In 1940, a year after fleeing Nazi Germany and setting up home in New York, the writer of the following letter attempted, unsuccessfully, to enlist with the U.S. Armed Forces. Unfortunately for him, his application was denied for one reason in particular: his uncle was Adolf Hitler. In March of 1942, William Patrick Hitler (pictured above) tried again to register for military service by way of the letter below (read here), sent directly to the U.S. President. It was quickly passed on to the FBI’s director, J. Edgar Hoover, who then investigated Hitler’s nephew and eventually cleared him for service.
William Patrick Hitler joined the U.S. Navy in 1944, and was discharged in 1947 after being injured in service. He passed away 40 years later, in New York.(via Letters of Note))
