Jack Koehler, former AP exec, dies in Conn. at 82

First Posted: 9/29/2012

(AP) Jack Koehler, who fled advancing Soviets as a boy in Germany during World War II, grew up to report from there for The Associated Press and also served briefly in Ronald Reagan’s White House, has died at age 82 at home in Connecticut.

His close friend Anne Cron says Koehler died Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer.

Born in Germany, Koehler served as a U.S. Army interpreter as a teen after fleeing the Soviets. He came to the U.S. in 1954.

Koehler went on to hold several executive positions with AP.

He was later White House communications director for a week. After his appointment, he acknowledged belonging to a Nazi youth group at age 10, but said that wasn’t the reason he resigned. He insisted he stepped aside to allow a new chief of staff to name his own team.