 Concerted by the DuPont Company. The Knight William Bendick stars in a heartwarming drama of a soldier with a problem. Bernadine, I love you. I'm the cavalcade of America, sponsored by the DuPont Company. Maker of better things for better living through chemistry. Better things that include DuPont Nylon, DuPont Cellophane, DuPont Classic. Tonight we bring you an original story, one that's full of humor and warmth. It's the story of a paratrooper who had a problem, and of how the Red Cross helped him out. We think it illustrates unusually well one of the human little odd jobs which the Red Cross does for the fighters in the line and for the lonesome servicemen behind the line. Warm as a handclasp and sentimental as young love is our play. Bernadine, I love you, starring William Bendick as Private Irving Breckenridge on the DuPont Cavalcade. I'm a paratrooper. Paratroopers are a tough, hard-boiled lot, believe me. They have to be that part of their equipment, just as much as their boats and guns and parachutes. But in second squad of my platoon is a boy who doesn't seem to be that way at all. Tough, yes, when it comes to fighting. But this boy Irving Breckenridge has something about him, a friendliness that makes him seem sometimes soft. He's a fellow people like to be around, warm up to, like a big glowing potbellied stove in the middle of the room. And yet he's the best fighting man in the outfit. I'm Irving's Lieutenant. The first time I really noticed Irving was one day when we were circling over a field in North Africa. The boys were lined up waiting for my signal to jump. It was a bad-cost wind that could make trouble for us. Suddenly, the wind started rushing in the open door. I could feel the tension rising. I wanted to get the signal now, even though we weren't over the jump spot. The men started shifting anxiety. Hey Lieutenant, somebody wants to let the window open. There's a little dress right in the back of my neck. That broke the tension. A minute later we jumped. I think it was easier for all of us, because of Irving. Well, that was Irving in North Africa. Two nights later we made that first terrible jump into Sicily. We fought three days all around the clock. The men, it was quiet. We were resting in a barn. Where's the rest of the guys? Where's Boobo? Boobo's dead. The medic just told me. Where's Bernie? Bernie's dead. Yeah? Man, it sure does rain around here. Anybody see George? You ain't seeing George no more. Listen, Irving, if you don't want to play nothing, what do you keep that thing in your mouth for? As long as I'm breathing, I might as well get some sweet noise. They got George, huh? I sat at the night. George was all right, he was. That's the friend I had in the whole army. Gonna miss that boy. Look, will that chill that thing nobody fears left? Irving, you sure do play mighty footing. How'd you ever learn that, pony? Well, he's too big, so I can't sweep a gal over by dancing. My hands are too big, so I can't trim a romantic thing on a guitar. My mouth's too big, too, but just right for blowing a harmonica. So I done it. Hey, how about show us that picture of your wife, Irving? No, sir. She's so pretty, one of you wolves is able to follow me back home. How do you like that, sir? She's staying right where she belongs, in my pocket. Look at that rain. Dog gone, it sure does rain around here. Blue his way, clear up the Italian boot. No matter how tough it got, he was as good-natured and comfortable to be with as a safe and odd dog. Being his lieutenant, I wasn't as familiar with him as the men were until the night in England. I was writing a letter in my barracks when he knocked and came in. Good evening, Breckenridge. It's on your mind. Well, I'd been wanting to ask you a favor, sir, an out-and-out favor. Sit down. I'm in a quandary, lieutenant. About what? Well, as you probably heard after me shooting my mouth off about it so many times, I got a very beautiful wife. She's so beautiful that I wake up at night sometimes. I can't believe it. She's just... Yeah, I heard. Watch your trouble. Well, I want to write her a letter. You see, George got killed in Sicily and George used to write my letters for me. Oh? Yeah, you see, I can't write, can't spell nothing. You can't write? Well, my fingers are as big as rake handles and my writing ain't... Well, it's like some old chicken wrote it. So when George, he died, well, sir, it went in my hand writing. Does she think you were writing a letter she got? Oh, yeah, she did. She's a very high-class gal. Her father, he owns the big service station down home, and George, he had a high-class hand writing. Yeah, well, I'll write about it for you. She'll notice the difference. Oh, no, sir, you're writing much pretty much like George, isn't she? Anyway, I could tell her I sprained my finger so that my writing changed a little. So, could I dictate a letter to you? I brought a paper and paper. Yeah, all right. Give it here. What's her name? Start off, uh, Dear Bernadine. Dear Bernadine. What's her name? Well, is that all? Don't you want to say, my dear Bernadine, or something more? Like, darling, or...? Well, that was the way George always started us, so we'd better keep it that way. All right. What next? Well, dear Bernadine, as I was telling you before, I'm now in Mary, England, and it sure isn't nothing like home. They say the