The Cavalcade of America, sponsored by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry, presents Alfred Drake and Everett Sloan in The First Commando. Before our play begins, here is a springtime suggestion. If you're redecorating this month, you can do it more quickly, easily, and economically by using DuPont's Speed-Easy wall finish. Speed-Easy is quicker because it dries in an hour, easier because it goes on so fast, more economical because only one coat covers most four walls of dingy wallpaper. This spring, save time and money with Speed-Easy, made by DuPont. And now for our play. The Marine Raiders of this war, the commandos and rangers are fighting in a tradition which is as American as baked beans. American soldiers made a considerable contribution to this sort of fighting technique, improvising when they fought for this country's freedom 170 years ago. Tonight, starring Alfred Drake and Everett Sloan, DuPont brings you the story of the Americans who first successfully used commando tactics over a long period of time, the ragged group of revolutionary war irregulars known as Marion's Men. DuPont presents The First Commando, an original radio play by Peter Lyon and Alan Lomax, and starring Alfred Drake as Sergeant Flint and Everett Sloan as General Marion on the cavalcade of America. Oh, what makes your teeth so white? I've been on the bottoms all of my life and ain't done nothing but bite, bite, ain't done nothing but bite. Swamp fox, oh, swamp fox, how can you move so quick? I've been in trouble all of my life and troubles wore me slick, slick, troubles wore me slick. Yes, I know these Carolina swamps. They're the palm of my hand. Don't often see folks in these swamps no more. That's why it's a surprise to me when I hear men coming through the swamp. Sounds like they're trying to be quiet about it, but they don't know how very well. Now I can hear them talking. Look out, little creek of animals. Let's see two. I can hear the water. There must be three of them. That lieutenant here is talking, we'd all be gigged. I can tell that they're marines in training, on maneuvers they call it, and I decided it'd be kind of fun to scare them up a bit. Hey Doug, aren't we all... Hey, what was that? All to keep your head down, son. If I was a Jap, I'd have put a musket ball spang between your eyes from 300 yards. Who are you? And where are you? Atlas, can you see him? Hey, what's the gag? Gag? I'm telling you, I could hear you crawling along when you was 300 yards away. I could see you 50 yards away. You boys gotta learn to move quiet the way we used to. There he is. Hey, get the funny clothes he's wearing. Buckskin's pretty handy in this country, son. Wouldn't sneer at it. A lot of good folks have worn buckskin. Hey, Jack, who are you? What are you doing in this swamp country? Those clothes he's wearing, they're like in those pictures in the history books. The revolution. Nah, what are you guys crazy? Think he's a ghost? You asked me who I am. The name is Timothy Flint. I'm an American who knows as much about the kind of fighting for which you are being trained as any man. I started to say, as any man alive. You one of these commanders they got helping with our training? The English learned their lessons in this kind of fighting from me and my comrades back in 76. How come you never heard about us? And our general, you act like you never heard about him. You'd ought to be ashamed. An American general? You don't mean Eisenhower. A little general named Marion, Francis Marion. You should let me tell you about him. Not now, bud. We gotta get out on one of our training. My story will help you in your training. Get comfortable. Sit down. I'm going to take you back 168 years for this story. The rebels made the enemy shake with fear. He was a runny little fella and his legs were sort of bowed. But the toughest, smartest fighting man that I have ever known. His voice was low and quiet in giving a command. And you'd fight till hell froze over for that quiet little man. That quiet little man. That quiet little man. And I wish you could have heard him when he first spoke to his men. Hooray! General Marion, this is your command. Gentlemen, we number less than 200 men. Less than 200 to carry the name of the South Carolina Volunteer Militia. I come here to Lynch's Creek today to tell you I've been commissioned your general. Our enemy calls us bandits, rebels. Our friends call us irregulars. I call us the sole remaining force of armed patriots within the borders of our state. Governor Rutledge has sent an order on the date of May 1777. It is very simple. He reads, be cool and do mischief. Let us obey that order from this instant. Our horses are arrested. We have each two rounds of ammunition. Let us start today to show what sort of mischief we can bring on the enemy that would deny us liberty. The sun goes down. The men are already General Marion. How many horses have we? Just under half a hundred. By morning we shall have a hundred. Here, watch the lines I draw with this stick. Yes, sir. Here we sit by Lynch's Creek. Here is where the creek meets the Pee Dee River. Here to the west