June 6, 2025 • 42 mins
Today, veterans gathered on the beaches of Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Tens of thousands attended the observances, and many were there to commend the dwindling number of surviving veterans, some in their late 90s and older. Tonight, we remembered.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back everyone as we head to the
twentieth hour. And I think all of you who are
regular listeners of Nightside know what the twentieth hour is
all about, and that is the end of the week,
and we try to just sit back and kind of
take the edge off. Last hour I thought was quite
interesting and again it's a book that I think it's
(00:29):
one of those books that if you have if you
need a good summer read, I think this is its
Circus of Satan again, if you want to it's it's
it's a historical novel and it is it's It's a
book that I would highly recommend. I'm going to try
to get a copy myself, and I think I'm going
to enjoy it. So I don't know, maybe it's a
(00:50):
little too heavy for you on summer reading, but that's
okay to each his own. As we say, now, what
I like to do in this hour is tell you
an answer what I want to do, and then I
just want to do a.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Quick review of the week. Today is the.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Eighty first anniversary of D Day and the men and
women who won World War Two are called the Greatest Generation,
and normally we get really light here in the twentieth hour.
But tonight I realized that there was a lot of
(01:31):
interest in publicity about D Day, the eightieth anniversary, and
that probably, I don't know, maybe one of the one
hundredth anniversary comes around nineteen years from now, it will
also get some play, but there will be no survivors left.
There are only a handful of survivors left from D Day.
(01:52):
But I'd like to just open it up and give
you an opportunity if you want to acknowledge a relative
or a friend who's probably passed on. But when you
think of the courage that the men and women, and
primarily men who stormed the beaches at Normandy on June sixth,
(02:13):
nineteen forty four, they got off those landing craft and
walked into a hail of machine gun bullets. I've visited
Normandy and had the honor of being there. Was up
in the German pill boxes, which were high above the beach.
It was a free fire zone, and I can't imagine
(02:37):
the courage it must have taken for those young Americans
and Canadian troops and British troops to get off those
landing vehicles in the face of that fire. So what
I'm hoping tonight is that as we move ever closer
to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding
(02:59):
of this country, a life fourth uh and and and
all that that it entails, the the declaration of independence
and uh, the just everything.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
The we're in the in the year of the Battle
of Lexington and conquered and uh, it's it's it's it's
heartening to understand that we're benefiting from the sacrifices of
generations that have come before us. And here we are
with the we're approaching the not the vi centennial year,
(03:40):
but the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary year. Uh. And
I I know we'll talk a lot about that in
the in the months ahead, and we certainly will talk
as we approach the fourth of July, But just give
an opportunity to talk about anyone who you knew from
the greatest General said that that generation is passing, and
(04:03):
it will be gone in a week of an eye,
and there will be at some point in the not
too distant future we will read about the last member
of the armed forces of World War two and they
will be gone. But without them, god knows where this
(04:25):
country would have been if somehow the Axis powers had
prevailed in the nineteen forties. So let me just as
you think about who you'd like to make a comment about,
and I hope you do, let me just review the
week of the first week of June twenty twenty five
that we've just finished here. We talked about on Monday
(04:45):
night the Lowell Summer Music Festival thirty fifth festival, talked
about some summer travel savings with Mark shield Drop of
Triple A. Talked about the decline of mental health amongst
us mothers, and talked about the Union Oyster House and
that Orange lobster. We talked at the nine o'clock hour
(05:06):
about the deportation arrest here in Massachusetts of fourteen hundred
and sixty one illegals who have been arrested, including the
young man, the eighteen year old from Milford who was
described as a collateral arrest. Talked about for an hour
the unh Pole on Monday night, possible problems in that
(05:28):
poll for incumbent Democrats in Massachusetts, and we talked.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
About the.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Attack by Ukraine on those Russian planes and that attack
was a year and a half in the making, and
tonight I was watching I think it was ABC News.
This was one of those attacks that the trucks were
driven into Russia by Russian truck drivers. They had no
(05:56):
idea that they were transporting drones which were basically programmed
to attack Russian airfields. Tuesday night, we talked about an
event this weekend Repel Boston. Talked with the Adam Katz,
the president of the Foundation to Combat Anti Semitism, talked
(06:16):
with a professor about cancer prevention, and talked with a
doctor about a prevalence of at home heart attacks. At
nine o'clock, talked with Camillo von Saca of The Boston
Globe about the dmula's market basket battle, which continues, and
then we spent two hours talking about that anti Semitic
attack in Boulder, Colorado last weekend. Wednesday night, talked about
(06:38):
the Bill Walton collection being auctioned by Hunt Auctions. Talked
with Jonathan Gulliver of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about
the work Zone Crisis Bill, which would basically allow blue
lights to be used on some of the work zones
where the danger is particularly obvious. Major Michelle Mastro but
(07:00):
Teaster about the Blue Angels coming back to New Hampshire
this September. September sixth and seven, talked with Sheila Goff
about a piece of legislation that the American Kennel Club
is not supporting it. They feel it is going to
prevent puppies availability in America, that it is unnecessary, and
(07:24):
that it will lead to the importation of puppies from
countries around the world that do not have the higher
standards that we have. We talked on Wednesday night at
nine o'clock about the disagreement, the very public disagreement between
Boston Mayor and Michelle wou and US Attorney Leah Foley
here for the US Attorney of Massachusetts. We did talk
on Wednesday night about the breakup the Donald Trump elon
(07:48):
Musk breakup in Musk's criticism of the Trump tax bill
last night to on Thursday night. Talked with Emily Sweeney
about a fifty year old cold cave. Talked with a
high school junior rising high school senior at Belmont High
School as a program to help senior citizens deal with
(08:10):
computers and electronic devices that perhaps they're not comfortable with.
Talk with Mark Anastasio the Coolidge Corner Summer series, and
talk with Captain Bree Baker about the Salvation Army Donuts giveaway,
which of course happened today on National Donut Day. Talked
last night at nine about President Trump trying to ban
(08:30):
foreign students from Harvard. Talked about the new Trump travel
band for a couple of hours last night, and tonight
we talked about water safety this summer with the representative
of the DCR. Talked about the spotted lanch and fly
with a bug expert from UMass Amherst. Talked with David Condon,
(08:51):
he's the Harbard Master in Yarmouth about safety in the
boating season, and talked with Kathy Malone about the fiftieth
anniversary of the Jaws movie, which is its such a landmark,
a cinematic landmark. And tonight we talked about the ending
of the Truck, the Trump Musk bromancee. And we talked
last night with Attorney Jeff Convicts of California. He's an
(09:14):
author as well as a great attorney in California, about
his new book Circus of Satan about gangs, Jewish gangs,
Italian gangs, Irish gangs and the development, the rise and
fall of those gangs in most of the twentieth century,
there certainly the early twentieth century. So what I'm going
to do now is open up the phone line six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three, one ten
(09:35):
thirty Today's d day. It's impossible to put yourself into
what the mindset of this country was eighty one years ago.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Today.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
There was no television, there was no internet, there was
no immediate communication. There were people at home in towns
like where you live and I live, uh, and who
knew that their sons and daughters were on the front lines.
They did not know exactly what was going on, but
they knew that something was going on, and that the
(10:05):
US invasion of Europe was about to begin June sixth,
nineteen forty four. And uh, it's eighty one years ago.
A big celebration a year ago for the eightieth anniversary.
The Greatest Generation is slipping away. But that is a
generation that I think clearly it's a better generation than
(10:26):
my generation, which was the Baby Boomer generation. It's a
better generation than any of the more recent generations, the Millennials.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
The.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Diz's, and the x'es and the alphas and that have
come along. So I just would love to have you
take a moment to remember and reflect on someone from
the greatest generation that you were fortunate enough to know.
