July 21, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode of Voice of the Army, Jimmy Stewart narrates the story of an ill-fated plane in the Pacific Theater during World War II...and a legend that goes along with it.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 1, 1949
Originated from Hollywood
Also featured: Jeff Chandler and Sam Edwards
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Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 1, 1949
Originated from Hollywood
Also featured: Jeff Chandler and Sam Edwards
Support the show on a One-Time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
and become one of our Patreon Supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Subscribe to the Podcast at http://www.snackwagon.net or wherever you download your podcasts from.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/old-time-radio-snack-wagon-rare-historic-radio-programs--5919985/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Old Time Radio snack Wagon is on its summer break.
We're tuning up the snack Wagon, ordering our ingredients, and
preparing to serve you up a new match of old
time radio snacks in our fifth season. In the meantime,
enjoy this second helping of some of our best season
one episodes, and we'll be back with our new season
(00:23):
on Monday, September eighth.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Excuse me? Are you Adam Graham?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
The very same? And this is my old Time Radio
snack Wagon.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Welcome to the Old Time Radio snack Wagon, where we
serve up a bite sized portion of old time radio.
And now here's your snack wagon host, Adam Graham.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
And welcome to the Old Time Radio snack Wagon. This
is the start of a new podcast. Here we will
foe on shorter it's of old time radio across a
variety of genres. I'll talk a little bit more about
the type of programs that we're going to feature, but
(01:14):
I don't want to go too long before I serve
up this week's old time radio snack. There were few
performers as well loved or well respected in Hollywood's Golden
Age than Jimmy Stewart and I wanted to start out
with some of his work, and we'll be playing an
episode of Voice of the Army. Voice of the Army
(01:37):
was one of many syndicated public service radio programs that
air during radio's golden age. Probably the most famous of
these was Guest Star, which was produced to encourage listeners
to buy savings bond. Voice of the Army was put
out for US Army recruitment, and again it was syndicated
(02:01):
and so could appear across a wide variety of different
stations throughout the United States. Today's program originally aired April
thirteenth of nineteen forty nine, and the title is The
Flying Dutchman.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
And No The Flying Dutchman starring Jimmy Stewart from Hollywood, California,
the US Army and the US Air Force bring you
(02:40):
a story. A strange story made stranger because it is
true and because of faithful coincidence, Our Air Force E
forty seven airplane in this story was named the Flying
Dutchman because of her pilot's Dutch American parentage. He was
named without thought of the fabled Dutch mariner roam the
(03:00):
Seventh Seas till Judgment Day. Yet her story carries an
amazing parallel. Our narrator is the eminent star of screen
and radio, Jimmy Stewart. This transcribe feature is another in
the series of the Voice of the Army.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And Now Jimmy Stewart.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Hello everybody. Well, this is one of those stories that
has become legend. The story is true. Whether the legend
is or not, well for you to decide. Many people
believe in it, and perhaps without realizing it, you do too.
(03:52):
This was told to me by a veteran of the
South Pacific, and these are his words. I first learned
this story as I sat on the operations hot of
a troop carrier outfit on the island of New Guinea.
It was in June nineteen forty three. We were waiting
for the weather to lift before continuing on our journey
to the Australian mainland for supplies. It was rain and
(04:19):
as only it can rain in tropical Pacific. Sergeant Kerensky,
the operations clerk, and I have been talking when suddenly
he paused listening, and then he said, do.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
You hear that hear that ship?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Yeah, Sergeant, I do.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Not a JAP, No, not JAP.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
The warning that hasn't flashed an alert.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well one of ours, don't huh? Well, yeah, yeah, I
guess you could say it's one of.
Speaker 7 (04:53):
Ours, But it's one airplane the control tower. I won't
have to clear a runway for him.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
What do you mean, sergeant, you mean it's not based here,
that's rising, not here or anywhere else. For a moment
(05:23):
I thought Sergeant Kerensky was kidding me. But the expression
on his face and the sound of the aeroplane that
couldn't be seen convinced me of his sincerity, and he
told me that in November of the previous year, his
outfit was based at seven Miles Strip, just outside Port Mooresby,
(05:44):
New Guinea. Their C forty sevens were kept busy providing
airlib to the infantry across the Owen Stanley mountain Range.
