May 6, 2025 • 29 mins
A high-adventure anthology series that transports listeners to exotic locales and thrilling situations. Each episode offers an escape into suspenseful and action-packed narratives.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Escape. Escape Tonight to Occupied France and the Underground.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
A Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations presents Escape,
a new series of programs, of which this the second
is Operation Flur de Lys, written and directed by William N.
Robeson today, the fourteenth of July, the people of a
(00:40):
free France celebrate the anniversary of their escape from the
tyranny of the Kings of Versailles. One hundred and fifty
eight years ago. Today, the people of Paris stormed the
Bastille and leftloose the French Revolution. The torch of liberty
set a fire that day never burned more fiercely than
during the years when France was occupied by Aboutazis. We
(01:01):
escaped tonight to occupied France from which three years ago
there was no escape.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You can call me Duke, but don't use my right name.
I might want to go back to France someday, And
there are a lot of people in the world that
wouldn't understand that what I did was justified in a war. No,
I don't have any regrets, moral ones. That is, it
isn't what I did to Renee that keeps me awake
at nights. It's just the memory of her. There isn't
(01:33):
much a body in my official report and Operation Flirtily,
But then it doesn't customary to include descriptions of slim,
sunburned legs and wide, deep brown eyes and a military document.
And anyway, she was only an incident in the operation,
even if she became somewhat more important to me. Operation
Florida Lee began, like all the others, in the grubby
(01:54):
undistinguished house in London, which was the headquarters of the OSS,
the Office of Strategic Services, otherwise known in various parts
of the world as screwballs, cutthroats, spies, cloak and dagger
boys and American underground agents gentlemen.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Operation Flur de Lei has planned to assist the advance
of our forces once they've secured a beach at Normandy.
Is that where we're going in major That is one
of the possibilities, Lieutenant, Yes, sir, you will jump over
Grandma in northern France. Here on the map, you are
to set up roadblocks on these three state highways, here, here,
and here.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
There is an underground contact near Grandma's.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yes, Al Sine Duton, he's leader of the local my
keys expecting you. In addition, you are to block these
railroad lines entering and leaving Grandmont. These operations are to
coincide with the advance of our ground.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Forces if they land in Normandy.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
If they land in Normandy, you will the plain tonight
at twenty one hundred hours and will drop over your
objective at I should think approximately twenty two hundred and thirty.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Any questions, Oh no, I don't think so, sir. Well, yes, sir,
I have a question, Yes, lieutenant, how many of us
are going on this mission? Just the two of you,
Just the two of us, And all we had to
do was organize an underground army, disrupt the supply lines
of a half a dozen Nazi divisions, and give support
to the entire light invasion. Just the two of us.
(03:12):
But that's the way the OSS worked, and nobody ordered
Hill and me into it. We'd volunteer. I don't know why.
Maybe for moments like this one, when you get a
BE twenty four assigned to you as a personal taxi
and there's lots of room to sprawl around after the bombings.
How you feel fine?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Scared?
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Of course I'm scared, aren't you me? Nah, there's a
walk you forget? How tough it was when we were
at Paratroops school at BENNI.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, I was real rugged.
Speaker 5 (03:41):
If the wind wasn't right, you might land in the
chattahoochie and get all wet, and.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
It was always the chance that you'd sprain your ankle
coming down too hard.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And the sun was so bright on some of those
daylight jumps.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Whereas we got none of those things to worry about.
Here a nice pitch black night over France, no sun
to blindness, no Chadahoochee river to pauland do yes.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Sergeant Skipper wants to talk to you on the intercom.
Thanks here, use my cans, thank you. Do here, lieutenant
and where we're objective?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Any signal from the ground, Yes.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
The one arranged.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Four dogs, two dashes, green.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Very well, you and Lieutenant Hill move into the Bombay
cut open Bombay doors in thirty seconds, Roger, good luck.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Thanks Sergeant stand by to dump those supplies as was
were clear. Yes, sir, come on it this as someone
has said, Is it so soon?
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Just as I was settling down a good book, Bombay
Dodger opening there.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Okay, sergeant, all right, ed, let's check your hardness.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It's a frightful mess. I just can't seem to do
a thing, will it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I know that this is the last party you'll have
to wear it on. Okay, am I.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Well don't look now, but your shoot showing.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Check it in. Let's get out on a catwalk, well pressing,
please all up france at our feet.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You see the signal.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
That's what I'm looking for. There it is over to
the left.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
You got it, got it, Let's.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Go your kid, Sure, your kid. It helps one for
those ten agads while you're fall free. Nothing helps you
hang onto the rip cord and you count off the seconds,
so you're trying to to count too fast. Your hand
on that rip cord is the only certain thing in
the world. Your tumble hit over teacups with a wind
tearing sound from your ears, and there's only one thought,
always the same thought, whether it's your first or your
(05:14):
fiftieth joke. We'll the shoot open. It does, yanking at
your armpits, knocking the breath out of you, slowing you down,
and you swing there like a rag doll, trying to
get your bearings. First, you make out the horizon, and
that's where the black becomes darker black, where the stars stop,
and you wonder about Ed, but you can't risk calling out.
And now that you're located with the stars I, you
(05:35):
look for the signal light and there it is slightly
to the left, so you tug at your shroud lines,
spelling a little air to guide you toward it, and
it's coming towards you awfully fast, and you hope this
particular French patriot has picked out a field free of
trees and church steeples. And then you try to remember
all the things they taught you about hitting the ground
and rolling with the wind and collapsing your shot, because
it's always like this. You always feel like you've never
(05:55):
hit the slk before. And then you're down and you
roll just right and you collapse your shoot and it's
second nature to you after all. And then you hear
footsteps running towards you, and you remember another important instructching
you whip on. You're automatic, and you hope your friend's
is good enough to get you buy hivah? Who is it?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Elsine? Here?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Where? Okay? Elsceine?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Come on lest you have a life, Lieutenant, So it
seems you have no idea how long we wish for
this molded.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
That's my partner, Come on, yeah, Ed, over here, Duke. Okay,
my hump and ohs just slightly damage otherwise. Okay, this
is Alcene, our contact elsee, Lieutenant Hill or el scene Lieutenant.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance and
on behalf of my country.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Now let's get these shoots buried and blow this place.
