 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 to bring you this story, as proudly we hail the United States Army. It is entitled, Light in the Night. The setting is Japan, where two sergeants face a dangerous situation while on weekend leave. It all begins as a simple sailing cruise on the waters of Chiba Bay, a bare stone's throw from Tokyo. The unexpected emergency gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their personal courage, as well as reflecting credit on their training. They meet it in the only way possible, head on. Our first act curtain will rise in a moment, but first, young lady, if you're a college graduate, your education can be a valuable asset to you as an officer in the United States Army. The Women's Army Corps has many jobs for officers with special abilities or with technical and scientific training, which can be utilized in particular assignments. In whatever work you do, you will make definite steady progress by acquiring new skills and continuing your education. Yes, the Army does recognize the potential value of your education and special training as a basis for a career in the Women's Army Corps. If you're between the ages of 20 and 28, and wish to obtain a direct admission in the Women's Army Corps, see your local Army recruiter or write to the Adjutant General, United States Army, Washington, 25 D.C. And now we present the first act of the proudly-we-hail production, Light in the Night. Pershing Heights. Thank you. Ring back, please. Thank you. Ring on two, please, Cindy. Thank you. Three, please. Thank you. This is Pershing Heights. Will you check the circuits with me, please, Victor? Right. Thank you. Are you getting my ring all right? I couldn't get you a few minutes ago. Oh, I see. Well, I'll try on three now. Thank you. Frequency modulation says not to check out the cam-through lines yet. They haven't finished lining them up. According to standard operational procedure... Yes, Sergeant. According to SOP, they should have all the circuits lined up by 0730. And not only that, Sergeant. The SOP also says the reports from FM will be transmitted to the frame room, which will then ring the switch. On 265-391, thereby eliminating needless traffic between the two offices. Right. Well, I'll just run right back then and call you up, Sergeant. I didn't mean that. Only the SOP... Oh, sure, sure. Supervisor Sergeant Clark speaking. Yes? Never mind, Sergeant. I have the word on the cam-through lines. Now, break time for Char. Not bad. Oh, swell. Anything I ought to know about? No, but everything's quiet. That's Sendai number two. It's five square now. And Steve replaced the telephone in personnel. Right. Take off. You see the captain? Yeah, talked to Garity. Said he's sure we can have the passes. Oh, hot dog. It's going to be a great weekend. First one this year. Oh, yeah, boy. I can't wait. I still can't get over how lucky we were to be able to find that neat little catch. And the best part of it is that it's not costing us a fortune. And on a permanent basis, too. Last year, we were really scraping to get one sail every month. Yeah. But now, if everything goes all right, we should be able to get away almost every week. Oh, that Mr. Itabash, he's a pretty nice old guy. It almost looks like he's just letting us have her because he likes us. Well, we did promise to keep her up. We haul her in and scraped her. And now, when we get the VHF radio installed... Yeah, I guess so. But anyway, why worry about it? We've just got a good deal. So let's not try to figure out why. What's the word? Nothing much, Harry. Everything quiet. Hey, I hear you guys really got that boat you were talking about. Yeah, that's right. What a deal. You're going this weekend? Yeah, you want to come along? Can't, I'm working. Oh, that's tough. Maybe next time. You got to be on the weekend crew at military affiliate radio system? Yeah, same as usual. Hey, it's a pretty wonderful thing that Mars, you know. A ham radio station run just for us guys in the service. Buy us in our spare time? Sure is. Gives me a terrific boot. Especially when I see the faces of some of the good guys when they get a message from home. Hey, by the way, where you going? You think you can transmit? I don't know. Last year we used to go on down past Yokohama a lot around the end of the peninsula. There's a little shipyard town down there, Yuraga. It's a pretty fair swimming, if you don't mind a few rocks. You'd never get Mars from that place. Too many hills between there and Tokyo. Yeah, I guess you're right. You know where you ought to go? Where? Out the other way, toward Chiba. Well, what's out that way? Fishing. There's some nice little islands where you can make camp overnight. Sure, you get on the lee side where you're out of the wind. At least this time of year. It's right nice. Yeah, we couldn't reach you from the lee side. We'll test it out before you put in. Yeah, we could do that. What time do you expect to open up Saturday? Saturday? Heck, I can get up there by 5.30. We'll make a deal then. We'll come in right on the dot. Okay. Hey, any other communications on that