A captivating new exhibit called "Hidden in Plain View: United States Army Special Forces Berlin, 1956-1990” sheds light on the covert operations of the Green Berets during the Cold War. It is curated by six students from Jack Britt High School in Cumberland County. The exhibit uncovers the untold stories of U.S. Army Special Forces who worked in the shadows of divided Berlin during the Cold War.
After World War II, Berlin became the epicenter of Cold War tensions, divided into East and West zones. The Soviet Union controlled the East, while the United States, England, and France governed the West.
In this intense environment, a secret unit of Green Berets carried out some of the most classified operations of the era. Disguised in civilian clothes and fluent in German, these soldiers remained on high alert, ready to take action if the Cold War turned hot. Their mission, in the event of war, was to infiltrate East Germany and neutralize key Soviet targets.
The idea for this collaboration began at the end of the 2022 school year when the museum staff at the U.S. Army Airborne Special Operations Museum and the Jack Britt Social Studies Department decided to work together.
The goal was to mentor students in exhibit development, with the plan to display the final product at the school. As the project progressed, it became clear that the students' work deserved a larger audience. Thus, the exhibit found its home at the ASOM, with the first student-curated exhibit opening in April 2023, focusing on Task Force DAGGER, America’s military response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The success of this initial exhibit led to the formalization of the program into an annual partnership, now known as the Curatorial Apprentice Program or “CAP.”
Curating the current exhibit on Special Forces Berlin presented significant challenges. Jim Bartlinski, Director of Fort Liberty Museums, explained that the topic covered the period from 1956 to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Special Forces Berlin unit operated clandestinely to deter communism, wearing civilian clothing to blend in, which made artifacts scarce. The ASOM had no related artifacts in its collection, so the students collaborated with Special Forces Berlin veterans to secure loaned items and the stories behind them. The students also borrowed artifacts from the JFK Special Warfare Museum on Fort Liberty, adding depth to the exhibit.
Bartlinski highlighted the exhibit's profound significance, noting that it provides visitors with a crucial insight into a lesser-known but pivotal aspect of Cold War history.
These highly trained soldiers operated about 100 miles inside communist East Germany, in the Allied-controlled sector of West Berlin. Their primary mission was to conduct unconventional warfare against the Soviet Union and its allies if the Cold War escalated into open conflict.
Now declassified, this exhibit recognizes the critical role played by the United States Army Special Forces during this turbulent period in American history.
"Hidden in Plain View" will be on display through September 1. It offers a great opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Green Berets and their pivotal role in Cold War Berlin.

(Photo:"Hidden in Plain View: United States Army Special Forces Berlin 1956-1990" can be viewed at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville until Sept. 1. Photo courtesy of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation Facebook page)