The Day the Martians Invaded- Stories from Papa

Scene:  the day is October 30, 1936.  A young RC Davis (aka Papa) had been helping his Dad (Pa Clayton) at their Country Store. At some point during the evening he had to go back to their house for some reason. When he got home, he walked into the kitchen, turned on the radio, and found out that life as he knew it had changed forever---or so it seemed. 

 Papa stood transfixed as tales of martians landing, attacking, taking over poured out of the radio. He was, understandably so, TERRIFIED! He was alone. And all thoughts of WHY he had come home were long gone!  

 He ran out of the house and all the way back to the store. He ran into the building screaming, frantic, FREAKED out. Yelled for Pa Clayton to turn on the  radio and they stood together listening to the rest of the attack. Mars exploding. Aliens landing. People being annihilated with ray guns. The military attacking, reports going silent, people frantically calling out for anyone--is anyone there? Then at least  there is a survivor detailing the alien occupation and the ultimate defeat of the Martians by microbes.

So, what happened? Was Earth under attack? Had Aliens invaded? Was this the end?  No, of course not. This was the day, Halloween Eve, that Orson Wells took the country on an unexpectedly terrifying adventure and allegedly caused wide spread panic for those who missed the beginning of the broadcast that clarified it was only a story. The hour long program ended with Orson comparing the show to "dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying 'boo!'" 

This was The War of the Worlds.  

Did wide spread panic ensue? Did people think was true? The reports I ready seem to have different conclusions, but I can say for certainty that for a young boy in East Texas, Orson met his goal of FREAKING the listener out!   86 years later, that "boy" remembers every minute of that experience.  Well Played, Orson. Well Played.