Truman Smith Exhibit Home

An American’s intelligence on the German Luftwaffe revamp and militaristic activities leading up to the Second World War.

Truman Smith and Charles Lindbergh inspecting aircraft in Germany in 1937.

When most Americans think of the period in between the two World Wars, they might gloss over the many opportunities the country had to intervene and possibly prevent major German militaristic rearmament. A man named Truman Smith became a crucial component for the United States in gathering intelligence on Germany’s aeronautical advancements that were forbidden after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles following the outcome of the first World War.

Major Truman Smith (August 25, 1893- October 3, 1970) was a U.S. Army infantry officer, WWI veteran, military attache, and intelligence officer. He is most known for his intelligence during the prewar period as military attache in Berlin, Germany. He worked as a spy for the Americans, gathering information on the German military rearmament as military attache.

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