In the Amazon Prime show Hunters, they explained that the name Operation Paperclip came from redacting Nazi scientists’ personnel files and that the imprint from the paperclip in the file was the only thing left. How true is this story? If not, what is the source for the name, if it has any significance at all?
“Army Intelligence officers reviewing the OMGUS security reports of certain scientists could discreetly attach a paperclip to the files of the more troublesome cases. Those files would not be presented to the State Department right away. Instead, those men would remain under military custody in America, most likely for a longer period of time than some of their fellows. As a result, the Nazi scientist program got a new code name.”
Excerpt From: Annie Jacobsen. “Operation Paperclip.”