PRESS KIT
Imagine finding out in the twilight years of your father’s life, that during WWII he had been a trained intelligence officer. As a Holocaust Survivor, he and other like him, were interrogating Nazi prisoners in a secret military intelligence center in Virginia known only as P.O. Box 1142. Then you learn that the information he and his fellow German-Jewish interrogators collected, did so without the use of force or violence, and helped turn the tide of the war for the Allied forces. Plus, these heroic efforts had been kept a secret from everyone, including their families, for over 60 years.
If you thought you knew all the stories of World War II, think again. Told from the aspect of the Michel family, the story encompasses the rise of Hitler, our country’s commitment to winning the war, the dedication from these enemy alien soldiers and the honor of their service.
Dianne Ogden
Dianne Ogden is an Emmy, Telly, Pixie and Omni award-winning television writer-producer who loves nothing more than to tell a good story. In her very long television career, she has had extensive experience both in front of and behind the camera working in news, entertainment, advertising and marketing for all the major networks and various cable channels. She first published a short story in 1981 and went onto produce an independent short film, Dandelion Days, based on one of her short stories. As a history buff, she thought all stories about World War II had been told when the activities of her good friend’s father, Fred Michel came to light and needed to be told. This is a story she was excited to tell not only to honor her friend’s father, but to honor all veterans who gave selflessly. Ms. Ogden is now retired and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of over 35 years.
Cynthia Michel
Cynthia Michel is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a WWII veteran. Cynthia spent the first years of her career as a make-up artist at CNN, then in production with TNT, both in Atlanta. Leaving television, she ran a successful wedding venue in Historic Roswell then sold it to care for her elderly parents. After the passing of her parents, she decided to collaborate with her friend, Dianne Ogden, on a newly released book, Secret Heroes; From Holocaust Survivors to Nazi Interrogators, which chronicles her father’s contribution to military intelligence during the war. She is now retired and lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
REVIWS
Mike Ogden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pivotal WWII event, sworn secret, now told
June 15, 2024
You may know a lot about WW2 history, but not this. It was secret until 2006. Author Dianne Ogden takes the reader through time, first to 2006 and then real-time 1946. We learn the amazing things done by these young smart men, many of them Holocaust survivors thrust into action as Nazi interrogators. You walk away with a newfound appreciation for interrogation, one you’ll be proud of.
Ellen Sappington
June 17, 2024
Secret Heroes is a rare find! The book, although categorized as an historical fiction, is based in well-researched facts; and the content is fascinating! The brave men who served our country during WWII are often given a “bad wrap”, especially when you hear the word interrogation. I learned more about these strategies, intelligence, inner workings of the processes and strength of the men described in the book than I ever did studying history in school! Not to mention the technological discoveries that we take for granted in our day-to-day lives were unveiled by these insightful soldiers! The story is beautifully written, detailed, commands attention, is colorful and touches your heart in best way. The author has captured the perfect tone and presents with candor, compassion, and facts – a rare combination in today’s perspective. It’s a MUST READ – NOT TO BE MISSED. You may forever be changed for the better!
Ana Church
A Sixty-Year-Old Well-Kept Secret... Now Must Be Revealed
July 5, 2024
Secret Heroes by Dianne Ogden is a must-read story. It’s about a secret well-kept by a promise made whose time to be revealed arrived sixty years later. It’s a book to be enjoyed and understood by all those who, in one way or another, have heard, understood, or felt in their soul the events in the countless moving stories of persecuted Jewish people fleeing their homes for safety. Here, Cynthia tells the story of a family forced to leave behind close friends, their possessions, and their beloved homeland when Hitler was about to declare havoc on everything Jewish. Nonetheless, years later, justice will prevail when—the persecuted become interrogators—now enlisted to gather intelligence for the country that welcomed them. Sixty years later, that secret needed to be revealed, and it came as a shock to family and close friends. DIANNE OGDEN does an excellent job telling her friend's family—The Michels—their story supported by CYNTHIA MICHEL.
Linda Dailey
July 10, 2024
Cynthia is my friend. I had heard stories of her dad (Fred) and mom (Lucille). I was excited to read Secret Heroes. I started when I received it, about 3:00pm, when I received it. I hated to stop reading when to go to sleep! I got up about 7:00am and read until I finished it. I was happy to read of Fred's contribution to the war effort. How he and the other Jewish German soldiers were able to gather information is just by being kind! A good read!
deborah osterholtz
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating True Greatest Generation World War II Story
July 21, 2024
A Fascinating True Greatest Generation World War II Story.
Sixty Years after the War Top Secret information was declassified which allowed the military intelligence branch to tell their story. Author Diane Ogden with Cynthia Michel share Fred Michel journey. Fred, a Jew ,escaped Nazi Germany, arrived in New York at 15 years old . He enlisted in the US Army and became a Nazi interrogator at Fort Hunt. Without violence these men collected reliable information which turned the tide of the war, and laid the foundation of the American Space Program.
A National Park historical researcher Brandon Bies searched out seventy five other Secret Heroes who could tell their story. They had a reunion and were honored for their service at Fort Hunt.
I highly recommend this book
Birch Farm
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read untold story of World War 2
July 22, 2024
Cynthia Michel's book about her father's life in Germany as a teen and moving to the US is fascinating.
It is fast moving and easy reading yet compelling to learn about an unknown secret operation here in US
Enjoyable informative and up lifting! We are a great country of dedicated bright patriots.
Read this book!