That's I'd like to keep it simple tonight, six seven thirty, six,
seven thirty. We cannot forget the sacrifice that those people
(11:00):
who survived at your depression and fought a world war,
and that world war took a little over three and
a half years. It was done from the moment that
we as a nation hit the canvas after Pearl Harbor
until there was VJ Day in August of nineteen forty five,
a little more than three and a half years ago. Stunning,
(11:22):
stunning that that generation could accomplish that after having survived
the depression. You have the numbers, you have a phone,
give us a call back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
It's Night Side with Dan Way. I'm Boston's News Radio.
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Speaker 1 (13:09):
It's nice Eye with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Okay, we're gonna go right to the phones.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
And I certainly want to remember my father tonight, who
served two and a half years in China Bournman, India
during World War Two. Certainly disrupted his life, in the
life of virtually everybody in that generation. And he he
came home. I can remember as a child hearing him
(13:37):
at night reliving moments. He would be screaming down the hole.
I can remember those screams, and my mother told me
that it was things that he remembered, things that he
had seen in what they called the CBI China burn
(14:00):
in India, and I can't imagine. They never talked about it.
They never talked. He would talk a little bit about
being over there and talk about he didn't talk about.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
What I think he had seen. Let's go to Kevin
and Falsk. Kevin. Welcome, Kevin, Hi Dan, how are you.
I'm doing great, Kevin, thanks for calling in. You can
start us off.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
As I said, I mentioned my dad, who was a
staff sergeant in the United States Army two and a
half years in China, Burman, India. He came home, raised
the family and lived a life. It was an amazing
group of people, an amazing group of people.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Dan I was on my father's side. There were eleven children,
and remarkably, nine of them served between the Army, Air Force, Navy,
and nurses in the Army. One of my uncles was
captured at the Battle the Bulge. Another served up in
(15:02):
the Aleutian Islands, which doesn't get a whole lot of
historical perspective. And I had an an aunt that that
was a nurse in England, then ultimately went over to
the European theater and nursed pilots and air crews that
(15:22):
had been shot down. Some of the stories that they
did talk about were, I mean, you and numb listening
to them because they were very they could be very graphic,
and I just can't believe today when I go up
(15:43):
to the cemetery to visit the graves, they're all there
and the flags are flying and it's really quite a sight.
So I just hope and pray that the next generation
learns about this, because if this into the dock crack.
So never being told, I think it'll it will really
(16:05):
hurt our nation more than you might realize.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Well, the funny thing about it is, when you think
about it, there are history classes and Civics classes in
high schools across the country that probably cover World War
Two in ten minutes. You know, they had the history books,
and you know how it was when you were in
high school. They start the history book and they're about
(16:29):
halfway through the history book and we're up maybe to
the end of the Civil War, and it's May fifteenth,
and they got to cover the next one hundred and
fifty years or whatever in the history book within like
a week and a half before school was out. And
we have more video tapes available to show kids in
(16:49):
school and make them understand what World War two was
all about. We see the rise of anti Semitism in
this country and around the world. We talked about that
earlier the day week. I don't know that the Holocaust
is taught in school anymore. Again, if there are teachers
out there or high school students who are listening, I'd
love to hear from that story. But I'm concerned. I mean,
(17:15):
World War two was an incredibly important period of history
in this country from World War Two sprang the nineteen
fifties and sixties, and we got bogged down in Korea,
we got bogged down in Vietnam. Those wars were not concluded.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
But when MacArthur's on.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
The ship and the Japanese military leadership is signing the
surrender documents on VJ Day, can you imagine what it
must have been like in this country And people were
only hearing about it on the radio. They didn't have television. Now,
it's so frustrating to think that that this, this whole
(18:05):
era might somehow be lost to history in the minds
of young people. That's my concern.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
I think it's yours as well.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
And you know something, Dan, I'll let you go on
this is that I went up to West Point. In
the basement of the museum at West Point is a
mark up of the atomic bomb, and I was shocked
at how people looked at that bomb and had no
idea of the devastation that it cost. It was. It's
(18:37):
it just goes to show they have no idea what
it represents.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And thank god we had to use and Germany did
not have it to use.
Speaker 8 (18:50):
On us exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Thank you for bringing us up.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
My pleasure. I hope we get more response. Thanks, Kevin,
appreciated have a great effect. You know, whenever I do
something like this, you never know what people are going
to react to it. Again, we can do some of
the fun topics we do on the twentieth Hour. But
I just knew today as I watched that there was
not a lot of publicity about this at the anniversary
(19:17):
of D Day. It's the most probably one of the
most important days in the history of this country. If
those soldiers had not taken that beachhead, which really started
the success and the defeat of Nazi Germany, we might
be speaking German today. Let me get real quickly here
(19:39):
if I can before the break. Melissa in Portland, Oregon. Melissa,
welcome back.
Speaker 8 (19:44):
How are you good?
Speaker 1 (19:46):
How are you?
Speaker 9 (19:46):
It's so nice to hear your voice. You know, I
appreciate you bringing this up. My dad was in the
latter years of World War Two. But what I always remember,
and I because he was born in twenty eight but
when I think of D Day, I always as a
baseball fan, I always think of Yogi Bera. He was
(20:07):
in the Navy and he was a I think it
was a gunner or something on I don't know the
military term, on one of the boats and did swarm Normandy.
And I just that always sticks with me that he
was young, so young, but then he was able to
get out of the military and go on to have
(20:27):
such a great career, and he was so humble about
being a part of D Day, and I always thought
that was really special. And the same with Warren Spot.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
You're a great baseball historian. I think he had ten
World Series rings.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
If I'm not mistaken, Yes, he did.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Nobody else has ten fingers ten World Series rings.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
We also should to.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Get Hoyt Wilhelm talking about Major League Baseball players. Yeah,
Hall of Fame pitcher who was wounded at the Battle
of the Bulge.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:00):
And you know, Warren Spawn was in from I think
the end of the forty two season. Of forty five,
he came back in six.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Correct me if I'm wrong it. But I think Spawn
won about three hundred and sixty three games. I think
that's the number I associate with him, and he won
them all after the age of twenty five.
Speaker 10 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:19):
I thought it was three eighty nine, but you're right,
maybe it is. Three sixty three to check it.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I'm going to check it during the break.
Speaker 9 (21:25):
Okay, really's the winningest all time left handed pitcher. And
what amazes me about Warren Spawn is that you know,
he wasn't happy unless unless he was getting a complete game.
You know, the game has changed so much.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You know question.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
And he's the one who made the comment. He he
pitched for the Boston Braves. You Spawn and Sane and
pray for rain, and then Casey Stinkle was his manager,
and of course Single then went on to, uh, you know,
do so well as a manager with the Yankees. By
(22:06):
the way, Spawn was three sixty three and two forty five.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
It wasn't okay?
Speaker 8 (22:10):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Yeah, and then and then people forget that Spawn after
his great success. Uh he he pitched for the Mets briefly.
Speaker 11 (22:21):
What and the Giants?
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah right, Uh, but he had Stingle as a manager,
and Spawn was was hurt to say, uh that he
played for Yogi both before rather played for Casey both
before and after Casey after Yogi.
Speaker 9 (22:38):
Yeah, that's awesome, and I know that that the story goes.