boat? Well, we're putting in a VHF radio. We thought it would be handy to have. Just in case, you know. Where's Captain Brooks? Just left for Chow. Oh, I just wanted to tell him there's some trouble. Oh, really? Well, Sergeant Clark, according to SOP, the supervisor should report all trouble by ringing through to the frame room, giving the location and nature of the difficulty, thereby eliminating the necessary traffic between the two offices. Well... She's got a crush on you, for sure. Find me? Are you crazy? She sure has. She doesn't even know I'm around. If it's anyone, it's you. Oh, yeah. I guess we're clear of the mainland now. How about hoisting some canvas and cutting our auxiliary? Now, Roger... Brother, what a day for sale. Hey, you said it. Did you get a weather report? No, I didn't think of it. Look at that sky. Not a clock. Well, you're looking very thoughtful. Huh? What are you thinking about? I bet it's that new little whack. June or Jean or whatever her name is. June, Clark. Oh, last time I mentioned it, you told me you didn't even know her name. Well, so what's wrong with remembering it now? Nothing. Okay. Why don't you ask her out sometime? Why don't you? She doesn't like my type, I guess. I don't know why you keep thinking of the... I can tell. That's all. You think she does? Does what? Like my type. Sure, sure. Now, I hate it into fear with everything. Sure. Calling Mars station WQ 735. WQ 735. Come in. I can't figure out why we can't raise them. Me either. Now switch over to receiving. See what's going on. Roger. WQ 735 calling WQ 847. Come in WQ 847. WQ 847 here. How do you read me, Harry? Read you five square over. I wonder why we couldn't raise them. Did you get any signal? We were cranking like crazy. Can't say for sure. Probably so, though. I stepped off for a cup of coffee over. Well, you're getting us okay now, though, huh? Sure thing. Have a good time, you guys. Over and out. Boy, there never was anything so good-spelling as a couple of nice little fish frying on a campfire and a pot of coffee alongside them. And that old wood smoke mixed up with the salt there. This is it. Yeah. Hey, watch it. I thought you were in charge of the coffee. You got it too close to the flame. It's going to boil over. Oh, there it goes. Yeah. But for crying out loud, move it. Hey! Oh, yeah, sure, Dave. Yeah, give me it. I'm throwing the whole mess out. Nothing worse than coffee that's been boiled up hard like that. But do you think it would? Do I think it would what? Interfer with everything. I could have asked June along next weekend and then we could get Steve Newton and his mic. Oh, for crying out loud. She probably doesn't like boats anyway. Probably gets it. Yeah, yeah, sure. In the meantime, how about watching the frying pan before you burn the fish, too? Huh? Oh, sure, sure, Dave. Holy smoke. How long has this been going on? It just started. I'm soaking wet already. This is coming down. Yeah. We should have brought a tarp in from the boat. Yeah, and with this wind, I'm not getting any warmer. Do you think the boat's okay? That'll be. At least barely make her out. Well, we're in the lead here. Shouldn't be anything to worry about as long as she's secure. I double-checked that before we came ashore last night. Yeah, I suppose there might be a shack or a cave somewhere around here. We might try to find one. There's no sense in getting soaked. We wouldn't dare try a tree. Oh, and not with this lightning. Well, I don't feel like just sitting here getting pneumonia. Let's take a walk. Yeah, it suits me. I would have to pick the cragiest little old island in Chiba Bay and on a night like this. Oh, my leg. Did you hurt yourself? Oh, this stuff could be soft. Well, we're almost at the top. I guess the only inhabitants this place ever had was birds. Yeah, I know, I know, because it's for them. How did you guess? Hey, look. The last time I tried looking, I almost broke my leg. Yeah, but this is a light. Yeah, you're right. Maybe we're in luck, except I can't figure out who'd be crazy enough to live here. Uh, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Fisherman, maybe. Come on, let's go. Yeah, okay. Every time this gosh-down trail takes a turn, that light seems to be in a different place. I know. Dave. What? You know the reason the light's moving? No, I don't know the reason the light's moving. Because it is. That's no fisherman's shack. It's the running light on a boat. Watch it. You're right. I can't figure out why they're using a white light, though. Well, why are they riding this blowout in mid-channel when they could come around to the lee? Where were I? It's not a fishing boat, either. If you look, huh? Just make it out. You know what it is? It's one of those excursions steamers. This time of night? Yeah, and in this weather, too. I believe you're right. And she can go, too. Yeah, look at the way she's pitching. That's engine trouble. Yeah. And that's bad. Those old tubs aren't built for this kind of weather at best, and with no power, even with a sea anchor to hold her into the wind, she'll be leaking like a sieve inside of an hour. The light