D-Day

C.D Adamson, engineer correspondent of the BBC War Reporting Unit, with a midget Recorder (Courtesy BBC)

Today is June 6th, of course, known as D-Day. Today is the 75th anniversary of the landing on the shores of Normandy, France, codenamed Operation Neptune and part of Operation Overlord.

Radio was an absolutely essential part of relaying information to the homefront.

I tried to explain that today on Doubleheader but I didn't do a very good job of it. But it was also a show of very raw emotion (more than usual).

I had my say on the show today about the WGCH story in the Greenwich Time. I now hope WGCH can find the right path and that I can still be a big part of it. Moving on.

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Anyone who doesn't know the story of D-Day needs to do some reading. Even to just know the basics.

The bravery is off the charts.

While there were many more names who should be famous, there are names that you know who served on D-Day. Henry Fonda, Yogi Berra, Medgar Evars, Charles Durning, Bobby Jones (the golfer), David Niven, J.D. Salinger, and Sir Alec Guinness (yes, Obi-Wan Kenobi) were all involved near or at Normandy.

Did I mention J.D. Salinger? Well then allow Vin Scully to tell you more.

Just incredible.

But back to radio. Word had been spreading that the invasion was approaching. An invasion.

Here's a CBS radio report, anchored by Bob Trout, on the air around 2:50 a.m.

Here's a report at 3:30 a.m from NBC, anchored by Robert St. John. This video is not the first actual bulletin (they were on the air earlier also).

You can follow this link to listen to the BBC as they announced "The Invasion."

There is so much more that you can find with an internet search. Archive.org has complete broadcast days from NBC and CBS.

Finally, most fascinating to me is this audio from George Hicks. Working as a pool reporter from the NBC Blue Network (which became ABC), Hicks gives riveting play-by-play as the attack unfolds in front of him.



On this 75th anniversary (and every June 6th), let us pause and remember the brave souls who fought for our freedom, with a nod to the journalists -- electronic and print -- who got the word back to the United States. "Thank you" simply isn't enough.

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Last thing. Just saw that Mac Rebennack has died. He was better known as Dr. John. Some funky sounds came from the man from New Orleans. His 1973 hit "Right Place, Wrong Time" will always be a personal favorite. I made my siblings play the 45 more than a few times.