Well, after all you American parents wanted it, didn’t you? And so day after day your boys have to pile through showers of flak…. thousands and thousands of feet up in the air…. sometimes the ship explodes… they’re burned alive in the airplane…. or they bail out…. and only break their legs and arms and so on. Well, you seem to think you’ve got a grudge against Germany…. you prefer perhaps the Jews? You’d like to crony around with them? You prefer Communism. You prefer Bolshevism. Well, that’s no America for me, I must say, and I’d rather die for Germany than live one hundred years on milk and honey in the Jewish America of today.”
(Source: Appellate Brief, United States v. Mildred E. Gillars (Sisk), December 1949, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Washington DC: National Archives)
SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT
1944
“Mothers and Dads in America, you’ve no idea what hell your boys have been through. And to thank…. they’ve got Franklin D. Roosevelt, who promised you American mothers that no American boy would be sacrificed on foreign battlefields. I only wish you would get a little glimpse at the conflict going on in Normandy. Well, Roosevelt asked you to do it for him and you did. Wait until some of these human wrecks get back to you once again. You won’t even be able to recognize some of them. Believe me…. I’ve seen them. Well, this is Midge signing off.”
SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT
September 1944
MIDGE: All right, where are we calling?
KENNETH HEALY: Chicago
MIDGE: Oh Chicago. Calling Chicago that toddling town/
HEALY: If anyone can get a hold of Mildred Healy in Chicago tell her, tell her that her son Kenneth is ok and all well.
MIDGE: Chicago’s a big town. Better have a street address, you know?
HEALY: I don’t know where she is.
MIDGE: Your mother?
HEALY: Well, She moves around quite a bit. You know, Well, I just don’t know. Someone will know there. Mildred Healy… is all right (unintelligible)
MIDGE: Well, uh
HEALY: And uh, I expect to be home very soon.
MIDGE: Well, let’s hope so for your mother’s sake. Thank you, Mr. Healy. All right now, we’ve finished with that little message for Chicago. I do hope it gets to her, since we have no street address for Mrs. Healy. And now, where this little message going to?
PRISONER 2: Philadelphia
MIDGE: Oh, Philadelphia. The good old Quaker town…
PRISONER 2: That’s right
MIDGE: Street and Name
POW: Tucker St.
MIDGE: And who are you calling over in Philadelphia?
PRISONER 2: Mrs. John P—-. 5051 West Tucker St….
MIDGE: Is that your mother?
PRISONER 2: My mother
MIDGE: And now you have the microphone all to yourself.
PRISONER 2: Mom, I’m ok. Don’t’ worry about me, I’ll be home pretty soon. I’m in the best of health. Well, when I get home, I’ll be asking for the little baby.
MIDGE: And whose little baby is that?
PRISONER 2: That’s my sister’s.
MIDGE: Oh your sister. Never saw the little baby, hmm?
PRISONER 2: A little girl.
MIDGE: Yeah, I’ll bet you do… it must have been tough for you to take part in the invasion… Bet you’re glad to have a little rest then….
PRISONER 2: Yeah, in a way.
MIDGE: Well, I’m going to give another boy a chance then, shall we? It’s your turn, is it not? Where to?
PRISONER 3: Iowa
MIDGE: What town in Iowa?
PRISONER 3: Albia, Iowa
MIDGE: How do you spell that?
PRISONER 3: A-L-B-I-A.
MIDGE: Albia, oh yes. Quite a small place, isn’t it?
PRISONER 3: Yeah, about 10,000.
MIDGE: Well, I like little American small towns. They’re sweet aren’t they? Nice and cozy. Everybody knows everybody else. All the corny cousins…. The drug store…. Sipping cider out of a bottle with the girl you love.
PRISONER 3: Well, not quite cider.
MIDGE: (laughs) who have you got over there?
PRISONER 3: My mother. Mrs. Margaret Blanton
MIDGE: Mrs. Margaret Blanton, Northeast Street, St. Albia, Iowa.
PRISONER 3: Come through the invasion all right, mom. In a little I’ll be back eating them pancakes for breakfast
MIDGE: And maple syrup. Mmm…. Grand! Aunt Jemima pancakes. I’m sorry I haven’t got any over here. I’d make some for you myself. I’d help you eat them too. Heh, heh….