just faded out there. The generators can't down, or they run out of kerosene. That means no radio. Well, we can't just stand around and watch a founder. Sure, sure, but what are we doing? I'm thinking. There's no way to tell how many people on board are. But even if we could take them off in this weather, which I doubt we couldn't do it fast enough to save them all. That's what was feasible. It'd be feasible for them to put over their lifeboards. Well, what then? Yeah, we have to think of something. They may have a radio aboard and already sent a message. Yeah, but what if they haven't? Yeah, and I see what you mean. Hey, look, the light's on again. Yeah, that's blinking now. Yes. Oh, yes. I guess it's up to us. Nothing else around here. Yeah. You are listening to the proudly-behaved production Light in the Night. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. Young men of America, today's United States Army is made up of skilled technicians and specialists who have learned their jobs in the world's finest military technical schools. And now, the Army is offering you even greater opportunities to join this elite group of young men and serve your country and yourself at the same time. Your Army now has an operation, a training program that permits you to choose your own branch and train in the particular job's own choice. It's called the Reserved for You Training Program, and it works this way. You check the school catalog listing the technical courses available. There are more than 150 to choose from. Select two and file an application. If you're accepted, you will receive a written guarantee from the adjutant general of the Army or the commanding general of the training division concerned. Then, the decision is up to you. If you're interested, you enlist and are enrolled in the course of your choice. If you care your mind, the reservation is forgotten. All this can be yours. You will have the written guarantee in your hand before you enlist. There are no hidden catches. You will receive the Army needs skilled technicians, and this is their way to train the right people. This is your way to get excellent schooling for a role as a skilled technician. For complete information, visit your local United States Army recruiting station. You are listening to Proudly We Hail, and now we present the second act of The Light in the Night. Music playing Dave, we'll have to try to get a message through. The Japanese Coast Guard doesn't use very high frequency radio. I know. It sounds crazy, but what we'll have to do is try to contact Harry up at Mars and then have him relay the message to the Japanese Ministry of Shipping. Well, we'll never get him. Why not? We got him before. How can do? Too late? What time have you got? Oh, 200. Well, we'll just have to hope. Anyhow, we might get a passing aircraft or something. Well, we're sure sticking our necks out in this weather. What else can we do? Nothing, I guess. Only they might have sent a message already. And what if they haven't? Okay, let's get the show on the road. Right. As the saying goes, we haven't got all night. The notch bell. She's fighting in too deep. Right. Boy, another couple like that and we'd have had it. It'll be all right in a minute or two. Yeah, it'll be worse for getting around to the windward side now. Don't give us enough power to keep her hitting. Yeah. Look, Dave, pride holding her steady now. I'm going to go below and see if I can raise old Harry. All right. But how are we going to evening? It's very quick. I can manage it. Calling Mar station WQ 735. WQ 735. Come in. WQ 735. What did they make up? Right. She's loaded with passengers. That's what I thought too. Well, they don't get them below. Probably because they're already crowded below. Yeah. Now they're trying to get a lifeboat over. There's nothing we can do to help them. We haven't enough power to take them on the tower or anything. Find out if they've got a radio aboard and whether they've sent a message. With what we know about Japanese? Oh, how I wish I'd joined that language course. Well, here goes. Mashed to pieces against the steam. They'll never get one over. Well, even if they're good, it would only... If that's from the looks of the crowd on deck, they'd probably only have half enough. I'm going to get below. That message has got to get through. 735. Come in, please. That's what I was about to ask you. Things don't get any worse. I'll check and see what the trouble is. Yeah. With the batteries low, we'll have a heck of a time turning her over again. Yeah, well, do what you can. We've sprung a seam ourselves, and it looks like there's water seeping into the fuel tank. Oh, that's great. And now that the pump's off, it'll get worse. Get the hand pump going. Oh, you can handle topside to keep her from tearing herself apart. Well, we'll rig a sea anchor. That'll help. If you can handle that up, I'll get the pump stop up on the kicker. Well, the last starboard boat just went the same way as the others. If there was only some other station that we could reach. Yeah. It's after four. Not a chance to reach Mars at this hour. Well, that