A Brief History
On March 8, 1949, the long and convoluted journey of Mildred Gillars temporarily came to an end when she was convicted of treason against her native United States of America.
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find Gillars, born Mildred Sisk in Maine changing her name at age 11 when her mother remarried.
Moving to Conneaut, Ohio in 1916, she then attended Ohio Wesleyan University to study acting in 1918, but dropped out prior to graduation. Her cracked journey continued as she moved to New York to further her acting career, but the big break did not come. Moving to Paris in 1929 she worked as a model and ended up in Dresden, Germany in 1934 after stops in Algeria and back to the US.
Working at the Berlitz language school teaching English, she found herself on the radio in 1940, not yet a traitor. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 she became openly irate and critical of Japan, a bad mistake in Nazi Germany, Japan’s ally. Compelled to stay in Germany since her fiancé threatened to break off the engagement if she returned to the US when American government announcements advised American citizens to return home. Gillars signed a loyalty oath (Nazi’s were big on that!) to Germany.
Put to work making English language broadcasts directed at US troops Mildred became known as “Axis Sally” as she tried to undermine the confidence and morale of Americans.
Playing on the insecurity of American troops far from home, Gillars planted the seeds of doubt and mistrust about their sweethearts back home, left alone with those men unwilling or unfit to serve. Other themes were anti-Jewish rhetoric and derogatory comments about US government officials, including the president. Less than a month prior to the D-Day Normandy invasion Gillars broadcast a radio play called Vision of Invasion about an Ohio mom who’s son is killed during the invasion.
Captured after the war in 1946 after a vigorous effort to find her, Gillars was tried for 8 of the 10 counts of treason she was indicted for. In 1949 she was found guilty of one count of treason, the broadcast of the Vision of Invasion play.
Gillars was sentenced to 10-30 years in prison and served 12 years, released in 1961.
The cracked life continued on her release, going to live in a convent in Columbus, Ohio, and then completing her degree at Ohio Wesleyan in 1973! She taught languages at a Catholic girls’ school and died of cancer in 1988. Her grave is unmarked to foil vandals.
And what of “Hanoi Jane” Fonda? A vocal critic of all things establishment, especially the Viet Nam War, Fonda was quoted as saying “Revolution is an act of love” in support of the Black Panthers. In 1972, she went a bit too far for most Americans, visiting the enemy in his capital, Hanoi.
Spouting North Vietnamese propaganda she went so far as to have herself photographed wearing a helmet sitting at the controls of an anti-aircraft gun! Politics is one thing, but a real shooting war was going on and many Americans clamored for Fonda to be tried for treason, or at least denied reentry to the US.
Calling American politicians and soldiers war criminals, she further incensed the public by calling returning American POW’s “hypocrites and liars” when they reported being tortured! Never charged with treason or any other crimes, Fonda has given tepid sort of apologies since 1988. To American servicemen, apology not accepted! In fact, even to this day, items denouncing her are sold by such mainstream companies as Amazon.com. See for example the following item: AV8America Hanoi Jane Urinal Target, Package of 10.
Question for students (and subscribers): Should Jane Fonda have been charged with treason? Was it right to try and convict Axis Sally? You tell us in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Fuller, M. Williams. Axis Sally. Paradise West Publishing, 2004.
Lembcke, Jerry. Hanoi Jane: War, Sex, and Fantasies of Betrayal. University of Massachusetts Press, 2010.
Lucas, Richard. Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany. Casemate Publishers, 2013.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="1315 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=1315">36 Comments
It is interesting to me that “Axis Sally” became a nun in Columbus after her release from prison. I wonder what made her wish to assume the lifestyle of a nun.
I do believe Fonda should have been charged if Sally was.
Kinda glad Fonda became a urinal target. lol.
Both of them should have received life in prison without the possibility of parole… at least! — DAVID WARDLE
Both should have been charged and got prison time
I think they both should’ve got charged
Jane Fonda was lucky enough to have done what she did during an unpopular war.
Although it’s not cool what she did, it is cool she has so many Ohio roots.
I cannot stand Jane fonda and never have.
Axis Sally is a very interesting story. She betrayed her country and I totally agree that she should have been tried for treason. I just think she should have served more years in jail.
Her Ohio journey is spectacular.
I think Axis Sally’s crimes were a lot worse than those of Hanoi Jane but she should of had some sort of charges brought against her also.
That is pretty interesting that she came to Ohio and also attended college in Ohio. I never knew that she was even in Ohio so that is a pretty cool fact.
I never knew she was from Ohio.
I agree that Axis Sally’s actions were more severe and deserving of the charges against her. Jane’s behavior is contemptible, but I don’t know if it would be treason.
I think that its fair what happend
interesting she was from Ohio, Axis Sally did deserve the consequences for what she did
I understand why Axis Sally was sent to prison for treason but was Jane just seen an annoyance to the cause or just not as important. Jane did less and had less of a following but she did preform treason in her own way.
She deserved what she got but cool to see that she’s from Ohio. O-H
Wow I did not know that about Jane Fonda! Probably her celebrity status is what helped keep her from facing any consequences.
Its starting to be occasional when people are famous from ohio now, but i guess the verdict was fair in some ones bu there is no in between when you ask if they did it or if they didnt and she did and had something to do with it so she should have been in trouble also.
What she did was wrong, but it almost seemed like she was forced into it… I mean for heavens sake break off the engagement with your Nazi soon to be husband.
Anyone who would do that to men who were overseas fighting and just trying to just stay alive and then on top of all that they had to then be doubtful if there significant other would leave them just terrible.
I had never heard of this before! Sounds like she didn’t really have a choice in what happened.
I feel like they both should have been charged the same. “axis salley” became a nun, curious as to how that happened.
I agree that she should have been tried for treason!
This really changes my whole opinion. what a great article
The cracked life continued on her release going to live in a convent in Columbus, Ohio, and then completing her degree at Ohio Wesleyan. (near us which is weird)
And why was she allowed to do so? Criticizing our government and a wasteful war is one thing but supporting fascist ideals of hatred, violence, dictatorship, antisemitism and such is contrary to a university’s standards. She should never been allowed to work in America again. She did her darndest to destroy democracy and freedom, she didn’t believe in them. She was like John Demjanjuk, a collaborator through and through. Axis Sally was not an American and had no place in this country or in a democratic nation.
Why was Axis Sally tried but not Jane? That is so unfair.
Why was Axis Sally allowed to teach at a convent school in America? She supported Naziism. Fascism is the most violent and oppressive ideology in history. And also beings she supported Naziism, that means that she was an antisemite. Antisemitism is not compatable with Catholicism or any form of Christianity.
Jane should’ve been tried just like Axis Sally. That is beyond treason against America and an insult to the U.S. troops.
I support people having strong opinions but to attack your own country with propaganda seems to not be the best way to voice that opinion.
Steven Seagal has been doing just that lately. He now has Serbian and Russian passports and is a member of the Russian Duma. And he speaks out in favor of Putin all the time. That is treason, he’s a turncoat. And so is Donald Trump.
I never heard about the lady Mildred Gillars and what she did, I have heard about Jane Fonda and what she has said and how she apologized but wasn’t tried for treason. If I so much as mention Jane Fonda in my house there is a major debate it’s like WWIII.
It’s cool she’s from Ohio! But, she deserved what happened to her.