It was a routine job for the pilots, but a tough,
dangerous trip.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Believed me.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
This mountain range, running down the center of New Guinea,
sometimes reaches a height of fourteen thousand feet. It's so
rugged that it formed the main barrier to the Japanese
advance on Australia. While our pilots crossed these mountains by
using a natural cleft in the range known as Kokoda Trail.
(06:19):
It's a mighty small bridge in the vastness of the
Orange Stanley Mountains, and a mighty hard one defined in
a sudden tropical rainstorm.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Hey, chum, what's with a trip today? A little rugged
out there, don't you agreed? Yeah? But what's rain with you? Guys?
Speaker 7 (06:40):
You've done it before.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
What do you want?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
State side weather?
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Okay, we'll fly it, how do we? Holly?
Speaker 7 (06:46):
This is a big day for you, you and that
flying Dutchman airplane today. You've got a bunch of infantrymen
to deliver in.
Speaker 8 (06:53):
Blunt, big day over these mountains to the landing strip
that isn't there?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
What do you talk of?
Speaker 7 (07:00):
Buona strip is done there as big as a landing
strip at Randolph Field.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Getting with it, boy, getting with it? Okay? What times
take off?
Speaker 7 (07:08):
Well, a chief wants you to wait over thirteen hundred
hours and hoops, it's a muckle clear away, A.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Stuff won't clear. I'll check back later, junior.
Speaker 7 (07:16):
I do that driver, you and that crow set of
yours get out there and implore the moisture away.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Honest. That's that's the way these people in the Air
force talk and confidentially.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
That's what makes it so great, That's what makes it
big enough for a legend like this. Everybody works together
and it really works. But the Ara plan that you
see overhead today isn't flying solely because of the guy
at the controls. Sure he has something to do with it,
but let's have a lot of other guys. Guys like
(07:58):
the sergeant who crewed the Flying Dutchman loved that ship.
He pampered it, he believed in that.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
He's baby it.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Why he wrote a poem about it, and it's well,
I'll tell you about that later.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Okay, Junior, where's the manifesto.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
Ready in waiting?
Speaker 7 (08:21):
Lieutenant? And every replacement moment is badly needed in the
campaign over there. But what do you really mean you're
gonna take off and weather like this?
Speaker 8 (08:32):
Sure, these men from the thirty second Division Alonsomer just
got to see their buddies.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So I'm homing on that bonus strip.
Speaker 7 (08:39):
Oh buddy, you just home on this seven mile strip
and we'll all be happy.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
God, don't worry, jun Your papa carry the mails. Just
keep the coffee one you're seeing.
Speaker 9 (08:48):
You, Hey, Lieutenant, I'd already taken you a co pilot
and Kuchi shit, I want to ride?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah? Sure, good, thanks Jake Heaps walking on a day
like this.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
Here you're caron Alloda Buna today.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Yeah, infantry men from the thirty second division.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
It's a mighty rugged day for a flight over the
mow and Stanley Mountain.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
It makes me glad.
Speaker 10 (09:19):
I'm just a jeep jockey with four wheels on the ground.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
God the Dutchman will make it all right.
Speaker 11 (09:24):
We've been off a Cocota trail so often we can
almost fly at blindfolded.
Speaker 7 (09:27):
Canl with rain like this?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
You might just as well be blindfolded.
Speaker 10 (09:33):
Well, here you are, sir, a good ship flying fetchman.
Good luck looking at it.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Thanks Jake be saying it.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
There's the old Kokoda trail across the Owen Stanley rain,
and the stories told about it are many under stream,
but the one that teases memory, and the one that
we'll relate, is about the flying Dutchman and the day
she met her fate. It was the tenth day of
(10:12):
November in the year of forty two, when she revved
up for takeoff in a sky that wasn't blue. For
the heavens, gray and sullen, thick with heavy thundercloud had
loosed on earth. Their waters hid the sunlight like a shroud.
Speaker 11 (10:39):
Army three seven one four to tower standing by for takeoff.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Instructures er power to Army three seven one four.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
You are cleared for immediate takeoff. Army three seven one four.
Roger out.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Okay, boys, this is it, This is it, This is it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
This is that.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Half hour out of more's being the worst of the thunderstorm.
Speaker 11 (11:32):
Oh boy, Jack, this is the worst yet. I haven't
seen a checkpoint since takeoff. According to time, we must
be close to Kakoda.
Speaker 10 (11:42):
Chief the the oil pressure has gone on the port engine.
