Orson Welles and the Blind Soldier

On February 12, 1946, a Black soldier was heading home from World War II, when he was brutally beaten by a white police officer in South Carolina. The soldier's name was Isaac Woodard. No one knew the identity of the officer who beat Woodard. No one even knew the town where it happened.  

When the famous radio host Orson Welles heard about the crime, he pledged to solve the mystery, week-by-week, on the air.  In our new series, Orson Welles and the Blind Soldier, we tell the story of an incident in a small southern town 80 years ago that led to the desegregation of the U.S. military. 

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Episode 1: The Bus Ride

After serving three years in the Pacific during World War II, Sergeant Isaac Woodard Jr. was honorably discharged on February 12, 1946. He boarded a Greyhound bus to South Carolina to be reunited with his wife. But the journey didn't go as planned.

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Episode 2: Officer X Drops February 19 Episode 3: A Verdict Drops February 26

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Credits:

This series was produced by Mycah Hazel, Nellie Gilles and Joe Richman. It was edited by Deborah George and Ben Shapiro, and mixed by Ben Shapiro. We had help from Alissa Escarce. Thanks to the eyewitnesses and family memebers who shared their stories for this series: Isaac Woodard's niece, Laura Williams; Orson Welles's daughter, Beatrice Welles; and Corine Johnson, believed to be the last-surviving witness to these events. Additional thanks James L. Felder Sr. of the NAACP; Professor Bobby Donaldson of the University of South Carolina; and Richard Gergel author of Unexampled Courage. Orson Welles broadcasts are housed at Indiana University's Lilly Library. Music in this series from Matthias Bossi and APM Music. We have funding from NEA, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, and from listeners like you. Live event sponsorship from SC Humanites.