Slick Willie would be envious....Lindbergh quite busy in his off-time...

Being a Minnesota resident, this may sound somewhat blasphemous, but the more I have found out about the life of Charles Lindbergh, the less impressed I am with him. When I visited the museum with my then second-grade son, my eyes were opened to information that I was theretofore unaware of, that lent itself to somewhat of a "yuck factor." While his accomplishments are undoubtedly noteworthy (the first soloist to cross the Atlantic, inventing the artificial heart) there are many aspects of a checkered past that certainly cloud his achievements. Specifically, Lindbergh was a Hitler apologist who opposed the U.S. entry into what he termed a "Jewish war." Despite his anti-semitism, Lindbergh continued to be treated as a hero, and was appointed to posts of honor in both democrat and republican administrations--a kick in the face to everyone who suffered under Hitler's regime.

Lindbergh's character deficiencies are the reason why this latest allegation comes as no real surprise to me. Having three simultaneous mistresses and fathering seven children out of wedlock seems somehow to be in character for him. Little Falls, understandably, is having a bit of trouble recognizing the flaws of its favorite son:

"It has nothing to do with what he accomplished," said Little Falls resident Patricia Nicoski, who was showing some Chicago relatives around the tree-shaded site recently. "His moral standards are his own business."

The Lindbergh home does generate a considerable amount of tourism every year. But it is time for historians to recognize that Lindbergh's blatant anti-semitism and kowtowing to one of the 20th century's most infamous despots should relegate him to much less than hero-status.