PRISONER 3: I’m ok. And I’ve come through all right without a scratch. Just waiting for the day when I’ll be back
MIDGE: It must have been pretty hard for your mother, hmmm?
PRISONER 3: Well I supposed she expected it.
MIDGE: Any brothers or sisters over there?
PRISONER 3: Yes, I have two brothers and a sister.
MIDGE: Ah ha. So your mother’s not quite alone.
PRISONER 3: No, she’s not alone.
MIDGE: Well, that’s a big relief for her. Because mothers always have the hardest time, don’t they?
PRISONER 3: Hmmm.
MIDGE: Well, anyway, I’m awfully glad to have been able to give this little message to your mother. And hope it will cheer her up a lot.
PRISONER 3: Well, so do I…. Bye, bye mom!
SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT
September 20, 1944
“Hello America…. this is Midge talking to the American families once again tonight and this time from this invasion front. You know for many years, I have been the go-between between your men in Germany and you, the beloved ones, way back home. Well folks, I’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble now to get next to the latest prisoners of war taken along the coast of Normandy. Because I can just put myself in your place and know how very, very worried you are. And so now, I’ve seen some of your boys, talked to them, realized their great, great disillusionment and how practically to a man they’ve said to me ‘we would never, never fight another war’. Well, folks tonight first of all I present to you one of these soldiers, a paratrooper who left England on D-Day and was, he claimed, to be perhaps the first man to have been captured by the Germans in the invasion. I happened to have a little chat with him in the officers’ barracks not very far from Paris. I’d now like to give you the little recording which is for Mr. EVANICK, the relatives in New York City. Now be good enough all you folks to drop a postcard to those concerned, in case they themselves were not sitting at the radio set. And now, here is Mr. Evanick:
MIDGE: So I think we are calling New York City.
EVANICK: Yes,
MIDGE: Is that right?
EVANICK: Yes.
MIDGE: And if you’d give the name of the person or persons to whom you’d like to greet and so they’ll be very surprised to know that you are fine.
EVANICK: I’d like to greet my sister-in-law in New York City, 500 East 13th Street in New York City.
MIDGE: 500
EVANICK: East 13th Street, New York City
MIDGE: East 13th Street you said, 500 did you? Not 503?
EVANICK: 500
MIDGE: 500 East 13th Street, and your sister-in-law’s name is…
EVANICK: (unintelligible)
MIDGE: Alva? EVANICK: (unintelligible)
MIDGE: Evanick and would you please spell Evanick?
EVANICK: E-V-A-N-I-C-K
MIDGE: E-V-A-N-I-C-K is that right? Well I think that’s very clear. And I suppose they have no idea that you’re over in a prisoner of war camp in France at the moment.
EVANICK: I don’t know.
MIDGE: (unintelligible)
EVANICK: Well… (unintelligible) she’s knows I came here from England.
MIDGE: Some time ago.
EVANICK: Short time ago.
MIDGE: Well, when did you leave England?
EVANICK: Well, I couldn’t tell you that, well on D-Day…
>
MIDGE: Oh, on D-Day… of course, (laughs) and where did you go from there?
EVANICK: I went in France
MIDGE: Into France… as what?
EVANICK: As a paratrooper, a fighting man.
MIDGE: Do you want to tell your sister-in-law something about it, about your adventures getting over here?
EVANICK: Well, I can tell her, you know, I’m all right and a prisoner of war, Say hello to everybody over in New York, all my friends and…
MIDGE: The Great White Way…
EVANICK: That’s right
MIDGE: Uh huh. (unintelligible)
MIDGE: That’s his son?
MIDGE: He’s quite a favourite of yours, apparently.
EVANICK: I’ve got his picture with me.
MIDGE: Oh have you really? Well you might show it to me afterwards. Well, have you got any special little thing to tell her? She might be awfully interested to hear about your experiences, I think you’ve had a very vivid life, haven’t you?
EVANICK: Well, yes, but the only thing I have to tell her now…
MIDGE: Anything to tell her about the treatment you are getting over here? To put her mind at ease perhaps…. in case she’s worried about you?
