I’ve been nursing a cold for the past week and have been spending a lot of time in bed or on the couch. After doing a deep dive into Netflix to find something interesting to watch, I came across this 35-minute documentary. I have always found World War II and The Holocaust to be fascinating subjects, but this was a new topic for me to explore.

Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis is a short animated documentary, where WWII veterans expose a hidden U.S. military base close to Washington where Jewish soldiers were in charge of housing and questioning Nazi prisoners of war. It was directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan and released on Netflix on November 2, 2021. I agree with the PG13 rating, making this suitable for adolescents and adults alike. The topic is presented in simple terms, making it easy for viewers to understand.

At a secluded detention facility known only at the time as PO Box 1142, German scientists and ex-SS officers were captured and transported to the US covertly. While the officers were kept under surveillance, they were given freedom to explore a nearby town and purchase Christmas gifts, with young Jewish soldiers escorting them and covering their expenses. Rather than seeking retribution for their atrocities, the Nazis were treated with equality and normalcy with the hope of gaining information on secret German scientific advancements. 

Recently, I’ve watched a couple of animated docuseries on Netflix, and I believe that it diminishes the significance of the subject. Although the intention might have been to engage viewers with varied visuals, it ended up making the documentary seem childish given the seriousness of the topic. I found the firsthand accounts from soldiers in the interviews to be really valuable. The unfiltered dialogue created a strong emotional bond between the viewer and the story.

Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis is told through the perspective of Jewish-American soldiers. What stood out to me the most was how these soldiers, who were once refugees, enlisted in the US military with a strong desire to bring down Hitler and his regime, but were assigned the role of “morale officer” – someone responsible for keeping the Third Reich officers content. One Jewish soldier was assigned to translate a Christmas sermon for the German officers, a task that was undeniably degrading. To make matters worse, German officers were offered citizenship for themselves and their families, as well as legal protection from any wartime crimes, in exchange for information on the production of the V-2 rockets.

This documentary caught my attention with its unique and fascinating subject matter that was completely new to me. It presented a complex situation where Jewish refugees had to serve to Nazis in America while the US Government was trying to protect the nation from potential threats. I found myself torn between the two sides, but ultimately sympathized with the Jewish soldiers who had to endure unimaginable hardships once again. Despite the moral ambiguity, I found the documentary compelling and thought-provoking, leaving me eager to delve deeper into the story. Have you seen it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.