That was saying he would light up a cigarette with
two outs and the dugout when when spawn was on
the mound and have a cigarette waiting for him. So
they were quite the quite the duo. So what I
do think of those players and even Ted Williams and others,
sure that you know they were they had to, you know,
(23:00):
this vision of this pro career and everybody. There were
many people whose lives were interrupted and it's just amazing
to me that they were able to go on. And
I'm to such great you know, baseball careers, and with Yogi,
I kind of feel like his humility and grace is
often forgotten when it comes to D Day. And I
think a lot of those men they didn't speak about it,
(23:22):
and maybe that was good or bad, I don't know,
but they seem to have a lot of humility about
what they were doing.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Absolutely, Again, for those who do not know, my friend
from Portland, Oregon, but Melissa is a great baseball historian,
has spoken and lectured at Cooperstown and other baseball venues
around the country, and whenever we talk, it always goes
back to baseball. But again, it does show that the
(23:50):
connection between baseball and America as well.
Speaker 9 (23:54):
Yeah, and just did an interview when.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
You mentioned Ted Williams. Williams lost time both in World
War Two and in the Korea career.
Speaker 12 (24:03):
He did.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
I don't know any other major League player who was
called to service in both of those wars. And you
think about how many home runs Williams might have hit
if he had not lost the years, and.
Speaker 9 (24:15):
What do you have hit four hundred?
Speaker 11 (24:16):
Again?
Speaker 9 (24:17):
Yeah, that's what I always think about.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
You know.
Speaker 9 (24:19):
I just did an interview with a former Major league
pitcher and one of the things he said to me
we were talking about the knuckleball. Ironically you mentioned White Wilhelm,
and one of the things he said to me was
baseball brings everything together, and his very sic cyclical. And
I do think both the Negro league players and the
Major league players, the then major league players that served
(24:42):
in the war, I think that that's sometimes the wars
that that sometime it is forgotten, right, and an NBA
as well. And it's a different time. And I wonder
in today's world if a player would do that. And
I'm just I'm just curious because they do say, as
they always it's the greatest generation, But to me, they
(25:02):
were a different generation. I wonder the.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Shining example in terms of Iraq and Afghanistan was the
great defensive back for the Arizona Cardinal Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Uh, and and don't forget Bob Feller as well. I remember,
Oh yeah, my dad came home on a troop ship.
He was very proud of the fact that he had
been on a troop ship with a guy named Norm
Van Brocklin, who was a great quarterback in the NFL
for the Rams. So yeah, we could go on and on,
but I got to get out of the way of
the news. Melissa, be well, stay safe and whenever whenever
(25:42):
I can mention Hoyt Willhelm in a newscast on a broadcast,
it's mine.
Speaker 9 (25:49):
That's what my presentation is on in a couple of weeks.
So we love talking about the knuckleball.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
You're going to be great. You're going to be great.
He was posted. Okay, thanks for listen, good night.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
All right, we have the news coming up, and I
got a paucity of phone calls here. I'm looking for
people to recall and remember, because eventually, if we don't,
we will forget that greatest generation. Today is the eighty
first anniversary of D Day. I can't imagine what this
(26:20):
country went through after Pearl Harper and on full war footing.
I mean nine to eleven was bad enough, There's no
question about that. Okay, first time we were attacked on
American soil, Hawaii at that point was not a state. However,
that kicked off what they called the Great War, and
(26:45):
there were a lot of people who I knew, and
I'm sure some people who you knew, who served. And
if you'd like to pay a slight tribute, either to
an individual or to the generation, I don't care if
anybody else calls. I'm willing to talk about it till
midnight because I think it's important.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Uh. And when we lose.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Recollections and remembrances of things that are important, when we
lose our history, we lose our nation. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
Not intending to be a downer, intending to celebrate the
Greatest generation.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Back on Nightside Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
All right, let's keep rolling.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
You're going to go to Campy in Cambridge. I can't
be How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (27:37):
I'm wonderful, Dan, How are you?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I'm doing just great.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
What's your recollection or thought you'd like to share with us.
I think it's important that you're called right.
Speaker 8 (27:47):
I wanted to speak about a dear friend of mine,
a gentleman who became a dear friend of mine from Cambridge.
His name is Marvin Gilmour, and he's still alive. And
he was on the beach in Normandy and still there
was a book that I'm.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Sorry he said, he's still alive.
Speaker 8 (28:06):
He's still alive. Ye, he's one hundred years old. There'll
be one hundred and one September. Dan, if you ever
spoke with this man, he's just such a charming individual.
He was the owner and the creator of the first
black owned bank in Boston, amongst other you know, very
(28:27):
very entrepreneurial spirited conquests that he's established for himself over
his lifetime. He used to own the Western Front, which
was a nightclub on Western av in the in the
heart of the black community in Cambridge. He always promotes
(28:49):
black businesses and he was also one of the as
far as crusading for peace. There the book written about him,
it's called Mormon Gilmore Crusader for Peace. But he's been
doing it all his life. He's been very very an
uplifting soul to speak to. He's got a smile, a
(29:11):
charming way about him. He's he was a drummer in
the army. After he served at Normandy. His commanders saw
his talents and they gave him a career in the army.
And then after his career in the army, he went
home and started businesses. He started a family. Two of
(29:36):
his sons both musicians, very complished musicians, very successful musicians.
And when you speak to this man, he's so much
at peace. Dan it's it's to me, he's a hero.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And he's one hundred and one years old.
Speaker 8 (29:55):
That is, it will be one and one September.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Well, if you talk to him, I hope you get
a chance to play your tribute to him by just
maybe at some point when you're with him, pop up
on the computer nightside undemand dot com and you'll be
able to find your tribute to him, because sure he
would be very much appreciative of the time you spend tonight.
Speaker 8 (30:19):
I can I can I share a quote with you
that him and I often share with each other, usually
reopen and close our conversations. As many millions of dollars
that he's worth at this day, he always reflects back
with me with a smile, and I was saying, is
(30:39):
a smile can be worth a million dollars and it
doesn't cost you a dime.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
I like that so well said. I think people are
going to steal that. Thanks Campy, please give our appreciation
to him the next time you see your friends.
Speaker 8 (30:55):
I certainly well, thank you, Dann, and thank you for
all that you do. I love listening to your show.
My first time calling in, but I.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Was, oh, well, we gotta now.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
We way said, we got to give you a ride
of the balls.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
It's always amazing.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
When we get first time callers. It's it's part of
the thriller of the job, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 8 (31:16):
The fact that you brought up this point is a
tribute back to you. So I'm applauding you in my
own hot and sol right now for the things that
you do it for bringing up this subject because it
is very important.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Thanks Campy. My dad would never forgive me if I didn't. Okay, thanks,
good night. Let me get very quickly here. We're gonna
get James from New Bedford in James, you were next
on NIGHTSAG go right ahead, damn.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Hi James welcome. How are you?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, yeah, I can hear you fine.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Hear me?
Speaker 12 (31:53):
Yeah, yeah, I can know yeah, James Montcmer Oh oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
It wasn't sure what James was. James the Great blues Man,
h James Hawaii.
Speaker 12 (32:03):
Well I'm fine, listen. It's it's such a great topic.
That's you know. I remember my father landed in Okinawa,
which was which is not a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
No, that was he wasn't going to the beach in Okinawa,
that's for sure.
Speaker 12 (32:23):
No, And uh, you know, he got the medal. He
pulled the guy out of a burning tank. And I
looked back at what my father did, and I was wondering,
you know, okay, this is burning tank, it's getting ready
to explode. When I have the courage to do what
my dad did and and and pull pull a fellow
serviceman out of there and save his wife. He got
(32:46):
the medal for that. Meanwhile, my mother, my.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Money would be on you, James. I think I know
your character. I have no doubt that there go ahead.
