Evening star., 1944-06-11
D-Day Solemn on fifth Street
Bv Laurence Perry.

have seen surging up and down
Broadway on pleasure bent. 1t wa!
as though in thought they were with
their comrades overseas on one O
the French beachheads-not OF
West Forty-fourth street at all
They were very quiet. They con
versed in low voices, having glanced
at their newspapers and tossed then
away. Two stalwart petty officer,
of the shore patrol in spotless whit,
had nothing to do but stand about
and neither had a pair of big mill.
tary policemen with their revolver,
and night sticks.
1t Wasn't Ladies. Day.
A chief boatswain's mate in blu.
with very pretty girl on his arm
walked up to the ticket taker wher
the doors were open.
Sorry" said shore patrolman
mo ladies today"
But she's my gffI friend" blus.
tered the other. IF she don't 60 in
I don't" The girl smiled, told hin
not to be silly and then, as though
to eliminate argument, suddenly
darted from his side out into the
street. HELL" the bosun's mate
glanced after her, shrugged and fol.
lowed her outside.
The doors were being stormee
now. Colonels, captains, majors. ser.
geants, buck privates, naval officers
seamen, WACS-every one wa.
passing through while Lawrenc.
Langner and Terry Helburn and A
Tamarin of the guild helped the
ushers to ride herd on the invasion
Maj. Gen. T. A. Terry and his stat
appeared, somewhat belated, ant
they had to take their place in lin.
the same as any doubhboy or COB.
Soon the theater was filled from
second balcony-white and blu,
tickets-"Keep to the right lads ane
way up the stairs"-to the main bal.
cony and orchestra. Fifteen hun.
dred seats; all filled. A commander
or captain elbow to elbow with q
machinist's mate, or a cook. TIL,
lights dimmed. The conductor raisee
his baton. THE Star Spangled Ban.
ner.' No one sang. Servicemer
stand at attention and keep still
when the national anthem is played
Ihey continued to stand as 9
spotlight illuminated stalwar1
figure in front of the crimson house
curtain-Capt. Maurice Wither-
spoon, Navy chaplain. He raised
his hand.
This" he said, "is D-day. All
our thoughts are far away now tt
our comrades overseas. Will you
join me in prayer?"
Interlude Memorable.
Thereupon he recited Gen. Eisen.
hower's invocation of divine helr
In the invasion and at the conclu-
sion he, himself, delivered a fer
vent prayer, for the swift further.
ance OF our cause at arms and tht
protection of our boys in battle or
land, on the sea, in the air anc
under the sea. Over a sea of bowed
heads the petition rose in impas-
stoned ardor and in the end you
heard his amen repeated from or.
chestra to roof, solemnly.
1t was a beautiful interlude or
Broadway; Solemnly lovely one
and all those fine boys and theil
leaders who filled the theater knew
1t and you knew it and you caught
from the little service of inter.
cssion in house normally devoted
to light amusement something vol
will never forget. 1t was good te
have been there-and high privi-
lege.
Really, wish I could say some.
thing nice about the new comedy
at the Playhouse, That Old Devil,
by j. c. Nugent. At least this car
be said, that our mellowist, mos
lovable and most gifted comedian
in writing this comedy, wrote fol
himself a swell part but, so doing
forgot to write for himself or other.
of the company worthy play.
Released by North American Newspaper