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"There's no way to describe a thousand airplanes in the air at one time." (Interview)

   Glenn B. Webber
Image of Glenn B. Webber
Glenn Weber, November 1942 [detail]
War: World War II, 1939-1946
Branch: Air Force
Unit: 8th Bomber Command, 9th Bomber Command
Service Location: Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Miami, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin (radio school); Scotland; Cheedle, England; Central Europe; Rhineland
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Place of Birth: Vincennes, IN
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The duties of a humble radio operator took on great significance when Glenn Webber became one of the first Americans to train in intercepting German transmissions. Working with British intelligence, Webber was able to recognize and pick up coded Luftwaffe messages regarding planned air strikes on Britain, blunting the advantage that the Germans had enjoyed in the air from the beginning of the war. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day Plus 11 and continued to monitor enemy transmissions, spending nine months in Paris after it was liberated.

Interview (Audio)
»Interview Highlights  (4 clips)
»Complete Interview  (42 min.)
»Transcript
  Photos
»Photo Album (9 photos)
More like this
»D-Day Plus
 Audio (Interview Excerpts) (4 items)
His work declassified in 1987; where details can be found. (00:26) Relaying messages to the cryptographers. (02:10) Locating a German bomber group. (03:29)
The mechanics of intercepting radio broadcasts. (01:17)  
  
 
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  The Library of Congress
  May 29, 2007
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