Speaker 12 (32:57):
And my mother was the youngest whack in Europe. You know,
she went over there and because she was young, and
she was the first whack to serve in Europe. She
became like a public relations uh they used to for
PRU and she ended up she ended up broadcasting with
(33:18):
Edward R. Murrow and uh, you know, honestly, you know,
she used to say, oh my god, I was so
upset when the war ended because she was like being
whisked around in London and Paris and to this as
Mi whack. And she was an inspiration to all these
women to join the military. And she was on the
(33:41):
cover of the Yank magazine with Edward R. Murrow and
and underneath the caption that said Miss America. So I
think she was the first Miss America because she was
over there broadcasting with Edward R. Murrow and the Yank magazine.
That's how they promoted her, you know, so that you know,
said super imspiration to women to join the Women's Army Corps.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
James real quickly. Did your parents meet for the service
by any chance?
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Or now.
Speaker 12 (34:14):
They met before the service and then they got together
after the service?
Speaker 8 (34:20):
Where did you have a pig?
Speaker 12 (34:25):
I have a picture of her when Paris was liberated
and she was the first of a group of wax
the first one to march under the Arc de triumph
when Paris is liberated. U.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Where did your work take you tonight, James? And where
will you be up hearing tomorrow night? See?
Speaker 12 (34:48):
Well, you know tonight I did, and I have that
documentary about James Cotton that I produced him. So we
showed the movie and then we had the show afterwards
with a superstar line of Pristine Olmonds from the Saturday
I Live and Joe Kaka's guitar player, one of these
super bands that we put together. So so we did
that to night and the Contuit Senate for the Artsists
(35:10):
is wonderful. And then you know, tomorrow I'm playing in Newport.
But but you know, I just think it's so important
for people to understand what it takes to hold our
democracy together. And that's why, you know, I look back
at the sacrifices that that my father's generation made in
(35:31):
World War Two, and and I just hope that we
understand that democracy is fragile and and that we have
to be vigilant, and that we have to make sure
that we uphold the constitution in this country. And it
just I mean, people died to uphold our constitution, and
(35:53):
to me, you know, I just want to make sure
that that wasn't in vain, all the lives that were
given during World War I you that we understand that
that they did that so that we can any position
to protect our democracy. That's all. They were the greatest generation.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Yeah, well, well said James. Hopefully I'll see at some
point early this summer. My friend will talk soon. Okay.
I'm glad you.
Speaker 12 (36:20):
Got the best show in the business you got. I
listened to you every night occasion I call him. But
but you're you're my You're my shotgun passenger and every
trip off from get him.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Uh that that's an honor to me to be any
anywhere need.
Speaker 8 (36:37):
James, let me tell you.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
All right, buddy, we'll talk soon. Okay.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Give me give me your website for people who look
at to catch up where you're going to be in
the next few weeks.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Give us the.
Speaker 12 (36:47):
Website, tell me a while to come up with jameson
commy dot com. And that is my head so planned.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That's okay, that's okay, that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
That's that's easy.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I just wanted to make sure I gave out the
right information. James, I gotta screwed, gotta run.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
We'll see you soon. Okay, thanks Pat.
Speaker 12 (37:04):
Thank you, right back at you.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Good night, pal, good night.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Coming back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
So I just got a text from my daughter, who's
no longer listening to the show.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
However, she writes to my.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Family, we're in an ubert and the guy has dad on.
So I wrote her, did you probably claim your lineage
and thank the driver for listening to Nightside? Ha ha.
I was about to, but I gave him a nice
tip nonetheless. Okay, thanks Kate, appreciate that. Let's go to Eileen. Eileen,
we're getting a little tight on time you're up. Go ahead, Eileen,
(37:45):
thanks for calling in.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Well.
Speaker 11 (37:48):
I actually called I probably a year ago about my
uncle David, who was drafted into the army in nineteen
forty one and he was a navigator in the Air
(38:10):
Corps they called it, and his plane was his plane
was shot down in April of nineteen forty four and
he was the only survivor and he suffered terrible, terrible
they called it shell shock. It's now known as PTSD. Yes,
(38:32):
but he was my very favorite uncle and I he
did he he talked to me quite a bit about
his experience in the Air Force. And so you ask
for people, A lot.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Of great people, a lot of great people. I lean.
Thank you very much. I got a couple of more folks.
I want to sneak in here. Thank you as always
for calling, and I thank you for reminding us of
your uncle David and uh again of this greatest generation.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
We'll talk soon and have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Okay, thank you you too.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Okay, gonna get Neil and Watertown and then Ginea, New Jersey. Neil,
you've called late. You go right ahead. You gotta be quick, buddy,
go ahead, all right.
Speaker 10 (39:22):
I just want to say I have nothing original to say,
but I do acknowledge Memorial Day and Veteran's Day and
everything of that nature. Acknowledge it formally day today and
today's in D day. Yeah, it's funny. I think of
Robert Kennedy today with so good great But that's all
(39:43):
I'm saying. I mean, I'm taking the time to acknowledge
it formally.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Well, thank you very much, Neil. I do appreciate you
taking the time to call in. I know you're a
regular listener and if we talked to you occasionally. But
thank you very much. Hope all is well with you,
and we'll talk again, talk to you.
Speaker 10 (39:57):
Thank you tonight.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
You're very welcome. Let me go to Jean in New Jersey. Jane, welcome.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
I don't know if I've ever had you on the
show before, but if I have, great if I'm welcome,
particularly warm, welcome, go ahead.
Speaker 11 (40:09):
Jean, thank you. Two years ago, I think I called
probably Veterans Day to acknowledge my brother. And I'm of
the greatest generation at my age.
Speaker 9 (40:20):
But anyway, he did.
Speaker 11 (40:22):
He was with the Army eighty second Airborne. He did
go in the Norman the invasion. He survived the Normandy invasion,
and then he went on into the next operation. They
went into that operation Market Garden when they invaded and
tried to liberate Holland. And he was killed in Holland.
(40:44):
And he's buried in Holland in the American Battleground Cemetery,
And we have an adopter and adoptive program there. They
take care of the graves of our boys and girls.
And it's eighty seven hundred souls resting there in Margaret
in Holland. So I just acknowledged him. He was my brother,
and I'm sorry to say we lost him, but he
(41:06):
was a wonderful guy and you a hero.
Speaker 7 (41:10):
I mean, you know absolutely.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
You know I'm not of the greatest generation. I'm a
baby boomer, but my generation, I know, is in awe
of what the generation be for us accomplished so well.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
I know.
Speaker 11 (41:24):
I keep keep his memory alive too with the family.
They know about his uncle, and I know what happened,
and they appreciate, so we do try to keep it alive.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Well, you kept you kept his memory alive tonight in
a lot of radios and a lot of homes across
the country and audibobiles. Thank you, Thanks Jean, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Thank you much for listening.
Speaker 11 (41:44):
Thank you Dan for all you do. Okay, welcome, bye bye,
thank you bye.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Good some real quality calls tonight in the eleven o'clock hour.
I want to thank everyone who called during the eleven
o'clock hour. We had done for the night. Think about
a veteran this weekend, I would ask you to do that.
Today's the eighty first anniversary of D Day. We can
never forget. We can never forget. My name's Dan Ray.
