…for 2 years. He was rather abrupt and always seemed to be in hurry because he had something else to do. He was involved in a lot. He never slowed down. We formed a union when I was there because the pay was atrocious and he was FURIOUS about it. Radio stations don’t form unions very often, so you can imagine it must have been bad for us to go that route. It all worked out, we got better pay, and the union was eventually abandoned.

Mr. Bank loved the TIDE and he and Coach Bryant were friends. His picture is in the Bryant Museum. Sports, especially football, had a big place on the stations. Founding the Alabama Football Network was a natural extension.

One Saturday when we had a game at Legion Field, I was working doing the sports reports with all the football scores. I must have partied hard that night because I slept through Coach Bryant’s show on Sunday. I didn’t know until most of my friends told me that Coach Bryant had listened to one of my reports and mentioned me on his show. As most of you know, he wasn’t good with names, so I was “that pretty voice on WUOA” that gave him all the scores. I’d love to find that show. I should check with the Bryant Museum.

Anyway, it’s sad to hear about Mr. Bank. He was one of a kind. He did a lot for the University, the state of Alabama, and the United States.

…I encourage you to read Ghost Soldiers. It is a fantastic book. Mr. Bank is one of the survivors interviewed for the book.

My good thoughts are with his family. Mr. Bank is a credit to our fine university, state, and country.

“The majority of the prisoners of war were immediately robbed of their keepsakes and belongings and subsequently forced to endure a 60-mile (97 km) enforced march in deep dust, over vehicle-broken macadam roads, and crammed into rail cars to captivity at Camp O’Donnell. Thousands died en route from disease, starvation, dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution.

Those few who were lucky enough to travel to San Fernando on trucks still had to endure more than twenty-five miles of marching. Prisoners were beaten randomly, and were often denied promised food and water. Those who fell behind were usually executed or left to die.Those who broke rank for a drink of water have been witnessed to have been executed some even decapitated.; the sides of the roads became littered with dead bodies and those begging for help.

On the Bataan Death March, approximately 54,000 of the 75,000 prisoners reached their destination. The death toll of the march is difficult to assess as thousands of captives were able to escape from their guards. All told, approximately 5,000-10,000 Filipino and 600-650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach Camp O’Donnell."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Death_March