is Ports Ferry. An hour's ride from here through the swamps. Through the swamp, sir? In the dark? Yes, in the dark. Get used to it. The chief part of our fighting will be done in the night. For the next month, sir, you will be riding by moonlight and sleeping when the sun is up. Yes, sir. To proceed, here at Britain's Neck, our camp, 200 of the enemy are under major gaining. It is three hours' ride from here. The sun is down now. We shall hit them as they reach their first deep sleep. With mercy this first time. I need their horses and their powder, not their lives. We slipped up on them and took their guns And off to the woodstreet where we run The sound of the bugle made them hold their breath They knew our slogan was liberty or death Sing whack, fah, doodle, ah, day Sing whack, fah, doodle, ah, day Yes, sir. That's what he said, General Marion. You hear that, James? What now, sir? We're getting honored. This boy is George Spidal. And don't let his youth lead you to underestimate his talents. He's my most valued spy in the whole country from the Santee North to the P.D. He arrives to tell me that Corn Wallace has issued special orders for my capture, that Colonel Talton is on our trail, and that we... He's offered a hundred pounds for General Marion, alive or dead. Talton? How far are we easy? Four hours ride, sir, and riding fast. General, we'll head for the swamp. Not yet, I think, Major. George, which road is Talton's? The High Bridge Road to the west, sir. Good. You go home now, son, get some sleep. Yes, sir. Major. Yes, sir. Talton will never come into this country so near to Darp. He'll be camping. And if I know my Talton, he'll make his bivouac by the Richardson plantation. Do you propose to attack him, sir? I propose to look at him, Major, and see. General Marion, sir. What? Who's that? It's me, sir, Flint. Oh, Tim. I wasn't expecting you. I'll wager I jumped six inches. Torch your lessons well, sir. You have anything to report, Tim? Yes, sir, it's as you said. They've camped on the Richardson plantation. And? And put the torch to it, sir. It's burned to the ground. What else? Well, sir, he's got two field pieces, sir, and plenty of light from the fire at the plantation to see by. Our guess is that he's got 400 dragoons with him. 400? That's not all, sir. What then? One of our men deserted to him, sir. One of the men in my patrol, sir. There'll be no attack tonight, Tim. No attack? Well, figure for yourself. 400 dragoons and a pair of field pieces. A traitor from our band to lead him through the swamps, even to our camp. No, there'll be no attack tonight. But, sir, if we move fast, we can sweep down on him before he knows we're here. Let me suggest one lesson, Tim. It is our job to harass and destroy the enemy without loss to ourselves, if possible. It is our job to cut communications, raid supplies, take off horses, disrupt the enemy front, side, and rear. It is our job to be bold and to dare at all times. What I say, sir. And it is our duty to dare to retreat. See that all patrols get that order, Sergeant Flint. Now Marion didn't want to waste his men and so he gave an order then. Hit for Snow Island like a bear for its nest. Fatten up our horses and get a little rest. Sing whack for diddle-eye. Sing whack for diddle-eye. You look worried, Peter. I am, sir, and that's the fact. Why then? Could we hope for better winter quarters? No down quilts, it's true. No roof, no three meals a day. But think how unhappy is our enemy. And just because we exist. The brigade is shrinking, sir. Shrinking fast. And our provisions, if we're to feed the prisoners. The prisoners? Peter, what day is today? It's a Monday. Why, it's today that they're sending a lieutenant from Charleston to treat with us for an exchange of prisoners. I forgot to warn our lookouts. They'll be bringing him in on a litter if we don't get word to them. The lieutenant, he looked skittish when he saw our outlaw band. Our scalper knives and flintlocks were ready to our hands. Our buckskin clothes were ragged and our faces pretty grim. And a hundred toughback woodsmen were looking straight at him. And a hundred toughback woodsmen were looking straight at him. Where is your general? I am Francis Marion. You? I beg your pardon, sir, but I... You come from Charleston about the prisoners? Yes, sir. My papers here. Lieutenant Fitzhugh at your... I mean... Sit down, lieutenant. Thank you, sir. Well, these papers seem all in order. Oh, excuse me. I see here the suggestion that officers shall be exchanged at the rate of one for every five troopers. This I must refuse. But such terms are quite usual, I believe, sir. I won't question the regularity of the practice, but for my purposes, a trooper is a trooper. And if he's a good enough trooper, he's an officer. We stand very little on ceremony, sir, in my brigade. A man is a man, whether a common soldier or major general. Same rations, same dangers, same pay, same death. I must reject any other terms. I shall convey your message to the commanding officer at Charleston, General Marion. Here's dinner, general, lieutenant. You don't recognize your meal, Mr. Fitzhugh? Sweet