Speaker 11 (11:46):
Yeah, cut port switches feather port prop. I will never
be able to keep her up in this storm. I
have to try a crash landing with Oh and these
mountains thuse. Kids in back will stand a better chance
hitting the silk, So will you, Jack, I'll stick with you, Okay,
hand me the intercom. Michael Wirelo to crew band who
(12:08):
abandoned ship passengers. First, Jack, you better take a looking
back and see everyone gets away safely.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
All right? Cheep? Oh, well, can you handle alone here
for a while. Let me know when they're all clear.
Speaker 10 (12:21):
Roger, Everyone out safely, cheep. I'll watch their suits blossom.
Speaker 11 (12:37):
They'll be all right, good, all right, fashing your seat, Brot,
Maybe we can get the old girl down in one piece.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Earthbound now in tropic land, she lies to rod Away airborne,
nevermore again. Yet there are some who say, and lose
on Earth their rain. The good ship Flying Dutchman cruises
through the skies again. The natives swear they've heard the
(13:37):
sound of her motor's mighty roar high above the old
Cokoda Trail where she once flew proud before that her
pilot's hands still guides her through the rain swept tropic
sky from the airport in Valhalla, where the brave can
never die. True, this legend may well be, for I've
(14:05):
heard the sound and air during sudden tropic rainstorms of
a plane that wasn't there, And perhaps the Flying Dutchman
and her pilot proudly sail somewhere through God's heaven, high
above Cocoda's and traer. Well, that's the story, and the legend.
(14:42):
The story is true. Now, whether the legend is or not,
that's that's for you to decide. The man that told
me the story he believes it, and I cand of
believe it too.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Thank you Jimmy Stewart for your excellent narration of a
little known legend of our Air Force.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
While it was a great pleasure for me to appear
before your Voice of the Army audience.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
And now a few words to you former members of
the United States Air Force, especially you men who were
crew chiefs, mechanics, maintenance men, or radio operators. Your Air
Force needs you now for today. The United States Air
Force is a power for fee today, in keeping with
its coming of age, is the nation's first line of defense.
(15:40):
The United States Air Force is carrying out several important assignments,
such as Operation Vittals the Berlin AirLand. We need qualified men,
and we are prepared to enlist such qualified men in
a grade equal to their individual ability and experience. So
see your local US Army and US Air Force recruiting
(16:01):
sergeant today, and remember airpower is peace power. A Flying
Dutchman was brought to you by the US Army and
the US Air Force in cooperation with this station and
starred Jimmy Stewart. Also featured in the cast were Sam Edwards,
Jeff Chandler, Don Aurek, and Bill Martel. Music was by
(16:21):
Eddy Dunsteading Voice of the Army, Thanks Jimmy Stewart for
appearing on this program, which was written by Staff Sergeant
Martin Lemon and was directed by Major Hugh K.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Murray.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
This is rye Ilsbury speaking. This transcribe program has been
another in a series of the Voice of the Army.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Welcome Back Jimmy Stewart telling a story of the US
Army Air Corps. It was a natural choice. Stuart had
been the first Hollywood actor to enlist and received his
commission in the Army Air Corps based on him having
graduated college and holding a commercial pilot's license. Despite attempts
(17:24):
to keep him at home, he pushed for service overseas
and flew B twenty four Liberators and was decorated for
his service, leaving active duty as a colonel and continuing
to serve in the Air Force Reserves until nineteen sixty eight.
Having Jimmy Stewart and Jeff Chandler in the same radio
(17:46):
program as interesting as they would be linked in a
film that would come out the next year, Broken Arrow.
It was a western that Stuart started in, but Jeff
Chandler would receive an Oscar nomination for Best supporting actor,
and that would be a starmaking role for him. Today's
episode was service related, but not all of the programs
(18:12):
that were sponsored for recruitment were. I mean, if you
only sponsored service related dramas, you're pretty much speaking to
the choir in terms of anyone who you could get
to enlist. These series tended to play a variety of
programs to draw listeners who might not have military recruitment
(18:37):
on their mind. And so you'll hear a lot of
light dramas and comedies on many of these programs. And
it's worth noting that there were so many military recruitment programs.
