D-C Radio: WTOP Pulls Wernher von Braun Story

Washington radio station WTOP apologized Tuesday after pulling a story that commended Nazi aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

The Hill reports the story removal and apology came after the news outlet described von Braun as a "brilliant German-American rocket scientist."

"After careful consideration, WTOP has decided to remove the article from our website. This story did not meet WTOP’s standards and should not have appeared on any of our platforms," WTOP wrote in a tweet to its more than 280,000 followers.

After careful consideration, WTOP has decided to remove the article from our website. This story did not meet WTOP’s standards and should not have appeared on any of our platforms.

— WTOP (@WTOP) July 16, 2019

After World War II ended in 1945, von Braun came to the U.S. and worked with the U.S. Army to develop rockets for 15 years.

Apollo 11 got off the ground, in no small part, thanks to Wernher von Braun, a brilliant German-American rocket engineer who was laid to rest in Alexandria, Virginia.https://t.co/OY6r0sMxOV

— WTOP (@WTOP) July 16, 2019

He also served as director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center starting in 1960 and served as the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the super booster that would propel Apollo 11 to the moon in 1969.

Von Braun died in 1977 and is buried in Alexandria, Va.