A/N: I do not own Hogan's Heroes or any of it's characters. But I do own the DVDs and enjoy watching them daily. The character of Hans von Herwarth was a real person and a 2nd-degree Mischling, later accepted as full Aryan. I don't know if he had a brother or even a nephew. But for purposes of this story, I gave him one. Also, the time-line for this story is mid to late '43. Only the original characters belong to me. I also want to thank snooky-9093 and Lizzi0307 for their assistance with the research for this story. Please Read and Review.

Mischling: According to the Nazis, a Mischling is someone who is a German with partial Jewish ancestry.

From The Depths of My Soul

Chapter 1---The Mission

Colonel Robert Hogan stood just behind his radio operator and second-in-command, Staff Sergeant James 'Kinch' Kinchloe as he hastily scribbled down the incoming radio message from the underground on his pad. French Corporal Louis LeBeau, RAF Corporal Peter Newkirk, and Tech Sergeant Andrew Carter, stood gathered around the two men waiting patiently.

"Message received. Papa Bear out." Kinch said before removing his headset. Tearing the sheet of paper off his clipboard he handed it to Hogan while the others continued to wait. The Colonel's eyebrows shot upward as he whistled.

"What is it, Gov'nor?" asked Newkirk, curious.

"Sounds like a biggie from your reaction, sir," echoed Carter with a lopsided grin.

"You might say that, Carter," Hogan replied looking up. "Remember General Stauffen who was part of a plan to assassinate Hitler?" (1)

"Wasn't he executed for his part in that plot, mon Colonel?" asked LeBeau.

"Yeah, he was, LeBeau. It seems his cousin by marriage, Hans von Herwarth, a German diplomat who's been providing the Allies with information prior to World War 2, has gotten in touch with the underground, and wants us to get his nephew and his wife out of Germany. Seems the nephew has a journal given to him by von Herwarth with bombshell information for the Allies."

"What kind of information, Colonel?" asked Carter, curious.

"Don't know, Carter," Hogan replied. "Except they say its of the utmost urgency this information gets to London."

"Boy," said Carter grinning. "There must be some dynamite stuff in that journal."

"And we're gonna make sure it gets to England along with our friend and his wife," Hogan said folding the message and slipping it in his jacket pocket. "Kinch, contact the underground and see if you can get more information about this guy, like his name, a description if they have one and where we're to pick him up."

"Right away, Colonel," Kinch replied putting on his headset. Hogan motioned for the others to follow him so Kinch could transmit undisturbed.

"Any ideas, Colonel?" asked Newkirk.

"Nothing yet," Hogan replied wrapping his arms around himself, his eyes narrowing. "von Herwarth is a big shot among the German officials. I remember hearing he was one of the German officials who informed the Allies on Hitler's decision to launch Operation Barbarossa in 1941."(2)

"What was Operation Barbarossa, Colonel?" asked LeBeau.

Before Hogan could explain, he was summoned by Kinch who handed him the clipboard as he removed his headset.

"His name's Werner von Herwarth; his wife's name is Christina. They have no children. However, the underground says you should know von Herwarth is classified as a first-grade Mischling." Kinch saw Hogan's face take on an odd expression as he let out a deep breath, handing the clipboard back to Kinch.

"Mischling?" asked a puzzled Carter. "What's a Mischling?"

Hogan, ignoring Carter's question, looked at his radioman. "Where are we to pick them up?"

"The underground will get back to us once the details have been worked out. We should hear from them no later than tomorrow. Colonel, are you okay? You look kinda pale." Kinch had been watching Hogan since he told him about von Herwarth.

"I'm fine, Kinch. Let it go. I'll be upstairs in my quarters if anybody wants me." That said, Hogan abruptly turned and quickly headed out of the radio room and in the direction of the ladder leading up to the barracks above leaving four very confused men watching his receding back.

"Did I imagine it, Kinch, or did the Gov'nor look kinda shaken up after you told him about this bloke?" asked Newkirk rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, Newkirk," Kinch answered softly. "You didn't imagine anything. Something about this von Herwarth upset Colonel Hogan."

"I noticed it was when you told the Colonel this von Herwarth was a first-grade Mischling," said LeBeau. "But why should that upset the Colonel?" He looked momentarily at Carter as if for an answer.

"Heck, don't look at me," said Carter. "I don't even know what a Mischling is. Did you notice the Colonel didn't even answer me when I asked him what it was." It was more of a statement than a question. "From his reaction I bet it's something pretty bad."

Kinch suddenly rose from his seat. "I think I'll have a talk with the Colonel and see if he'll tell me what's troubling him."