There were shows like the new National Guard program, Proudly
We Hail, and The Adventures of Maybe Ruth. As radio
(18:58):
shifted away from towards being more music based, the armed
forces sponsored all sorts of military programs in their drive
to find recruits. The Army had among its offerings Country
Style USA and Serenade in Blue, while the reserves had
(19:19):
the cleverly named Reserve for You. The Navy had Navy Country,
Hodown and Navy Swings among its recruitment offerings. And there
are so many more. Now you might reasonably wonder is
every single episode of the Old Time Radio snack Wagon
(19:40):
gonna feature one of these sort of programs, And the
answer is no, not at all. Our aim here is
to feature a variety of different programs to give people
a taste of all that old time radio has to offer.
I think that even people who have have an idea
(20:01):
of the existence of old time radio programs tend to
have a sort of narrow view of what was produced.
And there are so many little treasures, little gems out
there that are intriguing and entertaining. So you're gonna hear
a bit of everything on this podcast. We will play
(20:23):
more public service programs eventually, but we'll also bring you comedies,
we'll play dramas. Our focus will mostly be on things
that are self contained. We're not going to play the
twenty six part serial Green Valley Line or something like that.
We'll play programs about sports and animals, and we're not
(20:47):
just going to play these sort of rare series. We'll
also play excerpts from programs as you'll hear next week.
And this is also a series where your Contrabusians are welcome.
There are tens of thousands of hours of old time
radio out there, and no one can possibly listen to
(21:10):
it all. So if you've heard a segment, or if
there's some short series out there that you think is
worth our attension, then please email me and I'll take
a look at it. You want to check snackwagon dot
net for guidelines and the type of shows that we
will consider. Also try to keep the commentary section shorter.
(21:34):
But I wanted to take a little extra time the
first time I drove the snack Wagon out to explain
this series and what we're going to be doing, and
I hope you'll be part of it. It's time for
(21:59):
me to close up the Old Snackwagon, but don't worry,
we'll be back with another serving of old time radio
goodness before you know it. If you want to enjoy
some of our longer form podcast, you can feast away
at my website at Great Detectives dot net. Your emails
are also welcome at Adam at snackwagon dot net.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
The Old Time Radio Snackwagon comes to you from Boise, Idaho.
Your host is Adam Graham. Sound production is by Ryn's
Media LLC. You can listen to past episodes of the
Old Time Radio Snackwagon, as well as connect on social media.
At our website at snackwagon dot net. Email suggestions for
(22:41):
episodes to Adam at snackwagon dot net. This has been
the old time Radio Snackwagon.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Until next time.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Good Bye,
The Old Time Radio snack Wagon is on its summer break.
We're tuning up the snack Wagon, ordering our ingredients, and
preparing to serve you up a new match of old
time radio snacks in our fifth season. In the meantime,
enjoy this second helping of some of our best season
one episodes, and we'll be back with our new season
(00:23):
on Monday, September eighth.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Excuse me? Are you Adam Graham?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
The very same? And this is my old Time Radio
snack Wagon.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Welcome to the Old Time Radio snack Wagon, where we
serve up a bite sized portion of old time radio.
And now here's your snack wagon host, Adam Graham.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
And welcome to the Old Time Radio snack Wagon. This
is the start of a new podcast. Here we will
foe on shorter it's of old time radio across a
variety of genres. I'll talk a little bit more about
the type of programs that we're going to feature, but
(01:14):
I don't want to go too long before I serve
up this week's old time radio snack. There were few
performers as well loved or well respected in Hollywood's Golden
Age than Jimmy Stewart and I wanted to start out
with some of his work, and we'll be playing an
episode of Voice of the Army. Voice of the Army
(01:37):
was one of many syndicated public service radio programs that
air during radio's golden age. Probably the most famous of
these was Guest Star, which was produced to encourage listeners
to buy savings bond. Voice of the Army was put
out for US Army recruitment, and again it was syndicated
(02:01):
and so could appear across a wide variety of different
stations throughout the United States. Today's program originally aired April
thirteenth of nineteen forty nine, and the title is The
Flying Dutchman.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
And No The Flying Dutchman starring Jimmy Stewart from Hollywood, California,
the US Army and the US Air Force bring you
(02:40):
a story. A strange story made stranger because it is
true and because of faithful coincidence, Our Air Force E
forty seven airplane in this story was named the Flying
Dutchman because of her pilot's Dutch American parentage. He was
named without thought of the fabled Dutch mariner roam the
(03:00):
Seventh Seas till Judgment Day. Yet her story carries an
amazing parallel. Our narrator is the eminent star of screen
and radio, Jimmy Stewart. This transcribe feature is another in
the series of the Voice of the Army.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And Now Jimmy Stewart.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Hello everybody. Well, this is one of those stories that
has become legend. The story is true. Whether the legend
is or not, well for you to decide. Many people
believe in it, and perhaps without realizing it, you do too.
