Patrioscript; Guided tour

WORLD PREMIERE. Right now a college radio player is present the world bring you our patriotic play by Bernice McMahon. Today's play is one of a series produced by the Grinnell College radio players under a grant from the National Association of educational broadcasters to the fund for adult education of the Ford Foundation. As our story opens today I guided tour buses just pulled into a parking place and as the guide shepherdesses sightseers out he sang from the National Cemetery. We see the psychotronic painting of Gettysburg. I do a famous French painter telephoto and I'll wait out here. I don't want to see a painting I want to see everything in Gettysburg. Poem score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Let's get with this building. The cycle we have of the battle of the Guinness Book. OK even with the tourists milling about there is a feeling about getting a dedication. Can I stay outside pop rock I guess so if your mother says Oh it's alright with me if it's alright with your father. Libya walked out of that museum I saw down the road down the pike. As they say here the journey worried museum. All right we can see you there or you can find us here this way. Please pop. What war was it. Now we are engaged in a great civil war. Thanks. By testing whether this nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. Gosh do you scare me. I didn't see you coming down the road. Where do you come from. Up on the Hill. We were just up there. Nothing up there but the cemetery. I like the battlefield with cannons and things. Are you going to see the battlefield. No thanks I've seen them that grassy part where pick led all those men straight in the dent. Boy that would have been fun. I could just feel those soldiers all right there. Like girls watching from all these mountains. The young can see ghosts. I'm going

down to see the rocks at the Jenny Wayne museum. Mind if I come with you I'm sort of out of touch and then gone a long time too long. How does it feel to be back I don't know. I got some questions I want answers to yes I couldn't how much you like Gettysburg. I do we are met on a great deal of that. We have come to dedicate a portion of that as a final resting place of those who here know that this nation might live. I like Gettysburg it remembers us all together and the Cross that we should do so. I tried to learn the Gettysburg Address but all I can remember is of the people by the people and for the people. That's enough I guess. I tried to remember that myself that all that was for the people only of the people too. Are you in the war now. I've been released. You look kind of tired. I've come a long ways. Why do soldiers die kid.

I don't know because they kill like yes it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before. Looks like your father is waiting at you to come back. Gee you know I just got where I'm going and now I have to go back where I was and I don't see any sense to it. We've got common problems kid run along. OK certainly that there Nick 1863 cast on you're wearing. Yes. Is that nothing like modern uniform. It's what's known as dressed to kill all men die sometime. You're an unsympathetic Dame. I've lived too long all of 20 years I mean the story of the house is all in the card you're reading Boise. Jennie Wade aged 20 was killed by a sniper's bullet while she was making bread making bread in the middle of all that when and maybe it was the baker's day off. Maybe they didn't have bakers maybe the battle just didn't seem as real to her as her sister a new nephew she was taking care of. Reality is all relative.

So it seems so few caring for a baby in the middle of a battle with hundreds of other mothers babies grown up to be killed. What's the future Future Past Present. Maybe their relative to a soldier fights. That's his job. The woman takes care of the babies makes the bread. That's her job. Yabba dabba bread and baby's routine of the past to the Civil War's path the future becomes the past. In time one learns from the other. Sometimes they meet in passing as casually as you and I. It's an exciting trip Mort. I sure am glad we can write like Eugene see only civilian casualties see times of change. Well I don't know what he she was baking bread. There was a system in bed with a new baby. They don't sound so different from families today is the door I was telling you about this is the whole of the bullet went through a rifle boards only by now it's been worn so much by girls putting their fingers through it it looks more like she was killed by a cannon ball as they know you are what you say the

funniest things fun to stand by and whacks them. He's many people from this wonderful big country maybe a wonderful country but do you call these wonderful people. The girls put their finger through on account of us alleging that if you put your finger through the bullet hole you'll be engaged within a year see you simply get to romantic and the year seems an awful long time. I thought we'd speed it up a little. I brought the ring with me and if I can find it now in this new suit has pockets fathoms deep here. If if you wear it we'll. It's beautiful but you shouldn't kiss me in public. Why not. We're underway. Anyway nobody's watching. We've got to go now. Here we go again building the future generation for the future war that's building just the same. Not destroying completely like giving up. Soldiers don't give up. I didn't give up. I can't figure out why I had to act a year old. I always figured heroes were pretty silly and I wasn't going to be one. Why did I have to be a year a

what's the future. Well I don't know if you sense we cannot we cannot consecrate. We cannot how all of us grow. But brave men living and struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor Howard where. Now we're all vulnerable now no longer remember what we say. But it can never forget what they did. Inside this door stood Jenny Wade a young girl of 20 kneading bread on that very Don't trade. I'm glad I can buy bread. I'll never get killed that adultery is sounds like progress but I must remind you we suffer far greater civilian casualties in today's warring for our sister and nephew or on the day of the battle. Jenny was unable to flee with the other townspeople that Jenny was in the kitchen. Her back to the inner door a sniper had been firing from the rear of the house. You can see the chipped bricks in the back and one of the sniper's bullets pierced the outer and inner door.

