Cincinnati Radio: The War Years (1941-1945); Part 1

The other day, he gave his opponent in the next presidential election a letter of introduction to me, and he wrote after that in his own handwriting from Longfellow and on the ship of state saying, I know unions is strong and great. Humanity with all its ideas, with all the hopes of future years he's hanging on. I think I want you to understand that I shall give in your name to this great man. Give us the tools and we will finish the job. I may say that I got along fine with Marshall Stalin. He is a man who combines a tremendous, relentless determination with a strong with good humor. And I believe that we are going to get along very well with him and

the Russian people, very well in the General Dwight D. Eisenhower, people of Western Europe. Lenin was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of a concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe. And the U.S. will present once again at this time a description of landing operations and the invasion of France. The next voice you will hear will be that of George Hick's American newsman describing an actual battle scene. And plans have been in the sky now that Douglas has ordered chapters just where the commanding officer and now the flack is coming up in the sky. Looks like they're going to have a night tonight on. Think is falling down

to the sky. Now. Here we go. I got radio broadcasts, many different voices during World War Two, but few sounds could be more welcome than hearing the words of a family member serving overseas through a special arrangement with a British broadcasting corporation. Well, your son at war was able to serve as a link between those serving their country and the loved ones they left behind. This is Sergeant George Barrenger, Marine Corps combat radio correspondent, speaking to you from aboard a Marine carrier somewhere out here in the Pacific and right alongside me here at the microphone as a Marine, what is your name, please? John W. Morente. John W. Moore. And what is your rate? John a. m. technical sergeant, how old are you?

28, 28 years old. And where is your home, John? In Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati, Ohio. That's right. That where you came into the Marine Corps from Cincinnati and Cincinnati that you live with your parents there with my mother. And what is the place, 13, 11, Izabella 11. You know, I just happen to think. Do you recognize anybody in this room? Yes, I believe I do, Lieutenant. Over there, the lieutenant. And how come you recognize the lieutenant? Oh, he's the one that recruited me into the Marine Corps. Had he remember his name, Biggerstaff would have figured that. Fine. Well, and this is no place for me. If Lieutenant Biggerstaff is responsible for you being in the Marine Corps, you can be responsible for talking to you now, explaining a few things. So I'll bring Lieutenant Biggerstaff in that this is no place for me to be either or at least. So I've always understood that everyone in the Marine Corps that I've seen is always looking for the man who recruited him, threatening to do certain things, going well. Don't be afraid of Minneapolis. You got me, I think.

Hello, Cincinnati. This is the United States Army Radio Service reporting to LWR listeners with a service woman who formerly made her home in Cincinnati. She is in the London headquarters of the Air Transport Command, European Division, Uncle Sam's aerial supply line in Europe. And here beside me is our guest, a smiling sergeant of the woman's Army Corps, Sergeant Younus Bermann. What part of Cincinnati are you from, Eunice? I live with three fourths of Northern Avenue with my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Berman. I hope they're listening in. Well, I'm sure they are. Sergeant, tell me, are you the only member of your family in uniform? No, I have my brother Leonard, who is in the Air Corps also. He is a warrant officer at an air base in South Carolina. Well, it looks like the Burmans prefer the Air Corps. But getting back to you, Eunice, when did you join the wax? In October of 1942. Well, that makes you one of the very first to join. Yes.

And I'll be going on a hashmark this October. This is Captain Franklin speaking to you from the British Broadcasting Corporation in London. As usual, I have with me in the studio one of your men, Army Staff Sergeant Thomas, five seven three Grand Avenue, Cincinnati. First of all, what's your job? I'm with the Air Force radio operator and ABC have obtained these seventeen. That's the flying fortresses. I didn't know. That's right. I expect you've seen quite a bit of activity since you arrived in detail. I see you've got the Air Midland cluster. How many missions have you done? Sixteen, all of them over Germany. But I've been very lucky. I never ran into any real trouble. I can't believe all your missions were quite uneventful once. Just before the target, we had an engine shot out, but we managed to come back on three. All right. Well, just what does your job as a radio operator involve? The operator leadership? You do all the transmitting, but besides being a radio operator, you have to be ready to help. The way it's going to say, you see, there are two guns in a waste. There would be seventeen. And when things get hot, the radio, not very much,

man. One of them. Nice work, Tom. Our time's up and we must say goodbye. Thank you very much for coming along today to talk to the folks by everyone. So that's goodbye to Staff Sergeant Thomas Herbert, a five seven three Grand Avenue to Cincinnati. This is Captain Frank Coleman signing off from the British Broadcasting Corporation in London and returning now to W in Cincinnati. Dozens of letters arrive weekly at the W W studios, letters from parents and relatives asking us to help them find more detailed information of the actions in which their sons lost their lives. And so each week we will endeavor to help those parents and relatives communicate with servicemen who are members of their sons, companies and. Have returned to the United States for discharge or for furloughs before reassignment, if you have any knowledge or if you know a serviceman who may have any knowledge of the actions of these particular units or any details of the death of one of these servicemen, please communicate with W.L.