(03:52):
This was told to me by a veteran of the
South Pacific, and these are his words. I first learned
this story as I sat on the operations hot of
a troop carrier outfit on the island of New Guinea.
It was in June nineteen forty three. We were waiting
for the weather to lift before continuing on our journey
to the Australian mainland for supplies. It was rain and
(04:19):
as only it can rain in tropical Pacific. Sergeant Kerensky,
the operations clerk, and I have been talking when suddenly
he paused listening, and then he said, do.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
You hear that hear that ship?
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Yeah, Sergeant, I do.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Not a JAP, No, not JAP.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
The warning that hasn't flashed an alert.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Well one of ours, don't huh? Well, yeah, yeah, I
guess you could say it's one of.
Speaker 7 (04:53):
Ours, But it's one airplane the control tower. I won't
have to clear a runway for him.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
What do you mean, sergeant, you mean it's not based here,
that's rising, not here or anywhere else. For a moment
(05:23):
I thought Sergeant Kerensky was kidding me. But the expression
on his face and the sound of the aeroplane that
couldn't be seen convinced me of his sincerity, and he
told me that in November of the previous year, his
outfit was based at seven Miles Strip, just outside Port Mooresby,
(05:44):
New Guinea. Their C forty sevens were kept busy providing
airlib to the infantry across the Owen Stanley mountain Range.
It was a routine job for the pilots, but a tough,
dangerous trip.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Believed me.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
This mountain range, running down the center of New Guinea,
sometimes reaches a height of fourteen thousand feet. It's so
rugged that it formed the main barrier to the Japanese
advance on Australia. While our pilots crossed these mountains by
using a natural cleft in the range known as Kokoda Trail.
(06:19):
It's a mighty small bridge in the vastness of the
Orange Stanley Mountains, and a mighty hard one defined in
a sudden tropical rainstorm.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Hey, chum, what's with a trip today? A little rugged
out there, don't you agreed? Yeah? But what's rain with you? Guys?
Speaker 7 (06:40):
You've done it before.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
What do you want?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
State side weather?
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Okay, we'll fly it, how do we? Holly?
Speaker 7 (06:46):
This is a big day for you, you and that
flying Dutchman airplane today. You've got a bunch of infantrymen
to deliver in.
Speaker 8 (06:53):
Blunt, big day over these mountains to the landing strip
that isn't there?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
What do you talk of?
Speaker 7 (07:00):
Buona strip is done there as big as a landing
strip at Randolph Field.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Getting with it, boy, getting with it? Okay? What times
take off?
Speaker 7 (07:08):
Well, a chief wants you to wait over thirteen hundred
hours and hoops, it's a muckle clear away, A.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Stuff won't clear. I'll check back later, junior.
Speaker 7 (07:16):
I do that driver, you and that crow set of
yours get out there and implore the moisture away.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
Honest. That's that's the way these people in the Air
force talk and confidentially.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
That's what makes it so great, That's what makes it
big enough for a legend like this. Everybody works together
and it really works. But the Ara plan that you
see overhead today isn't flying solely because of the guy
at the controls. Sure he has something to do with it,
but let's have a lot of other guys. Guys like
(07:58):
the sergeant who crewed the Flying Dutchman loved that ship.
He pampered it, he believed in that.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
He's baby it.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Why he wrote a poem about it, and it's well,
I'll tell you about that later.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Okay, Junior, where's the manifesto.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
Ready in waiting?
Speaker 7 (08:21):
Lieutenant? And every replacement moment is badly needed in the
campaign over there. But what do you really mean you're
gonna take off and weather like this?
Speaker 8 (08:32):
Sure, these men from the thirty second Division Alonsomer just
got to see their buddies.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
So I'm homing on that bonus strip.
Speaker 7 (08:39):
Oh buddy, you just home on this seven mile strip
and we'll all be happy.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
God, don't worry, jun Your papa carry the mails. Just
keep the coffee one you're seeing.
