In 1962, a group of young West Germans began digging tunnels under the Berlin Wall, risking their lives to help friends and strangers to escape to freedom. American news networks rushed to be the first to document the historic attempt, but met unexpected resistance from President John F. Kennedy. As Greg Mitchell reveals here, the White House—hoping to avoid provoking the Soviet Union—tested the limits of free speech as it quashed the TV documentaries. Mitchell also tells the fascinating stories of the escapees and the engineers, one of whom would later contribute to the construction of the Chunnel.