W. Cincinnati to Ohio or with a relative whose name and address are given with a message. Mrs. W.H Holiday 127 Walnut Street, Mechanicsburg, Ohio appeals to you for information about the death of her son, Private William S. Holiday of Company Jr., who was killed in Argentine France on August the 17th, 1944. Mrs. Russell Buckingham of Rural Route to Bradford, Ohio, appeals to you for information about the death of her son, Private First Class John E Buckingham, senior of company I killed in action in Germany April 4th of this year. Private First Class Buckingham was first reported missing, then reported killed. His mother does not know in what part of Germany he met his death, nor the names of any of his comrades. Do any listener who may be able to pass on to returning servicemen the messages which we have just broadcast our sincere thanks and grateful appreciation.

For the past half hour, you've been listening to your son at war, our weekly salute to the fighting men of WWII and listen again next Sunday at the same time when we will again bring you by story and shortwave recordings, direct reports on your fighting man overseas. Listen again next Sunday for another weekly edition of the news about your son at war. While your son at war was bringing the voices of local servicemen back to the home front,

Cincinnati was preparing to play a key role in providing America's worldwide response to years of Nazi propaganda. Although the Germans had been far ahead of the allies and using international radio as a weapon, the enemy's advantage began to fade. On September 23, 1944, with the push of a button, the highest powered shortwave station in the world began broadcasting from a series of transmitters in Bethanie, near Mason, Ohio. At long last, the Voice of America was on the air. NBC celebrated the event with a live dramatic production originating from the studios of World W. They call me Joe, usually herd over most of these stations, but this time will not be presented in order that we may bring you the special program that follows. This is the voice of America reaching you over stations in the 16 to 19 meter

bands, tonight marks a milestone in the long uphill struggle to make the Voice of America ring round the world. We take you first to Washington for a brief foreword by Mr. Clifford Durr of the Federal Communications Commission. And brother Neil, how on earth last year's corn field stands tonight, a forest of walls and towering poles. Tonight, we are dedicating the newest and most powerful group of shortwave broadcasting stations in the world built for our government by the Crossly Corporation. Three brand new transmitters of 200000 watch power each for those who have built them. This is a proud achievement. And yet it is only one small chapter in the story of the Voice of America. In America, the truth costs less than half a loaf of bread can be had for nothing at a radio, for pennies at a newsstand in occupied Europe. And in Asia, too, a loaf of bread may cost five dollars. The price of a newspaper, maybe your head and true is not to be purchased. Instead, it's spat on, mocked, betrayed by Brother

Goebbels and his crew of Nazi propagandists who have made the continent of Europe a prison for the mind. He founded Hashmat. He shortwave antenna was formed on the basis that he thought it was hidden from sight. Why? I saw your profile, the American broadcast last night. We shall make your happy. Take this man back out to the world when Hiyam Antenna. We had no propaganda ministry, no billion dollar budgets on shortwave stations, no, just 18, all privately owned within the radio industry by firms which were willing to operate them at a loss to build goodwill for America. And through lack of a plan on broadcasting, pattern was being scattered like buckshot. Something had to be done and something was done to. Voice of America has been fighting a war to save American lives.

The road has been difficult and all uphill, but in traveling that road and fighting that war, it has risen from weakness to strength. And tonight, it takes another long step forward toward full maturity. The voice of America will resound around the world from these three new transmitters at Bethanie, just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, the three most powerful in the world at 200000 watts to all who have made this achievement possible. We pay tribute here tonight, and we'd like you to hear one of these men now. We present the director of the Office of War Information, Mr. Elmer Davis. In wartime, the voice of America must be single, united in peace. There may perhaps be many voices of America expressing different aspects of the truth as seen by many man. But what we all hope is that in peace is in war. The truth will continue to be on our side, that the better we are known abroad, the better will our national interests be served. In that conference, I dedicate these transmitters, the newest and most powerful channels

of the Voice of America. Here is our cry of woe to the tyrant. Here is the sign and symbol of our faith. Americans, listen. This is your voice speaking. That's. This program came to you from Cincinnati. The big bands were still very much a part of America during these years, providing the musical soundtrack for a generation of young men and women. It may not sound like much a dance that provided a few hours away from the horror that had overtaken the world, or a song that brought back memories of a happier time in place. But those moments meant a great deal to a great many people. They still do.

