At War44-05-1649Lifeline

Words at war presents Lifeline, a story of the United States merchant marine. Yeah, I pull up a chair, folks. I'll try to tell you a few of the facts of the story. That's necessary, you know, and kind of there's not so many you people are sure who know them.

So, first I'd like to explain a couple of things about where the Lifeline stretches. What's carried over it, what the ships are like, how they sail in convoy. Forget it, Ali. Won't listen. What do you mean they won't listen?

They ain't interested. It's been tried before. They don't give a don. Oh, no. Well, get this straight, pal. This time they will listen. This time they're going to hear the truth whether they like it or not.

Me, I'm going to tell them. I'm going to tell them what happens to Cruz on the Merman's run. What happens on the way to Malta and Liverpool and Bandar-Shapur. I'm going to tell them. And they don't dare shut me up.

Maybe they won't like to hear this story, because parts of it aren't very pretty. They aren't pretty at all. But I'm going to tell it, mates. I'm going to tell it anyway. Words at War.

The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the Council of Books and War Time, presents another in a series of adaptations of the outstanding books of this war. Tonight, Lifeline, by Robert Koss, as interpreted for radio by Charles Newton.

My name is Al Cook and I'm an able-seeman U.S. maritime service. So let's get on with this story about my shipmates. Now, I don't want to use no high-sounding words about their being brave and stalwart soldiers of the sea, but I'd like to put it to you straight on what they do and what they get for it.