Where's your transportation?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
El scene, we haven't any where. Where's this safe house?
You might be able to stay at my hands. I
don't think she'd talk.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
I don't think. Aren't you sure?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Oh yes, I'm supremely confident.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
That we are the Germans.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
They're everywhere. That is why I'm so glad you're here.
Now we can fight again. With your help, we will
kill many bush.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Wait a minute, how many are there in? You're a marquis,
myself and two others. Just three of you?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh my aching bag.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
But now that the Americans are here, we can do anything.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Oh why don't they get these things straight in London?
How can we block roads with a three man my key?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Three men in an ant who perhaps will not talk.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Well, let's get cracking, duke.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
You're not going through with this mad adventure, are you?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
What would you suggest?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Well? As for me, I'm all for taking the next
plane back to London.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
Antant No, thank you, ma'am. This bone chicken is delicious.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
How do you call it kay rash supreme? If we've
had nothing like it since the bosh came.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
No way you get used to it.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
And cigarettes top Mallley cigarettes made of real tobacco. Ah,
you Americans have everything, madam.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I'll scene. You're kind, You're hospitable, but the comforts of
k rash will not block roads. We need men. We
must form a my key.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
But we have a mykeys my al scene.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
There are three of you and two of Sure, we've
got guns, and we've got ammunition and supply shoots somewhere
out in that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Field where we landed. We've got arms for fifty men.
But if we had those men, we still couldn't go
to war against the German division.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And you said to yourself, is at least a division garrison?
And Grandma, what must we do? First? We must organize
a my key. We need men, can you get them?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I can go into the village and talk to my friends.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Should have done that a long time ago.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
First scene, that would be most unwise. Why didn't you
know aar scene is a patriot. He's a deserter from
the Vichy Army, so he's wanted by the Gestapo.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Oh great, and there's a Gestapo headquarters and Grandma. Of course, of.
Speaker 7 (08:32):
Course Arsine is not run to run from danger.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Quite the countrary.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I can get Renee to help.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Who's Renee?
Speaker 7 (08:38):
I've seen Sweetheart, a lovely girl from Paris, for I
think she had to come down to the country because
her house was bummed out.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Leave her out of this, but Lieutenant, she would be
most happy to help.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Alcine, you got a lot to learn about guerrilla warfare.
You might as well study your first lesson right now.
It's shortened to the point. No, dames. Well, the next
day we collected the supplies which had been dropped with us,
(09:07):
and we set up a camp deep in the woods
hill and I were loaded with French money, so we
were able to buy food from the friendly farmers. Maybe
it was a food as much as patriots, and it
brought us recruits. Anyway, after a week we had nearly
thirty men. Our marquis wasn't big enough for the job
we had to do, but it was growing in the
(09:27):
right direction. And then one night, as I was winding
up a report to London.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well what do they saying?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
What do they ever say? Message acknowledged? Carry on?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
What about new batteries for the radio? What about extra
ammunition for the buck Rogers guns? What are they going
to get another drop to us?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Why don't you ask him?
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
They do the best they can. I guess, after all,
we're not the only boy scouts in this chambourine. Hey
do Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
There goes out scene again, off toward the road.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Hey, I'll see.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Yes, come on a minute, Yes, lieutenant, where are you going?
I was just taking a stroll. You're a night guard,
not tonight.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You weren't on nightguard last night, were no, lieutenant? By
the night before?
Speaker 4 (10:13):
No, sir.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
But you weren't in camp all night, were you?
Speaker 6 (10:16):
No?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Sir? What's the matter? Don't you like the camp rather
sleep at your ants? It's a two rugged out here
for you, No, sir? Then where were you in the village?
You know the orders?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
No one is to go into the village, yes, lieutenant,
but I only go in at night.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
It makes no difference, but it.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Does, you see, lieutenant. I'm so in love.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Oh great, the girl from Paris?
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Yes, you should see her Lieutenant, she's the most beautiful,
the most charming, the.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Most You know you're endangering the whole my key by
disobeying my orders.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Oh no, sir, there's no danger with Rayne. Hey, she
hates the bush. Why she wants to join us?
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You've told her about us?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Oh yes, sir?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Are you out of your mind? How do you know
she's all right?
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I just know, that's all. She's the most wonderful person
in the world. He's a real patriot.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I told you. Rule number one is no dames.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Yes, but Renae is different.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yeah, well you better marry her before you bring around here.
You'll have to share with the rest of these wolves.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Lieutenant, Do I understand you?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's just an American figures speech.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
May I tell Rene she can join us?
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Well, not quite yet, later maybe.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yes, lieutenant? Is that all?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
If you gotta take it out scene, take it easy.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I do not understand.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Just another American idiom el sing good night, good nighter.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Hey duke, you're gonna let him get away with that?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
What are we going to do?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Slap him another guarden house for thirty days only.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
This isn't the American Army. We haven't any guardhouse.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, stinks from a security standpoint.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I know, we try to keep these boys from sneaking
off home every now and then. We're not going to
have any monkey.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Ah, he's French, an immoral race.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
I don't know about that. Remember Phoenix City, Alabama? Yeah,
oh yeah, I see what you mean. There wasn't anything
we could do. If we'd ordered out seemed to stay
in camp. He'd just sneaked off anyway. He had that dreamy,
(12:15):
far away look that's baffled parents, teachers, and first lieutenants
since the beginning of ten. I didn't worry so much
about it because our my quy was growing and ed
Hill and I were breaking our backs pushing those French
kids through an airsot's basic in three weeks. Headquarters in
London didn't tell us much, but we did know from
the BBC that the boys had landed at Omaha Beach
(12:35):
and it wouldn't be long before they'd be needing our roadblocks.
And then one morning, about d plus four, I think
it was, I was out in the woods running a
squad through concealment brill.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh no, no, hit the dirt.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Don't wait on your dead well.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
You see the signal hit.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
The dirt right now. Huh oh, I'll see. Have you
been all that?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
As though I didn't know, Lieutenant. I've got to talk to.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
You, okay, I'll be through here in a half hours soon.