Here are three of Cincinnati's best bands when they could still be found playing for your listening and dancing pleasure from places like the Lookout House, Beverly Hills, old Vienna and so many others, of course, with a war on many musicians wound up wearing band jackets that were tailored by Uncle Sam on the Soldiers Service Club at Patterson Field World Headquarters of the Air Service Command. We bring you in All Soldier Show. Our program opens with a famous flying band under the baton of Sergeant Al Cassidy playing Tommy. And. And. First off, as a modern study in rhythm from the James boys titled Andalucía.

And so we conclude this period of music, fashion by fiber.

You've been listening to music from your hometown, brought to you through the cooperation of radio station LWR, Cincinnati, Ohio, the music of Burt Barber's Piano Jazz Orchestra from the beautiful restaurant Continental in the Hotel Netherland Plaza, just across from Bellevue Square in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Comedy variety shows were among the most popular offerings around during the early days of radio and TV. They've almost completely disappeared from the contemporary scene. So to refresh your memory of what these programs were like, here are some excerpts from a 30 minute extravaganza presented every Sunday over. Well, W. Summer evening at Crossly Square family

will spend an evening at the square where Freddie Lightner will greet you with. Let's run through review by DeBelin Park with blues songs as well. Your comment on my blog. The corporation welcomes you to probably square for a half hour of fun and music featuring Norman Ravell, Evelyn Parker, Bert Barber, his orchestra, the melody mavens and the star of our show, Freddy Lightener. Thank you, Don. Good evening, folks. We might be happy to have you here at Crawley

Square. Mighty, mighty happy. Say it, Freddie. Freddie, you don't look so well. What's wrong? Oh, gee, I'm hungry, Don, all the time. I'm hungry. I haven't had a bite in four days. I can't get anything to eat anyway. Well, Freddie, these days we all have to tighten our belts a little. I tighten my belt so much, all I have left is the buckle. All ready. You can't expect me to believe that. Oh, Don, it's the truth. Why? Only this morning I started looking for a restaurant where I could get something. And maybe you'd like to have some nice look. Look. OK, I'll have some. Hey, wait a minute, what are you yelling so loud about? The kitchen is in Kentucky. Hey, what are you going to happen to me? Well, come on, potentially. What can I have for the meat order? Confidentially, macaroni. Oh, macaroni. Now, look, if it isn't too much trouble, could I have a small piece of butter? Get a lot of this character. What do you think this is a black market? Well, how about my macaroni by now? I'll eat anything.

Okay, kid, I'll be back in a flash with the hash. Hmm. Some joint. Holy smokes. What's that? When kids I got bad news for, you know, macaroni. No macaroni. You mean you're out of it? Oh, we got plenty of macaroni, but this stove just went out. Well, can't you light it again? No, it went up through the roof. Oh, let me out of here. Let me out of here, folks. My first song tonight is typically American, and that goes with determination and fighting spirit of our soldiers who marched a long way and now sees victory. I had. There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin when the Yanks go marching in. I want to be there for some joy when they take old Berlin. There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin when the Brooklyn boys begin.

On a barn, tear it down when they take gold bullion, they're going to start a. And show them how we take the town back in Kokomo. They're going to take a high road. Hitler's Reich changed. But you know, Joe, the hot time in the town. When the Yanks go marching in, you can never keep you happy down on the farm after they take Berlin. They're going to start to show them how we paint the town back in Michigan, they're going to take a hike to Hitler's Reich

and change their lives to give me some skin to be a hot time in the town of Berlin when the Yanks go marching in. You can never be down on the. The Chrysler Corporation has presented a summer evening at Graslie Square with Norman Ravell, Evelyn Parker, Burt Barbaras Orchestra, the crossly Melody Maids and comedian Freddy Lightener, who says, thanks for joining us at Crossly Square. And remember, folks, we have a date for next Sunday. Same time. Good night. If you'd like to join our studio audience. Right, for tickets to the ticket department in Cincinnati. To Don Russell speaking. This is the nation state.