Hilary Booth... of course!

Today was the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. My thoughts are with my grandfather who served in the war.

I spent most of the day listening to Rat Patrol Radio's annual Complete Broadcast Day. This year's broadcast was slightly different. Having discovered that he had a faulty copy of the CBS broadcast, the RPR's owner found the NBC version instead, which made for an interesting contrast. As I've recounted before, the CBS version switched to actual programming when they reached what we'd consider the prime time hours. NBC cast aside all of its programming and stayed mostly with the news. Occasionally there'd be music or prayers. Lots of requests for prayers. They even provided a "dictation speed" early version of FDR's speech, so you could recite the prayer along with him. The NBC version did not include King George VI's speech.

On a WENN note, there was a long program recapping the reactions around the country from Hartford to New York to Cincinatti to Oklahoma City. I kept picturing a similar news piece from my favorite station in Pittsburgh. Unlike "Some Good News, Some Bad News", there would be plenty of news to report. (*makes notes for old fic idea*)

Both versions are available for download off the Internet Archive if you search under "complete broadcast day". There was also a earlier complete broadcast from 1939 from the local DC station WJSV which became WTOP. Also a large archive of WWII related radio news broadcasts.

I had the D-Day broadcast on for most of the day while I worked. King George VI's speech was quite affecting. I don't think I'd ever heard him speak. The news reports featured some interesting bits. A former resident of Normandy talking about the terrain and people. The Congressmen & women, including Al Gore Sr, being interviewed at the Capitol. I was mostly struck by the Congressman who was a WWI veteran and kept reiterating this wasn't a carnival and should be treated as a solemn sober occasion. That point was a common refrain.

When the broadcast reached the evening hours, Columbia interpersed their news reports with actual programming. An episode of "Passing Parade" showed the possible 100th anniversary of D-Day, telling our descendants all about the big day. Mostly I found myself amused (and slightly depressed) thinking of myself as the crotchety old history professor teaching the class. I decided I'm really not a Burns and Allen fan particularly. At about 10 pm wartime, FDR gave a prayer to the nation. He sounded tired. In retrospect, I realized he would be dead in just under a year. We heard the occasional "This is London" report from Edward R. Murrow as the BBC provided coverage. CBS gamely tried to stay with it the entire time. At one point, they even apologized for one of their newsman/announcers not being heard at his usual time because he was home getting some sleep, after pulling a long shift. After the umpteenth rendition of "Stars and Stripes Forever" by the Navy Band, I decided I had hit saturation point. The Allied troops would just have to take the beaches of Normandy without me.