Milo Radulovich(1926-2007)
In 1953, during the height of the Communist scare personified by
Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, Milo Radulovich was a student at the
University of Michigan and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve
when he was notified that his commission had been revoked as he had
been deemed a security risk. His own loyalty wasn't in question; a
World War II veteran, he was the son of a Serbian-born autoworker who
had been suspected of Communist leanings, primarily due to his
subscription to a Slavic newspaper; moreover, one of his sisters had
picketed a Detroit hotel that had refused to rent a room to Paul
Robeson, who had gone on record as praising the Soviet Union, and its
leader, Joseph Stalin. Radulovich decided to fight back, and eventually
Fred Friendly, producer of the CBS news show "See It Now". realizing
that Radulovich's situation sent reporter Joseph Wershba and a
cameraman to interview Radulovich. The resulting broadcast that aired
on October 20, 1953 and was hosted by Edward R. Murrow was cited by the
New York Times as "the opening salvo" against Senator McCarthy and his
anti-Communist tactics eventually leading to his confrontation with
Joseph N. Welch during congressional hearings involving the U.S. Army
which soon resulted in McCarthy's censure by Congress. Radulovich was
eventually restored to rank, and after moving to California, was
employed by the National Weather Bureau.