The StoriesThis WeekPast Stories  Quest for Sound.Audio ArtifactsCollaboratorsScrapbookYour TurnResourcesTalk On  NPR  Lost and Found Sound
Twentieth Century Wars on Tape
Produced by Art Silverman and Darcy Bacon

  • Listen with RealAudio in 14.4 or 28.8 flavors.
  • See photos of the Chritton family, whose story was featured in this program.
  • See photos of war veterans who were also featured in this program.

    War Veterans pt. 2
    (Veterans not featured in the radio broadcast)

    David Terry Smith (aka: Snuffy)
    1949 - 1974

    Terry was born in Madison, WI, and raised in Boscobel. He studied at the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin before enlisting in the army in June 1969.

    Sergeant Smith served as a mortar squad leader (E Co., 1-46 Inf., 196th Inf. Bde. [Light], 23rd Inf. Div. [Americal]) near Chu Lai from June, 1970 to May 1971, when he was discharged. He returned to Madison and worked for a cable television company. Smith died on May 3, 1974.

    Most of the tapes are sent from LZ Mary Ann, Vietnam.

    Web Exclusive

  • Listen to Terry Smith in Vietnam with RealAudio in 14.4 or 28.8 flavors.
  • David Terry Smith

    David Terry Smith
    Photos were courtesy of Donna L. Murphy (Terry’s Niece), who resides in Crete, IL.


    Merlyn Snyder
    During World War II the Pepsi-Cola Company operated three canteens or centers around the country: one in New York City’s Times Square, one in Washington, DC and one in San Francisco, CA. The centers provided shaves, showers, checking, a lounge, and reading and writing facilities, all at no cost to service men and women. They also offered a low cost sandwich bar with free Pepsi and a central place to leave and receive messages.

    Millions of service men and women and their families recorded 78 r.p.m. audio letters during the war years courtesy of Pepsi-Cola. Merlyn Snyder of Metamora, Ohio was one of them. In 1945 he was stationed in San Diego, California, but had been sent to Washington, DC on business where he made a record and sent it home to his parents. His son Ed Snyder sent us a DAT dub of the recording.

    Web Exclusive

  • Listen to Ed Snyder's recording, courtesy of Pepsi-Cola, in 14.4 or 28.8 flavors.
  • Click on image for closer view

    Click on image for closer view
    Merlyn Snyder made this recording at a Pepsi plant in San Diego at the end of World War II. Courtesy Ed Snyder, Merlyn’s son.


    You need the free RealAudio player to listen to audio files.

    Copyright © 1999 The Kitchen Sisters