mildred elizabeth gillars

Mildred elizabeth gillars

Her lawyer, James J. Laughlin, tells the judge that he wants to call President Harry S. When Adolf Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, and onemesh the war, Gillars, an Ohio native, had been living in Germany for five years, and she chose to remain even after the last Americans departed the Nazi-run country, mildred elizabeth gillars.

Nicknamed "Axis Sally" by her American soldier listeners, she was found guilty of treason in a United States court after the war and spent twelve years in prison. Gillars was born on November 29, She was born as Mildred Elizabeth Sisk in Portland, Maine, to Mae Hewitson Sisk, a painter, and Vincent Sisk, an indifferent husband and father who didn't cherish the idea of having children. When Gillars was seven years old, her father abandoned the small family. When she was eleven, her name was changed to Mildred Gillars, after her mother officially divorced Vincent Sisk and married Dr. Robert Bruce Gillars, a dentist. The family eventually moved to Ohio.

Mildred elizabeth gillars

Mildred 'Axis Sally' Gillars taunted U. Her program was filled with hateful rhetoric directed against U. President Franklin D. Her radio broadcasts were heard not only by U. Girls, watch out! Hundreds of thousands of American servicemen in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and northwestern Europe listened to her broadcasts from to at the height of World War II. They instantly recognized both her distinctive voice and appealing format that encompassed Big Band-era tunes played by a live orchestra. Gillars began working at the German State Radio in as an announcer. He threatened to leave her if she returned to the States, so she stayed in Germany despite advice the following year from the U. State Department that American nationals return home. Her broadcasts initially were apolitical. Kiesinger became the chancellor of West Germany in Another program, Midge at the Mike , ran from spring to fall

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Following her capture in post-war Berlin , Gillars became the first woman to be convicted of treason against the United States. Along with Rita Zucca she was nicknamed " Axis Sally ". At 16, she moved to Conneaut, Ohio with her family. Gillars then moved to Greenwich Village , New York City, where she worked in various low-skilled jobs to finance drama lessons. She toured with stock companies and appeared in vaudeville but she was unable to establish a theatrical career. In , she moved to France and lived in Paris for six months.

From the deserts of North Africa to the Normandy beaches, GIs listened to the sensual voice of an American woman broadcasting over the radio for Nazi Germany. As the men tried to imagine the mysterious beauty behind the microphone, the swing music she played kept them tuning in. She cultivated a persona of worldly allure, ready to welcome the boys and understand their troubles. The reality behind the voice was less glamorous. One was the willing mouthpiece of her mentor and lover, while the other collaborated with the Nazis for financial gain. But both women became enmeshed in the collective memory of American soldiers and sailors as one indelible figure: Axis Sally. They, like the women who broadcast for Japan under the name Tokyo Rose in the Pacific theater, entertained their audience despite ham-handed attempts to break the morale of Allied soldiers.

Mildred elizabeth gillars

Nicknamed "Axis Sally" by her American soldier listeners, she was found guilty of treason in a United States court after the war and spent twelve years in prison. Gillars was born on November 29, She was born as Mildred Elizabeth Sisk in Portland, Maine, to Mae Hewitson Sisk, a painter, and Vincent Sisk, an indifferent husband and father who didn't cherish the idea of having children. When Gillars was seven years old, her father abandoned the small family. When she was eleven, her name was changed to Mildred Gillars, after her mother officially divorced Vincent Sisk and married Dr. Robert Bruce Gillars, a dentist. The family eventually moved to Ohio.

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We love her. A known flirt with no female friends and who boasted a fur coat in , Gillars mimicked the stage actress Theda Bara. By , she was badly hurting for money, though, and so she took a job at the German State Radio Corporation. This activity, too, would come back to haunt her during her treason trial. Mildred Gillars a. In , she returned to Ohio Wesleyan University to complete her degree, a Bachelor of Arts in speech. Gillespie, Donna Associated Press. He spoke proper English and used his manners, always. American Nazi propagandist — Both her father and stepfather were practicing alcoholics and may or may not have abused her as a child. November 23,

American-born radio personality who was convicted of wartime treason for broadcasting Nazi propaganda from Germany during World War II. Born Mildred E.

That does sound like a Nazi. Associated Press. Justice Department regarded as blatantly seditious. Harper recounted in World War II magazine. February 21, He needed someone who could speak to Americans in their own speech patterns, and Gillars was just the woman for the job. UK Film Review. June 25, In January of , Gillars, who had converted to Catholicism while in prison, was paroled. When Gillars became eligible for parole in , she waived the right to seek freedom. Gillars, Mildred Elizabeth gale. By , the U. February 7,

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