potatoes. The Indians call them yams, served on a clean piece of bark. At your elbow, water. But surely, general, this is not your usual fare. In a sense, sir, you're right. Because you were our guest, we have broken into our last precious cask of fresh water. In your absence, sir, we would drink swamp water with a little vinegar to make it palatable. Vinegar? Why, you look grave, lieutenant. Sir, I believe I have cause. I see an American general and his officers serving without pay, almost without clothes, living on roots and drinking swamp water, all for a silver device on their leather caps. Liberty or death? Sir, when I'm given safe conduct out of your swamp headquarters, I shall go directly to Charleston to tell my colonel of your terms for the exchange of prisoners. That done, I shall resign my commission and return home. So? After seeing you, sir, and your men and officers, I'm convinced that that there is no chance of defeating such men on the field of battle. You are listening to the cavalcade of America sponsored by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. One of the DuPont better things is nylon yarn. Nylon, which in peacetime was made into sheer long-wearing hosiery, and which today is used exclusively for war purposes, for parachutes, glider tow ropes, airplane tire cord, and filters for blood plasma. Our cavalcade play tonight, the First Commando, starring Alfred Drake and Everett Sloan, is the story of the lean and hungry band of men who wrote a new chapter in military history. It is the chapter which is the inspiration for the commandos and the rangers of today, and it was well taught by General Francis Marion and his volunteers in the Revolutionary War. As our play continues, General Marion, played by Everett Sloan, is at his winter headquarters under an oak in the swamp wilderness of the Carolinas when his friend, Sergeant Flint, played by Alfred Drake, announces a visitor. General Marion, sir. What is it, Flint? Colonel Lowry's here, sir. Got something to tell you. Oh, come in, Peter. General Marion, I bring with me a complainant. May I present Mrs. Crofts of Samford Creek Plantation? Madam? General Marion, you know best how deeply we are indebted to you for the protection you've given us, but... Well, what is it, madam? The sergeant you detailed to guard our house while my husband is away has been expelled from my plantation by two officers of your brigade, sir, and the same two officers have ransacked my house. The senior of these officers has actually belted my husband's own sword about his waist. Peter, have you inquired about this? Do you know these officers? I know them, sir. Major Stewart and Captain Whitney. Sergeant Flint, take a detail of men with fixed bayonets and notify them that they are summoned to appear before me immediately. The Marion run them rascals out of camp and pass the word around to shoot them down like rattlesnakes where they may be found. We wouldn't have no murderers nor outlaws in our band, for we were honest citizens of fighting for our land. Yes, we were honest citizens of fighting for our land. Patience, Peter, patience. I still think you should have strung them up. And have their 60 men fighting to defend them? We'd have had casualties, Peter. Couldn't have avoided them. Men are too precious in our school of fighting. Better to show them up before their own men. Their own men will take care of them, Peter, and be back to join the brigade in the morning. Oh, up this way comes Colonel Boyle with another enemy regiment. They're joint forces here, but... That would bring Watson down through Wee Boo Swamp. Peter, that's your job. What, sir? I want you to retreat. Draw them back down the road as far as Parker's Ferry. Here, see? Yes, sir. Once you get them down that road, I promise you, you can leave the rest to me. Listen, don't worry about me. Keep your ear to the ground. Hear anything? Yep, horse, a lot of them. I can see them. See? Way down the road. 300 of them, but there's a dozen. Look at our boys' gallop. Timothy. Yeah? What's the best range for buckshot? 50 yards. I always was a consign, bad judge of distance. Tap me on the leg with your foot when they get within 60 yards, would you? Sure. 80 yards. Now they're 60. They're still coming. Hold your fire. Now! When the smoke had cleared away, my boys, we saw what we had done. 125 of them lay staring at the sun. 125 of them, we hadn't lost a man. We were Marion's ring-tailed screamers, a tough and hardy band. We were Marion's ring-tailed screamers, a tough and hardy band. It wasn't very long, my boys, till we saw them to their ships. We were glad to see the last of them. We were glad to see the last of them. We wished him a pleasant trip. Then Marion lined his fellows up on our last parade. Then Marion lined his fellows up on our last parade. And none of us shall ever forget the quiet speech he made. Ready, go! Gentlemen, it's good to meet here under the seaters of Wat Buu. I'm sorry it's the last time. In disbanding my brigade, I feel as if I were cutting family ties. I do not propose to single out any of you by name. Each has fought far better than