This is a Nightside. Want to thank Shane and Rob
(42:10):
back in the control room. Want to thank Karen Buscemi
who worked on the show with me today. I'll be
back on Monday. I hope all of you have a
great weekend. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's right, pal Charlie ray Is who passed fifteen years
ago in February. That's where all your pets are who
have passed. They loved you and you love them. I
do believe you'll see them again. Hopes see again on
Monday night. Everyone, please tell you friends about Nightside. My
(42:31):
name's Dan Ray.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Have a great weekend. All
It's night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back everyone as we head to the
twentieth hour. And I think all of you who are
regular listeners of Nightside know what the twentieth hour is
all about, and that is the end of the week,
and we try to just sit back and kind of
take the edge off. Last hour I thought was quite
interesting and again it's a book that I think it's
(00:29):
one of those books that if you have if you
need a good summer read, I think this is its
Circus of Satan again, if you want to it's it's
it's a historical novel and it is it's It's a
book that I would highly recommend. I'm going to try
to get a copy myself, and I think I'm going
to enjoy it. So I don't know, maybe it's a
(00:50):
little too heavy for you on summer reading, but that's
okay to each his own. As we say, now, what
I like to do in this hour is tell you
an answer what I want to do, and then I
just want to do a.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Quick review of the week. Today is the.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Eighty first anniversary of D Day and the men and
women who won World War Two are called the Greatest Generation,
and normally we get really light here in the twentieth hour.
But tonight I realized that there was a lot of
(01:31):
interest in publicity about D Day, the eightieth anniversary, and
that probably, I don't know, maybe one of the one
hundredth anniversary comes around nineteen years from now, it will
also get some play, but there will be no survivors left.
There are only a handful of survivors left from D Day.
(01:52):
But I'd like to just open it up and give
you an opportunity if you want to acknowledge a relative
or a friend who's probably passed on. But when you
think of the courage that the men and women, and
primarily men who stormed the beaches at Normandy on June sixth,
(02:13):
nineteen forty four, they got off those landing craft and
walked into a hail of machine gun bullets. I've visited
Normandy and had the honor of being there. Was up
in the German pill boxes, which were high above the beach.
It was a free fire zone, and I can't imagine
(02:37):
the courage it must have taken for those young Americans
and Canadian troops and British troops to get off those
landing vehicles in the face of that fire. So what
I'm hoping tonight is that as we move ever closer
to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding
(02:59):
of this country, a life fourth uh and and and
all that that it entails, the the declaration of independence
and uh, the just everything.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
The we're in the in the year of the Battle
of Lexington and conquered and uh, it's it's it's it's
heartening to understand that we're benefiting from the sacrifices of
generations that have come before us. And here we are
with the we're approaching the not the vi centennial year,
(03:40):
but the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary year. Uh. And
I I know we'll talk a lot about that in
the in the months ahead, and we certainly will talk
as we approach the fourth of July, But just give
an opportunity to talk about anyone who you knew from
the greatest General said that that generation is passing, and
(04:03):
it will be gone in a week of an eye,
and there will be at some point in the not
too distant future we will read about the last member
of the armed forces of World War two and they
will be gone. But without them, god knows where this
(04:25):
country would have been if somehow the Axis powers had
prevailed in the nineteen forties. So let me just as
you think about who you'd like to make a comment about,
and I hope you do, let me just review the
week of the first week of June twenty twenty five
that we've just finished here. We talked about on Monday
(04:45):
night the Lowell Summer Music Festival thirty fifth festival, talked
about some summer travel savings with Mark shield Drop of
Triple A. Talked about the decline of mental health amongst
us mothers, and talked about the Union Oyster House and
that Orange lobster. We talked at the nine o'clock hour
(05:06):
about the deportation arrest here in Massachusetts of fourteen hundred
and sixty one illegals who have been arrested, including the
young man, the eighteen year old from Milford who was
described as a collateral arrest. Talked about for an hour
the unh Pole on Monday night, possible problems in that
(05:28):
poll for incumbent Democrats in Massachusetts, and we talked.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
About the.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Attack by Ukraine on those Russian planes and that attack
was a year and a half in the making, and
tonight I was watching I think it was ABC News.
This was one of those attacks that the trucks were
driven into Russia by Russian truck drivers. They had no
(05:56):
idea that they were transporting drones which were basically programmed
to attack Russian airfields. Tuesday night, we talked about an
event this weekend Repel Boston. Talked with the Adam Katz,
the president of the Foundation to Combat Anti Semitism, talked
(06:16):
with a professor about cancer prevention, and talked with a
doctor about a prevalence of at home heart attacks. At
nine o'clock, talked with Camillo von Saca of The Boston
Globe about the dmula's market basket battle, which continues, and
then we spent two hours talking about that anti Semitic
attack in Boulder, Colorado last weekend. Wednesday night, talked about
(06:38):
the Bill Walton collection being auctioned by Hunt Auctions. Talked
with Jonathan Gulliver of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about
the work Zone Crisis Bill, which would basically allow blue
lights to be used on some of the work zones
where the danger is particularly obvious. Major Michelle Mastro but
(07:00):
Teaster about the Blue Angels coming back to New Hampshire
this September. September sixth and seven, talked with Sheila Goff
about a piece of legislation that the American Kennel Club
is not supporting it. They feel it is going to
prevent puppies availability in America, that it is unnecessary, and
(07:24):
that it will lead to the importation of puppies from
countries around the world that do not have the higher
standards that we have. We talked on Wednesday night at
nine o'clock about the disagreement, the very public disagreement between
Boston Mayor and Michelle wou and US Attorney Leah Foley
here for the US Attorney of Massachusetts. We did talk
on Wednesday night about the breakup the Donald Trump elon
(07:48):
Musk breakup in Musk's criticism of the Trump tax bill
last night to on Thursday night. Talked with Emily Sweeney
about a fifty year old cold cave. Talked with a
high school junior rising high school senior at Belmont High
School as a program to help senior citizens deal with
(08:10):
computers and electronic devices that perhaps they're not comfortable with.
Talk with Mark Anastasio the Coolidge Corner Summer series, and
talk with Captain Bree Baker about the Salvation Army Donuts giveaway,
which of course happened today on National Donut Day. Talked
last night at nine about President Trump trying to ban
(08:30):
foreign students from Harvard. Talked about the new Trump travel
band for a couple of hours last night, and tonight
we talked about water safety this summer with the representative
of the DCR. Talked about the spotted lanch and fly
with a bug expert from UMass Amherst. Talked with David Condon,
(08:51):
he's the Harbard Master in Yarmouth about safety in the
boating season, and talked with Kathy Malone about the fiftieth
anniversary of the Jaws movie, which is its such a landmark,
a cinematic landmark. And tonight we talked about the ending
of the Truck, the Trump Musk bromancee. And we talked
last night with Attorney Jeff Convicts of California. He's an
(09:14):
author as well as a great attorney in California, about
his new book Circus of Satan about gangs, Jewish gangs,
Italian gangs, Irish gangs and the development, the rise and
fall of those gangs in most of the twentieth century,
there certainly the early twentieth century. So what I'm going
to do now is open up the phone line six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three, one ten
(09:35):
thirty Today's d day. It's impossible to put yourself into
what the mindset of this country was eighty one years ago.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Today.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
There was no television, there was no internet, there was
no immediate communication. There were people at home in towns
like where you live and I live, uh, and who
knew that their sons and daughters were on the front lines.
They did not know exactly what was going on, but
they knew that something was going on, and that the
(10:05):
US invasion of Europe was about to begin June sixth,
nineteen forty four. And uh, it's eighty one years ago.
A big celebration a year ago for the eightieth anniversary.
The Greatest Generation is slipping away. But that is a
generation that I think clearly it's a better generation than
(10:26):
my generation, which was the Baby Boomer generation. It's a
better generation than any of the more recent generations, the Millennials.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
The.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Diz's, and the x'es and the alphas and that have
come along. So I just would love to have you
take a moment to remember and reflect on someone from
the greatest generation that you were fortunate enough to know.
