 proudly we hail New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by this station for your army to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Army our presentation is titled love and the sergeant and it proves once again that he who laughs last not only laughs best but also gets the girl our first act curtain will rise in just one moment but first young man let's talk about your future and America's future they're important to each other you know and to you today your United States Army is charged with a vital responsibility and to meet this responsibility the army is rapidly expanding its forces they have a job for you a job that must be done by men of courage you can get full details of how you may best serve your future and your country's future by a visit to your nearest United States Army recruiting station remember team up with the army and you team up with success and now the first act of the proudly we hail production love and the sergeant there are four people involved in this story to begin with there's a girl named Millicent Adams there's already Smith Jack Ryan and finally there's me Sergeant Edward Lewis to be some other people moving in and out of it but all you'll have to really follow be the four of us Millicent arty Jack and me at Lewis course this is a story that has to do with coincidence but I can't help that because everybody knows that coincidences do happen now this story starts on the night of July 1st 1944 in New York City Millicent Adams a girl from Omaha, Nebraska came to New York and found a job in an advertising agency she'd spent a couple of nights a week as a hostess in a canteen for servicemen which was run by her church now in this particular night of July 1st 1944 she met a soldier named arty Smith at the club arty was different from most of the other servicemen who were there that night arty's outfit was at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey about to go overseas was my outfit too I was arty's squad leader we've been given 12 hour passes to visit New York well arty happened to wander into this particular club and met Millicent as I say they met that night about 7 o'clock an hour later they knew they were in love don't ask me how they knew it if you've never been in love you'd never understand it and if you have been in love I don't have to explain it it seemed they had found out everything about each other that mattered and when arty said will you wait for me Millie he meant it and when she said I'll wait for you arty she meant it too and so they were engaged arm-in-arm they walked out of the canteen into the lights and the noise of Broadway they found a little jeweler shop on a side street there was a ring in the window arty thought it was much too small but he only had about a hundred dollars in his wallet anyhow Millicent didn't care arty it isn't how big the ring is I don't care about that I sure wish I could buy you a rock that would knock everybody's eye darling this one is good enough for me they bought it and then they found a telephone booth and Millicent put in a long-distance phone call to her dad and Omaha pop listen I'm engaged I'm engaged well who is it this time he's a soldier pop his name is arty when's the wedding you're gonna come home for the wedding I don't know pop he's going overseas tomorrow well wish him luck for me hello I've known him oh pop I've known him all my life we met tonight you crazy sure pop I'm in love I'll write you a letter tonight I'll tell you all about him goodbye pop they didn't have any time to be together talk plan she walked with him to the bus terminal and they said goodbye I was on that last bus to Camp Kilmer myself but I didn't see her I was sitting in my seat fast asleep as the bus pulled out he sat down next to me and he woke me up he had a talk to somebody I could have cheerfully killed him right then and there I was snoozing away mind of my own business we needed this lovesick Romeo Sarge Sarge I'm engaged congratulations wake me up and we get back to camp all my life I've been looking for this girl and when I do meet her just the day before I go overseas what do you want me to do laugh or cry her name is Millicent that's nice Sarge she's a dream she's beautiful do you understand beautiful I mean some girls are pretty but she's beautiful do you get the difference oh for crying out loud I mean alive with it sure Sarge I mean I've run around here and there with a few girls understand understand why and when people spoke about being in love I said to myself what are they building what kind of propaganda is this love business but tonight I found out bothering you I was sitting here sleeping mind of my own business Millicent Millicent and already Sarge when we get back I want you to come to the wet and understand I want you to be my best man how about it how do you know she's gonna wait for you already oh Sarge I don't care about those three stripes of yours I'd bust you right in the mouth if you weren't my best friend how do I know we're in love me and Millicent yeah love that's all you can't question it it comes or it doesn't look I just had a couple of hours to kill in New York and now my whole life is different yeah like I said before he woke me up well he didn't get any sleep that night he sat out and wrote a letter to Millicent right after breakfast we loaded onto the train and went to New York and boarded the transport every day he wrote Millicent a letter we landed in France and went into the lines but he kept writing those letters to Millicent and after a while the letters from Millicent started reaching Artie I never forget that first one listen listen to what she says dearest Artie every night as soon as I get home from the office I turn on my record player and play the song we danced to that night we met when we both knew it was happening to us I can remember every word we said to each other darling I keep looking at your picture and I had another one made to keep on my desk at the office Romeo grab the M1 it comes on