Frederick William Kaltenbach
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Frederick William Kaltenbach (1895 - 1945?) was an American of German descent who served the Nazis as wartime radio broadcaster known as "Lord Hee Haw." Kaltenbach was born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa.
In the early 1930s he was a teacher at Dubuque's Senior High School. He taught business law, economics, and debate. In 1934, Kaltenbach began a club for boys based on the Hitler Youth model. Kaltenbach called the club "The Militant Order of Spartan Knights." He demanded the boys wear brown shirts and participate in shooting practice with .22 rifles. The concern of parents became such that Kaltenbach was dismissed at the direct order of the school board on May 13, 1935.
After he was fired from his teaching position, Kaltenbach left for Germany. He began reading English press releases for the Nazis in 1936.
During World War II, Kaltenbach was serving as a wartime radio broadcaster. He became one of Joseph Goebbels favorite broadcasters, and was considered the most notorious Nazi propagandists. Kaltenbach's voice was heard several days a week. He used a homey style, and frequent mentions of Iowa which were propaganda techniques that were carefully planned to gain listener confidence. Kaltenbach was given the name "Lord Hee Haw" by British listeners after they compared his speech patters with "Lord Haw Haw" - who was the British Nazi broadcaster William Joyce.
On July 26, 1943 Kaltenbach and several others were indicted by a District of Columbia grand jury on charges of treason. When the Nazi government fell, Kaltenbach was reportedly captured by Soviet troops in Berlin. The Soviets refused American requests to return Kaltenbach to them, and Kaltenbach is believed to have died in a Soviet prison.