That's I'd like to keep it simple tonight, six seven thirty, six,
seven thirty. We cannot forget the sacrifice that those people
(11:00):
who survived at your depression and fought a world war,
and that world war took a little over three and
a half years. It was done from the moment that
we as a nation hit the canvas after Pearl Harbor
until there was VJ Day in August of nineteen forty five,
a little more than three and a half years ago. Stunning,
(11:22):
stunning that that generation could accomplish that after having survived
the depression. You have the numbers, you have a phone,
give us a call back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
It's Night Side with Dan Way. I'm Boston's News Radio.
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Speaker 1 (13:09):
It's nice Eye with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Okay, we're gonna go right to the phones.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
And I certainly want to remember my father tonight, who
served two and a half years in China Bournman, India
during World War Two. Certainly disrupted his life, in the
life of virtually everybody in that generation. And he he
came home. I can remember as a child hearing him
(13:37):
at night reliving moments. He would be screaming down the hole.
I can remember those screams, and my mother told me
that it was things that he remembered, things that he
had seen in what they called the CBI China burn
(14:00):
in India, and I can't imagine. They never talked about it.
They never talked. He would talk a little bit about
being over there and talk about he didn't talk about.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
What I think he had seen. Let's go to Kevin
and Falsk. Kevin. Welcome, Kevin, Hi Dan, how are you.
I'm doing great, Kevin, thanks for calling in. You can
start us off.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
As I said, I mentioned my dad, who was a
staff sergeant in the United States Army two and a
half years in China, Burman, India. He came home, raised
the family and lived a life. It was an amazing
group of people, an amazing group of people.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Dan I was on my father's side. There were eleven children,
and remarkably, nine of them served between the Army, Air Force, Navy,
and nurses in the Army. One of my uncles was
captured at the Battle the Bulge. Another served up in
(15:02):
the Aleutian Islands, which doesn't get a whole lot of
historical perspective. And I had an an aunt that that
was a nurse in England, then ultimately went over to
the European theater and nursed pilots and air crews that
(15:22):
had been shot down. Some of the stories that they
did talk about were, I mean, you and numb listening
to them because they were very they could be very graphic,
and I just can't believe today when I go up
(15:43):
to the cemetery to visit the graves, they're all there
and the flags are flying and it's really quite a sight.
So I just hope and pray that the next generation
learns about this, because if this into the dock crack.
So never being told, I think it'll it will really
(16:05):
hurt our nation more than you might realize.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Well, the funny thing about it is, when you think
about it, there are history classes and Civics classes in
high schools across the country that probably cover World War
Two in ten minutes. You know, they had the history books,
and you know how it was when you were in
high school. They start the history book and they're about
(16:29):
halfway through the history book and we're up maybe to
the end of the Civil War, and it's May fifteenth,
and they got to cover the next one hundred and
fifty years or whatever in the history book within like
a week and a half before school was out. And
we have more video tapes available to show kids in
(16:49):
school and make them understand what World War two was
all about. We see the rise of anti Semitism in
this country and around the world. We talked about that
earlier the day week. I don't know that the Holocaust
is taught in school anymore. Again, if there are teachers
out there or high school students who are listening, I'd
love to hear from that story. But I'm concerned. I mean,
(17:15):
World War two was an incredibly important period of history
in this country from World War Two sprang the nineteen
fifties and sixties, and we got bogged down in Korea,
we got bogged down in Vietnam. Those wars were not concluded.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
But when MacArthur's on.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
The ship and the Japanese military leadership is signing the
surrender documents on VJ Day, can you imagine what it
must have been like in this country And people were
only hearing about it on the radio. They didn't have television. Now,
it's so frustrating to think that that this, this whole
(18:05):
era might somehow be lost to history in the minds
of young people. That's my concern.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
I think it's yours as well.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
And you know something, Dan, I'll let you go on
this is that I went up to West Point. In
the basement of the museum at West Point is a
mark up of the atomic bomb, and I was shocked
at how people looked at that bomb and had no
idea of the devastation that it cost. It was. It's
(18:37):
it just goes to show they have no idea what
it represents.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
And thank god we had to use and Germany did
not have it to use.
Speaker 8 (18:50):
On us exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Thank you for bringing us up.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
My pleasure. I hope we get more response. Thanks, Kevin,
appreciated have a great effect. You know, whenever I do
something like this, you never know what people are going
to react to it. Again, we can do some of
the fun topics we do on the twentieth Hour. But
I just knew today as I watched that there was
not a lot of publicity about this at the anniversary
(19:17):
of D Day. It's the most probably one of the
most important days in the history of this country. If
those soldiers had not taken that beachhead, which really started
the success and the defeat of Nazi Germany, we might
be speaking German today. Let me get real quickly here
(19:39):
if I can before the break. Melissa in Portland, Oregon. Melissa,
welcome back.
Speaker 8 (19:44):
How are you good?
Speaker 1 (19:46):
How are you?
Speaker 9 (19:46):
It's so nice to hear your voice. You know, I
appreciate you bringing this up. My dad was in the
latter years of World War Two. But what I always remember,
and I because he was born in twenty eight but
when I think of D Day, I always as a
baseball fan, I always think of Yogi Bera. He was
(20:07):
in the Navy and he was a I think it
was a gunner or something on I don't know the
military term, on one of the boats and did swarm Normandy.
And I just that always sticks with me that he
was young, so young, but then he was able to
get out of the military and go on to have
(20:27):
such a great career, and he was so humble about
being a part of D Day, and I always thought
that was really special. And the same with Warren Spot.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
You're a great baseball historian. I think he had ten
World Series rings.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
If I'm not mistaken, Yes, he did.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Nobody else has ten fingers ten World Series rings.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
We also should to.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Get Hoyt Wilhelm talking about Major League Baseball players. Yeah,
Hall of Fame pitcher who was wounded at the Battle
of the Bulge.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:00):
And you know, Warren Spawn was in from I think
the end of the forty two season. Of forty five,
he came back in six.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Correct me if I'm wrong it. But I think Spawn
won about three hundred and sixty three games. I think
that's the number I associate with him, and he won
them all after the age of twenty five.
Speaker 10 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (21:19):
I thought it was three eighty nine, but you're right,
maybe it is. Three sixty three to check it.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I'm going to check it during the break.
Speaker 9 (21:25):
Okay, really's the winningest all time left handed pitcher. And
what amazes me about Warren Spawn is that you know,
he wasn't happy unless unless he was getting a complete game.
You know, the game has changed so much.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You know question.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
And he's the one who made the comment. He he
pitched for the Boston Braves. You Spawn and Sane and
pray for rain, and then Casey Stinkle was his manager,
and of course Single then went on to, uh, you know,
do so well as a manager with the Yankees. By
(22:06):
the way, Spawn was three sixty three and two forty five.
Speaker 9 (22:09):
It wasn't okay?
Speaker 8 (22:10):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Yeah, and then and then people forget that Spawn after
his great success. Uh he he pitched for the Mets briefly.
Speaker 11 (22:21):
What and the Giants?
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah right, Uh, but he had Stingle as a manager,
and Spawn was was hurt to say, uh that he
played for Yogi both before rather played for Casey both
before and after Casey after Yogi.
Speaker 9 (22:38):
Yeah, that's awesome, and I know that that the story goes.