EVANICK: The treatment… Not too good, not too great….
MIDGE: You’re satisfied then.
EVANICK: Satisfied.
MIDGE: After all, a prisoner isn’t living in a castle, is he?
EVANICK: That’s right
MIDGE: Prisoner of war. So you’re leading a soldier’s life and taking it as it comes.
EVANICK: Yes.
MIDGE: You told me a little while ago, before we began speaking here, that all the boys wanted to get back home?
EVANICK: Well yes, we’d like to finish the war and go back home.
MIDGE: Well is there anything else you’d like to say way back to New York from Gay Pareè, not very far from us?
EVANICK: Well, I’d just like to say hello to everybody and I’ll be seeing you.
MIDGE: I hope it won’t be too long… Well, I hope I’ve made you a little happy with this message back home?
EVANICK: Yes. Appreciate it very much.
MIDGE: (unintelligible)
EVANICK: (unintelligible)
MIDGE: Well, goodbye New York!
EVANICK: Goodbye, New York!
(Source: Author’s Transcription of NARA tape recording of Survivor’s of the Invasion Front, September 20, 1944. College Park MD: Archives II)
MEDICAL REPORTS
October 6, 1944
“And now folks, I hope that you still have your paper and pencil there…. and that you’ll cooperate with me by jotting down these medical reports…. which will give you some information as to the present physical condition of wounded American, and in some cases Canadian, fliers shot down over Germany or German-occupied territory and lucky enough to have escaped alive. Now, tonight, I have one report for Canada…. which I’ll read to you first. It’s from Toronto, Ontario… for Mrs. G. Prisupa, P-R-I-S-U-P-A, of 959 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The report is about her son Gustav Prisupa…. whose rank is that of Sergeant…. the date of birth…. the 16th of August, 1922, and her Serial Number, 654758.
Now Mrs. Prisupa should you be listening I hope that you have reception there is Toronto…. your son…. got his right shoulder blade broken. He is suffering from multiple abrasions. I can’t tell you anymore tonight, but I suppose [since] you have a son in the Air Service that you’ll keep in touch with this broadcast.
Now, standby, Evansville, Indiana…. Calling Evansville, Indiana with word for Mrs. Anlie, A-N-L-I-E, of 1104 First Avenue, Evansville, Indiana, a report about her son Sergeant Robert T. Mitnet, M-I-T-N-E-T, born on the 9th of April 1918. His service number is 205322859. Now he’s got a bullet wound in the left knee joint. The doctors say that if no complications develop he’ll have to stay in hospital anywhere from 2 to 3 months. Now of course that always means getting a bullet in one of the joints and there [are] generally very unpleasant complications in afterlife, but he’ll be very happy in any case.
How many…. very badly mutilated boys have I seen and they’ve said to me…”I don’t care how I get back…. just so I get back.” You see, that’s the way they think now. What do you suppose they’ll think in later years when there are no jobs for cripples? That’s the question.
Well now, I should like to contact Santa Monica, in California. I have word there for Sylvia Edinger, E-D-I-N-G-E-R, of 938 Marco Place, Santa Monica, California – a report about her brother, Staff Sergeant Manuel Rosen, R-O-S-E-N, born on the 19th of May 1911. Here is his service number 33037982T42-43. Ah…. Miss Edinger, your brother got his left leg crushed below the knee and the right leg broken below the knee. Well, that’s pretty bad if he got both of his legs so…. badly…. ah…. wounded. Of course, the left one sounds bad where the doctors say that it was crushed below the knee. Let’s hope he won’t have to lose it, but I suppose it’s quite probable. But anyway, otherwise he seems to be getting along all right, so I suppose you’ll be very happy to have got this news about him anyway.
And now, I have a message for the West. This is for Tillamook, in Oregon, T-I-L-L-A-M-O-O-K, for Mrs. Emile Schofield, S-C-H-O-F-I-EL-D, of 1008 East 6th Street, Tillamook, Oregon, word about her son. Staff Sergeant Denny Schofield got a bullet in his left arm above the elbow which caused a fracture. The muscle is paralyzed. In addition, he got superficial bullet wounds and fractures. Also, his left ankle was sprained may be fractured, the doctors have taken an Xray…. ah…. pictures in the meantime and perhaps at a subsequent broadcast I’ll have more news for you.
