The War in Europe and D-Day

The War's Voices:

Broadcast and Commercial Recordings of Speeches and Interviews of World War II-era Personalities.

Winning the Home Front:

War-related Entertainment, Propaganda, and Ads Targeting World War II-era Radio Listeners.

G.I. Jive:

Popular and Topical Songs of World War II.

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys:

USO Shows, Armed Forces Radio, V-Discs, and Other Morale Efforts Targeting the Military.

We Interrupt This Program:

War Reports, News Flashes, and Informational Programs Regarding World War II.

Now Hear This:

World War II-era Broadcast and Recording Technology.

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Winning the Home Front

The attack on Pearl Harbor was the most dramatic broadcasting event Americans had witnessed to date, and it cemented radio's wartime significance. In the months following December 7, 1941, listeners devoured world developments from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and in the process received lessons in world geography, political science, and social studies without leaving their living rooms. Although the main focus was squarely on Europe, the most valuable education for Americans may have been about their own country. United during wartime, the nation's diversity of regions, cultures, values, and attitudes unfolded via radio.

The six radio broadcasts presented here come from original studio transcription disc recordings in the Arthur B. Church - KMBC Radio Collection in the Marr Sound Archives.

Broadcast #1
Of the many injustices Americans were forced to confront during World War II, none were more striking than the hypocrisy of battling oppression on foreign shores while permitting it at home. Though America (and its armed forces) entered the conflict segregated, war's end found the nation inching slowly toward integration and a burgeoning civil rights movement, with radio playing a key role in these changes.

At its peak, "Wings Over Jordan," a popular Sunday morning program on the Columbia network, had the widest audience of any African-American broadcast. Airing nationally since 1938, "Wings Over Jordan" offered music and commentary, but, more importantly provided African-American listeners with an unprecedented message of solidarity, while giving many white Americans their initial introduction to black culture. This poignant father's day broadcast from June 18, 1944, just days following the Allied invasion, epitomizes this universality.

Broadcast #2
Despite the momentous events unfolding in Normandy, reporters and generals were the only people caught up in the initial stir: Most Americans were unaware of the invasion until climbing out of bed the next morning. This CBS report from the nation's capital in the wee hours of June 6, 1944, contrasts the feverish reactions of broadcasters, in newsrooms "with teletypes clicking and the telephones ringing," with the serene slumber of Washingtonians, who "slept peacefully through the excitement."

Broadcast #3
Though battlefront heroics dominated the airwaves, listeners found home-front heroes equally inspiring. As a result, accounts of domestic sacrifice, dedicated war workers, and civilians thrust into challenging new roles were aired with invasion updates and bombing raid reports. This report from Columbia's Washington bureau on the morning of June 6, 1944, comments on the "government girls" and their contributions.

Broadcast #4
Accounts of the innovative technology, equipment, and tactics used throughout the war captivated imaginations and made for compelling radio. The D-Day invasion displayed these advances as never before, and were a regular part of news updates, including this account of a demolition squad made up of Native Americans.

Whether or not, as the broadcast claims, this unit actually wore war paint and scalp locks into battle, they were among the first Allied soldiers on French soil, and a part of the more than 40,000 Native Americans to serve during World War II.

Broadcast #5
The airwaves have always been the battleground for broadcasting's struggle between journalism and entertainment. During World War II, with the demand for information outpacing its short supply, "news" came in all shapes and sizes, and broadcasters scrambled to keep listeners informed. While some reporting, such as Murrow's rooftop broadcasts during the London blitz, were both entertaining and good journalism, other coverage veered wildly from responsible reporting to sensational pandering-sometimes on the same show. This August 27, 1944, broadcast of Columbia's "Report To the Nation" illustrates both extremes, and demonstrates the difficult juggling act the medium faced during wartime, when radio had to inform, entertain, and encourage home-front listeners.

Broadcast #6
During World War II, "do your part" was the battle cry of the home front. Whether storming a beachhead or saving scraps, the message was clear: everyone had a role to play in winning the war. Though most activities, conserving fuel and collecting scrap metal, for example, were obvious; others, such as those announced in this July 1944 station ID for KMBC, may have seemed somewhat more exceptional.
Read a Text Transcription of this Broadcast

Text by Scott O'Kelley, Marr Sound Archives
Digital Audio by Scott Middleton, Marr Sound Archives

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