At War44-05-0948Gunners Get Glory

I'm Lieutenant Bob Berry. I know about Navy Gunners, and I'm speaking for the ten of us who started our armed guard training at the time, but Tan was being blown to bits. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with the Council on Books in War Time presents another program of Words at War, which brings to radio important war books. Tonight we present

radio play based on the recent book by Lloyd Wentz. Gunners get glory. I'm Lieutenant Bob Berry. I know about Navy Gunners and I'm speaking for the ten of us who started our Arm Guard training at the time but Taun was being blown to bits. We knew we were going to be rushed through our training because the Navy needed us and needed us bad.

All right, men, I'll show you a few things you've got to know. There was no time for formal education in our streamlined arm guard school. There was no time for theory. They just pointed and said, This is a four-inch gun and this is a three-inch gun.

If you don't believe it, get a ruler and measure them. They made no bones about our purpose on a merchant ship. We got our instructions straight. You aren't supposed to attack. Only defend. That's the hard part of the job. If you hear a sob or a raider, you're supposed to run away and fight only if necessary.

And of course, last but not least, they taught us how to tell time. As Greenwich time, civil time, zone time, local time, vernometer time, watch time. You know what? They got me bowled up to the point where I can't even tell what day it is.