Ep 6. Tootsie Roll Miracle, Singing Convict and Operation Paperclip

In the eighth season of Mysteries at the Museum, episode six kicks off with the Tootsie Roll Miracle, telling the fascinating story of a group of soldiers stranded in the remote snow-covered Ardennes forest, during the frigid winter of 1944. Here, the soldiers faced certain death, but they were rescued just in time by unexpected help from a lifesaving package that came in the form of chocolate candy bars. The lifesaving chocolate packages were none other than the Tootsie Rolls that the soldiers received from the supply drop, which not only satisfied their hunger, but also helped them survive the severe winter.

Moving on, the episode dives into the Singing Convict story, where viewers are taken on a journey through the life of Jimmy Dennis, a Philadelphia native and former death row inmate. In 1991, Dennis was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death, but his compelling story of innocence was later told through a song he wrote from behind bars. The episode looks at how this song helped bring his case to the attention of the media and how he was eventually exonerated and freed from prison - though he spent 25 years fighting for his freedom.

Finally, the episode explores the fascinating story of Operation Paperclip, where at the end of World War II, the United States recruited Nazi scientists for their expertise in rocketry and engineering. This covert project was named Operation Paperclip, and some of the infamous names like Werner von Braun, Kurt Debus, and Arthur Rudolph were linked to it. The episode takes a closer look at this little-known episode in American history, which had a profound impact on the Space Race during the Cold War era.

The mysteries in this season of Mysteries at the Museum are truly fascinating, and the Tootsie Roll Miracle, Singing Convict, and Operation Paperclip in episode six perfectly embody this sentiment. These stories of wartime heroism, perseverance, and government secrecy are certainly not to be missed.