War in the Pacific and the Final Surrender

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.

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

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World War II-era Broadcast and Recording Technology.

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From the grueling campaigns of the Philippines, Guadalcanal, and the Mariana Islands to the costly triumphs at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the United States sustained the heaviest casualties in the Pacific Theater. The war against Japan proved passionate and drawn-out; but through it all radio, records and live entertainment offered a welcome distraction to Americans stationed in the Pacific. True, the weapons of war may have been bullets and bombs, but the means of survival hinged on perseverance, hope, and most of all, laughter.

The five songs and performances presented here come from the 78 rpm and LP disc collections in the Marr Sound Archives. The radio broadcast comes from an original studio transcription disc recording in the Arthur B. Church - KMBC Radio Collection in the Marr Sound Archives.

Song #1
With victory in Europe assured, all eyes shifted to the Pacific in the spring of 1945. The death of four-term president Franklin Roosevelt in April and Japan's suicidal war ethics cast clouds of uncertainty and anxiety over the campaign in the Pacific. Despite one foot in the door, the war was not over. V-E Day did carry with it, however, a dogged hope that the end was just around the corner. On this V-Disc recording, Doris Day sings with a glowing affection and patient understanding that made "You've Got To Cross The Atlantic To Get To The Pacific" a sure bet among weary soldiers in the final stages of the war.

Song #2
"This lovely picture vocally painted by Billy Williams" is what listeners are told on this 1944 V-Disc effort from Sammy Kaye. Scoring an early wartime hit with "Remember Pearl Harbor," Kaye continued the Pacific theme with "Hawaiian Sunset." In sharp contrast to the patriotic charge of his January 1942 record, this lazy, sun-soaked song basked in the tropical paradise of the South Pacific and undoubtedly coaxed many a uniformed American into soothing reverie.

Song #3, Song #4
Dubbed America's #1 soldier in greasepaint, Bob Hope's prolific and stellar career entertaining troops has spanned over fifty years. During World War II Hope and his comedy troupe bounced from one military installation to another for live broadcasts, rarely recording in the comfortable confines of NBC studios. In 1944, Hope logged over 30,000 miles traveling throughout the Pacific - a dangerous and taxing mission for anyone during the war. The two clips heard here feature "G.I. Bob" on the frontlines "somewhere in the South Pacific;" and from Camp Pendleton in southern California, where his uplifting antics leave a group of U.S. Marines in stitches.

Radio Broadcast #1
Following an interview with two B-29 pilots who narrowly escaped death during the bombing raid on Osaka, actress Wendy Barrie shared her experiences entertaining wounded servicemen on CBS' "Report To The Nation." The March 17, 1945 segment with Barrie combined the routine format of Q&A with the staged elements of a melodrama, resulting in an unusual radio broadcast that blurred fact with fiction. For war-tattered servicemen recovering in hospitals, the comforting words of those such as Barrie were not only reassuring, but also valuable therapy for their battlefront encounters.

Song #5
Written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams, "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" dates back to 1922 when Eva Taylor first recorded it for Okeh Records. The blues standard took on many lyrical forms over the years, but a new meaning took shape during World War II. With millions of Americans separated from loved ones, the two-decade-old song sounded as fresh as the day it was written. Failing to reach enlisted ears until after V-E Day, this April 19, 1945 version spoke more to personnel stationed in the Pacific, where fighting continued for months to come. Plenty of solo work prop up Jo Stafford's soft, pleading vocals that seem to linger sadly in the grooves of this V-Disc record.

Text by Kelly McEniry, Marr Sound Archives
Digital Audio by Scott Middleton, Marr Sound Archives

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