Sound and Visual Collection
During World War II, KSTP-AM radio produced a number of shows related to the war that were broadcast from Fort Snelling. While many of these broadcasts focused on international and national news reports, others focused on local community services and events. Intended both to inform and entertain KSTP's listening audience, these broadcasts featured popular performing groups, military personnel, and radio celebrities. Few of these KSTP - Fort Snelling recordings exist today.
The recordings are organized into the following series:
Access to the master and submaster copies is restricted and requires the permission of the sound and visual curator.
Items in this collection are for listening purposes only.
Accession number: AV2004.77
Processed by: Jennifer Huebscher, January 2009.
Catalog ID number: 006795180
This episode commemorates Mother’s Day, 1943. The radio teleplay recounts Mother (Ramona Wyman?) receiving a hand-written letter from one son, Private first class Ken, and a voice—or recorded—letter from her other son, Captain Paul (both voiced by Ken Barry). The sons also sing a song each (performed by Paul Hazelness?). Disc 2 is cracked.
This last episode is a retrospective narrated by Staff Sergeant Ken Barry and KSTP staff announcer/producer Dick Kothe. Performance highlights include the following locals: the Andrews Sisters singing “Shoo Shoo Baby,” the Fort Snelling Military Band directed by Staff Sergeant Fred J. Raniele, the 125-voice Japanese-American Choir directed by Lieutenant Joseph Running, Fort Snelling’s musical director Leonard Leigh, and three former Fort Snelling GIs, Private Tony Grise (star of Fort Snelling's “G.I. Joe” all-soldier radio drama), Private Dick Keller, and Corporal Paul Allen. Additional remarks are given by post commander Colonel Harry J. Keeley, public relations officer Captain Fred B. Moore, and KSTP president/general manager Stanley E. Hubbard.
This is your army writer/producer Staff Sergeant Ken Barry reads a series of news bulletins, mainly international but some national. Though not identified as such, these bulletins likely were part of Fort Snelling’s weekly radio program.
Side A (4 min.)
This recording begins in mid-episode. A soldier blinded during the war has returned home and is feeling hopeless. He speaks with a neighborhood girl, also blind, who encourages him to go to the University of Minnesota, where other visually impaired students are receiving an education.
Poor sound quality.
Side B (4 min.)
This recording is a series of outtakes whereby Fort Snelling thanks KSTP for its support in broadcasting. This recording commemorates the third anniversary of KSTP's cooperation with Fort Snelling. Moore is Fort Snelling’s public relations officer Captain Fred B. Moore, while Hubbard is KSTP president/general manager Stanley E. Hubbard.
This set of data CDs are working copies which are recordings taken from multiple passes of the original phonograph records. More recordings were taken from the damaged LPs to ensure a clear, usable copy could be made. Each data CD corresponds to one of the phonograph records.
This set of working copy DVDs includes all the materials on discs 7-12, plus digitally enhanced tracks that compensate for poor sound quality and the physically damaged master discs. Episode tracks are included individually and as combined, uninterrupted tracks.
The submaster and user copies on this audio CD are digitally enhanced copies of all the tracks of the master recordings. Episodes that had played across several discs are now presented as a single, uninterrupted track.