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The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Axis Sally - August 21st, 2004
see educational sources

Posted on 08/20/2004 11:42:23 PM PDT by snippy_about_it



Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.



...................................................................................... ...........................................

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

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American-Born Axis Sally




WWII Propaganda Broadcasts


American-born Axis Sally made propaganda broadcasts for Radio Berlin in Hitler's Germany, and paid the price for treason after the war.

by Dale P. Harper

She was named Mildred Elizabeth Sisk when she was born in Portland, Maine, on November 29, 1900. Her parents, Vincent Sisk and Mae Hewitson Sisk, were divorced in 1907, and a few years later Mildred's mother married a dentist, Dr. Robert Bruce Gillars. From that time on the child was known as Mildred Gillars.

The family moved around a great deal during her early years, but Mildred Gillars eventually graduated from high school in Conneaut, Ohio, in 1917. Then it was on to Ohio Wesleyan University in the small town of Delaware, where, hoping to pursue a stage career, she majored in dramatic arts. Gillars did well in speech, languages and dramatics but did not graduate because of her failure to meet all university requirements and standards.

According to her half sister, Gillars worked at a variety of jobs after leaving college--clerk, salesgirl, cashier and waitress--all to further her ambition to become an actress. In 1929 she went to Europe with her mother and spent six months studying in France before returning to the United States.

Eventually Gillars went to New York, where she worked in stock companies, musical comedies and vaudeville, but never made enough impact to gain any real recognition. In 1933 she returned to Europe and worked in France as a governess and salesgirl. She moved to Germany in 1935 and became an English instructor at the Berlitz School of Languages in Berlin. English teachers were paid less than Russian instructors--a possible reason for her decision to accept employment by Radio Berlin as an announcer and actress. This was a job much more to her liking, and she stayed with it until the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945.



Gillars' propaganda program was known as "Home Sweet Home" and usually aired sometime between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. daily. Although she referred to herself as "Midge at the mike," GIs dubbed her Axis Sally. Her broadcasts were heard all over Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the United States from December 11, 1941, through May 6, 1945. Although most of her programs were broadcast from Berlin, some were aired from Chartres and Paris in France and from Hilversum in the Netherlands.

Once the war was over, her broadcasts would come back to haunt her. At a listening post operated by the Federal Communications Commission in Silver Hill, Md., all her programs had been monitored and recorded and would provide the prosecution with damaging evidence at her trial. The prosecution charged that her broadcasts were sugarcoated propaganda pills aimed at convincing U.S. soldiers that they were fighting on the wrong side.

Most GIs agreed that Gillars had a sultry, sexy voice that came over the radio loud and clear. Like her counterpart in the Pacific, Tokyo Rose, she liked to tease and taunt the soldiers about their wives and sweethearts back in the States. "Hi fellows," she would say. "I'm afraid you're yearning plenty for someone else. But I just wonder if she isn't running around with the 4-Fs way back home."

She would get the names, serial numbers and hometowns of captured and wounded GIs and voice concern about what would happen to them, in broadcasts that could be heard in the United States. "Well I suppose he'll get along all right," she would say. "The doctors don't seem...I don't know... only time will tell, you see." At sign-off time she would tease her listeners some more, telling them, "I've got a heavy date waiting for me."



Perhaps Sally's most famous broadcast, and the one that would eventually get her convicted of treason, was a play titled Vision of Invasion that went out over the airwaves on May 11, 1944. It was beamed to American troops in England awaiting the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as well as to the home folks in America. Gillars played the role of an American mother who dreamed that her soldier son, a member of the invasion forces, died aboard a burning ship in the attempt to cross the English Channel.

The play had a realistic quality to it, sound effects simulating the moans and cries of the wounded as they were raked with gunfire from the beaches. Over the battle action sound effects, an announcer's voice intoned, "The D of D-Day stands for doom...disaster...death...defeat...Dunkerque or Dieppe." Adelbert Houben, a high official of the German Broadcasting Service, would testify at Axis Sally's trial that her broadcast was intended to prevent the invasion by frightening the Americans with grisly forecasts of staggering casualties.






FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links




TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: axissally; freeperfoxhole; germany; history; mildredgillars; mildredsisk; propagana; radioberlin; samsdayoff; traitor; veterans; wwii
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To: Matthew Paul

Prayers for your soldiers Matt.


41 posted on 08/21/2004 8:50:35 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: tomball

Thanks and good morning tomball.


42 posted on 08/21/2004 8:52:07 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: SAMWolf

RE: #36

O Yeah Lassie...

ROTFLMAO

Regards

alfa6 ;>}


43 posted on 08/21/2004 8:54:19 AM PDT by alfa6 (60 folders down, 270+ to go)
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To: aomagrat

Good morning aomagrat.


44 posted on 08/21/2004 8:55:26 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: snippy_about_it

Still on library computer...mine is still broke,..boo, hoo


45 posted on 08/21/2004 9:10:12 AM PDT by GailA ( hanoi john, I'm for the death penalty for terrorist, before I impose a moratorium on it.)
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To: GailA

This would have been a good time to go camping...while the computer is being fixed.


46 posted on 08/21/2004 9:11:07 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Matthew Paul

I'm sure there were more than 12, we just didn't catch them all perhaps.


47 posted on 08/21/2004 9:12:16 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: SAMWolf

Thanks for this added information Sam.


48 posted on 08/21/2004 9:22:57 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Matthew Paul

We only had 12 charged with treason. There were probably more.


49 posted on 08/21/2004 9:35:04 AM PDT by SAMWolf (Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to go..)
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To: GailA

Morning GailA.

Is the library limiting your time at one sitting?


50 posted on 08/21/2004 9:36:37 AM PDT by SAMWolf (Married men live longer than single men, but married men are a lot more willing to go..)
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To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; All

August 21, 2004

A New Song

Read: Psalm 33:1-5

Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song. —Psalm 33:2-3

Bible In One Year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4


I was walking in the park one morning, listening to a tape by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I had my ancient Walkman clipped to my belt and my headphones clamped over my ears, tuned in to another world. The music was joyous! Oblivious to my surroundings, I began to sing and dance.

Then I spied my neighbor, leaning against a tree with a bemused look on her face. She couldn't hear my music, but she was delighted by my behavior. I wish she could have heard my song.

I thought afterward of the new song God has placed in our hearts, a song we hear from another world. It tells us that God loves us and always will, and that He has "delivered us from the power of darkness" (Colossians 1:13) and "made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). And someday He'll take us to be with Him forever.

In the meantime He has given us eternally useful things to do. Grace now and glory ahead! Is this not a reason to sing?

Next time you're down in the dumps, think about God's goodness. Tune in to the music of heaven and sing a new song with the angels. It may set your feet to dancing and cause great wonderment in those around you. Perhaps they'll want to hear the music too. —David Roper

I'll sing with the ransomed a new song on high,
And all because Jesus my Savior is nigh;
The earth with its heartaches is all of the past,
For now I am home with my Savior at last. —Johnson

God's work in our life puts a new song in our heart.

51 posted on 08/21/2004 10:08:33 AM PDT by The Mayor (God gives grace for this life and glory in the life to come.)
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To: snippy_about_it

LOL! "We are the phone company. We are omnipotent."


52 posted on 08/21/2004 10:38:52 AM PDT by snopercod ("If you wait, all that happens is that you get older." -- Mario Andretti)
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To: The Mayor
It may set your feet to dancing and cause great wonderment in those around you.

Or get me locked up. LOL. All kidding aside, thanks for the daily message.

53 posted on 08/21/2004 11:24:56 AM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: snippy_about_it

Or get me locked up.

me too! Your welcome..


54 posted on 08/21/2004 11:37:23 AM PDT by The Mayor (God gives grace for this life and glory in the life to come.)
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To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf
LOL! So, you admit today's thread about treason is no coincidence? I wonder what got you thinking about the subject? :)

Seriously, the Swifties finally seem to be getting the message out into the mainstream media thanks to the John Fraud Kerry campaign coming out and sliming them. I actually heard a network reporter this morning who was obviously regurgitating the DNC talking points refer to the President's Vietnam era service as "not serious." So, not only are they sliming Vietnam vets, but also all who have served in the Guard or Reserve. A two-fer for stupidity!

55 posted on 08/21/2004 12:34:47 PM PDT by colorado tanker (shove it!)
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Comment #56 Removed by Moderator

To: colorado tanker

What? Who? Us?

hehehe.


57 posted on 08/21/2004 1:35:03 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Matthew Paul

I vote for idiots at Microsoft.


58 posted on 08/21/2004 1:35:43 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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Comment #59 Removed by Moderator

Comment #60 Removed by Moderator


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