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More interesting developments @MatthewTyrmand! As we continue to move forward with our genealogical research we take 2 steps forward and 1 step backward. This seems to be the case with most of these sordid family affairs. This is a thread you may find interesting.
In order for this to make any sense, we have to backstep again to Colonel Behn. This man really did have quite the past & passion. Unlike many patriots who decided to serve their country during a time of world war, Col. Behn enlisted in the US Army not as a private or even a 2nd
Lt. No sir. Instead, he entered the Army as a full-blown Company-grade officer of the rank of Captain. This was in June of 1917. Five short months later he would be promoted to a Field Grade slot of Major on Nov. 9, 1917. Bear in mind most regular Army officers took a minimum
of 12-15 years or longer to promote to Major. Behn did it in 5 months. Then 9 months later on Aug. 23, 1918, he was promoted to Lt. Col. & finally on Feb. 19, 1919, a little over 2 years after signing up, he's sent home with 0% disability (in view of his occupation).
This is a copy of his military record sans his awards. There's some question about his awards. Keep in mind, I'm a veteran and I will not disparage another's service. I am only parroting what I found.
According to military records, Col. Behn was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Medal of Merit, WWI Victory Medal, WWI Army of Occupation Medal, Commander of the Legion of Honor of France (Knighthood), Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella la Catolica of Spain (Knighthood),
and the Grand Officer of the Order of St. Gregory (Knighthood). This is where there are some gray areas. The DSM is normally awarded for non-combatants. The Distinguished Service Cross is the 2nd highest award for valor in combat right beneath the Medal of Honor. He may have
confused the two. The Medal of Merit, Victory Medal, & Occupation Medals are all "I was in the service during war" medals. Everyone got those regardless of who they were or where they were at. The last 3 are big deals. Those are foreign countries bestowing a knighthood on one of
officers. Yet, I can find no newspaper articles, nor does he appear in any of the rosters of past awardees for each of the awards. That's kind of weird unless they were maybe honorary is my guess.
Keep in mind he was assigned as a field grade officer (that's usually an office position unless they are part of a combat unit) that was called the American Expeditionary Force and he was a part of the Signal Corps responsible for installing telephones.
With all of the above in mind, Col. Sosthenes or should I correctly say, Lt. Col. Sosthenes did more in 2 years than most West Point educated officers accomplish in 30 years if you get my drift @MatthewTyrmand.
When he left the service, he had made plenty of connections worldwide that would enable him to begin building ITT. A few years later, he obtained a Brazillian passport that enabled him to travel extensively throughout South America. This was questioned because he was already
a United States citizen with a valid US passport. Why would he need a second passport? It was surmised at the time, the second passport and possibly others helped him to evade detection in post-WWII era while he was contacting known Nazis who had moved in droves to Brazil.
It was during this time frame, that he became a collector of fine art and paintings.
You are not the first to write about this interesting person the rampant collusion taking place between Americans and known war criminals aka Nazis. Department of Justice employee John Rogge believed he was on to the good Col and others when suddenly, he was summarily dismissed.
At the time, Hitler confidant and close friend, Dr. Gerhard Westrick and confirmed Nazi agent had moved to America and was living in a castle built specifically for him by Behn and ITT while Westrick shuffled other Nazis into America to help build our technology.
At any rate, @MatthewTyrmand, the more we dig, the more we find. We've engaged a specialist in Nazi Germany era art theft to help us track any stolen artifacts if any exist. This is actually looking promising. Thanks for the tweet tip that started this hunt. I pray we can produce
I should add, Westrick went on to become the President of ITT. That's a big deal.
