Harold M. Koch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1932 (age 92–93) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic priest |
| Known for | defected to the Soviet Union in 1966 |
| Spouse | Jeanette Neager |
Harold M. Koch (born 1932) was an American Roman Catholic priest from Chicago who defected to the Soviet Union in 1966. [1] [2] His defection, which was included in a Soviet propaganda broadcast, [3] was in protest to the Vietnam War. [4] However he decided to return to the United States three months later saying he wanted to get married. [5] He did, to Jeanette Neager. [6] While in the Soviet Union he was provided an apartment in Moscow. [7]
From 1958 to 1963 he served the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, leaving when pushed out because of psychiatric problems. [8]