Got to talk to you now, all right, Elsing, Okay, boys,
take five, come along, Elsin. What's on your.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Mind, Lieutenant? My family's been killed? Oh no, yes, by
the Gestapo. He set fire to the house. My mother
and my father and my two sisters. They ran out,
the Gestapo shot them. He was sure this, Yes, I
heard it this morning from the neighborhood. Saw it happened.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Poor kid.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
When can we attack, lieutenant? When can we stop this
endless training and fight the Bush?
Speaker 6 (13:40):
No?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
I want only to kill and killed and killed until
I paid them back for my father, my mother, my
two sisters.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah. I know you'll get your chance at el Sing,
but not yet. We gotta wait. We're not ready yet.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
I'm ready before I wanted to fight the Bush for
my country. Now I want to kill him again and
again for them.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I know, But you gotta be patient.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Should happened to me now? Only last night Rene said
she'd marry me, come to live here with me in
the camp. I was so happy, And this morning I
learned this news.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Why did you hear from your mother last?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Not for a month since we began to work, But
I've written her every week.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah. Who mailed the letters?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And they mailed them for me. She's so kind and thoughtful.
She offered the mail letters home for the other boys too.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
That was nice of it. Did they take advantage of
her offer?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
A couple of them who Paul Jean I told them
about and they wrote.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Their families and Renee mailed the letters.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
She's a wonderful person.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
With tennant.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
You're going to love her, Yeah, I think I am.
She's all I've gotten the world now.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Two and two make four and occupied France just the
same as anywhere else, And sometimes it's just as hard
to prove. But one thing was sure now. I wanted
to meet Renee in the worst way. But I had
to postpone the pleasure because early that afternoon one of
the outposts broke in the camp out of bread.
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Yas Paul, they're coming down the road through the forest.
How many I did not stop to count them, several
truck clothes.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
To be sure.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Pass the word to Lieutenant Hill, ask him to bring
his detail in the camp on the double. Yes, lieutenant als, yes,
take two men and go down to the road and
see what the rouck do. Yes, sir, just reconnoiter. Don't
fire at.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Them, but this is my chance for event.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Listen to me. Don't fire at them. That's a command. Yes,
they may not be after us at all. I get coined.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Immediately, Lieutenant.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
What's the order of the day, dude, plans Graham, it
looks like it. All your men here, President of the
counted for.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
All right, boys, now gather around, will you and get this.
There's a convoy of Germans coming down the forest road.
I'll wait a minute. We're not going to fight him.
You know what our job is roadblocks. We got tanks,
artillery and airplanes. It will be along soon to do
the killing. How luck, our security has been pretty good,
and those trouts may be on a routine patrol. The
chances are they don't even know we're here. They do
(15:51):
now listen, Yeah, well that doesn't all right? Your men
got your weapons good? You know the procedure, get lost
before you leave the forest, bury your weapons, ammunition, and equipment.
Rendezvous at the home of Alcene's at at twenty two
hundred dollars tonight, good luck, Come on, ed, let's scram Well.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
He who doesn't fight and runs away lives to fight
another day.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
There's something like it.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Who tipped them off?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm not sure, but I got a pretty good idea.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Who's down there at the road, Al Scene.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
He's fighting a private war, the poor jerk. The basic
rule of three in guerrilla warfare is surprise, kill vanish. However,
one year surprised, the only rule is vanished than we did.
(16:42):
There were about fifty Germans and a half a dozen
dogs to track our scent. They spent the day thrashing
through the woods, firing into the underbrush and finding nothing.
It was a classic withdrawal and hell and I were
proud of our little army, with the exception of Al Scene,
its self appointed hero. When we arrive at his aunt's
house that night for the rendezvous, a half a dozen
of the boys were already there.
Speaker 7 (17:03):
Who is it, Julie, A lieutenant?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Come in, good evening, Madame, I've.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
Seen he's already here.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I'm still proud of him, a lieutenant. I was just
telling Tom Mally and the boys. It was magnificent. I
got two of them. I killed two bush.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Your orders were not to shoot, But.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Lieutenant, what would you what happened to the other boys
that were with you? Jean was wounded and captured. Antoine
became frightened and ran away.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It blows the Marquis. They'll get the full particular from John.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
They haven't got him already.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but quiet answer.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It, madam?
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Who is it?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Julie opening?
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Good evening, madame?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Come in boys running any trouble boys?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
As you see, we are here.
Speaker 8 (17:41):
Yeah, not for long, Lieutenant, Yes, Paul, and I wish
to withdraw in the Marquis.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
QUI why the risk is too great? You're afraid for myself? No?
But after what happened to John, he was wounded and captured,
Well we all take that risk.
Speaker 8 (17:55):
Yes, But last night the Gestapol got Jean's family like
they did all scenes. I stood, I'm up in front
of their house and shut them.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Who knows will be next?
Speaker 8 (18:03):
My mother, Raul's sister, Alcene's aunt.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
I wish to withdraw. I'll wait a minute. I don't
blame you for being worried about your families, but whose
families do you think? The British and American armies up
in Normandy are fighting to liberate their own no yours. Now,
this thing isn't as bad as it looks. There's been
a leak in our security. Somebody's been putting a finger
on us, so we lay low until the leak's plug.
Speaker 8 (18:25):
But the Germans are everywhere. Spies, perhaps two, are everywhere.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
I think I know who's responsible for these murders. I'll
make a deal with you. Give me a couple of
days to work it on. We'll issue you boys some money,
and all you've got to do is to get lost
until Saturday night and then meet me back here. If
I haven't patched up our security by then, you can
all quit the marquis and become collaborating.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
No one wishes to collaborate, but one must think of
one's family.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Okay, Dad, Yeah, dude, give the boys a thousand francs apiece.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Right, Come and get a boy.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
On alce, Lieutenant, I'm gonna have a little time on
my hands for the next couple of days. You think
you could arrange to introduce me your girlfriend. Oh but
of course, Lieutenant, maybe she's okay, like you say, we
can let her sign up.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I am desolated with happiness, lieutenant.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
One thing. None of that lieutenant business around here until
I make sure she's all right. Very well, you think,
my friends, she's good enough to pass as a native.
But of course, lieutenant all right, and pass me off
as a friend of yours. Let's see, I need a name.
Let's call me Jacques de Fran.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Jacques du Fran.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Good.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I will make the arrangements immediately.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I thought you'd like an excuse to get into town
to me. The next afternoon, i'll see. Brought the girl
out to the woods near his aunt's house. I stood
behind a tree to watch and make sure they weren't
being followed. She was all right, tall, long, sunburned legs,
(19:47):
her hair caught in a blue ribbon like a little girl's.