old tub's not going to last until morning. That's for sure. There are very high-frequency radio stations and telephone circuits for instance. That's it. What's it? Sight. Yeah, but what time does the night operator check out the circuits? Four. Four. Hey, yeah, you've got something there. I just might have. Except that it's really almost time. And guess who's on duty tonight? Little misefficiency herself. June Clarke. Yeah, and she swallowed the SOP, and in the SOP, there's all circuits must be checked at 0400. But if she's late, we've got to hurry. Yeah, to be on when she's calling them in. Right. Okay, Miss Sergeant Clarke, if ever in your life you were late, let it be now. Not yet. That old tub's settling fast every minute. Yeah. Suppose you should try another circuit? There's VHF circuits all over Japan, of course. But try to hit the one that we'd find someone on able to get the message through. Yeah, yeah, I guess so. I don't know. Maybe you should try. Well... Close the hatch, Jim. It's hard to read with all that in my right. June, this is Bill, Bill Brooks. No, listen, please, this is an emergency. Listen closely. I'm reporting a ship that is foundering, and foundering fast. No, no. It's an excursion steamer, we think, and it's loaded with passengers. We're roughly 30 miles south-south east of Tokyo. Maybe two miles off the Chiba Coast. You got that? Right. There's a small island near here. Marushima, it's called on the chart. Are you reading me okay? You're staying in touch with the Japanese Ministry of Shipping at once and get hold of the staff duty officer. Did you get that? The staff duty officer, June. Oh, so did she. What's wrong? I don't know. I'm trying to work on it. I can get it going. I'm pretty sure she'd stay on that line. Tell her it was an emergency? Sure, sure, right at the beginning. Let's hope she uses her head. Yeah, yeah, and I think she will. I'm sure it was a real distress call, sir. Yes, sir, I can't tell you anymore. I got the position they gave me and then they said it was an excursion steamer. Perhaps the Ministry of Shipping could confirm if one is missing. Yes, sir, they faded out then. I'll keep trying to get them, sir. They may come on back again. She's lugging each time she hits a swell. Yeah, a little 5.30. The message got through. There should be somebody here by now. I'm sure she got the position I gave her. Well, all we can do is hope. Yeah. Hey, listen. Oh, what is it? It's a plane. It's going past. Could be anything. Yeah, I guess so. He's coming back. Probably trying to spot us. It's still pretty black. The sailing's almost zero. Maybe I can get through to it. Give him a fix. Where is it? Do you think he's gone? He'll keep coming back. Hey, look. Look, over there. Running lights. It's a boat. Hurry up with the flasks. Right. He got him. I'm standing there for it. Get busy on the pump. Got to get around to the lee side before we found the two. Right. Dave's right on the front page. Hey. I got to get one of those to send home to the folks. They'll think I'm a celebrity. And you are, too. Heck, your picture's the one that ought to be in there. If it hadn't been for you using your head, we'd have had it. Oh, I didn't really do anything. Look, you went ahead and stuck your neck out when you didn't even hear the whole message. Oh, that. Well, you said it was an emergency. And in the Standard Operational Procedure Directive, it very plainly says... You shouldn't operate or be informed of an emergency situation. Dave's United States Army is composed of skilled technicians and specialists who have learned their jobs in the world's finest technical schools. And now, the Army is offering you a great opportunity to join this elite group of men and serve your country and yourself at the same time. Your Army now has in operation a great technical training program that permits you to choose your own career from more than 150 courses, ranging from atomic energy to welding. What's more, you get that choice of training guaranteed before you enlist. It's called the Reserved for You Training Program, and it works this way. If you're a high school graduate of service age, visit your nearest United States Army Recruiting Station and make application for the Reserved for You Training Program, stating your preference of a technical course. If you qualify and a vacancy exists, you're awarded a letter that guarantees you a reserved seat in the technical training course of your choice. Now, all this takes place before you enlist, and it places you under no obligation whatsoever. Then, after you enlist and complete your basic training, you're enrolled in your school and begin your career as a highly-skilled Army technician. Find out about choice, not chance, now. Visit your nearest United States Army Recruiting Station and talk it over with the friendly people there. Another program on Loudly We Hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station. Loudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center or the United States Army. This is Ralph Rowland inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Loudly We Hail.