Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany (46 page)

(Source: Appellate Brief, United States v. Mildred E. Gillars (Sisk), December 1949, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia,
Washington DC: National Archives)

SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT

1944

“Mothers and Dads in America, you’ve no idea what hell your boys have been through. And to thank…. they’ve got Franklin D. Roosevelt, who promised you American mothers that no American boy would be sacrificed on foreign battlefields. I only wish you would get a little glimpse at the conflict going on in Normandy. Well, Roosevelt asked you to do it for him and you did. Wait until some of these human wrecks get back to you once again. You won’t even be able to recognize some of them. Believe me…. I’ve seen them. Well, this is Midge signing off.”

SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT

September 1944

MIDGE: All right, where are we calling?

KENNETH HEALY: Chicago

MIDGE: Oh Chicago. Calling Chicago that toddling town/

HEALY: If anyone can get a hold of Mildred Healy in Chicago tell her, tell her that her son Kenneth is ok and all well.

MIDGE: Chicago’s a big town. Better have a street address, you know?

HEALY: I don’t know where she is.

MIDGE: Your mother?

HEALY: Well, She moves around quite a bit. You know, Well, I just don’t know. Someone will know there. Mildred Healy… is all right
(unintelligible)

MIDGE: Well, uh

HEALY: And uh, I expect to be home very soon.

MIDGE: Well, let’s hope so for your mother’s sake. Thank you, Mr. Healy. All right now, we’ve finished with that little message for Chicago. I do hope it gets to her, since we have no street address for Mrs. Healy. And now, where this little message going to?

PRISONER 2: Philadelphia

MIDGE: Oh, Philadelphia. The good old Quaker town…

PRISONER 2: That’s right

MIDGE: Street and Name

POW: Tucker St.

MIDGE: And who are you calling over in Philadelphia?

PRISONER 2: Mrs. John P—-. 5051 West Tucker St….

MIDGE: Is that your mother?

PRISONER 2: My mother

MIDGE: And now you have the microphone all to yourself.

PRISONER 2: Mom, I’m ok. Don’t’ worry about me, I’ll be home pretty soon. I’m in the best of health. Well, when I get home, I’ll be asking for the little baby.

MIDGE: And whose little baby is that?

PRISONER 2: That’s my sister’s.

MIDGE: Oh your sister. Never saw the little baby, hmm?

PRISONER 2: A little girl.

MIDGE: Yeah, I’ll bet you do… it must have been tough for you to take part in the invasion… Bet you’re glad to have a little rest then….

PRISONER 2: Yeah, in a way.

MIDGE: Well, I’m going to give another boy a chance then, shall we? It’s your turn, is it not? Where to?

PRISONER 3: Iowa

MIDGE: What town in Iowa?

PRISONER 3: Albia, Iowa

MIDGE: How do you spell that?

PRISONER 3: A-L-B-I-A.

MIDGE: Albia, oh yes. Quite a small place, isn’t it?

PRISONER 3: Yeah, about 10,000.

MIDGE: Well, I like little American small towns. They’re sweet aren’t they? Nice and cozy. Everybody knows everybody else. All the corny cousins…. The drug store…. Sipping cider out of a bottle with the girl you love.

PRISONER 3: Well, not quite cider.

MIDGE: (laughs) who have you got over there?

PRISONER 3: My mother. Mrs. Margaret Blanton

MIDGE: Mrs. Margaret Blanton, Northeast Street, St. Albia, Iowa.

PRISONER 3: Come through the invasion all right, mom. In a little I’ll be back eating them pancakes for breakfast

MIDGE: And maple syrup. Mmm…. Grand! Aunt Jemima pancakes. I’m sorry I haven’t got any over here. I’d make some for you myself. I’d help you eat them too. Heh, heh….

PRISONER 3: I’m ok. And I’ve come through all right without a scratch. Just waiting for the day when I’ll be back

MIDGE: It must have been pretty hard for your mother, hmmm?

PRISONER 3: Well I supposed she expected it.

MIDGE: Any brothers or sisters over there?

PRISONER 3: Yes, I have two brothers and a sister.

MIDGE: Ah ha. So your mother’s not quite alone.

PRISONER 3: No, she’s not alone.

MIDGE: Well, that’s a big relief for her. Because mothers always have the hardest time, don’t they?

PRISONER 3: Hmmm.

MIDGE: Well, anyway, I’m awfully glad to have been able to give this little message to your mother. And hope it will cheer her up a lot.

PRISONER 3: Well, so do I…. Bye, bye mom!

