Sosthenes Behn
Encyclopedia
Sosthenes Behn was an American businessman widely known for founding ITT
. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.
Sosthenes Behn was born in the island of St. Thomas
, then part of the Danish West Indies
. His ancestry was German
on his paternal side, and French
on his maternal side.
Behn served in the United States Army
and was commissioned a Captain, Signal Corps, on June 19, 1917. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with distinction during World War I. Behn served with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France until February 1919. He was given command of the 232nd Field Signal Battalion, Chatteau Thierry, St. Mihiel, Argonne. For his valor in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM).
After his return from active duty serving his country, Colonel Behn co-founded the Puerto Rico Telephone Company
which eventually spawned ITT. According to Anthony Sampson's book The Sovereign State of ITT
, one of the first American businessmen Hitler received after taking power in 1933 was Sosthenes Behn, then the CEO of ITT and his German representative, Henry Mann. Antony C. Sutton
, in his book Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler, makes the claim that ITT subsidiaries made cash payments to SS
leader Heinrich Himmler
.
ITT, through its subsidiary The Lorenz Company, owned 25% of Focke-Wulf
, the German aircraft manufacturer, builder of some of the most successful Luftwaffe fighter aircraft
. In addition, Sutton’s book uncovers that ITT owned Huth and Company, G.m.b.H. of Berlin
, which made radio
and radar
parts that were used in equipment going to the Wehrmacht
.
Behn, along with his brother, Hernan
, built the Two Brothers Bridge —Puente Dos Hermanos in Spanish— in San Juan
. The bridge links the districts of Condado and Old San Juan
.
During the war, all of ITT's German holdings were put under German government control. These included a minority share in airplane manufacturer Focke-Wulf, which ITT had acquired through its contacts with German financier Kurt Baron von Schröder
. After the end of the war, the US authorities returned these assets to their rightful US owner.
In recognition of his extraordinary service to his country, Behn was interred at Arlington National Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company based in the United States. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.
Sosthenes Behn was born in the island of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
, then part of the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
. His ancestry was German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
on his paternal side, and French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
on his maternal side.
Behn served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was commissioned a Captain, Signal Corps, on June 19, 1917. He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with distinction during World War I. Behn served with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France until February 1919. He was given command of the 232nd Field Signal Battalion, Chatteau Thierry, St. Mihiel, Argonne. For his valor in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM).
After his return from active duty serving his country, Colonel Behn co-founded the Puerto Rico Telephone Company
Puerto Rico Telephone Company
Claro is the largest Puerto Rican telecommunications services company. It is headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and has operated for almost a century offering voice, data, long distance, broadband, directory publishing and wireless services for the island residents and businesses. It was...
which eventually spawned ITT. According to Anthony Sampson's book The Sovereign State of ITT
The Sovereign State of ITT
The Sovereign State is a book by Anthony Sampson that uses the example of ITT to make a broader point about the weakening of the authority of traditional national governments by the multinational corporations.-Plot:In part it was a portrait of Harold Geneen, the chief executive of ITT from 1959...
, one of the first American businessmen Hitler received after taking power in 1933 was Sosthenes Behn, then the CEO of ITT and his German representative, Henry Mann. Antony C. Sutton
Antony C. Sutton
Antony Cyril Sutton was a British-born economist, historian, and writer.- Biography :Sutton studied at the universities of London, Gottingen, and California, and received his D.Sc. from the University of Southampton...
, in his book Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler, makes the claim that ITT subsidiaries made cash payments to SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
leader Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
.
ITT, through its subsidiary The Lorenz Company, owned 25% of Focke-Wulf
Focke-Wulf
Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.-History:...
, the German aircraft manufacturer, builder of some of the most successful Luftwaffe fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. In addition, Sutton’s book uncovers that ITT owned Huth and Company, G.m.b.H. of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, which made radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
parts that were used in equipment going to the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
Behn, along with his brother, Hernan
Hernan Behn
Hernan Behn co-founded the Puerto Rico Telephone Company which eventually spawned ITT. Behn, along with his brother Sosthenes built the Two Brothers Bridge —Puente Dos Hermanos in Spanish— in San Juan. The bridge links the districts of Condado and Old San Juan.-References:# Morales...
, built the Two Brothers Bridge —Puente Dos Hermanos in Spanish— in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. The bridge links the districts of Condado and Old San Juan
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Location:...
.
During the war, all of ITT's German holdings were put under German government control. These included a minority share in airplane manufacturer Focke-Wulf, which ITT had acquired through its contacts with German financier Kurt Baron von Schröder
Kurt Baron von Schröder
Baron Kurt von Schroeder was a banker in Cologne, Germany who was a member of the Nazi Party and who hosted a notorious meeting between Franz von Papen and Hitler that facilitated Hitler's assumption of the Chancellorship.He was born in Hamburg, Germany, on 24 November 1889...
. After the end of the war, the US authorities returned these assets to their rightful US owner.
In recognition of his extraordinary service to his country, Behn was interred at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
in Washington, D.C.
External links
- Sosthenes Behn Sosthenes Behn: Brief Biography
- Sosthenes Behn on Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...