 Proudly we hail from 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 and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Army our story is entitled the art of propaganda this is the story of our infantrymen on occupation duty in Germany and is in particular the story of PFC Bobby Van Selten whose hobby is painting a hobby that brings plenty of excitement to him and his buddies as they tangle with the plot to sell stolen French art masterpieces our first act curtain will rise in just a moment but first today you young men of America have an excellent opportunity to learn a trade that will assure your future the many fine technical schools of the United States Army are training men in such interesting fields as radio radar meteorology mechanics electronics and many others you can become a qualified technician trained to do an important job and do it right for full details about an exciting career visit your nearest United States Army recruiting station and find out all the facts today and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production the art of propaganda you'll go a long way in this man's army before you find an outfit like e-company I don't say that because it's my company there it just happens to be true the whole division knows about us the commanding general himself will tell you how our company practically won the war games for the Blue Army in West Germany last year and look who we got me out starting from the top Captain Malloy won the Medal of Honor in the Second World War we got two sergeants with silver stars transferred over from Korea Corporal Grimes is division-light heavyweight champ private Cisco pitched a no-hit ball game for the regimental team I tell you man for man and as an outfit we rate I'm telling you all this because you may have heard of Robert Van Sultan and I want you to understand that if this kid pulled off a little stunt that got splashed in headlines all over the world well we're not Bobby Van sultans in e-company isn't it I'll let you in on a little secret the first day I met Bobby Van Sultan I didn't think he was gonna work out at all no sir he made a very bad first impression he was fresh from the states newly arrived with ten other replacements and I was just finishing up my little welcoming you'll have to learn that we're a little bit of everything we're soldiers we're ambassadors and we're salesmen eight years ago we fought in this country and now we have to stay here live among the people and show them what we stand for and every one of you is an ambassador and a salesman your conduct on and off duty is a direct reflection on your country remember that you manner in my platoon and our barracks is the first one on the left you'll find your bunks and lockers your first formation is revelry tomorrow morning we fall out and fatigue any questions dismissed a sergeant yeah I wanted to ask sergeant Haynes if it's alright for me to keep this in the barracks for the rest of my equipment what the hey what's that an old-fashioned tripod for a heavy 30 caliber machine gun no sergeant it's a it's an easel come again soldier it's an easel for my canvas canvas what do you want with canvas what do you see sergeant I I try to paint whenever I get a chance paint what do you paint oh portraits landscapes sometimes I like to do some abstracts you a painter an artist well I I try to be what's your name again Van Selton I guess it's all right just dash the stuff out of sight during inspection well thanks sergeant painters artists they send me go make an infantry man out of that what do we got here a rifle company or an art school that night I was finished with my shower and I was walking through the barracks to my room there were a bunch of guys sitting around Van Selton's bunk I stopped for a minute corporal Grimes our boxing champ was sitting on a footlocker opposite him was Van Selton who was drawing something finally Van Selton looked up at Grimes and said okay finished can I see it sure he turned the picture around and we saw it well I didn't know what to think it didn't look like Grimes it didn't look like anything Grimes was kind of puzzled hey I thought you were gonna paint my picture I did what don't look like me it doesn't why are you kidding well Grimes an artist paints what he feels what he senses that's what you look like inside show this Danny one of the guys if they say that looks like me I'll eat Grimes it looks exactly like you not the way a photograph would here go ahead what do you guys think take a look at it like your Grimes I don't look like nothing at all I think it looks exactly like it I think Robbie voice kid in the public just goes paint on a canvas in the old way I took a good look at it and mind you I don't know the first thing about art but you know something in a way a way I can't explain it look like Grimes exactly but if you looked at it another way it didn't look like anything it was a weirdest picture I ever saw Grimes was getting a little upset I thought you would paint a picture I could send home to your lady I'll take it it's yours I think your mother will be proud don't I look like some kind of monster no you don't you're a guy with tremendous physical power strength that's what I tried to convey on canvas the tremendous sweep and vitality I see kids in kindergarten can draw better than that while they were talking I kept looking at the picture and all of a sudden everything in it seemed to move and click into place it was Grimes all right not only the way he looked but also if you can get this the way you felt about Grimes when you looked at him suddenly Grimes reached over and grabbed the picture now you say this is my picture belongs to me sure I can do anything I want with it of course it's yours well here's what I wanted to with it that's what I think of the picture you shouldn't have done that yeah well if you weighed 20 pounds more we'd step outside and I'd do something else I was hoping you'd understand Grimes because you're an artist too me an artist yes you're a boxer to fight as an art isn't it I'm a boxer all right but I don't kid the public when I fight everybody knows it when you paint pictures all you're doing is working a swindle you call that junk a picture yes I call it a picture even if you're too thick headed to see it look you tell me you're gonna paint my picture I said fine so you draw a picture of something that looks like a monkey okay I don't have to take any lip in the bargain you wait 20 pounds more don't lift the 20-pound stop you any time you can find some gloves right my footlock all right what are we waiting for forget it Grimes then Sultan Grimes is a nice guy don't get him man he's not out the steam up the two of you shake hands and forget it okay by me Sergeant this is just between Grimes and me no one has any right to destroy a pain we're not gonna have any fights in this outfit fighting two men have a right to put on the gloves and spar a little bit don't they if you put it that way I guess they do but I don't mind telling you you're crazy I'm ready anytime you are grinds you have to understand Grimes was a kind of boxer who looked good in any professional ring he knew his business but this tall lanky redheaded kid Van Sultan knew what to do with his hands and feet he kept moving in and out just jabbing and he had Grimes way off balance the fellas who were watching could hardly believe their eyes Van Sultan kept moving in and scoring with quick combinations Grimes kept missing suddenly Van Sultan landed with a quick right and Grimes dropped to the floor he got up very slowly very cautiously and started landing a few hard jabs to Van Sultan's jaw then there was a quick right hook and Van Sultan was down he jumped up very quickly but Grimes pushed him away with both hands all right back up kid back up I don't want to hurt you you're good but you can't hit hard enough to keep away anyhow I gotta ask you something yeah what where that right hand come from I never did see it you know if you could hit harder I'd have been down with a count how'd you do it I don't know just mixing up the punches giving you what you weren't looking for that's how I paint pictures too well I'm sorry about the picture kid maybe I should have looked at it a little bit harder here isn't torn so bad maybe we paste it up well they picked up the torn pieces of canvas and they started talking and I know how guys become buddies in the army I could tell these two were going to be good friends how do you like that Van Sultan who could imagine a guy who paints pictures being so good with the gloves that was the start of it everybody in the outfit wanted Van Sultan to do his picture and the kid was kept plenty busy even painted my picture anyway things were quiet with us we were just pulling drill and training and guard duty and then it happened Van Sultan Grimes and myself walking down the street in Western Berlin one Sunday afternoon hey what are all them people doing along the sidewalk yeah there must be hundreds of hey you know what it looks like it's some kind of outdoor exhibition listen you know maybe there's some good paintings let's take a look I bet none of them guys can draw like you know some of this looks like first-rate stuff look at us grimes me and you six weeks ago if anyone would have told us we'd be going around art exhibition hey Robbie look at this guy's picture guys got no idea of perspective listen to him well he handles colors nice though hey wait a minute I think I know that man which man man with a black Humber talking that young guy yeah come on excuse me sir could you tell me the name of that man you were talking with just now him oh that's Anders Anders no that name isn't familiar well tell me you know Mr. Anders oh yes yes he comes to the exhibition each year he always buys a painting and there's no I don't think I know only comes your boy back again Robbie take a good look at him I think I would like to take the landscape home I would like to look at it a bit more closely of course I under it can't be Professor Morrell Professor Morrell you are dressing me young social professor Morrell I'm afraid you are mistaken young man oh no no you're Professor Morrell you wouldn't recognize me I was only a little kid but you spent a whole summer at our house in Wisconsin you were lecturing at the University you must remember my father Professor Edward Van Selton I'm sorry but I am not your professor Morrell my father teaches art at the University remember and please tell these soldiers who I am well you are here under how do you know his name is Anders how because he told me now if you really excuse me Hans I shall return your landscape tomorrow what's the matter Bobby look like you seen a ghost I did this guy is supposed to be dead which way to go I don't know it's so crowded around here I lost there he is I see him I'll be right back hey Robbie Robbie wait a minute now where did he go into this apartment house see where are the names okay Mr. if you want to insist your name is Anders we'll let it go for now Anders here it is first floor I guess this must be the door okay right here I expected you might come after me be good enough to raise your hands I you are listening to the proudly we hail production the art of propaganda we'll return in just a moment for the second act I suppose all of us at one time or another have seen the principle of strength through unity demonstrated by a handful of sticks singly they can be broken very easily but when bound together why it's practically impossible to break them and so it is with our America working together as a team we can be certain that our freedoms and our democratic way of life will never be broken and one of the most important members of freedom's team is your United States Army a high-spirited well-equipped organization that offers unequaled opportunities to modern young men and women who want to get ahead in good-paying interesting careers today the Army has a new career program in operation that permits you to choose your own course of training in the skill that best suits your aptitudes and interests so I suggest you find out about it visit your nearest Army recruiting station you'll be amazed at just how much the Army can offer you you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of the art of propaganda I knew you would follow me the moment you recognized me the moment you called me morale I knew you would follow me as a morale what's come over you you are my father's best friend and you're you're pointing a gun at me that's true your father I knew him well what am I to do with you what's the matter why do you call yourself Anders are you doing here in Germany in Berlin I am here because because no one knows me no one recognized me until you did this afternoon and now you will write your father you will tell him about me and then everyone will know where I am they will come after me no I will not let it happen I will let you do what kind of friends are you okay Mac up off the floor what should we do take him back to the company tell the old man historian see if this is for the army of the civilian cops he tried to kill me professor morel why my name is not morel it is Anders you you broke in here I thought perhaps you were a robber who admitted to me that your name was morel morel or Anders let's let the cops puzzle without you fellas get here Robby if you use your head nothing's difficult all we did was ask the guy who's selling the paintings where this bird lived he told us and we strolled over I wish you hadn't come when you did listen to him the guy had a little good point of the jail Grimes he wouldn't have shocked me he was already to tell me something and now now what why do you deny that your name is morel my name is Anders I have papers to prove it papers papers at the end of the war anybody could have gotten papers all right so your name is Anders and you're a German citizen what do you come from I am a native of the Weimar that's great by Mars in the other zone we could never check on it okay we don't have to after all this man hasn't done anything wrong what do you mean he had a gun on you he shot it all right but I entered his house didn't I look maybe I made a mistake he looks like a guy my father knew but I could be wrong I'm sorry sir I I apologize come on fellas but Robbie come on let's go okay Robbie this has been your party if you say it's over I'm sorry here Anders I I thought you were someone else good day sir hey what's the idea not here Grimes around the back way quick see if there's a back entrance stick around if he moves out following yeah but I look do it please I'll explain later Sergeant let's duck into that cafe across the street where we can watch the front door hey Robbie I don't go around pulling rank but it seems to me you're making a lot of command decisions for just a PFC let's get into this place maybe I can explain it you see the door from here yeah all right now tell me did you ever hear a veranasi a van dyke veranasi doesn't register I think a van dyke is a kind of beard well both of them were great painters old masters I can't tell you how much their paintings are worth today because well money doesn't begin to to express their value Sergeant if you have one of their paintings you can name your price fifty sixty a hundred thousand dollars money is no object now this guy is professor morel there's no doubt about it so what are you getting at Robbie during the last war when France was overrun morel was one of a lot of trusted guys who were assigned artworks to conceal so when the war was over all the guys who had this detail brought the stuff out of hiding all but one that was morel he disappeared so this guy has got himself these old paintings huh yeah my father knew all about it because he has friends who were in the French underground that's how I know I recognize morel right off the real but what could I do could I go up to him and say morel where are those paintings you could have called a cop you could have done what I wanted to do take him in I had to make sure he was morel first so I played it innocent and dumb all right now he knows I know that he's morel but he has no reason to believe that I know why he's hiding in Germany he figures I'll write to my father and tell him I ran into morel my father will get all excited and start burning up the wires to the French authorities the German police the US Army sure but that has to take a little time you know Robbie in baseball they say every good first baseman wants to pitch and every good infantryman wants to be a guy from G2 okay you got reason to believe this guy is named Morel you think he's got a couple of million bucks worth of stolen pictures all we have to do is bring him in they'll bring in some French art people who would have known this guy or send him back to France and that's the ball game what are we slinking around this joint like a bunch of private eyes for well the gentleman a couple of beers a sergeant you miss the point okay arrest the guy have him positively identified as Morel then what how does that get the paintings back so they'll send him to jail all right but if he keeps his mouth shut those paintings will still be a wall so what are we supposed to do wait for him to make a move he's sweating and guessing if he thinks I've gone to the cops he'll just stay in his room and wait to be arrested but if he thinks that I don't know anything and if he thinks he's still got time before my letter can get back to my old man in the States he's got to do something yeah what I don't know start running get the paintings go somewhere else hide somewhere yeah but suppose he sold the paintings already no he couldn't have sold the paintings why not because no one would be stupid enough to buy him well so if he knew he couldn't sell him why did he steal him I wish I knew all you artists you got to be crazy your peers gentlemen there you go sergeant come on up here you are keep the change but what you do not drink is something wrong with your service Robbie this is no good what do you mean whoever this guy is he's no fool he sure to spot us let's keep close to the buildings the streets aren't too crowded and besides we're in uniform unless but that'd be crazy listen stay here I'm gonna duck around the corner and get grimes but morel get away no he won't believe me he won't but Sergeant Bobby stand here and wait and that's an order I sent Grimes back to the company he's been standing in front of that store looking at the window there he's walking away he came back just in time I'll bet what are you smiling at sergeant nothing don't lose sight of your man I wonder where he's going or Anders or whatever his name was walk slowly along the street we followed him as he walked for almost a mile across town finally he stopped in front of a large apartment building paused a minute or so at the entrance and then disappeared inside how we know which apartment he went into I think we'll know look who do you think we are Indian scouts from the old Wild West this guy knows we've been telling him I think he wouldn't have lost us if he really wanted to he wants us to follow him I don't understand you're an expert on painting and art and you've got a fantastic memory for faces that's about as far as your talents go in this case now you follow me how we know which apartment has at least 50 names over these bells let me look why sure enough fella here see this name Ritter yeah what about it papers torn I'll bet your boy did that to leave a signal Ritter first floor front should we ring the bell how much do you want to bet he left the inside door open for us try it so yeah I told her but that should be it be quiet hey I hear voices even left that door open to sergeant that's the gun you took from a rail what are you thinking of what does anyone think of when he has a gun he's thinking he might have to use it but such a quiet let's sneak up slowly you are ready to find the paintings if they are genuine I see I have invited Mr. Rulenko here to inspect them we have been waiting for they are here I have kept them in this closet three by Veronese three by Van Dyke Mr. Rulenko these guys crazy no legitimate art dealer would buy those paintings my boy the longer you live the more you find out there are lots of people in the world who aren't on the level now shut up well Mr. Rulenko and I need more time but at the first impression I would say these are genuine shall we pay him the money no definitely propaganda value of these is inestimable provided of course that provided what provided my dear professor that you come along with but I have no desire to go to your country these paintings were entrusted to you you have seen head to deliver them to us for safekeeping because you do not trust your own government any other way would be stealing the fine very fine legal distinction but it will serve only the people's democracy appreciates and can care for great art I have changed my mind I do not wish to sell them I'm afraid it's a bit too late watch and run off come on Robbie Tommy broke up the party drop it buddy good punch Robbie friend Cronoff will be out of action for a while where are you going pal Professor Morrell Robert I'm afraid I saw what you did you jumped in front of him you saved one of us Robert this is the best way for me I was crazy I thought I could keep the paintings I don't know what came over me I wanted them for my own to enjoy them but I needed money and last week I arranged with the only people who'd be able to take some off my hands oh hello Captain Graham's told us you need some help what are these people I'm sure there must be something on them in intelligence sir the one on the floor looks like Cronoff he's a suspected red agent Robert I wanted you to follow me Robert to stop me if you could take the whole matter out of my hands and you did we better get this fella to a hospital Robert I would not have gone through with it you you know that for years I have been a fool Robert but do not tell your father then what are all these pictures they they're masterpieces they've been stolen from the French government that's right sir and private Van Sultan here discovered the whole plot yeah well Van Seventon you're about to become a celebrity who's this fellow who got killed his name is his Anders just as it says in his papers well that's about it the paintings were returned to France Robbie got decorated by just about everybody and there's no question that he deserved it what everybody believed was that Morrell was killed during the war and paintings fell into the hands of a man named Anders and of course Robbie was proud of his part in the deal but I think what made him feel even prouder was the fact that he got the next open rating in the outfit the very next job of painting he did was to neatly paint two black stripes on his fatigue shirt so far he said that painting is his masterpiece young man here's news about an important opportunity for you right now the United States Army the senior service of our armed forces has an urgent need for qualified technicians to operate and service the complex equipment that science has brought into being the need is vital and you can be trained in such interesting career fields as radio electronics radar photography meteorology mechanics and many many others yes indeed here's your chance to acquire a skill that will be of value to your country and help you later in civilian life too for full details visit the recruiting sergeant at your nearest recruiting station today this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station proudly we hail is produced by the recruiting publicity center for the United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting service this is Mark Hamilton speaking inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail