The choice was becoming a member for cozing up with all the important decisionmakers of the time or giving up getting any of that incredibly fancy (at the time)

The choice was becoming a member for cozing up with all the important decisionmakers of the time or giving up getting any of that incredibly fancy (at the time) rocketry research funded. He clearly loved his rockets, to the point where he did not mind becoming a nazi for them, or a yankee or whatever other affiliation that might have allowed him do do his research.