That was saying he would light up a cigarette with
two outs and the dugout when when spawn was on
the mound and have a cigarette waiting for him. So
they were quite the quite the duo. So what I
do think of those players and even Ted Williams and others,
sure that you know they were they had to, you know,
(23:00):
this vision of this pro career and everybody. There were
many people whose lives were interrupted and it's just amazing
to me that they were able to go on. And
I'm to such great you know, baseball careers, and with Yogi,
I kind of feel like his humility and grace is
often forgotten when it comes to D Day. And I
think a lot of those men they didn't speak about it,
(23:22):
and maybe that was good or bad, I don't know,
but they seem to have a lot of humility about
what they were doing.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Absolutely, Again, for those who do not know, my friend
from Portland, Oregon, but Melissa is a great baseball historian,
has spoken and lectured at Cooperstown and other baseball venues
around the country, and whenever we talk, it always goes
back to baseball. But again, it does show that the
(23:50):
connection between baseball and America as well.
Speaker 9 (23:54):
Yeah, and just did an interview when.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
You mentioned Ted Williams. Williams lost time both in World
War Two and in the Korea career.
Speaker 12 (24:03):
He did.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
I don't know any other major League player who was
called to service in both of those wars. And you
think about how many home runs Williams might have hit
if he had not lost the years, and.
Speaker 9 (24:15):
What do you have hit four hundred?
Speaker 11 (24:16):
Again?
Speaker 9 (24:17):
Yeah, that's what I always think about.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
You know.
Speaker 9 (24:19):
I just did an interview with a former Major league
pitcher and one of the things he said to me
we were talking about the knuckleball. Ironically you mentioned White Wilhelm,
and one of the things he said to me was
baseball brings everything together, and his very sic cyclical. And
I do think both the Negro league players and the
Major league players, the then major league players that served
(24:42):
in the war, I think that that's sometimes the wars
that that sometime it is forgotten, right, and an NBA
as well. And it's a different time. And I wonder
in today's world if a player would do that. And
I'm just I'm just curious because they do say, as
they always it's the greatest generation, But to me, they
(25:02):
were a different generation. I wonder the.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Shining example in terms of Iraq and Afghanistan was the
great defensive back for the Arizona Cardinal Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Uh, and and don't forget Bob Feller as well. I remember,
Oh yeah, my dad came home on a troop ship.
He was very proud of the fact that he had
been on a troop ship with a guy named Norm
Van Brocklin, who was a great quarterback in the NFL
for the Rams. So yeah, we could go on and on,
but I got to get out of the way of
the news. Melissa, be well, stay safe and whenever whenever
(25:42):
I can mention Hoyt Willhelm in a newscast on a broadcast,
it's mine.
Speaker 9 (25:49):
That's what my presentation is on in a couple of weeks.
So we love talking about the knuckleball.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
You're going to be great. You're going to be great.
He was posted. Okay, thanks for listen, good night.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
All right, we have the news coming up, and I
got a paucity of phone calls here. I'm looking for
people to recall and remember, because eventually, if we don't,
we will forget that greatest generation. Today is the eighty
first anniversary of D Day. I can't imagine what this
(26:20):
country went through after Pearl Harper and on full war footing.
I mean nine to eleven was bad enough, There's no
question about that. Okay, first time we were attacked on
American soil, Hawaii at that point was not a state. However,
that kicked off what they called the Great War, and
(26:45):
there were a lot of people who I knew, and
I'm sure some people who you knew, who served. And
if you'd like to pay a slight tribute, either to
an individual or to the generation, I don't care if
anybody else calls. I'm willing to talk about it till
midnight because I think it's important.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Uh. And when we lose.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Recollections and remembrances of things that are important, when we
lose our history, we lose our nation. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
Not intending to be a downer, intending to celebrate the
Greatest generation.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Back on Nightside Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
All right, let's keep rolling.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
You're going to go to Campy in Cambridge. I can't
be How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (27:37):
I'm wonderful, Dan, How are you?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I'm doing just great.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
What's your recollection or thought you'd like to share with us.
I think it's important that you're called right.
Speaker 8 (27:47):
I wanted to speak about a dear friend of mine,
a gentleman who became a dear friend of mine from Cambridge.
His name is Marvin Gilmour, and he's still alive. And
he was on the beach in Normandy and still there
was a book that I'm.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Sorry he said, he's still alive.
Speaker 8 (28:06):
He's still alive. Ye, he's one hundred years old. There'll
be one hundred and one September. Dan, if you ever
spoke with this man, he's just such a charming individual.
He was the owner and the creator of the first
black owned bank in Boston, amongst other you know, very
(28:27):
very entrepreneurial spirited conquests that he's established for himself over
his lifetime. He used to own the Western Front, which
was a nightclub on Western av in the in the
heart of the black community in Cambridge. He always promotes
(28:49):
black businesses and he was also one of the as
far as crusading for peace. There the book written about him,
it's called Mormon Gilmore Crusader for Peace. But he's been
doing it all his life. He's been very very an
uplifting soul to speak to. He's got a smile, a
(29:11):
charming way about him. He's he was a drummer in
the army. After he served at Normandy. His commanders saw
his talents and they gave him a career in the army.
And then after his career in the army, he went
home and started businesses. He started a family. Two of
(29:36):
his sons both musicians, very complished musicians, very successful musicians.
And when you speak to this man, he's so much
at peace. Dan it's it's to me, he's a hero.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And he's one hundred and one years old.
Speaker 8 (29:55):
That is, it will be one and one September.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Well, if you talk to him, I hope you get
a chance to play your tribute to him by just
maybe at some point when you're with him, pop up
on the computer nightside undemand dot com and you'll be
able to find your tribute to him, because sure he
would be very much appreciative of the time you spend tonight.
Speaker 8 (30:19):
I can I can I share a quote with you
that him and I often share with each other, usually
reopen and close our conversations. As many millions of dollars
that he's worth at this day, he always reflects back
with me with a smile, and I was saying, is
(30:39):
a smile can be worth a million dollars and it
doesn't cost you a dime.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
I like that so well said. I think people are
going to steal that. Thanks Campy, please give our appreciation
to him the next time you see your friends.
Speaker 8 (30:55):
I certainly well, thank you, Dann, and thank you for
all that you do. I love listening to your show.
My first time calling in, but I.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Was, oh, well, we gotta now.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
We way said, we got to give you a ride
of the balls.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
It's always amazing.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
When we get first time callers. It's it's part of
the thriller of the job, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 8 (31:16):
The fact that you brought up this point is a
tribute back to you. So I'm applauding you in my
own hot and sol right now for the things that
you do it for bringing up this subject because it
is very important.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Thanks Campy. My dad would never forgive me if I didn't. Okay, thanks,
good night. Let me get very quickly here. We're gonna
get James from New Bedford in James, you were next
on NIGHTSAG go right ahead, damn.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Hi James welcome. How are you?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, yeah, I can hear you fine.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Hear me?
Speaker 12 (31:53):
Yeah, yeah, I can know yeah, James Montcmer Oh oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
It wasn't sure what James was. James the Great blues Man,
h James Hawaii.
Speaker 12 (32:03):
Well I'm fine, listen. It's it's such a great topic.
That's you know. I remember my father landed in Okinawa,
which was which is not a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
No, that was he wasn't going to the beach in Okinawa,
that's for sure.
Speaker 12 (32:23):
No, And uh, you know, he got the medal. He
pulled the guy out of a burning tank. And I
looked back at what my father did, and I was wondering,
you know, okay, this is burning tank, it's getting ready
to explode. When I have the courage to do what
my dad did and and and pull pull a fellow
serviceman out of there and save his wife. He got
(32:46):
the medal for that. Meanwhile, my mother, my.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Money would be on you, James. I think I know
your character. I have no doubt that there go ahead.