Now—Calling Narberth, Pennsylvania, N-A-R-B-E-R-T-H, with word for W.R. O’Sullivan - 85 Windsor Avenue, Narberth, Pennsylvania about Lieutenant Walter Robert O’Sullivan - born on the 11th of April 1921, in Narberth, Pennsylvania. Here is his service number: 0805104. The right leg was fractured above the knee. The fracture was caused by a bullet. The doctors say that from 5 to 6 months hospital treatment will be necessary, so as harmless as this wound may sound, it must be pretty complicated because we hardly ever get cases where the boys have to stay in hospital for nearly half a year. So Mr. O’Sullivan, or whoever happens to be the nearest of kin, please watch out for this broadcast and I hope to have more word for you about Walter O’Sullivan.
Now, my concluding report tonight unfortunately has no exact address. It’s only New York City, New York, which you know as well as I, is most vague. It concerns Staff Sergeant Francis H. Cousins C-O-U-S-I-NS, born on the 1st of June 1916 in New York. I have his service number, which should of course help in identifying him 33288676. He was hit by a bullet causing a fracture to the right leg above the knee and, unfortunately, splintered the bone. However, his chances of complete recovery are good, the doctors say. Well, folks, I see now that my time is up, but please watch out…. ah…. for this broadcast which comes to you each and every evening with the exception of Sunday. This is Midge signing off. Thank you for your attention.”
(Source: Written Transcription of Federal Communications Commission Memovox Recording #10097, Recorded at Silver Hill, Maryland, between the hours of 22:15 o’clock E.W.T., and 23:15 o’clock E.W.T. on October 6, 1944. Washington DC: John Bartlow Martin Papers, Library of Congress Manuscript Division)
Notes
1. An Unwelcome Child
1 Evening Courier, Camden, NJ, October 18, 1928, p. 3.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Evening Courier, Camden, NJ, October 19, 1928, p. 1.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid., p. 1
8 The Evening Courier, Camden NJ, October 20, 1928, p. 1.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid., p. 8.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid., p.1
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 Evening Courier, Camden, NJ, October 21, 1928, p. 1.
17 “Companionate Tragedy Exposed as Movie Stunt,�
� New York World, op. cit., p. 24.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Sisk v. Sisk, Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Portland, Maine. Docket Record #29782 #419, October Term 1907, May 31, 1907. Courtesy: Maine State Archives.
21 The Washington Post, February 24, 1949, p. 4.
22 Admissions Summary for Mildred E. Gillars, Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderson, West Virginia, October 12, 1950. College Park MD: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), p. 4.
Vincent Sisk remarried soon after the divorce and moved to Baltimore, where he worked on the railroad. As of 1930, according to that year’s U.S. Census, Sisk was still married to his second wife and was the father of five children.
23 FBI File 61-117. Report to Director regarding Mildred Gillars birth and citizen ship, College Park, MD: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), p. 2.
24 US Department of Justice Memorandum, Campbell to J. Edgar Hoover, August 17, 1948. College Park MD: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
25 Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio, November 20, 1995, p. B1. Courtesy: Conneaut Public Library.
26 News-Herald, Conneaut, Ohio, April 8, 1961, p. 1. Courtesy: Conneaut Public Library.
27 Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio, November 20, 1995, op. cit.
28 Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio, December 20, 1998. Courtesy: Conneaut Public Library.
29 The Tattler, St. Patrick’s Number, 1917, Conneaut, Ohio: Conneaut High School. Courtesy: Conneaut Public Library.
30 The Tattler, Senior Number, June 1917, Conneaut, Ohio: Conneaut High School. Courtesy: Conneaut Public Library.
31 Abridged transcript of U.S. v. Gillars (Sisk). John Bartlow Martin Papers. Washington, DC: Library of Congress Manuscript Division, p. 18.
32 Handwritten notes by John Bartlow Martin from interview of Edna Mae Herrick, undated (c. September 1948), John Bartlow Martin Papers, Washington DC: Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
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