THE AMERICAN CAPTAIN

Fort Stanton State Monument in New Mexico is an icon of the Old West and, while this story is considered out of the time-line, it is certainly an important part of Fort Stanton's history.

THE AMERICAN CAPTAIN

  

This story of the American Captain comes from Phil Schreiber, the captain’s nephew, who has a long history volunteering at Fort Stanton, New Mexico.  Many people are surprised to learn of the internment of German seaman at Fort Stanton before America went to war with Nazi Germany and Phil Schreiber wants people to know the story of the American Captain who saved them.

Captain Harry Badt, USN was born in Tyler, Texas in 1884.  He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1908 and was assigned to World War One convoy duty.  Following this duty, Captain badt became an Instructor at Annapolis and then went on to map the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.  Badt later became Captain of the USS Tuscaloosa.  During World War Two he was the Commandant of the Sampson Naval Training Center, Great Lakes and  brought his exemplary naval career to an end by retiring as a Commodore.   According to Phil Schreiber’s account, family stories are plentiful about Captain Badt’s naval service, especially his sense of fairness and competence as a naval officer.  Schreiber’s favorite story as a child was a time when Badt encountered a young, shivering sailor standing watch.  Badt asked the sailor if he had his “long johns” on and the young sailor answered “No Sir.”  Badt questioned, “Why not?”  The young sailor answered, “Quartermaster did not issue me any.”  Badt reportedly ordered the Quartermaster to stand the young sailor's watch instead, and without “long johns”. 

Our story begins on December 19, 1939.  Hitler had just invaded Poland in September and Europe was once again at war and in frantic preparation for war.  The German Concentration Camp System was well underway by this time and word was leaking out by way of letters, radio messages and personal witnesses about the persecution of the Jews, Gypsies, minorities and political dissidents.  Dachau 1933, Buchenwald 1937 and Mauthausen 1938 were examples of these camps.  At this time, the United States was still neutral, even though FDR knew that we would be involved eventually.  Therefore, he established a Naval Neutrality Patrol 300 miles east of the American Coast, to help protect American interests.

During this time, prior to the German invasion of Poland, the German luxury cruise liner SS Columbus, under the command of Captain Daehne, was making her normal ports of call along the Atlantic coastline of the U.S.  This ship was the German equal to the British Queen Mary in stature and would carry many Americans on each cruise.

Once the war began, the Columbus disembarked its passengers and made off to a neutral port in Mexico.  One can only speculate, says Schreiber, as to why the ship left Mexico knowing that the British ships were searching for it in the Atlantic.  Was it because Mexico told them to leave, or was it because orders came from Hitler to return to Germany?   Why did the ship not head for another neutral port?  There has always been speculation but we do know that the British did not want the Columbus to return to Germany to be refitted for war and its crew to become part of the Kriegs Marine.  It is generally believed that, after waiting for three months, Hitler sent word for the SS Columbus to make a run for it and attempt to sail back to Germany.  When that seemed to be impossible, he was propably ordered by the German government to abandon and destroy the Columbus.  And so Captain Daehne followed Hitler’s orders and scuttled his beloved ship

According to Schreiber’s cousin, Badt's daughter, the entire event that eventually ended at Fort Stanton, New Mexico took less than 7 hours off the coast of New Jersey.  The British finally ordered the Columbus to halt, and, rather than surrender the luxury liner to the British, the ship was scuttled by orders of Captain Daehne.  After numerous radio messages between the shadowing British destroyers and the USS Tuscaloosa, Captain Badt picked up the 575 survivors of the Columbus and they began their trip to Ellis Island, NY. 

Headlines of the day read, “Jewish Naval Captain Saves Nazi Crew” and “Nazi Spy Hunted since June Falls into G-MEN'S Lap.”  It turned out that this spy was on board the Columbus and was trying to get back to Germany. These events led to FDR giving a speech on the Tuscaloosa in 1940.

The evening of the rescue and according to sea-faring tradition, the two captains met for dinner, and in keeping with Badt and Schreiber family stories, the German Captain Daehne, knowing that Captain Badt was Jewish, was apologetic for the actions of his country in the persecutions of the peoples of Europe.  Captain Daehne reportedly said, “If you do not wish to have me in your cabin for dinner I will understand.”  Captain Badt responded, “You are not my guest but a guest of the United States Government” which seemed to relax the atmosphere during dinner.  Schreiber postulates that he is sure that many of the Columbus' crew, as well as Captain Daehne, wanted to stay neutral due to their fond interactions with Americans.

After attempts to return the “distressed seamen” to Germany and in light of a strong anti-German British attitude, the crew of the Columbus ended up at Fort Stanton.  According to author Jim McBride, who has written the definitive history of the German Internment at Fort Stanton, Captain Daehne probably was not a “Nazi Party” member”, even though the top officers of the cruise line were.  Also, Daehne’s actions on the Tuscaloosa and later at Fort Stanton would seem to support that hypothesis, Schreiber added.

But, ultimately when everything is said and done, one week before Christmas 1939, American sailors were aiding German seamen and a Jewish American naval Captain was sharing dinner with a German luxury cruise liner Captain, probably discussing with regret the events that led to the loss of the Columbus while dreading the upcoming events of the future.

For more information, Schreiber suggests looking up SS Columbus 1939, Cruising the Past SS Columbus, and Captain Harry Badt, on the web.   Information is also available in books by Jim McBride (Interned) and Lynda Sanchez (Fort Stanton: Legacy of Honor, Tradition of Healing) which are available in the Fort Stanton museum store.