Speaker 9 (08:48):
You, Hey, Lieutenant, I'd already taken you a co pilot
and Kuchi shit, I want to ride?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah? Sure, good, thanks Jake Heaps walking on a day
like this.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
Here you're caron Alloda Buna today.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Yeah, infantry men from the thirty second division.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
It's a mighty rugged day for a flight over the
mow and Stanley Mountain.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
It makes me glad.
Speaker 10 (09:19):
I'm just a jeep jockey with four wheels on the ground.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
God the Dutchman will make it all right.
Speaker 11 (09:24):
We've been off a Cocota trail so often we can
almost fly at blindfolded.
Speaker 7 (09:27):
Canl with rain like this?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
You might just as well be blindfolded.
Speaker 10 (09:33):
Well, here you are, sir, a good ship flying fetchman.
Good luck looking at it.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
Thanks Jake be saying it.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
There's the old Kokoda trail across the Owen Stanley rain,
and the stories told about it are many under stream,
but the one that teases memory, and the one that
we'll relate, is about the flying Dutchman and the day
she met her fate. It was the tenth day of
(10:12):
November in the year of forty two, when she revved
up for takeoff in a sky that wasn't blue. For
the heavens, gray and sullen, thick with heavy thundercloud had
loosed on earth. Their waters hid the sunlight like a shroud.
Speaker 11 (10:39):
Army three seven one four to tower standing by for takeoff.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Instructures er power to Army three seven one four.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
You are cleared for immediate takeoff. Army three seven one four.
Roger out.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Okay, boys, this is it, This is it, This is it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
This is that.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Half hour out of more's being the worst of the thunderstorm.
Speaker 11 (11:32):
Oh boy, Jack, this is the worst yet. I haven't
seen a checkpoint since takeoff. According to time, we must
be close to Kakoda.
Speaker 10 (11:42):
Chief the the oil pressure has gone on the port engine.
Speaker 11 (11:46):
Yeah, cut port switches feather port prop. I will never
be able to keep her up in this storm. I
have to try a crash landing with Oh and these
mountains thuse. Kids in back will stand a better chance
hitting the silk, So will you, Jack, I'll stick with you, Okay,
hand me the intercom. Michael Wirelo to crew band who
(12:08):
abandoned ship passengers. First, Jack, you better take a looking
back and see everyone gets away safely.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
All right? Cheep? Oh, well, can you handle alone here
for a while. Let me know when they're all clear.
Speaker 10 (12:21):
Roger, Everyone out safely, cheep. I'll watch their suits blossom.
Speaker 11 (12:37):
They'll be all right, good, all right, fashing your seat, Brot,
Maybe we can get the old girl down in one piece.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Earthbound now in tropic land, she lies to rod Away airborne,
nevermore again. Yet there are some who say, and lose
on Earth their rain. The good ship Flying Dutchman cruises
through the skies again. The natives swear they've heard the
(13:37):
sound of her motor's mighty roar high above the old
Cokoda Trail where she once flew proud before that her
pilot's hands still guides her through the rain swept tropic
sky from the airport in Valhalla, where the brave can
never die. True, this legend may well be, for I've
(14:05):
heard the sound and air during sudden tropic rainstorms of
a plane that wasn't there, And perhaps the Flying Dutchman
and her pilot proudly sail somewhere through God's heaven, high
above Cocoda's and traer. Well, that's the story, and the legend.
(14:42):
The story is true. Now, whether the legend is or not,
that's that's for you to decide. The man that told
me the story he believes it, and I cand of
believe it too.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Thank you Jimmy Stewart for your excellent narration of a
little known legend of our Air Force.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
While it was a great pleasure for me to appear
before your Voice of the Army audience.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
And now a few words to you former members of
the United States Air Force, especially you men who were
crew chiefs, mechanics, maintenance men, or radio operators. Your Air
Force needs you now for today. The United States Air
Force is a power for fee today, in keeping with
its coming of age, is the nation's first line of defense.