people here talk the same language as us, but I can tell you it's strictly baloney. They all sound like they had coals in their heads, which may be the case with the climate they got, which is not for the ride home apart. How much is that, sir? About half a page. Well, finish up like this. In case you've been wondering, I'm still healthy as a hog and still getting a big bang out of all this foreign travel. As they say, it's broadening. Well, take care of yourself and don't let anyone give you no wooden nickels. You're truly Irving. Hello? Well, sure, I guess that's all. Well, look, you want to tell her you love her? Oh, no, I couldn't say that. Why not? You do love her, don't you? Oh, sure, but I can't say nothing so personal. I mean, I just can't with a total stranger sitting right alongside of me. All right, then I'll put it in and you don't have to say it to me at all. Oh, no, no, sir, don't put it in place. You see, she's liable to fight out someday that I dictated these letters and she's going to get awfully stood up because I love you with a stranger listening. I don't know you well enough to tell it. I'll save the real stuff for that old hammock on the front porch. Now, what you're going to know, this will be the toughest, biggest job in the history of this division. I can't tell you when we're taking off, but we're beginning today a period of hard training for that job. All furloughs are canceled. Your first exercise will be a 40 mile march with a full pack over Hillary country. All right, check your pack. The boat does rain around here. Don't bend over, Harry. It's hard to walk on that way. I ain't bending over. I just got shorter. My feet fell off a mile back. Hey, where's Ivy? Hey, Ivy, how about blowing us a song, huh? Yeah, come on, Earl. Blow that thing, freckin' rich. Johnny comes watching home. Come on. Hey. I ain't got it in me. It's a matter of problem. I ain't right away out of your way. You're sick. I'm sick, all right. I never stopped you before. Go on, play. Hey, hello, will you? I'm blue. I just commenced over. I apologize, Lieutenant. Yeah, what for? For not having you write my letters anymore. I didn't want you to feel that I was dissatisfied with the way you did, and I come to thank you for everything. That's all right. Why are you just stationary? I, uh... I'm not writing any more letters. All right, what happened? Well... Sir, do you know anything about that red cross father that's got his office over at e-backs? Yeah, he seems nice enough. Look, if you want to get anything off your chest, I'll be glad to help you if I can. I kind of think I'd better go over and see him. I might as well just go ahead and see him. And Breckenridge. Uh, yes, sir. Whatever it is, whatever it is, I wish you'd get your mind off of it. Even I can pretty sloppy lately. We're going into a big job, and I want you to have your wits about you. You seem a million miles away. Oh, yes, sir. I'll go and see the man. You're all right, sir. I'm getting terribly forgetful. There's nothing I can do, Breckenridge, if you won't tell me the whole story. The red cross is pretty good, but it can't read your mind. I just couldn't stand it if you're told anybody does. All right, now alert, fellow. In civilian life, I was the head of a settlement house. Oh, is that so? Yeah. So I didn't have to come 3,000 miles across the ocean to get there. Now what is it? Well, like I said, she's very beautiful. Well, I'm just a plain old kind of a fellow myself, so I kind of worry, you know. Pretty gal like that, don't like to sit home for two years doing nothing. The thing is that I've been writing her every other day all the time I've been going, but I ain't got a letter from her and it's over five months now, sir. Nothing at all? Not a female, not an airmail, nothing. Well, maybe she's sick. If she was, I don't see why she wouldn't write and say so. How long have you married, Breckenridge? Well, we got hitched about two weeks before I left. That's why I worry. She never had much of a chance to know what she drew. She loves you, though. She married me. The thing is, we're going into a big push in a couple of days tonight. Well, I can't get my mind on my work. You can't go jumping out of the airplane to be thinking about something else. You can't do it for very long before you ain't thinking of nothing at all. And forever. All right. We'll go to work on it then. Well, how are you going about it? Well, the Red Cross and the States will send somebody to a house, talk it over, find out what the situation is. The lieutenant ain't going to know about this. Is he running the mess? Put that right out of your head all together. All right, because I dictated something. Well, a lot of letters and I'm going to look mighty silly if they find out she's been lighting somebody's cigars with them. Well, I don't think she's been doing that at all. You really don't? No, she probably got lazy, that's all. Put off writing. You know, may forget over mistakes how much a son needs a letter. You go back to your work and forget about it. I'll have some news for you as fast as I can and I'll lay your bed. It's good news. Oh, man, you do encourage me. You really do. Oh, here, I ain't showed this to anybody, but you look like a nice son and I'm going to show it to you. Look at that picture. Ain't that the prettiest guy you ever saw? Hey, she's