During the late spring of 1945 just before the end of hostilities in Europe, several groups of American soldiers fighting in Germany were ordered out of the combat zone and into an assembly area several miles from the front near a small German city, Recklinghausen. &bsp;

These men were told to remove unit identification from all jeeps and trucks and shoulder patches from their uniforms. Instead, vehicles were to have a red capital T stenciled on all four sides and shoulder patches of a red T were to be applied to all uniform shirts and jackets.&bsp; The newly formed entity, the Red T Force, was to have immediate rights to any desired supplies and their vehicles were to have rights-of-way over any other transport on the road. &bsp;

The troops were informed that Recklinghausen was an attractive town, well-located for convenient access and an urban area not damaged by war. As a matter of fact, the streetcars were still operating in the city and the motion picture theaters remained open.&bsp;&bsp; &bsp;

For all these reasons, the city had been selected as the site for peace negotiations and conferences which were to be expected in the near future. The soldiers were instructed to requisition an adequate number of apartments for Allied secretaries and clerks, several dozen moderate sized houses for mid-level assistants, and a few larger mansions for use by Congressmen, visiting Cabinet officers and possibly even for brief use by heads of state. &bsp;

The requirements were accurately described and the proposed use seemed perfectly reasonable. &bsp;

Regrettably, the entire proposition was a lie. There was no peace conference scheduled to take place in Recklinghausen. Other uses for the city were actually anticipated. No soldiers were allowed to participate in Red T for more than four weeks to prevent any continuity of knowledge about this operation.

Decades later, when vestiges of wartime censorship were finally lifted, Time magazine described in accurate detail the actual truth.&bsp; Recklinghausen was used as the reception center for rocket scientists and similar experts fleeing from East Germany, including several who were said to have been rescued by Allied forces to prevent their deportation to Russia. &bsp;

The most famous scientist so secured was Dr. Wernher von Braun.

It seems, then, that this is one time we could excuse our government for not telling the truth.

Holland Brady, a local architect and a native of Tryon, designed the Tryon Presbyterian Church, Forbes Preschool, the Parish house at St. Johns of the Wilderness in Flat Rock and the Columbus United Methodist Church as well as the fire stations in Tryon, Columbus and Landrum. Many unique residences carry the Holland Brady signature. &bsp;

Brady was in the army from 1943 through 1946, serving with the 9th and 15th U.S. Armies, the British Second Army, and Gen. George S. Pattons Third Army.&bsp; He holds the Combat Medical Badge, three Battle Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, a Presidential Citation, the Victory Medal, and the Purple Heart.