"You think you should, mate?" asked the Englander putting a hand on the radioman's arm. "You know how the Gov'nor is when he gets like this."

"Yeah I do, Newkirk," Kinch replied. "But if what's troubling him has something to do with this mission and us helping this von Herwarth, then it's best to clear it up as soon-as-possible. You guys go about your business. The Colonel might be more open to talking without a crowd around."

A Mischling, Hogan thought as he continued pacing back and forth in his quarters. He thought the name von Herwarth had sounded familiar somehow, but it didn't register at first. He rubbed the back of his neck. How are we suppose to get someone who's a grade-one Mischling out of Germany? They'll be looking for him everywhere. We'll have to hide him here in the tunnels until its safe to move him and his wife. But how long will we have to keep them here? His pacing and thinking was interrupted by a knock on his door.

"What?!" he said a bit more harshly than he planned.

"Colonel, it's Kinch. Can I speak with you?"

Sighing wearily, Hogan walked to his door and opened it, standing aside to let Kinch enter. He closed the door behind him and turned to his friend. "What is it, Kinch?" he asked calmly while inside he was a jumble of emotions.

Kinch knew he had to choose his words carefully. The Colonel was an extremely private man who didn't reveal much about his past to anyone, and what he did reveal was on what Hogan considered a 'need-to-know' basis.

"Colonel, we, that is I noticed your reaction to the underground's information about von Herwarth and…."

"And you wondered why I appeared to get upset. Am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"I thought I told you in the radio room to drop it, Kinch," Hogan's voice was taut.

"Yes, sir, you did. But…"

"Then why are you pursuing it?" Hogan interrupted.

Kinch licked his suddenly dry lips. This was not going well. He was beginning to think he had made a mistake in coming to Hogan hoping to get him to open up about what was troubling him. But if it was going to affect the mission then he wasn't about to drop it.

"I'm waiting for an answer, Sergeant."

"Begging the Colonel's pardon. I don't mean to pursue anything. It's just that your behavior to certain information might, how should I phrase it, have an effect on the outcome of the mission."

Hogan raised both eyebrows. "Just what are you saying, Sergeant? That I'm jeopardizing this mission because of my reaction to certain news about someone wanting out of Germany? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Well, yes, sir," Kinch replied hesitantly.

Hogan's face darkened and his eyes flashed dangerously. "How dare you! I suggest, Sergeant, that you mind your damn business and get out!"

Kinch, taken momentarily aback by his commander's outburst, could only stare at him. After a minute or two, he swallowed the imaginary lump in his throat. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Colonel. It won't happen again." Turning, he headed towards the door. As his hand gripped the doorknob and turned it….

"Kinch, wait…"

The radioman paused, looking over his shoulder. Hogan's face had softened and he seemed almost stricken and stunned by his own outburst. Looking into Kinch's face, he saw the hurt expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I just said. Please forgive me."

Turning, Kinch grinned. "Apology accepted, Colonel." There were a few minutes of awkward silence between the two men as they looked at each other. Finally, Hogan let out a deep breath.

"Kinch, I owe you an explanation as to why I lost my cool just now."

Kinch held out both hands, palms facing the Colonel. "You don't owe me any explanation, sir."

"Yeah, I do. Have a seat." Hogan sat down on his lower bunk while Kinch, pulling out the chair from the Colonel's desk, turned it to face Hogan and sat down, his arms resting on his thighs with hands clasped between his knees, waiting.

Hogan, removing his crush cap, ran a hand over his thick ebony hair; then replaced his crush cap and pushed it back on his head.

"First let me ask something. Do you know exactly what a Mischling is, Kinch?"

"I've heard the term before, but no, I can't say I do."

"Well, it's not a complimentary term. It's rather derogatory in fact. It's a label the Third Reich put on Germans with Jewish ancestry. They considered them half-breeds so to speak. It was Hitler's policy to separate Mischlings into two categories: those of the second-degree were assimilated into the Aryan nation, while those considered first-degree Mischlings were considered to be like Jews."

Kinch raised his eyebrows in shock. "Like von Herwarth."

Hogan nodded. "Like von Herwarth."

"I still don't understand something, Colonel. What's the difference between the first and second degree?"

Hogan sighed. "The way I understand it, according to the Nazi Nuremberg laws in 1935, someone considered a 'full-Jew' anybody who had at least 3 Jewish grandparents, was married to a Jewish person or had one Jewish parent. A Mischling of the second-degree has only one Jewish grandparent, while one in the first-degree had 2 Jewish grandparents but did not practice Judaism or have a Jewish spouse. Second-degree Mischlings are regarded as second-class citizens but not actively pursued by the Nazis. Those with 3 or 4 Jewish grandparents simply disappeared."