a knockout. Peaches and cream, huh? Yeah. And I sure do hope she creates... You're listening to William Bendix, his private Irving Breckenridge in Bernadine, I Love You, on the Cable Cade of America, sponsored by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Irving Breckenridge, a paratrooper, getting ready for a dangerous jump into enemy territory, has asked the Red Cross to find out why his wife has not written to him in five months. As our play continues, the instructor is briefing his men in preparation for their jump into Germany. All right now, everybody. The German for what is the route to Cologne is... Repeat it now. That's pretty good. All right, I'm going to call on you now. See you. Are you over there, Breckenridge? Come on, get up, I need you. Oh, yes, sir. What's the German way of saying what is the route to Cologne? Uh... Go ahead, German. Be calm. Be calm. Um, I'm sorry, sir. I don't guess I know. Well, look, boy, you better learn it. Your life may depend on knowing those words. You realize that? Oh, yes, sir. I'll learn it. All right. Take five, everybody. Maybe you're tired. Breckenridge? Yes, sir. The Red Cross fellow wants to see you. He's over there with the door. Oh, thanks, sir. Thanks. Before you go, I was just checking everybody's gear while you're entrenching, too. My... Oh. Well, I guess I must have misplaced it, sir. Yeah. Now, look here. You want to pull yourself together, or aren't you? Oh, I am, sir. Yes, sir. I'm just... Breckenridge? Oh, yes, I was just going over to you. Did you hear anything? No, but they sent word the Red Cross is working on it in the state. So, you buck up now and everything will be ironed out before you know it. Just leave it to me and forget about it now. Oh, okay. I just like to know. Even if she was sick, I'm sure she's right. Is that the trouble, Breckenridge? Oh, yes, sir. She ain't ruled for five, but nearly six months now. I meant to tell you. Well, I guess you know why she didn't write, don't you? No, sir, I don't. Ten to one of those letters you keep sending her. How do you figure that? She doesn't know whether or not you love her. Well, she's got to know. Don't be so sure. You wrote her letters. You might just as well write your Aunt Minnie. You might think you're just trying to let her down easy. How could she think you think like that? Why don't you send her a letter and straight out say, Bernardine, I love you. All right. I can't. If I was writing it myself, I could do it, but I can't dictate a thing like that. It's too personal. All right, then. Dictate it to the Red Cross. She won't get mad if she finds out she's dictated it to this gentleman. The Red Cross is, well, it's personal. That's right. I've written letters for quite a few men. I don't know. I couldn't. He ain't a real friend, you know? Anyway, his handwriting's different from yours. I can't go switching on different kinds of handwriting every week, you know? All right, then. Dictate it to him and he'll tell it to me and I'll write it. You've got to get out of this, stupid Breckenridge. Yeah, but that way he's really spreading it around, sir. I'll just carry on till I hear from her. I'll get you where just as soon as it comes. Meanwhile, just forget it. Leave it to me. I'll try, sir. Why don't you limber up on that harmonic and play as a good tune? Oh, no, sir. My mouth's willing, but if you went in with a magnifying glass, you couldn't find a good tune left in my heart. The old man was in his office. Yeah? Okay. Power shoot, Breckenridge? Well, just it is it, that's it. You tired of living? Oh. Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir. I'll repack it. I guess I wasn't... Oh, I guess you weren't. If you'd jumped for this shoot, you'd have been dead. I don't think I'm looking out of secret if I tell you we're flying for Germany in a few hours. How long do you think you're going to last with a job like this? All right. I can't help it, sir. I got a letter this morning. Yeah. That's all. What'd you say? She wants a divorce. I can't hold myself together, sir. Well, come on. No, I don't know what I'm fighting for if I can't come back to her. I swear, she's just everything I ever had in the world. Well, go into the orderly room. There's somebody there waiting for you. Ready? Yes, sir. Please, sir. I don't want to leave the house. I'll be all right. I just... Go ahead, then. Yes, sir. Oh, it's you, sir. Yeah. Sit down, Breckenridge. I guess the Red Cross better forget about old Breckenridge, sir. I just got a letter this morning. I know. I got a report on it. I look here, boy. You're going into action tomorrow night, and I want you to be there and soar. Now, forget about this. I'm also bad at forgetting a thing like that, too, but I'm trying. I'm trying. Try it so hard. I can't think of nothing else. Why don't you give me a chance? Just leave it all to us, because we haven't given up. We've got somebody at her house talking the thing over with it. All right. Don't get talking. It's going to do much good, sir. Well, I was known as a woman. No, she's just got sick and tired of hanging around waiting her. How do I know? Maybe she didn't do much hanging around at all. No, wait a minute. Oh, that's all right. That's all of good she was. And maybe it don't matter what she does with herself or what I do with myself. Just let her... Now, stay