Andreas Strassmeir
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Andreas Strassmeir | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1959[1] |
| Other names | |
| Occupation | West German Infantry Officer (formerly) |
Andreas Carl Strassmeir[5][6] (born 17 May 1959) is a German[7] former soldier who was the head-of-security for the white separatist community of Elohim City, Oklahoma. He gained media attention for his alleged connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing and has become an important figure in its conspiracy theories.[8][9][10][11]
Strassmeir was born in Berlin-Wilmersdorf,[12][13] the son of Günter Straßmeir, leader of the Berlin branch of the Christian Democratic Union between 1989 and 1991, who served as the Chief of Staff to Chancellor Helmut Kohl.[14][15]
Strassmeir studied at a military university in Hamburg, where he majored in museology and theology. After briefly joining a charismatic Christian commune in Berlin,[16] he entered the German Army in 1979, training as a Panzergrenadier. His military service lasted for a total of five years,[6] during which he reached the rank of lieutenant.[14]
Time in the U.S.
After resigning from his position as a liaison officer with the British Welsh Guard, Strassmeir moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a career within the U.S. Department of Justice. According to Strassmeir himself, he had hoped to work for the operations section of the Drug Enforcement Administration.[6] His efforts to obtain a career within the federal government were aided by Vincent Petruskie, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who had apparently met Strassmeir's father while he (Petruskie) was stationed in Berlin. In interviews, Strassmeir has referred to Vincent Petruskie as "a former CIA guy my father had known".[17] Petruskie confirms that he had assisted Andreas Strassmeir in finding such a job, but denies having any connection to the CIA.
After spending some time in a kibbutz in Israel, Strassmeir moved to Houston, Texas, in 1989 where he started working as a salesman for a computer company.[16] Strassmeir was involved in the American Civil War reenactment scene due to having an interest in the American Confederacy.[16] During this time, he became involved with the Texas Light Infantry militia before eventually getting expelled due to speculation from members that Strassmeir was a government agent.[6][18] Afterwards, he became active in right wing and neo-Nazi circles,[19] where he eventually met his future attorney, Kirk Lyons.[6]
Andreas Strassmeir was also reported to have spent some time in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he obtained a state drivers license. According to Ray Woodruff, a landlord of Strassmeir's, he rented a 1,300-square-foot house located at 7613 Thorngrove Pike but never lived in it.[20][21]
Strassmeir initially had a two-year tourist visa for his stay in the United States,[13] which was never renewed, subsequently residing illegally in the country between 1991 and 1996.[22]