I let them walk by, and then I stepped from
behind my tree.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Oh hello, elsie Renee. This is my good friend, Jacques
deu Fran. He's from Paris too, Jacques. This is reneidency boy.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Glad to meet you, ma'amiselle.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
And I'm honored to meet you, monsieur. Where do you live?
In Paris?
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Near the Porto de la la But my home is
no longer there.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
It was bombed out alas so smiled.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
My family remain with friends, but I've come out into
the country to fight with the resistance.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Jacques has much influence with the commander of our marquis.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I hope you will be able to persuade him to
let me join you.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Monsieur, I shall do what I can.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
It would be a privilege and an honor to work
with a patriot like you.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
See Jacques, I told you Rene was all right.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He didn't tell me the half of it. Mademoiselle, you
understand that we must be cautious. There are questions I
must ask of a confidential nature.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Why don't we meet again alone? Why not say tonight,
I have a little car, we might take a drive.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Fine, But Rene, you promised me that.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
See you some other time. I share Remember France comes first.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
We just drove that night. She was wearing a white
ribbon in her hair and a loose white dress and
no stockings. We just drove around in her little citro
Ron with the top down and a wind blowing her
hair like a girl in a magazine ahead. Then we
came back about midnight and parked with a bridge, and
I felt like I was back in high school in Illinois.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
Look at those stars, Shack.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, so many of them, so close you can almost
reach out and touch them.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Yeah, I had them all once, Shock, I reached out
and gathered them all in my arms once.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
I want you to know all about me, Shack.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I want to.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
Don't think it's wrong of me, but I've been in love.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
There's nothing wrong in being in love.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
He was a soldier.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Most everybody is these days, a German soldier.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
Oh don't you think that love is bigger than war
or hate for anything?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Yeah? I guess.
Speaker 6 (22:16):
So he's dead.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
No, that's good. I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't mean
to hurt you. I'm not sorry he's dead, Shack.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
I'm so confused. I want to understand things. I want
to be intelligent about things, and everything gets so mixed
up like now, like now, Yes, Shock, I've never been
(22:52):
so happy as.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
I am tonight, not even with the German.
Speaker 6 (22:57):
Not even with him. Why does it have to end?
Why do those blessed stars have to go out one
by one to make way for another day of war?
Why can't we stop time? You and I gather all
(23:18):
the stars together just for us.
Speaker 9 (23:21):
I don't know, baby, It's never been done before. Awake
and try.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
To shut my shell shore shut.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Yeah. Yeah, tomorrow night, same time, same place for her.
If you say the word sure, why not? Who knows
how long forever is in this crazy world? Why not
have it together? Why not get married?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
My most see you tomorrow night.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
I'll only be half alive until then, Sherry. If you
want to write your family in Paris, give me the
letter tomorrow night and I'll mail it for you.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
All right, Drop that rock and grab a sock, rise
and shine a love a boy. I brought your cup
of chocolate. Figured you want breakfast in bed this morning.
How'd you make out last night? Okay, details, let's have
the details.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Nothing much to report. We drove and then we parked
for a while and talked.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Did she give anything away?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
No information? She's a funny kid. Her dialogues as corny
as a Bobby socks. She knows she's pretty, so she
wants to be admired for her mind. But I'm sure
she's Armada hari. I'll come. She offered a mail a
letter to my family. M It's consistent. I asked her
to marry me. What if she didn't believe me? But
she pretended like she did. I don't know why she's
doing what she's doing. Thrills. Maybe French juvenile of the
(25:13):
lake water. Maybe tonight's the night the night you get married,
now the night we get her. The boys are meeting
us here at midnight. You know what's the plan. Well,
I'll take another ride with her, and about midnight we'll
be back in park with the bridge and you'll be
there out of sight. I'll have some brandy along and
i'll slug her drink with a capture pill. When she's
passed up, I'll give you the come on and you
join me here, Baby, have another vent.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
I shouldn't shout brandy always makes me sleepy.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
What of it? This is a celebration of our engagement.
Speaker 6 (25:54):
Kiss me shut again and again? Sure shock the stars
and near nearer than they've ever.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Been, Nearer than you think, Baby, I love you?
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Shall I do love you? Kiss me? You can.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Do it a care?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I can't, really, baby, I guess sleep you collaboration is
pig can you hear me? Okay? Out like a red
light in the narrating, here's her person. Start to do it.
While I untangle myself with you.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I'll take a look at this. What is a letter?
From Gestapo headquarters, confirming received three addresses.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Let me see that. Well, I'll had one's Elson's family
and that one's genre.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And here's a good stoppo identification card.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Flasher light over there. Look at her, What a dish
Look at that kisser. And she's responsible for the death
of six people whose only crime was being born French.
She'd e wrecked our marquis, snap food, our mission and
turned me over to the Gestapo. And her lipstick still
in my collar. That gorgeous hunk a double crossed. Well,
we got the proof. Let's get on with it.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Okay, I guess you'd rather r know.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
This is my job. Geez, she's gorgeous. Yeah, so long, honey, thanks.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
She it's so gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Now at least that handbrake got it. Come on, shove
not yet, keep that steering real straight. The river's deepest
right at the center of the bridge. Yeah, now high
right on the wheel. You know something ed eh? I
think she finally did gather that armful of stars. Sure
(27:56):
the operation was successful. When the time came, our roadblock
tied up three German divisions while Patton rolled on to
the east. But I still lie awaked night thinking I
should have married that dame. Yeah, the operation was successful,
but the patient died.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Operation Florida Lee was written, directed, and produced by William N. Robeson,
with Jack Webb as Duke, Elliott Lewis has Hill, Peggy
Webber as Renee, and Harry Bartel as al Sine. Operation
(28:36):
Fluridal Lee was based on an incident from the files
of the OSS recorded in sab Rosa by Stuart Alsop
and Thomas Braden. A special musical score was conceived and
conducted by Cypure. Escape is presented by CBS and it's
affiliated stations.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Each week at this time.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Next week, we invite you to escape with Scott Fitzgerald
in his unforgettable story The Diamond as Big as the writs,
and so good night until next week, when again it
will be time to escape. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
Escape. Escape Tonight to Occupied France and the Underground.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
A Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations presents Escape,
a new series of programs, of which this the second
is Operation Flur de Lys, written and directed by William N.