out of it. That's all right. Just wait a minute. You're busy out here. But all she's done since she left is sit around waiting for you. She doesn't understand the meaning of the war. All right. I guess she doesn't. We're trying to explain two things to her. Now, when you get up there tomorrow night, you're going to think about your business and leave everything else to me. You got that? Oh, sure. Try it, sir. I'll be jumping with these second battalions. So if I get any news, I'll try to find you. Okay, sir. I'm much obliged to you, but... I'm afraid old Breckenridge is going to be the biggest failure the Red Cross ever had. We were flying over France toward Germany. There was no moon, big shoulders of clouds, dark, dark night. It was two o'clock with the radium face of my watch. I looked down the length of the plane. The two rows of men on either side of the plane were asleep. They were so bundled up front and back they looked like dwarfs. One of them moved. I looked closer. It was Breckenridge, the only one in the plane awake. I walked over to him, embracing myself on the overhead cable that runs the length of the plane. You still got your mind on her, Breckenridge? I can't help it. Don't worry about me, sir. I can't worry about you anymore. You're on your own now. Snap out of it. All right. Right side on your feet. Right side. All right now, hook up to the cable. Snap it out. Look, I'm over. Careful. Careful now. Call out my number. What's wrong? Okay. I'm 11 okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. Irving was in the middle of the line so I couldn't see you. We're getting Germany now, so think, think. All right. Open the door, Murray. All right, sir. Okay. Step up. You're thinking now. You're thinking. Step up. The lead man with both sides in the open doorway. I started my watch and looked out but it was dark out there. Bitch dark. I grabbed the leg of the lead man. All right. Go. Go. Thanks. Go. Thanks. Wait a minute, sir. Wait. He hasn't got his line hooked up, sir. Who? Rigger and Richard. Oh, you hooked that line. You're trying to kill yourself? Yes. All right now. Go. Thanks. All right here, sir. All right. Take three men and crawl out there behind us here. Don will be coming up in a few minutes. See what you can see. I'd like to go alone, sir. Who's that? Breckenridge. I'd be much obliged if I could go alone. Are you aiming at me? Can I end it all? No, sir. Go along with your drive for that. You know it used to be. You understand? Target coming over, sir. And we're so, we're so slow that they're jumping right on the top of us. All right, Harry. Get moving. All right. Let's go, Orman. Boy, it sure does rain around. Wait a minute. Lieutenant, can we wait just one minute? You better stay behind Breckenridge. Get somebody to take a place, Harry. I'm the best scout in this outfit, sir. You're no good to me, boy. I want a man to go out there and try to get back with some information. I'll get back, sir. I'll rip you out of my mind. I'm trying, sir. I don't know. You better get somebody else, Harry. There's a Lieutenant, sir. Oh, Lieutenant. So the Red Cross jumps into the second battalion now, huh? I'm looking for... Oh, here he is. I got a message from the state for you, Irving. Me? Yeah. Here it is. It's too dark for you to read, but it's from our office and it's about your wife. My wife? Yeah. She says it's all a misunderstanding. Send you her love. And there are letters on the way. Misunder... How could you misunderstand me? I don't get it. It's just like I said. You wrote her all those letters, but she didn't know where she stood. Well... Yeah. Well, let me know. All right. Team up with Harry now and get going. Yes, sir. Just let me... Can I send a message back? What do you want to say? Hurry up. Well, just say... Dear Bernadine, I guess that's enough. Just say... Dear Bernadine, I love you. Dear Bernadine, I love you. Yeah. I guess she won't mind if it's only the Red Cross. Irving, let's go. Yeah, okay, Harry. Go on, let's go. Thanks a lot. Say Harry. Harry, you know something? What? It sure does rain around here. Now, thanks to you, William Bendix, and to all the other members of tonight's DuPont Cavalcade cast. Your portrayal of Private Breckenridge has reminded us all again what a welcome responsibility it should be to all of us to support the Red Cross with our generous contribution. This week on the DuPont Cavalcade, we bring you the story of how simple space and poetic imaginations stirred seven sturdy brothers to persevere until they had encompassed the last and one of the richest of America's natural frontiers. Our play next week is called The Seven Iron Men. For these seven men who bore the name of Merritt, with the men who discovered a mountain of virtually pure iron, up in northern Minnesota's Nassabi Mountain Range, Walter Brennan and Richard Hawke will be on hand as our stars. Be with us next week to hear these two fine actors in The Seven Iron Men. The music for tonight's Cavalcade was composed and conducted by Robert Armester. Our play was written by Arthur Miller and was based on materials supplied by the American Red Cross. This is Gain Whitman inviting you to listen next week to The Seven Iron Men starring Walter Brennan and Richard Hawke on The Cavalcade of America brought to you by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware.