This script was found in my uncle's scrapbook.  We have not been able to verify whether it was actually broadcast.  WMCA has not responded to my request for information.

FROM HEADLINES ON PARADE, SEPTEMBER 2, 1945, STATION WMCA, NEW YORK,

SOUND: MASSED FLIGHT OF JAP BOMBERS FAR OFF-MIKE COMING IN SLOWLY BEHIND

ANNR: THE AARON WARD IS IT’S NAME, THE UNITED STATES SHIP AARON WARD, DESTROYER AND MINE-LAYER. AND AS GALLANT A SHIP AS ANY THAT PLOWED PACIFIC WATERS, THE WARD’ S STORY BEGINS OFF OKINAWA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 3RD, THE OVERCAST SKY HAD CLEARED. THE WIND WAS LIGHT, THE SEA CALM.. ENEMY AIR ATTACK WAS MORE OR LESS EXPECTED. IT CAME. IT CAME FROM EVERY DIRECTION 0F THE COMPASS.

SOUND: MASSED PLANES APPROACH THE WARD...BUT STILL SOMEWHAT OFF MIKE

ANNR: IT CAME DOWN OUT 0F THE SKY LIKE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. IN JUST 52 MINUTES THE STOUT LITTLE SHIP TOOK SIX JAPANESE SUICIDE PLANES ABOARD.....AND STILL SHE FOUGHT ON. LAST WEEK WILLIAM H. SANDERS, CAPTAIN OF THE AARON WARD, TOLD THE WHOLE STORY.SAID COMMANDER SANDERS:

SOUND: MASSED PLANES ARE VERY NEAR NOW

SANDERS: A DOZEN PLANES WERE GIVEN THE JOB OF SCRATCHING US OFF, THEIR ATTACKS WERE COORDINATED, AND TIMED WITH CUNNING. ONE OF THE SUICIDE PLANES CIRCLED OUT CF GUN’S REACH, DIRECTING THE OTHERS TO THE TARGET... A TRAFFIC COP OF DEATH...WITH WINGS, SANDERS: (VOICE CHANGE) THE ATTACKS BEGAN AT 6:29 PM!

SOUND: JAP PLANE DIVING....

AIDE: CAPTAIN SANDERS! JAPANESE VAL PLANE COMING IN AT THE PORT SIDE! ABOUT SIXTY DEGREES.

SANDERS: ORDER THE PORT GUNS TO OPEN FIRE.

AIDE: (THROUGH LOUD SPEAKER SYSTEM) HELLO PORT GUNS. HELLO. OPEN FIRE IMMEDIATELY ON JAP PLANE.

SOUND: PORT GUNS OPEN FIRE... FADING FOR

SANDERS: I WATCHED THE PLANE THROUGH MY GLASSES. SUICIDE PLANE, ALL RIGHT, 2000 YARDS AND STILL COMING IN HEAD ON......1250 YARDS... A THOUSAND..... OUR ACK-ACK FIRE SMASHED OFF A WING SECTION. ANOTHER BURST HIT THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER, STILL SHE CAME ON..... 300 YARDS, 25O...15O....THEN AT A BARE HUNDRED YARDS......

SOUND: EXPLOSION NEAR

SANDERS: SHE FELL APART IN MID AIR AND CRASHED HARMLESSLY INTO THE SEA....

AIDE: CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN SANDERS! ANOTHER VAL COMING IN.

SANDERS: YES.... ANOTHER JAP KAMIKAZE. WE PICKED HIM OFF WHEN BE WAS STILL ABOUT 1200 YARDS FROM THE SHIP. A MINUIE LATER.....

AIDE: CAPTAIN! JAP ZERO COMING IN TO STARBOARD!

SANDERS: WE TOOK HIM UNDER FIRE AT 5000 YARDS, SMASHED AWAY AT HIM WITH HALF THE GUNS ABOARD, BUT STILL HE CAME ON.

AIDE: (COMING IN) SIR, I’M AFRAID HE’S GOING TO HIT US.

SANDERS: I’M AFRAID SO, SON. THERE,...HE’S RELEASED HIS BOMB, IT WON’T BE MORE THAN....

SOUND: TERRIFIC EXPLOSION SOMEWHAT REMOTE. PLANE SCREAMING IN,...

AIDE: THE BOMB STRUCK US PORTSIDE, SIR! AND HERE COMES THAT CRAZY JAP.....STRAIGHT AT US....,

SOUND: PLANE CRASHES INTO SUPERSTRUCTURE.

JACOBS: (THROUGH SPEAKER SYSTEM) HELLO, THE BRIDGE, HELLO, UP THERE, ANYBODY HURT?

SANDERS: NO...EVERYB0DY OKAY UP HERE. HOW ARE THINGS BELOW, JACOBS?

VOICE: THAT BOMB PENETRATED US PORTSIDE TO AFT ENGINE ROOM, SIR. AFT ENGINES ARE OUT OF COMMISSION AND JAMMED RUDDER LEFT. WE’RE MOVING IN A CIRCLE, SIR. DAVIS: HELLO, THE BRIDE. HELLO, CAPTAIN SANDERS, SIR?

SANDERS: YES, DAVIS – WHAT’S UP?

DAVIS: WE’VE GOT A HOT FIRE HERE TOPSIDE, CAPTAIN

.SANDERS: DAVIS, HAVE ONE CREW MAN THE FIRE F IGH1ING APPARATUS.

JACOBS, SEE IF YOU CAN’T RELEASE RUDDER, WE’VE GOT TO CONTINUE ON OUR COURSE, BEFORE WE LOSE.... (BREAKS OFF FOR INTERRUPTION)

AIDE: CAPTAIN SANDERS! ANOTHER JAP VAL COMING IN OVER THE BOW.

CAPTAIN: DAMN THEIR EYES! DIDN’T GIVE US MUCH CHANCE, DID THEY? CAPTAIN TO FORE GUN BATTERIES. TRAIN YOUR FIRE DEAD AHEAD.GET THAT JAP, MISTER! ANOTHER HIT MAY SINK US! (FADE BEHIND)

SOUND: GUNFIRE AND PLANE DIVING UP THEN FADE FOR

CAPTAIN: (NARRATING) WE CAUGHT THAT JAP AND DESTROYED HIM AT 2000 YARDS. THAT WAS AT 6:59 P.M. AT FOUR MINUTES PAST SEVEN...

SOUND: PLANE CIRCLING BEHIND NARRATIVE.....MOVING IN ON MIKE

CAPTAIN: A JAP BETTY CIRCLED IN ON US AT 10,000 FEET, COMING IN WITH THE SUN BEHIND HIM.

SOUND: PLANE NEAR. ... BATTERIES OPEN FIRE. .CONTINUE BATTLE EFFECTS BEHIND.

CAPTAIN: WE NIPPED HIM AND SCATTERED HIS PLANE TO THE FOUR WINDS. THREE MINUTES LATER ANOTHER JAP VAL MADE A STEEP ATTACK THROUGH HEAVY FIRE.

SOUND BRING DIVING PLANE IN BEHIND RISING TO FULL MIKE.

AIDE: CAPTAIN SANDERS, I’M AFRAID HE’S GOT US DEAD

SANDERS: I DON’T THINK SO, MISTER. HE’S TOO HIGH. IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN....

SOUND: PLANE CRASHES

AIDE: HIT THE FORWARD STACK, SIR. OUR RADIO ANTENNAE IS DOWN.

SANDERS: HAVE THE MEN... GOOD GOD! ANOTHER JAP SUICIDER!

AIDE: HELLO, MAIN DECK.. HELLO, JAP PLANE COMING IN AT THREE O’CLOCK,

SANDERS: HAVE THEM PREPARE FOR A CRASH.

AIDE:: HELLO, FIRE CONTROL. HELLO, GET EVERY MAN OUT...

SOUND: JAP PLANE CRASHES AMIDSHIPS, SECOND JAP PLANE ZOOMS IN

AIDE: CAPTAIN SANDERS! ANOTHER VAL COMING IN, GOING TO CRASH THE BRIDGE, SIR.

SOUND: PLANE MAKES LONG DIVE IN SILENCE CRASHES,

SANDERS: HELLO, ENGINE ROOM. HELLO.

JACOBS: YES SIR, CAPTAIN. CHIEF ENGINEER JACOBS STANDING BY.

SANDERS: JACOBS, HAVE YOU FREED THE RUDDER YET.JACOBS: CAN’T GET AFT, SIR. ENGINE ROOM’S FLOODED. WE’VE BEEN TRYING....

RICHARDS: HELLO, CAPTAIN SANDERS. HELLO. THIS 1S ENSIGN RICHARDS, SIR. FORWARD ENGINE ROOM IS FLOODING. THE SHIP HAS LOST POWER. WE’VE GOT A FIRE BELOW SIR...

SANDERS: RICHARDS, TAKE A CREW BELOW AND SHORE THOSE BULKHEADS! SEND ANOTHER CREW FORWARD TO GET THAT FIRE UNDER CONTROL! JACOBS! HELLO, JACOBS!

JACOBS: YES SIR.

SANDERS: GET YOUR AFT ENGINES WORKING, JACOBS. AND FREE THAT RUDDER! (NARRATING) THAT JAP SUICIDE PLANE, THE ONE THAT CRASHED THE BRIDGE, HIT US AT ABOUT 7:00 P.M. JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THAT ANOTHER VAL, THE EIGHTH PLANE, CRASHED A LITTLE BELOW THE BRIDGE. WE HAD SIX MINUTES BEFORE THE NEXT ATTACK, SIX MINUTES TO FIGHT TWO FIRES, TO SHORE A COUPLE OF SIX FOOT HOLES TO PORT AND STARBOARD, TO FREE OUR RUDDER, TO SET OUT PUMPS WORKING, .....SIX MINUTES.....WITH OUR MAIN DECK ONLY INCHES ABOVE THE PACIFIC AND THE WATER BOILING UP ALL AROUND US....SIX MINUTES....WHILE THE SHIP LAY LIKE A LOG IN THE SEA AND DAMAGE CREWS FOUGHT FLAMES AND MADE REPAIRS....AND THEN....

SOUND: AIRPLANE OFF MIKE, COMING IN

AIDE: ANOTHER ZEKE APPROACHING, SIR. WHAT CAN WE DO?

SANDERS: WE CAN TAKE HIM UNDER FIRE, MISTER! CAPTAIN TO PORT GUNS, JAP PLANE COMING IN OVER PORT. CATCH HIM! BRING HIM DOWN!

SOUND: ACK-ACK FIRE, . CONTINUING UP TO CRASH OF PLANE

SANDERS: (NARRATING) THAT ONE HIT US ON THE SUPERSTRUCTURE DECK, AMIDSHIPS. HIS GASOLINE TANK EXPLODED, SPRAYING BURNING GAS OVER THE DECK.

SOUND: ANOTHER PLANE APPROACHES.. ACK-ACK FIRE UP.. . .CRASHES BEHIND

SANDERS: AT 7:21 ANOTHER PLANE, UNIDENTIFIED, CRASHED AT THE BASE OF NUMBER TWO STACK.

SOUND: TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

SANDERS: ITS BOMB EXPLODED AND STACK, GUNMOUNT AND SEARCHLIGHT WERE BLOWN INTO THE AIR AND CRASHED ON THE DECK.

SOUND: FADE OUT ON FIRE AND OUTCRIES....DEAD PAUSE

SANDERS: THAT WAS THE LAST ATTACK. BY 8:30, AN HOUR AFTER THE LAST PLANE HIT, THE FIRES WERE OUT.....BY 9:30 WE WERE UNDER TOW AND HEADING FOR OKINAWA.

MUSIC: PUNCTUATE, FADE FOR

ANNR: TODAY THE AARON WARD....PATCHED, RUSTY AND BATTLE SCARRED, IS IN THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD FOR REPAIRS. BUT COMMANDER SANDERS REMEMBERS HIS MEN, AND HOW THEY FOUGHT UNDER FIRE.

MUSIC: SNEAK IN AND DOWN BEHIND

SANDERS: DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THEY CONSTANTLY BRAVED EXPLODING AMMUNITION AND THE BLAZING FLAMES TO RESCUE AND RENDER AID TO THEIR SHIPMATES. ACTS OF HEROISM ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WERE COMMON EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION.

MUSIC: UP TO CURTAIN