Robeson today, the fourteenth of July, the people of a
(00:40):
free France celebrate the anniversary of their escape from the
tyranny of the Kings of Versailles. One hundred and fifty
eight years ago. Today, the people of Paris stormed the
Bastille and leftloose the French Revolution. The torch of liberty
set a fire that day never burned more fiercely than
during the years when France was occupied by Aboutazis. We
(01:01):
escaped tonight to occupied France from which three years ago
there was no escape.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
You can call me Duke, but don't use my right name.
I might want to go back to France someday, And
there are a lot of people in the world that
wouldn't understand that what I did was justified in a war. No,
I don't have any regrets, moral ones. That is, it
isn't what I did to Renee that keeps me awake
at nights. It's just the memory of her. There isn't
(01:33):
much a body in my official report and Operation Flirtily,
But then it doesn't customary to include descriptions of slim,
sunburned legs and wide, deep brown eyes and a military document.
And anyway, she was only an incident in the operation,
even if she became somewhat more important to me. Operation
Florida Lee began, like all the others, in the grubby
(01:54):
undistinguished house in London, which was the headquarters of the OSS,
the Office of Strategic Services, otherwise known in various parts
of the world as screwballs, cutthroats, spies, cloak and dagger
boys and American underground agents gentlemen.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Operation Flur de Lei has planned to assist the advance
of our forces once they've secured a beach at Normandy.
Is that where we're going in major That is one
of the possibilities, Lieutenant, Yes, sir, you will jump over
Grandma in northern France. Here on the map, you are
to set up roadblocks on these three state highways, here, here,
and here.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
There is an underground contact near Grandma's.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yes, Al Sine Duton, he's leader of the local my
keys expecting you. In addition, you are to block these
railroad lines entering and leaving Grandmont. These operations are to
coincide with the advance of our ground.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Forces if they land in Normandy.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
If they land in Normandy, you will the plain tonight
at twenty one hundred hours and will drop over your
objective at I should think approximately twenty two hundred and thirty.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Any questions, Oh no, I don't think so, sir. Well, yes, sir,
I have a question, Yes, lieutenant, how many of us
are going on this mission? Just the two of you,
Just the two of us, And all we had to
do was organize an underground army, disrupt the supply lines
of a half a dozen Nazi divisions, and give support
to the entire light invasion. Just the two of us.
(03:12):
But that's the way the OSS worked, and nobody ordered
Hill and me into it. We'd volunteer. I don't know why.
Maybe for moments like this one, when you get a
BE twenty four assigned to you as a personal taxi
and there's lots of room to sprawl around after the bombings.
How you feel fine?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Scared?
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Of course I'm scared, aren't you me? Nah, there's a
walk you forget? How tough it was when we were
at Paratroops school at BENNI.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, I was real rugged.
Speaker 5 (03:41):
If the wind wasn't right, you might land in the
chattahoochie and get all wet, and.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
It was always the chance that you'd sprain your ankle
coming down too hard.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And the sun was so bright on some of those
daylight jumps.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Whereas we got none of those things to worry about.
Here a nice pitch black night over France, no sun
to blindness, no Chadahoochee river to pauland do yes.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Sergeant Skipper wants to talk to you on the intercom.
Thanks here, use my cans, thank you. Do here, lieutenant
and where we're objective?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Any signal from the ground, Yes.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
The one arranged.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Four dogs, two dashes, green.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Very well, you and Lieutenant Hill move into the Bombay
cut open Bombay doors in thirty seconds, Roger, good luck.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Thanks Sergeant stand by to dump those supplies as was
were clear. Yes, sir, come on it this as someone
has said, Is it so soon?
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Just as I was settling down a good book, Bombay
Dodger opening there.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Okay, sergeant, all right, ed, let's check your hardness.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
It's a frightful mess. I just can't seem to do
a thing, will it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I know that this is the last party you'll have
to wear it on. Okay, am I.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Well don't look now, but your shoot showing.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Check it in. Let's get out on a catwalk, well pressing,
please all up france at our feet.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You see the signal.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
That's what I'm looking for. There it is over to
the left.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
You got it, got it, Let's.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Go your kid, Sure, your kid. It helps one for
those ten agads while you're fall free. Nothing helps you
hang onto the rip cord and you count off the seconds,
so you're trying to to count too fast. Your hand
on that rip cord is the only certain thing in
the world. Your tumble hit over teacups with a wind
tearing sound from your ears, and there's only one thought,
always the same thought, whether it's your first or your
(05:14):
fiftieth joke. We'll the shoot open. It does, yanking at
your armpits, knocking the breath out of you, slowing you down,
and you swing there like a rag doll, trying to
get your bearings. First, you make out the horizon, and
that's where the black becomes darker black, where the stars stop,
and you wonder about Ed, but you can't risk calling out.
And now that you're located with the stars I, you
(05:35):
look for the signal light and there it is slightly
to the left, so you tug at your shroud lines,
spelling a little air to guide you toward it, and
it's coming towards you awfully fast, and you hope this
particular French patriot has picked out a field free of
trees and church steeples. And then you try to remember
all the things they taught you about hitting the ground
and rolling with the wind and collapsing your shot, because
it's always like this. You always feel like you've never
(05:55):
hit the slk before. And then you're down and you
roll just right and you collapse your shoot and it's
second nature to you after all. And then you hear
footsteps running towards you, and you remember another important instructching
you whip on. You're automatic, and you hope your friend's
is good enough to get you buy hivah? Who is it?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Elsine? Here?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Where? Okay? Elsceine?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Come on lest you have a life, Lieutenant, So it
seems you have no idea how long we wish for
this molded.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
That's my partner, Come on, yeah, Ed, over here, Duke. Okay,
my hump and ohs just slightly damage otherwise. Okay, this
is Alcene, our contact elsee, Lieutenant Hill or el scene Lieutenant.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance and
on behalf of my country.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Now let's get these shoots buried and blow this place.
Where's your transportation?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
El scene, we haven't any where. Where's this safe house?
You might be able to stay at my hands. I
don't think she'd talk.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
I don't think. Aren't you sure?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Oh yes, I'm supremely confident.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
That we are the Germans.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
They're everywhere. That is why I'm so glad you're here.
Now we can fight again. With your help, we will
kill many bush.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Wait a minute, how many are there in? You're a marquis,
myself and two others. Just three of you?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh my aching bag.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
But now that the Americans are here, we can do anything.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Oh why don't they get these things straight in London?
How can we block roads with a three man my key?
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Three men in an ant who perhaps will not talk.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Well, let's get cracking, duke.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
You're not going through with this mad adventure, are you?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
What would you suggest?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Well? As for me, I'm all for taking the next
plane back to London.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
Antant No, thank you, ma'am. This bone chicken is delicious.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
How do you call it kay rash supreme? If we've
had nothing like it since the bosh came.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
No way you get used to it.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
And cigarettes top Mallley cigarettes made of real tobacco. Ah,
you Americans have everything, madam.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I'll scene. You're kind, You're hospitable, but the comforts of
k rash will not block roads. We need men. We
must form a my key.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
But we have a mykeys my al scene.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
There are three of you and two of Sure, we've
got guns, and we've got ammunition and supply shoots somewhere
out in that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Field where we landed. We've got arms for fifty men.
But if we had those men, we still couldn't go
to war against the German division.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And you said to yourself, is at least a division garrison?
And Grandma, what must we do? First? We must organize
a my key. We need men, can you get them?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I can go into the village and talk to my friends.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Should have done that a long time ago.
Speaker 7 (08:21):
First scene, that would be most unwise. Why didn't you
know aar scene is a patriot. He's a deserter from
the Vichy Army, so he's wanted by the Gestapo.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Oh great, and there's a Gestapo headquarters and Grandma. Of course, of.
Speaker 7 (08:32):
Course Arsine is not run to run from danger.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Quite the countrary.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I can get Renee to help.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Who's Renee?
Speaker 7 (08:38):
I've seen Sweetheart, a lovely girl from Paris, for I
think she had to come down to the country because
her house was bummed out.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Leave her out of this, but Lieutenant, she would be
most happy to help.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Alcine, you got a lot to learn about guerrilla warfare.
You might as well study your first lesson right now.
It's shortened to the point. No, dames. Well, the next
day we collected the supplies which had been dropped with us,
(09:07):
and we set up a camp deep in the woods
hill and I were loaded with French money, so we
were able to buy food from the friendly farmers. Maybe
it was a food as much as patriots, and it
brought us recruits. Anyway, after a week we had nearly
thirty men. Our marquis wasn't big enough for the job
we had to do, but it was growing in the
(09:27):
right direction. And then one night, as I was winding
up a report to London.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well what do they saying?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
What do they ever say? Message acknowledged? Carry on?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
What about new batteries for the radio? What about extra
ammunition for the buck Rogers guns? What are they going
to get another drop to us?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Why don't you ask him?
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
They do the best they can. I guess, after all,
we're not the only boy scouts in this chambourine. Hey
do Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:57):
There goes out scene again, off toward the road.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Hey, I'll see.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Yes, come on a minute, Yes, lieutenant, where are you going?
I was just taking a stroll. You're a night guard,
not tonight.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You weren't on nightguard last night, were no, lieutenant? By
the night before?
Speaker 4 (10:13):
No, sir.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
But you weren't in camp all night, were you?
Speaker 6 (10:16):
No?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Sir? What's the matter? Don't you like the camp rather
sleep at your ants? It's a two rugged out here
for you, No, sir? Then where were you in the village?
You know the orders?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
No one is to go into the village, yes, lieutenant,
but I only go in at night.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
It makes no difference, but it.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Does, you see, lieutenant. I'm so in love.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Oh great, the girl from Paris?
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Yes, you should see her Lieutenant, she's the most beautiful,
the most charming, the.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Most You know you're endangering the whole my key by
disobeying my orders.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Oh no, sir, there's no danger with Rayne. Hey, she
hates the bush. Why she wants to join us?
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You've told her about us?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Oh yes, sir?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Are you out of your mind? How do you know
she's all right?
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I just know, that's all. She's the most wonderful person
in the world. He's a real patriot.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I told you. Rule number one is no dames.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Yes, but Renae is different.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yeah, well you better marry her before you bring around here.
You'll have to share with the rest of these wolves.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Lieutenant, Do I understand you?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's just an American figures speech.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
May I tell Rene she can join us?
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Well, not quite yet, later maybe.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yes, lieutenant? Is that all?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
If you gotta take it out scene, take it easy.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I do not understand.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Just another American idiom el sing good night, good nighter.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Hey duke, you're gonna let him get away with that?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
What are we going to do?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Slap him another guarden house for thirty days only.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
This isn't the American Army. We haven't any guardhouse.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, stinks from a security standpoint.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I know, we try to keep these boys from sneaking
off home every now and then. We're not going to
have any monkey.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Ah, he's French, an immoral race.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
I don't know about that. Remember Phoenix City, Alabama? Yeah,
oh yeah, I see what you mean. There wasn't anything
we could do. If we'd ordered out seemed to stay
in camp. He'd just sneaked off anyway. He had that dreamy,
(12:15):
far away look that's baffled parents, teachers, and first lieutenants
since the beginning of ten. I didn't worry so much
about it because our my quy was growing and ed
Hill and I were breaking our backs pushing those French
kids through an airsot's basic in three weeks. Headquarters in
London didn't tell us much, but we did know from
the BBC that the boys had landed at Omaha Beach
(12:35):
and it wouldn't be long before they'd be needing our roadblocks.
And then one morning, about d plus four, I think
it was, I was out in the woods running a
squad through concealment brill.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh no, no, hit the dirt.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Don't wait on your dead well.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
You see the signal hit.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
The dirt right now. Huh oh, I'll see. Have you
been all that?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
As though I didn't know, Lieutenant. I've got to talk to.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
You, okay, I'll be through here in a half hours soon.
Got to talk to you now, all right, Elsing, Okay, boys,
take five, come along, Elsin. What's on your.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Mind, Lieutenant? My family's been killed? Oh no, yes, by
the Gestapo. He set fire to the house. My mother
and my father and my two sisters. They ran out,
the Gestapo shot them. He was sure this, Yes, I
heard it this morning from the neighborhood. Saw it happened.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Poor kid.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
When can we attack, lieutenant? When can we stop this
endless training and fight the Bush?