and by the desk the letters kept coming and going and after a while I said Lewis you're the one who's wrong what are you laughing at these people for you're the smart one maybe but what are you getting out of life these people are in love man love isn't it wonderful anyhow then came the night the old man sent for me I went back to the command post and it was for what I had figured a patrol any questions Lewis no sir how to take two men and bring back a prisoner if you leave a little after midnight you should have plenty of time to get back before dawn yes sir while you're here make sure you pick up some dry socks for the man in your squad and you might as well hang around a few minutes Reds do back from regiment there might be some mail yes sir if any mail did come through there's bound to be something for Smith that boy sure does get a lot of letters doesn't he now you know this cap he's engaged must be quite a girl if you write some every day yeah oh here comes red now read Sergeant Lewis going back the line anything for a squad oh yes sir usual letter for Smith there's your letter arty oh thanks arch we're going out on a patrol okay if I got time to read this sure we've got about an hour knew me we'll take Gordon no fireworks all we want is a prisoner I told Gordon on my way back in he'll be with us in a couple of minutes and we'll figure it out brought you some dry socks well lover boy what does Millison got to say for herself today shut up huh I said shut up oh pardon me Lewis I'm getting out of here I'm going home yeah yeah well we're all going home someday I hope I'm telling you I got to get home right now she she can't do this come here will you where you go let's go sit down sit down before I knock you down going home how far do you think you'll get wake up will you look look at this it's a ring yeah that's what was in the letter my ring she she said it back oh what do you see nothing nothing I guess it speaks for itself doesn't it here read read the letter well I don't think it's all right read all right this will be the hardest thing I'll ever have to do in my life I'll just tell the truth and that's all I can do we met maybe we thought we fell in love I guess the setting was romantic and maybe we were both in love with the idea of being in love anyhow I know it wasn't the real thing for me anyway because the real thing happened to me yesterday I met him at the canteen and now I know what it's really like to fall in love he's a soldier he's an infantryman just like you he'll be headed for overseas any day now not that it matters but his name is Jack Ryan and we're engaged you don't know how sorry I am tear it up well I'm sorry to don't talk to me just let me alone look look you don't have to go out on this patrol with Gordon and me Tomkins missed the last one he can take your place no I'll go kid I know just how you feel the world's full of girls shut up say if she could do a thing like this she isn't worth it it's a good thing you found out now okay I will but it's my business to take the patrol out man I don't think you're in any shape to go oh yeah what do you want a prisoner all right let's get a move on I'll bring back the whole German Army well we didn't bring back the whole German Army although right then and there I think Artie might have been able to do it if we gave him the chance following day we moved out and ran the juries out of a town called the Villa main which is about as near as I can pronounce it then our whole battalion was pulled back into reserve we were just resting and getting filled in our new equipment when they sent us a replacement who would bring the squad up to full strength for the first time in months are you Sergeant Lewis yeah that's me well the topkicks that I'm in your squad oh okay this is Artie Smith the rest of the gang later would you say your name was oh Jack Ryan uh-huh where you from Jack Denver well I guess it must be a lot of guys named Jack Ryan holder plenty you know back at school there was even a guy with the same name in my class they were always getting his mixed up wait a minute wait a minute so it's a long shot but would you happen to know a girl named Millicent Millicent Adams do I know her buddy I'm engaged to her that's all I want to know yeah stand back they put up your hands for what's a big idea that's for stealing my girl girl cut it out the two of you looks out he wants to fight he can have it and you can have her that cheap little too you're talking about the girl I'm gonna I said put down your hands sit on I said sit on now look we've got enough for fight in front of us I won't stand for anybody swinging at anybody else in the squad you guys got a problem settle them on the war is over huh Sergeant he said something about my fiance I won't take that from anybody I want to settle it right now all right let's go where there's room enough buddy well listen buddy if you're close enough there's room enough that suits me I'm not gonna talk about this again to either one of you and don't tell me it's none of my business looks I'm running this squad and one thing I know we're gonna have teamwork we're gonna work together do you understand that I don't let me catch you looking for a place where you can square off I don't care about what happened back home your squad and the job you have to do comes first I shake hands okay okay maybe that's too much to ask but I'm telling you both right now behave yourself oh no nothing doing Lewis this one and me we got okay so I socked him and he socked you you're even that's as far as it goes remember that's an order you're listening to the proudly we hail production of love and the sergeant and we'll return to our second act in just one moment but first you ask most anyone what they want out of life and a great majority of the answers can be boiled down to just one word that one word is happiness well now happiness is a lot of different things to a lot of different people basically I guess you might say that it's the achievement of your goals to be happy is to be successful in whatever you do and in today's highly specialized world training is the key to success if you're a young man of service age you can get free training worth thousands of dollars by enrolling now in your United States Army's new reserve for you training program under this plan you can enter the course of your choice and be trained in such interesting fields as x-ray operation photography automotive maintenance and communications in all there are over 150 courses to choose from so for complete information on how you can benefit from this program you visit your local United States Army recruiting station remember team up with the army and you team up with success and now the second act curtain of the proudly we hail production love and the sergeant well I had a problem and it was a bad one I couldn't blame either one of them but still I was in trouble we're all in trouble when you're in a fighting outfit that's in combat you live in a tight little world of your own the only people in it are the guys in your immediate outfit there's nothing else all that matters is your own little group your life is in the hands of the guys on either side of you so like I say you're in the world's worst trouble if there's any friction and arty and Jack was so busy hating each other I knew they couldn't concentrate on the job all of us had to keep up a most in mind still I had to do something about it sir I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't think it was really serious they're both good men but you just can't order two guys to stop hating each other I know love sure can create problems well we're in a little luck anyhow I've got a vacancy here in company headquarters red was sent back to the hospital last night emergency appendectomy I'll need a new mail clerk that'll give us a chance to split those two up for a while well Smith is qualified sir he went to a clerk's school back in the States that's just what I had in mind sergeant I guess that'll solve the problem yeah well captain what is it sergeant well sir if arty Smith is going to be the new company mail clerk what I mean is sir the if this girl Millison writes letters to Jack Ryan well they'll all pass through arty's hands gonna be kind of rough on him sergeant Lewis I said I would solve the important problem I didn't say I'd be able to keep everybody happy yes sir after all we can't have everything oh sir I guess not well the letters still kept coming from Millison Adams only this time they were addressed to Jack Ryan arty Smith and the wall about the letters because he had to pick him up at regiment and bring him back to the company they passed through his hands the neat square white envelopes lightly perfumed addressed to Jack and Millison's familiar flowing handwriting one thing you had to say about Millison she wrote every day but lest you get the wrong idea all of this really occupied very little of my attention we were fighting a war and there were plenty of other problems yes lieutenant you see any sign of that second platoon no sir looks like we're up here all by ourselves second platoon must have run into trouble sir yeah and we can't pull back if we do the Jerry's gonna outflank the whole battalion we have to hold this position that's good position here lieutenant plenty of cover only thing is our ammo is running low Haskins is the wire still into the command post I should hope to hand me the phone big Fox big Fox little cub calling big Fox over holding in farmhouse at intersection of map coordinates 1 8 2 7 need friends all little cops fighting off big back wolf can you hold Lewis how's our ammo we're not rich lieutenant big Fox could use some steam in the boilers hello big Fox big Fox that's it Lewis the wires dead I think of the message about the ammo son sure hope they did and hate to have to think of a way to fight without it squad leaders check your men for ammo we were in one of those long rambling stone farmhouses that you find along the French countryside could have held out against the regiment provided we had enough ammunition but it'd been a long tough fight taking the farmhouse in the first place and the Germans are already counter-attacked twice if we didn't get some more ammo in a hurry we had to fall back it had been an hour since the phone went dead and the ammo was getting well they attacking strength Ryan what do you got left I should have a full clip in the gun and three more just two more in my rifle about yeah it's about the same most of them have well this could be it could be what size I think we'll have to volunteer wait a minute lieutenant oh what is it Lewis well if you have to pull the platoon out sir let my squad cover it hasn't come to that yet Lewis but it might sir yeah it might I'll talk to you in a couple of minutes there's still a chance they can get some ammo up to us Sarge what is it Ryan well you you and Addy Smith you were buddies weren't you wow we knew each other a long time he's a pretty good guy I'm sorry about what I'm not blaming you yeah but he is man I can understand that did you ever meet Mellison no the funny thing it was my last pass in New York just before going overseas I went to this canteen it's a real nice place so I heard oh there she was she was wearing an engagement ring and I figured you know she had a guy somewhere in the service she was serving coffee and that happened she told me she never really knew the guy must have been the music the mood she was in look what could we do we fell in love you and Smith the two of you break my heart she's beautiful not just pretty side she's beautiful hey Jack I heard all this before hey they're talking again no they're firing at something look right on the road coming up here jeep who is there comes our ammo if you can make it the king can you tell who's driving I can't see come on boy be lucky I caught you on this phone Ryan Gordon open up those double doors you can drive right into the house Lewis Lewis isn't that there it's Smith Addy Addy running right