ordinary discipline would demand. It is only because we stand at this spot that I feel that I must mention the name of the man who fought with me from Palmetto in 1776 to this spot just a few days ago in 1782. Timothy Flint's grave is right here beneath these seaters, close to this swamp which he knew so well. I feel he hasn't died. I am going home now and so are you. The war under arms is over, thank God. The battle for the rights of every Carolinian has just begun. For the last time, parade dismissed. Dismissed. Quite a story you told us, Flint, I must admit. Sing pretty good too. Is that the end of it? Hey, where'd he go? Did he go? He ain't there now. He was there just a second ago but he ain't there now. I told you guys he was a ghost. Ah, you're off your top. If he ain't a ghost, he can sure move without no noise. That's what he was talking about. That's the whole point. We better be getting on for our objective. Hey, see that flashlight? That must be the lieutenant. Yeah, well, let's get a move on. Yeah. Hey, remember what that guy said? Yeah. Quiet. Heads down. No noise in this underbrush. Listen to that breeze, sighing through them branches. Sounds like music, don't it? Cedar's been here a long time. Tell you a thing or two if they could. Indians maybe, or are those guys who fought the revolution around here? There's the objective, you guys. Right ahead. Let's take it. Let's go. Swamp fox, oh, swamp fox What makes your teeth so white? I've been on the bottoms all of my life And I ain't done nothing but bite, bite Ain't done nothing but bite Swamp fox, oh, swamp fox How can you move so quick? I've been in trouble all of my life And troubles wore me slick, slick And troubles wore me slick Thank you, Alfred Drake and Everett Sloan. Everett Sloan returns in a few moments with a message from our government. Meanwhile, here is George Albee, who assembles the facts and writes the stories of chemistry heard on Cavalcade to bring you this week's story of chemistry. Good evening. Here's a story that's as interesting to me as any I've ever brought you. It so happens I've been in several of the largest aircraft plants, and this week I have the latest news on DuPont explosive rivets on the airplane production lines. An explosive rivet is just what its name says it is. Instead of being fastened in place with a pneumatic hammer and bucking bar, it's set by a small expansion charge inside the rivet. One man can do it, or one woman, placing the rivets in the holes and firing 15 or 20 of them a minute with the special riveting iron. DuPont explosive rivets made their bow on the production lines barely two years ago. Early last year, a new tool for setting them in the rivet holes was announced, a radio frequency detonator, which fired them by means of radio waves. Now an improved DuPont explosive rivet offers aircraft engineers an even quicker, better way to build airplane sections that can be reached from one side only. The improved DuPont rivet will speed up airplane assembly even more. Here's the difference between the old and new rivet. The old rivet carried the expansion charge only in the end of the body, or the shank as it's called. In the new rivet, the charge extends much farther into the shank. In practice, this means riveters on the plane production lines will now have to spend less time drilling holes of needle point accuracy because the entire shank of the rivet will expand and fill the rivet hole tightly. In this way, tighter joints can be made more easily, even with the holes slightly oversized. Many engineers believe explosive rivets will be widely used in industry after the war. They may prove to be time and labor savers in the manufacture of refrigerators, radios, washing machines, prefabricated houses nobody can foretell just where the list will begin or end. Because they help speed victory, the airplane industry is using many thousands of these new explosive rivets, which are among DuPont's many better things for better living through chemistry. And here is Everett Sloan, co-star of tonight's Cavalcade, with a message from our government. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Today, with the need for teaching greater than ever before in our history, thousands of classrooms are vacant because teachers cannot be found. The maintenance of schools is vital to America, for the future of our country depends on the education of our boys and girls in the principles for which our men are fighting overseas. If you are a teacher, you are doing your biggest job when you stay on the job. Next week, the DuPont Cavalcade of America will bring you the great American actor, Walter Houston, in an original play entitled A Mask for Jefferson, an unusual story dramatizing the exciting incidents recalled to Jefferson's mind when an artist was making a life mask of the great patriot's features. Tonight's Cavalcade Orchestra was directed by Donald Buries. Cavalcade is pleased to remind its audience that Alfred Drake is currently appearing in the musical success Oklahoma and is to be heard on his own radio program, Broadway Matinee, broadcast every weekday afternoon on...