Speaker 6 (13:40):
No?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
I want only to kill and killed and killed until
I paid them back for my father, my mother, my
two sisters.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yeah. I know you'll get your chance at el Sing,
but not yet. We gotta wait. We're not ready yet.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
I'm ready before I wanted to fight the Bush for
my country. Now I want to kill him again and
again for them.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I know, But you gotta be patient.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Should happened to me now? Only last night Rene said
she'd marry me, come to live here with me in
the camp. I was so happy, And this morning I
learned this news.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Why did you hear from your mother last?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Not for a month since we began to work, But
I've written her every week.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah. Who mailed the letters?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And they mailed them for me. She's so kind and thoughtful.
She offered the mail letters home for the other boys too.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
That was nice of it. Did they take advantage of
her offer?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
A couple of them who Paul Jean I told them
about and they wrote.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Their families and Renee mailed the letters.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
She's a wonderful person.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
With tennant.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
You're going to love her, Yeah, I think I am.
She's all I've gotten the world now.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Two and two make four and occupied France just the
same as anywhere else, And sometimes it's just as hard
to prove. But one thing was sure now. I wanted
to meet Renee in the worst way. But I had
to postpone the pleasure because early that afternoon one of
the outposts broke in the camp out of bread.
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Yas Paul, they're coming down the road through the forest.
How many I did not stop to count them, several
truck clothes.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
To be sure.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Pass the word to Lieutenant Hill, ask him to bring
his detail in the camp on the double. Yes, lieutenant als, yes,
take two men and go down to the road and
see what the rouck do. Yes, sir, just reconnoiter. Don't
fire at.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Them, but this is my chance for event.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Listen to me. Don't fire at them. That's a command. Yes,
they may not be after us at all. I get coined.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Immediately, Lieutenant.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
What's the order of the day, dude, plans Graham, it
looks like it. All your men here, President of the
counted for.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
All right, boys, now gather around, will you and get this.
There's a convoy of Germans coming down the forest road.
I'll wait a minute. We're not going to fight him.
You know what our job is roadblocks. We got tanks,
artillery and airplanes. It will be along soon to do
the killing. How luck, our security has been pretty good,
and those trouts may be on a routine patrol. The
chances are they don't even know we're here. They do
(15:51):
now listen, Yeah, well that doesn't all right? Your men
got your weapons good? You know the procedure, get lost
before you leave the forest, bury your weapons, ammunition, and equipment.
Rendezvous at the home of Alcene's at at twenty two
hundred dollars tonight, good luck, Come on, ed, let's scram Well.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
He who doesn't fight and runs away lives to fight
another day.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
There's something like it.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Who tipped them off?
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I'm not sure, but I got a pretty good idea.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Who's down there at the road, Al Scene.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
He's fighting a private war, the poor jerk. The basic
rule of three in guerrilla warfare is surprise, kill vanish. However,
one year surprised, the only rule is vanished than we did.
(16:42):
There were about fifty Germans and a half a dozen
dogs to track our scent. They spent the day thrashing
through the woods, firing into the underbrush and finding nothing.
It was a classic withdrawal and hell and I were
proud of our little army, with the exception of Al Scene,
its self appointed hero. When we arrive at his aunt's
house that night for the rendezvous, a half a dozen
of the boys were already there.
Speaker 7 (17:03):
Who is it, Julie, A lieutenant?
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Come in, good evening, Madame, I've.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
Seen he's already here.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I'm still proud of him, a lieutenant. I was just
telling Tom Mally and the boys. It was magnificent. I
got two of them. I killed two bush.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Your orders were not to shoot, But.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Lieutenant, what would you what happened to the other boys
that were with you? Jean was wounded and captured. Antoine
became frightened and ran away.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
It blows the Marquis. They'll get the full particular from John.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
They haven't got him already.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but quiet answer.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It, madam?
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Who is it?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Julie opening?
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Good evening, madame?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Come in boys running any trouble boys?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
As you see, we are here.
Speaker 8 (17:41):
Yeah, not for long, Lieutenant, Yes, Paul, and I wish
to withdraw in the Marquis.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
QUI why the risk is too great? You're afraid for myself? No?
But after what happened to John, he was wounded and captured,
Well we all take that risk.
Speaker 8 (17:55):
Yes, But last night the Gestapol got Jean's family like
they did all scenes. I stood, I'm up in front
of their house and shut them.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Who knows will be next?
Speaker 8 (18:03):
My mother, Raul's sister, Alcene's aunt.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
I wish to withdraw. I'll wait a minute. I don't
blame you for being worried about your families, but whose
families do you think? The British and American armies up
in Normandy are fighting to liberate their own no yours. Now,
this thing isn't as bad as it looks. There's been
a leak in our security. Somebody's been putting a finger
on us, so we lay low until the leak's plug.
Speaker 8 (18:25):
But the Germans are everywhere. Spies, perhaps two, are everywhere.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
I think I know who's responsible for these murders. I'll
make a deal with you. Give me a couple of
days to work it on. We'll issue you boys some money,
and all you've got to do is to get lost
until Saturday night and then meet me back here. If
I haven't patched up our security by then, you can
all quit the marquis and become collaborating.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
No one wishes to collaborate, but one must think of
one's family.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Okay, Dad, Yeah, dude, give the boys a thousand francs apiece.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Right, Come and get a boy.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
On alce, Lieutenant, I'm gonna have a little time on
my hands for the next couple of days. You think
you could arrange to introduce me your girlfriend. Oh but
of course, Lieutenant, maybe she's okay, like you say, we
can let her sign up.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I am desolated with happiness, lieutenant.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
One thing. None of that lieutenant business around here until
I make sure she's all right. Very well, you think,
my friends, she's good enough to pass as a native.
But of course, lieutenant all right, and pass me off
as a friend of yours. Let's see, I need a name.
Let's call me Jacques de Fran.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Jacques du Fran.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Good.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I will make the arrangements immediately.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I thought you'd like an excuse to get into town
to me. The next afternoon, i'll see. Brought the girl
out to the woods near his aunt's house. I stood
behind a tree to watch and make sure they weren't
being followed. She was all right, tall, long, sunburned legs,
(19:47):
her hair caught in a blue ribbon like a little girl's.
I let them walk by, and then I stepped from
behind my tree.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Oh hello, elsie Renee. This is my good friend, Jacques
deu Fran. He's from Paris too, Jacques. This is reneidency boy.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Glad to meet you, ma'amiselle.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
And I'm honored to meet you, monsieur. Where do you live?
In Paris?
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Near the Porto de la la But my home is
no longer there.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
It was bombed out alas so smiled.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
My family remain with friends, but I've come out into
the country to fight with the resistance.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Jacques has much influence with the commander of our marquis.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I hope you will be able to persuade him to
let me join you.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Monsieur, I shall do what I can.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
It would be a privilege and an honor to work
with a patriot like you.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
See Jacques, I told you Rene was all right.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He didn't tell me the half of it. Mademoiselle, you
understand that we must be cautious. There are questions I
must ask of a confidential nature.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Why don't we meet again alone? Why not say tonight,
I have a little car, we might take a drive.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Fine, But Rene, you promised me that.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
See you some other time. I share Remember France comes first.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
We just drove that night. She was wearing a white
ribbon in her hair and a loose white dress and
no stockings. We just drove around in her little citro
Ron with the top down and a wind blowing her
hair like a girl in a magazine ahead. Then we
came back about midnight and parked with a bridge, and
I felt like I was back in high school in Illinois.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
Look at those stars, Shack.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
Yeah, so many of them, so close you can almost
reach out and touch them.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Yeah, I had them all once, Shock, I reached out
and gathered them all in my arms once.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
I want you to know all about me, Shack.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I want to.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
Don't think it's wrong of me, but I've been in love.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
There's nothing wrong in being in love.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
He was a soldier.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Most everybody is these days, a German soldier.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
Oh don't you think that love is bigger than war
or hate for anything?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Yeah? I guess.
Speaker 6 (22:16):
So he's dead.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
No, that's good. I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't mean
to hurt you. I'm not sorry he's dead, Shack.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
I'm so confused. I want to understand things. I want
to be intelligent about things, and everything gets so mixed
up like now, like now, Yes, Shock, I've never been
(22:52):
so happy as.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
I am tonight, not even with the German.
Speaker 6 (22:57):
Not even with him. Why does it have to end?
Why do those blessed stars have to go out one
by one to make way for another day of war?
Why can't we stop time? You and I gather all
(23:18):
the stars together just for us.
Speaker 9 (23:21):
I don't know, baby, It's never been done before. Awake
and try.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
To shut my shell shore shut.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Yeah. Yeah, tomorrow night, same time, same place for her.
If you say the word sure, why not? Who knows
how long forever is in this crazy world? Why not
have it together? Why not get married?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
My most see you tomorrow night.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
I'll only be half alive until then, Sherry. If you
want to write your family in Paris, give me the
letter tomorrow night and I'll mail it for you.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
All right, Drop that rock and grab a sock, rise
and shine a love a boy. I brought your cup
of chocolate. Figured you want breakfast in bed this morning.
How'd you make out last night? Okay, details, let's have
the details.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Nothing much to report. We drove and then we parked
for a while and talked.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Did she give anything away?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
No information? She's a funny kid. Her dialogues as corny
as a Bobby socks. She knows she's pretty, so she
wants to be admired for her mind. But I'm sure
she's Armada hari. I'll come. She offered a mail a
letter to my family. M It's consistent. I asked her
to marry me. What if she didn't believe me? But
she pretended like she did. I don't know why she's
doing what she's doing. Thrills. Maybe French juvenile of the
(25:13):
lake water. Maybe tonight's the night the night you get married,
now the night we get her. The boys are meeting
us here at midnight. You know what's the plan. Well,
I'll take another ride with her, and about midnight we'll
be back in park with the bridge and you'll be
there out of sight. I'll have some brandy along and
i'll slug her drink with a capture pill. When she's
passed up, I'll give you the come on and you
join me here, Baby, have another vent.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
I shouldn't shout brandy always makes me sleepy.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
What of it? This is a celebration of our engagement.
Speaker 6 (25:54):
Kiss me shut again and again? Sure shock the stars
and near nearer than they've ever.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
Been, Nearer than you think, Baby, I love you?
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Shall I do love you? Kiss me? You can.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Do it a care?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I can't, really, baby, I guess sleep you collaboration is
pig can you hear me? Okay? Out like a red
light in the narrating, here's her person. Start to do it.
While I untangle myself with you.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I'll take a look at this. What is a letter?
From Gestapo headquarters, confirming received three addresses.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Let me see that. Well, I'll had one's Elson's family
and that one's genre.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And here's a good stoppo identification card.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Flasher light over there. Look at her, What a dish
Look at that kisser. And she's responsible for the death
of six people whose only crime was being born French.
She'd e wrecked our marquis, snap food, our mission and
turned me over to the Gestapo. And her lipstick still
in my collar. That gorgeous hunk a double crossed. Well,
we got the proof. Let's get on with it.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Okay, I guess you'd rather r know.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
This is my job. Geez, she's gorgeous. Yeah, so long, honey, thanks.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
She it's so gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Now at least that handbrake got it. Come on, shove
not yet, keep that steering real straight. The river's deepest
right at the center of the bridge. Yeah, now high
right on the wheel. You know something ed eh? I
think she finally did gather that armful of stars. Sure
(27:56):
the operation was successful. When the time came, our roadblock
tied up three German divisions while Patton rolled on to
the east. But I still lie awaked night thinking I
should have married that dame. Yeah, the operation was successful,
but the patient died.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Operation Florida Lee was written, directed, and produced by William N. Robeson,
with Jack Webb as Duke, Elliott Lewis has Hill, Peggy
Webber as Renee, and Harry Bartel as al Sine. Operation
(28:36):
Fluridal Lee was based on an incident from the files
of the OSS recorded in sab Rosa by Stuart Alsop
and Thomas Braden. A special musical score was conceived and
conducted by Cypure. Escape is presented by CBS and it's
affiliated stations.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Each week at this time.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Next week, we invite you to escape with Scott Fitzgerald
in his unforgettable story The Diamond as Big as the writs,
and so good night until next week, when again it
will be time to escape. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
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