in here step on the gas board hey look out my brakes are gone Addy Addy you alright come on come on help him out of the scene no no no I'm okay lieutenant hey look in the back any of the boxes fall out yeah clips for the M ones belts for the light 30 and you've got some 60 millimeter for the mortar the old man says to tell you L company from third battalion should be here in less than two hours boy I thought you'd never make I had to make it doesn't the mail always come through the mail I was back at the command post when the lieutenant got us on the phone that's why I volunteered to bring up the ammo I had mail delivered where's Ryan hey Ryan I can wait up for you oh thanks Smith I appreciate it I could have waited for it no no no you couldn't it's from you know who you have to be a good guy to go through all this to bring me a letter from Millison considering everything well here's your letter thanks look Addy all this is nobody's fault I want to you and me can't be friends sure sure go read your letter I I understand decent kind of guy that Ryan going off into a corner to read Millison's letter so he doesn't have to embarrass you you know what I was thinking of all the while those Germans were shooting at me I was thinking what a good guy that Ryan is hey where you grinning at why are you so fond of Ryan all of a sudden oh well Ryan and I we have a lot in common yeah you see the minute I picked up that letter back at regiment there was something familiar about it Millison's handwriting looked a little shaky I could feel a piece of cardboard in the letter what was inside the cardboard I wondered as if I didn't know oh man I couldn't wait to deliver this letter look over there go right ahead the doors open she can't do this to me I do what such such as listen listen to what she writes dear Jack this will be the hardest thing I'll ever have to do in my life I'll just tell the truth we maybe we thought we fell in love yeah how do you know when I Jack remember I'm a member in good standing in this club does she tell you who the guy is oh it isn't any guy she says I just think it's time I grew up all my life I thought I would meet a night on a white horse today there are no nights and a handsome soldier well people don't fall in love that way not for real not for keeps where do they just tear this up sergeant get your minute position looks like they're gonna attack again well Jack you'll get over it believe me I think both of you guys will be alright until next time or maybe you think that's all there was to the story now that shows you should never jump at conclusions when the war was over I was sent back home I had my re-enlistment furlough then I was reassigned to a headquarters out for on Governor's Island in New York one night I happened to be in town thought I'd taken a show so I was wandering a long Broadway and before I knew it I'd gone into this servicemen's canteen I had an hour to kill before showtime I picked up a magazine can I get you some coffee sergeant I know no thanks are you just back from overseas yeah a few months hey it's pretty good music isn't it what's what's the procedure just ask a girl to dance that's about it or shall we well I'm supposed to be busy making sure everybody has coffee everybody seems to be busy dancing suppose we could just have this one well just this one then I have to get back to the coffee table good my name is Ed Lewis I'm Millicent Adams Millicent Millicent I've known you for a long time you've been away a long time too that particular line has been out of date for quite a while now what are you laughing at I'm gonna tell you someday is it really funny yeah yeah I think so but I'd have to know you a lot better first have to know you a lot longer say did did anybody ever tell you you were beautiful oh yes and I used to listen now I don't pay too much attention when a fella says it I won't say it tell me you're not engaged by any chance are you no I think you will be someday oh I hope to anybody mine not now well thanks for the dance excuse me I have to fill the percolator oh will you be here tomorrow night yes okay see tomorrow night bye Millicent bye Ed you know something what I must be slipping you're the first one in a long time who didn't ask to take me home Millicent when I get ready to take you home I'm gonna take you home for good and a year later I did that was long after I told her about Artie Smith and Jack Ryan back to the matter is I'd fallen in love with her long ago the way both those guys used to talk about showed me her letters how could I help it well today I'm an instructor in infantry tactics but I can also teach a lesson or two in the mysterious art of love I got two suggestions in case anybody's interested first never proposed to a girl the same night you meet her second never show her love letters to your sergeant master Smith I've got a question to ask all you young gals listening in say tell me gals are you kind of tired of the same old office routine well now you can get away from it all join the women's Army Corps you can travel all over the world meet new friends see new places that's right in the women's Army Corps you can escape from the humdrum routine of your present life visit exciting places in your country and abroad make new friends among young men and women all over the world and you'll have plenty of leisure time to enjoy your travels you see you get a 30-day paid vacation each year plus many weekend passes and of course there are always the holidays so why don't you join the wax you visit your local United States Army Recruiting Station talk it over with the real friendly folks down there remember gals you're gonna enjoy life more in the women's Army Corps this has been another program on proudly we have presented transcribed in cooperation with this radio station proudly we hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center in New York for the United States Army and this is Richard Hayes speaking inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail