Radio Drama · The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection · News & history

Fifth War Loan Drive June

Heard
1944
Episodes
1

The Fifth War Loan Drive was initiated to raise money for the US effort in World War II. It was conducted from June 12 through July 8, 1944. The previous Drive was just a few months earlier, in January and February. After WWII, the War Loans would eventually transform into the US Savings Bond program. The particular Drive began with this hour-long program that played on the major radio networks simultaneously. On FDR's recommendation, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau asked Orson Welles to lead the program, and he agreed. The live broadcast originated from Texarkana, Texas.

More about it

FDR spoke on the program. The primary narrative of the broadcast underscored the causes of the War. Because this broadcast was just a week after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, there was greater interest and enthusiasm to support the war effort because of the new military progress.

The goal was to sell $16 billion in bonds, which was exceeded. There were two other broadcasts, one on June 14 from the Hollywood Bowl, and another on June 16 from Soldier Field in Chicago. In all, sales were $20.6 billion, which is the equivalent of $304 billion in US$ in 2020.

FDR and Morgenthau appeared on the program, along with performers Agnes Moorehead, Keenan Wynn, Lois Andrews, Edgar Barrier, Walter Huston, Gloria Jean, Alan Napier, and Natalie Darby. Welles wrote and directed the program.

* * * These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering…

Episodes, in broadcast order

  1. with Orson Welles, FDR, others

    · 1 h 01 min

Where it comes from 1

The archive items its episodes are played from, best first, with each one’s rights as its archive states them. An episode two sets both hold is played from the first.

  1. Fifth War Loan Drive June 12, 1944

    The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection · The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection · 1 episode here · archive.org

    the Internet Archive states no licence or rights for it.

From the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection, at the Internet Archive.

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