.

Happy fines:

• Frances D. $1 – for being happy for 1 ½ minutes thinking he won Publishers Clearing house but was a scam

• Jeff D. $5 – for saving money on a late dinner with his wife

• Rachel W. $5 – NOT being in quarantine for her birthday this year!

Queen of hearts:

• Ticket winner was Scott M. with #51. Unfortunately, he drew the 6 of spades!

No Sect./Treas. Report

Bryan S. introduced the program, Jeff Doom.

Jeff shared a book report on “Operation Paper Clip.” The book is basically about a month prior to Germany surrender in WWII – beginning of the 50 year cold war. Operation Paper Clip found their way to the U.S. – therefore the book title. Realizing the German scientific advantage, mainly with the V-1 and V-2 supersonic missiles, which were shot at Britain, and London in particular, the U.S. began a program called Operation Paper Clip was a covert plan to round up the greatest scientists in ALL fields (military, equipment, chemical and biological weapons) before Russia took over. The Germans far advanced pretty much everyone in science EXCEPT the Atomic bomb.

400 Germans were put to death for horrific crimes and not just in prison camps. Two of the largest German companies to benefit heavily from concentration camp slave labor were IG Farben (in the chemical and biological field) and Mittleworks (rockets and military equipment). Farben actually invented synthetic rubber, specifically needed for tires and tank trucks, for their war machines. As allied bombing intensified, slave labor built many underground factories. Germany used slaves through starvation, knowing they had an endless supply and figured they were going to be put to death anyway.

The book actually profiles 21 of the most prolific scientists in their fields. Prior to and during the war, human experimentation was performed in every horrible way imaginable; including drug and disease ingestion, freezing, decompression, and altitude experiments as well a cancer research, including depositing cancer cells in inmates.

Over time, in the 70’s and 80’s, Operation Paperclip’s reputation waned as more scientists’ pasts were catching up to them. At war’s end, 250-300 tons of sarin, tarin and mustard gas was found stockpiled but luckily was never used by the Germans.

U.S. laws in the mid 1980’s called for total elimination of these terrible weapons. However, perhaps this has not actually happened!!!

As far as the scientist brought to the U.S., eventually most were awarded citizenship. Some became very good Americans, a few were found out as double agents for Russia, and most probably fell somewhere in-between.

Some questions and discussion were brought forward. Jeff was thanked for the wonderful program.

Brief Board Report followed, discussing finances and what we can do as a club and individuals to help. The Scholarship program was discussed, as were the football books, can recycling, and suggestions were made as to how to raise fund – remembering it’s about service and our community.

The meeting ended with all standing and reciting the Rotary Four Way Test.

Meeting was adjourned.