“Hidden in Plain View: United States Army Special Forces Berlin, 1956-1990” was curated exclusively by six dedicated Jack Britt High School students from Cumberland County, North Carolina. The students’ unique exhibit chronicles the virtually unknown story of U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets” operating in Cold War Berlin.

Following World War II, the Allies divided Berlin, Germany’s capital, into East and West zones. The Soviet Union occupied East Berlin, while West Berlin was divided between the United States, England, and France.

This covert unit of Green Berets participated in some of the Cold War’s most sensitive operations. They wore civilian clothes, spoke fluent German, and stayed on constant high alert in the event the “cold war” between the Soviet Union and the West turned “hot.” If war broke out, these highly trained Special Forces Soldiers were to cross into East Germany and strike specific Soviet targets.

The students’ work on “Hidden in Plain View” has not only increased their understanding of the Cold War and the role of United States Army Special Forces in Berlin during that turbulent period in American history, but it has also exposed them to the museum profession in ways that just visiting a museum cannot.

“Hidden in Plain View, ” created by these exceptional and dedicated students’ from Jack Britt High School, will be on exhibit through September 1, 2024.