"My God!" Kinch exclaimed as he listened. He always knew Hitler was nuttier than a fruitcake; but he didn't realize just how nutty he really was.

"Wait. You haven't heard the worst part yet," Hogan said.

"There's a worst part?" asked Kinch disbelievingly.

"Germans with either a Jewish parent or grandparent were required by old Bubble Head to serve in the Nazi Army whether they wanted to or not."(3)

Kinch couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So some of them had to fight for the Third Reich and old Scramble Brains Hitler?"

Hogan nodded. He knew Kinch was just as disgusted by the entire thing as he was.

"But if von Herwarth is a first-degree, why does he have to flee Germany, sir?"

Hogan sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I've got a feeling as to why but I'd rather keep it to myself for now until I'm certain." He suddenly pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Colonel? You all right?" Kinch reached out a hand and touched Hogan's knee.

Hogan looked up. "There's something else, Kinch. Something that will explain why I got so upset in the tunnels."

Kinch's eyes narrowed in concern. "You don't have to tell me, sir."

"No, I want to tell you. LeBeau, Carter and Newkirk already know. It wasn't that I was keeping certain things from you. It just never came up until now."

"I understand, sir."

Hogan took a deep breath and let it out. "What you don't know is that my father's side was Irish Catholic; my mother's were German Jews who came to the U.S. during the 1800s. My mother's parents weren't happy when she married a Catholic but they adjusted to it, and ended up liking my father. So did my aunts, uncles and cousins." (4)

"That explains your grasp of the German language," observed Kinch.

Not responding, Hogan got to his feet, and began to pace which he often did when he was plotting, planning, thinking, or talking about something difficult as this was. "But despite the anti-Semitic feelings in the United States, my mother wanted me raised as Jewish," he continued. "So by the time I entered the Point in the twenties, anti-Semitism was spreading. But not ashamed of my religious upbringing, I had the 'H' engraved on my dog tags." He leaned against the post supporting the upper bunk at the foot of the bed. "Fortunately for me, when I was shot down over Germany, I was captured by the Luftwaffe instead of the local townspeople who might have turned me over to the Gestapo or killed me outright themselves. If the Gestapo had caught me I might've either been killed or sent to a concentration camp."(5)

"From what you've told me, I'd say you were lucky the Luftwaffe found you," Kinch said as the full impact of what Hogan was saying sank in.

"I'd take a POW camp over the alternative anytime," the Colonel said.

"My God," Kinch repeated as he got to his feet understanding how difficult it had to be for the Colonel to reveal a part of himself which, up to now, he had kept private. He put a hand on Hogan's shoulder. "Colonel, I'm curious about one thing."

"What's that?"

"Who else knows everything you've just told me or that you're Jewish? I mean, if you're concerned about anti-Semitic reactions…"

"Most of the men in camp know as does Wilson. If somebody asks me I tell them. If they don't ask I don't go out of my way to explain it to 'em," Hogan replied calmly.

"Sir, Carter and the others are asking questions regarding the mission. I can talk to them if you want. What do you want me to tell them?"

"That's okay. I'll talk to them myself. Besides, I never did answer Carter's question about what a Mischling was." Hogan shook his head sadly. "God, I hate that term."

"I can understand how a Jewish person feels, however," Kinch said. "Being a negro I can relate to the labeling and racial attitudes. Even in my own army unfortunately."

"I know you do, Kinch, and I'm sorry about that," Hogan apologized. He never saw the color of Kinch's skin; it didn't matter to him. In fact, Hogan was proud to call Kinch his friend; no, his best friend.

Smiling, Kinch looked deep into the Colonel's eyes. "No need to apologize, sir. Being part of your command makes everything else bearable because you are one of a kind as far as commanding officers go."

Touched, Hogan took a moment to gather himself.

"Just give me a few minutes to compose myself, Kinch; then bring Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau in here so I can talk to them. I want you to come also. I think it's time I spoke with them before we decide how to carry out this mission."

(1) General Stauffen in the episode Operation Briefcase was really Claus von Stauffenberg related to von Herwarth by marriage who was involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944. He was executed July 21, 1944.

(2) Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union by Hitler during WW2 that began on June 22, 1941. It was a failure.

(3)Research shows that over 150,000 Germans of Jewish origin served in the German Army during WW2.

(4) Statistics from that time period show intermarriage rates in the early 20th century were around 1 to 2 percent. Also, in the series, none of the religions of the core characters or anybody else was ever mentioned. But for the purposes of this story, I made Hogan Jewish.

(5) This information was supplied by Mitchell G. Bard, Ph.D., Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.