SURVIVORS OF THE INVASION FRONT

September 20, 1944

“Hello America…. this is Midge talking to the American families once again tonight and this time from this invasion front. You know for many years, I have been the go-between between your men in Germany and you, the beloved ones, way back home. Well folks, I’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble now to get next to the latest prisoners of war taken along the coast of Normandy. Because I can just put myself in your place and know how very, very worried you are. And so now, I’ve seen some of your boys, talked to them, realized their great, great disillusionment and how practically to a man they’ve said to me ‘we would never, never fight another war’. Well, folks tonight first of all I present to you one of these soldiers, a paratrooper who left England on D-Day and was, he claimed, to be perhaps the first man to have been captured by the Germans in the invasion. I happened to have a little chat with him in the officers’ barracks not very far from Paris. I’d now like to give you the little recording which is for Mr. EVANICK, the relatives in New York City. Now be good enough all you folks to drop a postcard to those concerned, in case they themselves were not sitting at the radio set. And now, here is Mr. Evanick:

MIDGE: So I think we are calling New York City.

EVANICK: Yes,

MIDGE: Is that right?

EVANICK: Yes.

MIDGE: And if you’d give the name of the person or persons to whom you’d like to greet and so they’ll be very surprised to know that you are fine.

EVANICK: I’d like to greet my sister-in-law in New York City, 500 East 13th Street in New York City.

MIDGE: 500

EVANICK: East 13th Street, New York City

MIDGE: East 13th Street you said, 500 did you? Not 503?

EVANICK: 500

MIDGE: 500 East 13th Street, and your sister-in-law’s name is…

EVANICK: (
unintelligible)

MIDGE: Alva? EVANICK: (
unintelligible)

MIDGE: Evanick and would you please spell Evanick?

EVANICK: E-V-A-N-I-C-K

MIDGE: E-V-A-N-I-C-K is that right? Well I think that’s very clear. And I suppose they have no idea that you’re over in a prisoner of war camp in France at the moment.

EVANICK: I don’t know.

MIDGE: (
unintelligible
)

EVANICK: Well… (
unintelligible
) she’s knows I came here from England.

MIDGE: Some time ago.

EVANICK: Short time ago.

MIDGE: Well, when did you leave England?

EVANICK: Well, I couldn’t tell you that, well on D-Day…

MIDGE: Oh, on D-Day… of course, (
laughs
) and where did you go from there?

EVANICK: I went in France

MIDGE: Into France… as what?

EVANICK: As a paratrooper, a fighting man.

MIDGE: Do you want to tell your sister-in-law something about it, about your adventures getting over here?

EVANICK: Well, I can tell her, you know, I’m all right and a prisoner of war, Say hello to everybody over in New York, all my friends and…

MIDGE: The Great White Way…

EVANICK: That’s right

MIDGE: Uh huh.
(unintelligible)

MIDGE: That’s his son?

MIDGE: He’s quite a favourite of yours, apparently.

EVANICK: I’ve got his picture with me.

MIDGE: Oh have you really? Well you might show it to me afterwards. Well, have you got any special little thing to tell her? She might be awfully interested to hear about your experiences, I think you’ve had a very vivid life, haven’t you?

EVANICK: Well, yes, but the only thing I have to tell her now…

MIDGE: Anything to tell her about the treatment you are getting over here? To put her mind at ease perhaps…. in case she’s worried about you?

EVANICK: The treatment… Not too good, not too great….

MIDGE: You’re satisfied then.

EVANICK: Satisfied.

MIDGE: After all, a prisoner isn’t living in a castle, is he?

EVANICK: That’s right

MIDGE: Prisoner of war. So you’re leading a soldier’s life and taking it as it comes.

EVANICK: Yes.

MIDGE: You told me a little while ago, before we began speaking here, that all the boys wanted to get back home?

EVANICK: Well yes, we’d like to finish the war and go back home.

MIDGE: Well is there anything else you’d like to say way back to New York from Gay Pareè, not very far from us?

EVANICK: Well, I’d just like to say hello to everybody and I’ll be seeing you.

MIDGE: I hope it won’t be too long… Well, I hope I’ve made you a little happy with this message back home?

EVANICK: Yes. Appreciate it very much.

MIDGE: (unintelligible)

EVANICK: (unintelligible)

MIDGE: Well, goodbye New York!

EVANICK: Goodbye, New York!

(Source: Author’s Transcription of NARA tape recording of Survivor’s
of the Invasion Front, September 20, 1944. College Park MD: Archives II)

MEDICAL REPORTS