Speaker 12 (32:57):
And my mother was the youngest whack in Europe. You know,
she went over there and because she was young, and
she was the first whack to serve in Europe. She
became like a public relations uh they used to for
PRU and she ended up she ended up broadcasting with
(33:18):
Edward R. Murrow and uh, you know, honestly, you know,
she used to say, oh my god, I was so
upset when the war ended because she was like being
whisked around in London and Paris and to this as
Mi whack. And she was an inspiration to all these
women to join the military. And she was on the
(33:41):
cover of the Yank magazine with Edward R. Murrow and
and underneath the caption that said Miss America. So I
think she was the first Miss America because she was
over there broadcasting with Edward R. Murrow and the Yank magazine.
That's how they promoted her, you know, so that you know,
said super imspiration to women to join the Women's Army Corps.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
James real quickly. Did your parents meet for the service
by any chance?
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Or now.
Speaker 12 (34:14):
They met before the service and then they got together
after the service?
Speaker 8 (34:20):
Where did you have a pig?
Speaker 12 (34:25):
I have a picture of her when Paris was liberated
and she was the first of a group of wax
the first one to march under the Arc de triumph
when Paris is liberated. U.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Where did your work take you tonight, James? And where
will you be up hearing tomorrow night? See?
Speaker 12 (34:48):
Well, you know tonight I did, and I have that
documentary about James Cotton that I produced him. So we
showed the movie and then we had the show afterwards
with a superstar line of Pristine Olmonds from the Saturday
I Live and Joe Kaka's guitar player, one of these
super bands that we put together. So so we did
that to night and the Contuit Senate for the Artsists
(35:10):
is wonderful. And then you know, tomorrow I'm playing in Newport.
But but you know, I just think it's so important
for people to understand what it takes to hold our
democracy together. And that's why, you know, I look back
at the sacrifices that that my father's generation made in
(35:31):
World War Two, and and I just hope that we
understand that democracy is fragile and and that we have
to be vigilant, and that we have to make sure
that we uphold the constitution in this country. And it
just I mean, people died to uphold our constitution, and
(35:53):
to me, you know, I just want to make sure
that that wasn't in vain, all the lives that were
given during World War I you that we understand that
that they did that so that we can any position
to protect our democracy. That's all. They were the greatest generation.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Yeah, well, well said James. Hopefully I'll see at some
point early this summer. My friend will talk soon. Okay.
I'm glad you.
Speaker 12 (36:20):
Got the best show in the business you got. I
listened to you every night occasion I call him. But
but you're you're my You're my shotgun passenger and every
trip off from get him.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Uh that that's an honor to me to be any
anywhere need.
Speaker 8 (36:37):
James, let me tell you.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
All right, buddy, we'll talk soon. Okay.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Give me give me your website for people who look
at to catch up where you're going to be in
the next few weeks.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Give us the.
Speaker 12 (36:47):
Website, tell me a while to come up with jameson
commy dot com. And that is my head so planned.
Speaker 8 (36:53):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That's okay, that's okay, that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
That's that's easy.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I just wanted to make sure I gave out the
right information. James, I gotta screwed, gotta run.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
We'll see you soon. Okay, thanks Pat.
Speaker 12 (37:04):
Thank you, right back at you.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Good night, pal, good night.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Coming back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
So I just got a text from my daughter, who's
no longer listening to the show.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
However, she writes to my.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Family, we're in an ubert and the guy has dad on.
So I wrote her, did you probably claim your lineage
and thank the driver for listening to Nightside? Ha ha.
I was about to, but I gave him a nice
tip nonetheless. Okay, thanks Kate, appreciate that. Let's go to Eileen. Eileen,
we're getting a little tight on time you're up. Go ahead, Eileen,
(37:45):
thanks for calling in.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Well.
Speaker 11 (37:48):
I actually called I probably a year ago about my
uncle David, who was drafted into the army in nineteen
forty one and he was a navigator in the Air
(38:10):
Corps they called it, and his plane was his plane
was shot down in April of nineteen forty four and
he was the only survivor and he suffered terrible, terrible
they called it shell shock. It's now known as PTSD. Yes,
(38:32):
but he was my very favorite uncle and I he
did he he talked to me quite a bit about
his experience in the Air Force. And so you ask
for people, A lot.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Of great people, a lot of great people. I lean.
Thank you very much. I got a couple of more folks.
I want to sneak in here. Thank you as always
for calling, and I thank you for reminding us of
your uncle David and uh again of this greatest generation.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
We'll talk soon and have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Okay, thank you you too.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Okay, gonna get Neil and Watertown and then Ginea, New Jersey. Neil,
you've called late. You go right ahead. You gotta be quick, buddy,
go ahead, all right.
Speaker 10 (39:22):
I just want to say I have nothing original to say,
but I do acknowledge Memorial Day and Veteran's Day and
everything of that nature. Acknowledge it formally day today and
today's in D day. Yeah, it's funny. I think of
Robert Kennedy today with so good great But that's all
(39:43):
I'm saying. I mean, I'm taking the time to acknowledge
it formally.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Well, thank you very much, Neil. I do appreciate you
taking the time to call in. I know you're a
regular listener and if we talked to you occasionally. But
thank you very much. Hope all is well with you,
and we'll talk again, talk to you.
Speaker 10 (39:57):
Thank you tonight.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
You're very welcome. Let me go to Jean in New Jersey. Jane, welcome.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
I don't know if I've ever had you on the
show before, but if I have, great if I'm welcome,
particularly warm, welcome, go ahead.
Speaker 11 (40:09):
Jean, thank you. Two years ago, I think I called
probably Veterans Day to acknowledge my brother. And I'm of
the greatest generation at my age.
Speaker 9 (40:20):
But anyway, he did.
Speaker 11 (40:22):
He was with the Army eighty second Airborne. He did
go in the Norman the invasion. He survived the Normandy invasion,
and then he went on into the next operation. They
went into that operation Market Garden when they invaded and
tried to liberate Holland. And he was killed in Holland.
(40:44):
And he's buried in Holland in the American Battleground Cemetery,
And we have an adopter and adoptive program there. They
take care of the graves of our boys and girls.
And it's eighty seven hundred souls resting there in Margaret
in Holland. So I just acknowledged him. He was my brother,
and I'm sorry to say we lost him, but he
(41:06):
was a wonderful guy and you a hero.
Speaker 7 (41:10):
I mean, you know absolutely.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
You know I'm not of the greatest generation. I'm a
baby boomer, but my generation, I know, is in awe
of what the generation be for us accomplished so well.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
I know.
Speaker 11 (41:24):
I keep keep his memory alive too with the family.
They know about his uncle, and I know what happened,
and they appreciate, so we do try to keep it alive.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Well, you kept you kept his memory alive tonight in
a lot of radios and a lot of homes across
the country and audibobiles. Thank you, Thanks Jean, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Thank you much for listening.
Speaker 11 (41:44):
Thank you Dan for all you do. Okay, welcome, bye bye,
thank you bye.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Good some real quality calls tonight in the eleven o'clock hour.
I want to thank everyone who called during the eleven
o'clock hour. We had done for the night. Think about
a veteran this weekend, I would ask you to do that.
Today's the eighty first anniversary of D Day. We can
never forget. We can never forget. My name's Dan Ray.
This is a Nightside. Want to thank Shane and Rob
(42:10):
back in the control room. Want to thank Karen Buscemi
who worked on the show with me today. I'll be
back on Monday. I hope all of you have a
great weekend. All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven.
That's right, pal Charlie ray Is who passed fifteen years
ago in February. That's where all your pets are who
have passed. They loved you and you love them. I
do believe you'll see them again. Hopes see again on
Monday night. Everyone, please tell you friends about Nightside. My
(42:31):
name's Dan Ray.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Have a great weekend. All
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