The Leavenworth 14 — Executing the Enemy Within

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Deadly Truths

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43 episodes

2 hours ago

Deadly Truths explores the dark undercurrents woven into America’s cities and institutions. Each season uncovers fifteen deadly truths—murders, disappearances, and crimes that shaped the character and conscience of a single place. Through meticulous research and haunting storytelling, Deadly Truths blends history, psychology, and humanity to reveal not just what happened… but why it still matters. Season Three: Morally Bankrupt America was broke — and hungry for heroes. Morally Bankrupt dives into the blood-soaked glamour of the 1930s.

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The Leavenworth 14 — Executing the Enemy Within

Deadly Truths

21 minutes 19 seconds

3 weeks ago

The Leavenworth 14 — Executing the Enemy Within

During World War II, thousands of German prisoners of war were held in camps across the United States — but some never made it home.
Inside the barbed-wire fences of places like Camp Gruber, Tonkawa, and Fort Meade, Nazi loyalists turned on their own — murdering fellow soldiers accused of betraying Hitler or showing kindness to Americans.

In the summer of 1945, fourteen of those killers were executed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas — the largest mass execution of enemy soldiers on U.S. soil.

This episode of Deadly Truths digs into the forgotten story of the Leavenworth 14 — from the brutal lynching of Johannes Kirsch in Oklahoma, to the burning of Karl Beck in Maryland — and explores what happens when fanaticism outlives the war that created it.

History remembers them as war criminals… but their story still echoes today as a warning about propaganda, obedience, and the price of blind loyalty.

U.S. Army Court-Martial Records, Fort Leavenworth (1943-1945)
The Leavenworth 14: Execution of German POWs in the U.S. — Kansas Historical Society Archives
“Camp Tonkawa: The POW Lynching of Johannes Kirsch” — Oklahoma Historical Society Journal, 2019
“Fort Meade Executions: The Beck Murder Case” — Military Law Review, Vol. 8
“Enemy Within: Nazi Discipline in U.S. POW Camps” — Smithsonian Magazine, July 2015
National WWII Museum: POW Camps in America, 1942-1946
Eyewitness Account, U.S. Army Chaplain’s Log, Fort Leavenworth, July–August 1945

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This podcast discusses real historical crimes involving death, war, and execution. It is intended for mature audiences and should be heard with care and respect for the individuals and victims involved.
All research is based on verified historical documents, declassified military records, and reputable archival sources.
No dramatization or speculation replaces factual reporting.

Leavenworth 14, Fort Leavenworth, World War II POWs, German Prisoners, Military Executions, Camp Tonkawa, Camp Gruber, Fort Meade, Nazi Loyalists, American History Podcast, True Crime History, War Crimes, WWII Justice, Deadly Truths Podcast, Becca True Crime, Forgotten Murders, Military History, Execution Stories, Historical Crimes, Kansas History