(15:40):
The United States Air Force is carrying out several important assignments,
such as Operation Vittals the Berlin AirLand. We need qualified men,
and we are prepared to enlist such qualified men in
a grade equal to their individual ability and experience. So
see your local US Army and US Air Force recruiting
(16:01):
sergeant today, and remember airpower is peace power. A Flying
Dutchman was brought to you by the US Army and
the US Air Force in cooperation with this station and
starred Jimmy Stewart. Also featured in the cast were Sam Edwards,
Jeff Chandler, Don Aurek, and Bill Martel. Music was by
(16:21):
Eddy Dunsteading Voice of the Army, Thanks Jimmy Stewart for
appearing on this program, which was written by Staff Sergeant
Martin Lemon and was directed by Major Hugh K.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Murray.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
This is rye Ilsbury speaking. This transcribe program has been
another in a series of the Voice of the Army.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Welcome Back Jimmy Stewart telling a story of the US
Army Air Corps. It was a natural choice. Stuart had
been the first Hollywood actor to enlist and received his
commission in the Army Air Corps based on him having
graduated college and holding a commercial pilot's license. Despite attempts
(17:24):
to keep him at home, he pushed for service overseas
and flew B twenty four Liberators and was decorated for
his service, leaving active duty as a colonel and continuing
to serve in the Air Force Reserves until nineteen sixty eight.
Having Jimmy Stewart and Jeff Chandler in the same radio
(17:46):
program as interesting as they would be linked in a
film that would come out the next year, Broken Arrow.
It was a western that Stuart started in, but Jeff
Chandler would receive an Oscar nomination for Best supporting actor,
and that would be a starmaking role for him. Today's
episode was service related, but not all of the programs
(18:12):
that were sponsored for recruitment were. I mean, if you
only sponsored service related dramas, you're pretty much speaking to
the choir in terms of anyone who you could get
to enlist. These series tended to play a variety of
programs to draw listeners who might not have military recruitment
(18:37):
on their mind. And so you'll hear a lot of
light dramas and comedies on many of these programs. And
it's worth noting that there were so many military recruitment programs.
There were shows like the new National Guard program, Proudly
We Hail, and The Adventures of Maybe Ruth. As radio
(18:58):
shifted away from towards being more music based, the armed
forces sponsored all sorts of military programs in their drive
to find recruits. The Army had among its offerings Country
Style USA and Serenade in Blue, while the reserves had
(19:19):
the cleverly named Reserve for You. The Navy had Navy Country,
Hodown and Navy Swings among its recruitment offerings. And there
are so many more. Now you might reasonably wonder is
every single episode of the Old Time Radio snack Wagon
(19:40):
gonna feature one of these sort of programs, And the
answer is no, not at all. Our aim here is
to feature a variety of different programs to give people
a taste of all that old time radio has to offer.
I think that even people who have have an idea
(20:01):
of the existence of old time radio programs tend to
have a sort of narrow view of what was produced.
And there are so many little treasures, little gems out
there that are intriguing and entertaining. So you're gonna hear
a bit of everything on this podcast. We will play
(20:23):
more public service programs eventually, but we'll also bring you comedies,
we'll play dramas. Our focus will mostly be on things
that are self contained. We're not going to play the
twenty six part serial Green Valley Line or something like that.
We'll play programs about sports and animals, and we're not
(20:47):
just going to play these sort of rare series. We'll
also play excerpts from programs as you'll hear next week.
And this is also a series where your Contrabusians are welcome.
There are tens of thousands of hours of old time
radio out there, and no one can possibly listen to
(21:10):
it all. So if you've heard a segment, or if
there's some short series out there that you think is
worth our attension, then please email me and I'll take
a look at it. You want to check snackwagon dot
net for guidelines and the type of shows that we
will consider. Also try to keep the commentary section shorter.
(21:34):
But I wanted to take a little extra time the
first time I drove the snack Wagon out to explain
this series and what we're going to be doing, and
I hope you'll be part of it. It's time for
(21:59):
me to close up the Old Snackwagon, but don't worry,
we'll be back with another serving of old time radio
goodness before you know it. If you want to enjoy
some of our longer form podcast, you can feast away
at my website at Great Detectives dot net. Your emails
are also welcome at Adam at snackwagon dot net.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
The Old Time Radio Snackwagon comes to you from Boise, Idaho.
Your host is Adam Graham. Sound production is by Ryn's
Media LLC. You can listen to past episodes of the
Old Time Radio Snackwagon, as well as connect on social media.
At our website at snackwagon dot net. Email suggestions for
(22:41):
episodes to Adam at snackwagon dot net. This has been
the old time Radio Snackwagon.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Until next time.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Good Bye,
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