Entering Jenny's back killing her instantly as if anyone dies instantly. I feel thankful to the past when I'm at Gettysburg. I want to thank the past for the future somehow. It was for us the living. Rather to me that it can't punish us. They are part of our So no there was no time to give the world anything in return for what I mean and it's rather appalling to me. Had dedicated a great task remaining before us. There is so much to do in the world and the way we try. I believe in trying and the powers of time. Let me show you the back of the house. Preserve the shield marks the brick. Perhaps the guide would like to read your article based on that young soldier's letters. JR Yes ma quit looking over those old guns and things for a minute and go get daddy is Magazine the one with his article in it. OK we better follow the guy don't we pay by the hour.

He would think that at least say hello to you. You didn't see me I suppose the boy did. I know he's a very understanding little boy looks like any American kid to me. How is an American any different from other kids anyone the ones I knew were extraordinarily inventive. Maybe so the kids in my outfit ordinary kids like me pretty young pretty ignorant. We're all American and they're hard headed practical given to try kind of thinking that gives us progress. I guess the scientists call it experimental thing sounds to me like the generations that came after the Civil War didn't do too badly by their heritage. I guess I resent the change in plans my plans I mean I had planned on writing world shaking things. Always the great American novel. Maybe. Hi Where is mom and pop round the back of the house. I like these relics don't you sold your name make me laugh look at this guy blundering tall I did your guns act like toys. These didn't. Before that there were clubs and they didn't. You scoff at the past too much

the past has much to teach the future. You sound like my father. He likes history. He says he's been hearing the Gettysburg Address around him all day. Everyone says there is a feeling about Gettysburg. I feel like my mother and father don't even see you when they're in here. Don't they look around or something. Here's to your here's the magazine I was telling you about Mr. Yoder. If it's got any connection with Gettysburg I'll be delighted to read it. I'm wrapped up in Gettysburg. It's letters from a soldier. They're publishing them in book form this fall. I wish he could share in the popularity they're enjoying. Yeah I see his picture here. Henry George a former killed in action is gallant charge against an enemy mortar position save the lives of his platoon in book form and the family was buried in the national cemetery in Gettysburg. I thought that might interest you. I've got to see that magazine. Let me see him. Just as I reach for this I found a crude touch and got some. Now it was reaching for the magazine.

Sure the soldier wanted to see it. What soldier. The one in here with the girl the girl and an old fashioned dress. We must hurry if we want to see the public square. There's the hotel room or Lincoln's Well if you must pardon junior. He has quite an imagination. Yes. Only it is cool I feel. Maybe there is somebody else in this room. Oh let's go I gotta go and drop their magazine on the counter. I took it from them I'm sorry. It takes a while to get used to being dead. Henry Joseph wander why don't they see you. The article shows you to be quite a hero. No not really I'm not the hero type it was just that somebody had to that's it somebody has to. So you do your job and you end up a hero. Our romantic legend like Jenny Wade I guess doing a job that has to be done is an American heritage too. I'm glad you came. I think you may be the one I've waited for for 90 years 90 years. Why don't you look at that wall of old pictures. I'm looking at the letters you have written. You were quite a writer were the one to be reckoned with. It's on these guys but here is one of Little Miss Jenny waiters

brown hair a small of a tied bag why it isn't possible. To meet to love out of life out of time work. That probably is honored when taken Chris devotion to that cause for which I think you're the last hero. There is still the long of a kind I thought perhaps eternity would be lonely and no I find Jenny Wade and we can together view the world with calm affection. They forgot the magazine. I'm sorry to interrupt. Shouted Jenny. Here kid read it later. I never read my father's articles. His words are too big and they take too long to read. I haven't got the time. I got lots of things to do that way here highly resolve that these dead shall not die and. Does not. How are you.

He's part of the American people care. What's he wearing. He'll have to prove that. But it will be up to him to see that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth. The Grinnell College radio players of world guided tour by Bernice McMahon guided tour was directed by Herbert Ross. The soldier in today's story was played by James Leavenworth. Nancy why Infeld was Jenny and Joel Prescott was the boy. Others in today's cast included Robert Tomlinson Charles Haynes Sally Osborn Eleanor Douglas and Jim Stewart production by Dick Armstrong and Robert Gallo it's engineered a guided tour was presented by the Grinnell College radio players under a grant from the end E.B. sponsored by the fund for adult education of the Ford Foundation. A special theme music for the series was composed and played on the Eric chapel organ by

Hoyle carpenter. Tom Brady is your announcer reminding you that this is a Grinnell College. This is the end AB tape network.