The Documentary

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April, 2006

Local DCB in Wide National Release

The documentary film, Dayton Codebreakers began airing on public television stations throughout the country April 2, 2006. The film tells the story of Joseph Desch, NCR engineer, and a top secret codebreaking operations in Dayton during WWII. It was presented to the recent American Public Television marketplace and a remarkable 101 Licensees across the country signed up to broadcast it. This represents over 80% of US households and includes markets from New York to LA, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Seattle. Also in the group are 14 statewide networks including Kentucky, North Carolina, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Georgia.

“This is a clear and resounding affirmation that the story is of interest far outside of Dayton and Ohio,” said Aileen LeBlanc a Yellow Springs resident who directed the film. She co-produced it along with Deborah Anderson of Kettering, the daughter of the late Joseph Desch.

Anderson adds “Because of his oath of secrecy, my father could not speak of his work. I think he’d be pleased with the way we tell the story, honestly yet respectfully. And he’d be fascinated by people’s interest and the way the story resonates today.”

Joseph Desch was an engineer at NCR in 1942, a pioneer in electronics. The Navy needed his expertise to design codebreaking machines which were used against the German Enigma machine. This top secret operation remained classified for more than fifty years. The film Local DCB tells this virtually unknown piece of history.

ThinkTV/WPTD of Dayton is the presenting station for American Public Television and has worked with LeBlanc and Anderson since they began making the film in 2002. Jim Weiner, Program manager for think TV remarks “Just when you think all the World War II stories have been mined, this gem emerges. And it came to light because a daughter played detective in hunting down the top secret answer to what her father did during the war.”

The all local crew includes :
Mike King, Director of Photography
Music Composition and Performance by Sandy and Michael Bashaw
Audio, Tom Mayor and John Mays
Archival Footage, Brian Springer
Editorial Consultant, Jim Klein

* Due to problems getting broadcast times, we’ve stopped updating our list of specific stations and dates.

Please consult local listings or call your station to ask for broadcast times. Thanks.

Markets *

WNET New York NY
KVCR San Bernardino CA
KOCE Huntington Beach CA
WHYY Philadelphia PA
NEWH Durham NH
WGBH Boston MA
KCSM San Mateo CA
KTEH San Jose CA
KQED San Francisco CA
KERA Dallas TX
WPBA Atlanta GA
GEOR Atlanta GA
WTVS Detroit MI
KUHT Houston TX
KCTS Seattle WA
WEDU Tampa FL
KAWE Bemidji MN
KTCA St. Paul MN
KAET Tempe AZ
WPBT North Miami FL
WLRN Miami FL
KBDI Denver CO
KRMA Denver CO
WMFE Orlando FL
KETC St. Louis MO
OREG Portland OR
WTIU Bloomington IN
WIPB Muncie IN
WFYI Indianapolis IN
CONN Hartford CT
NCAR Triangle Park NC
WTVI Charlotte NC
WNPT Nashville TN
KCPT Kansas City MO
WMVS Milwaukee WI
WCET Cincinnati OH
WPTO Dayton OH
SCAR Columbia SC
KUED Salt Lake City UT
KLRN San Antonio TX
WGVU Grand Rapids MI
ALAB Birmingham AL
WHRO Norfolk VA
WITF Harrisburg PA
WLAE Metairie LA
WKNO Memphis TN
MISS Jackson MS
OKLA Oklahoma City OK
WNED Buffalo NY
WSBE Providence RI
KENT Lexington KY
WJCT Jacksonville FL
WMHT Troy NY
WPTD Dayton OH
ARKA Conway AR
KVPT Fresno CA
WETP Knoxville TN
KRSC Claremore OK
WOUB Athens OH
WVIR Beaver WV
WSRE Pensacola FL
WDCQ University Center MI
KPTS Wichita KS
WBRA Roanoke VA
WGTE Toledo OH
KUAT Tucson AZ
MAIN Bangor ME
WXXI Rochester NY
NEBR Lincoln NE
WCNY Syracuse NY
WSIU Carbondale IL
KWSU Pullman WA
KSPS Spokane WA
WILL Urbana IL
WEIU Charleston IL
WCFE Plattsburgh NY
KWBU Waco TX
KNCT Killeen TX
WNIN Evansville IN
WNEO Kent OH
WFWA Fort Wayne IN
WGBY Springfield MA
WKAR East Lansing MI
KNPB Reno NV
SDAK Vermillion SD
NDAK Fargo ND
KEDT Corpus Christi TX
KIXE Redding CA
KTWU Topeka KS
WQLN Erie PA
KTXT Lubbock TX
KSMQ Austin MN
KUSM Bozeman MT
WPBS Watertown NY
WNMU Marquette MI
WVPT Harrisonburg VA
WBGU Bowling Green OH
KCWC Riverton WY
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  • Inside You’ll Find…

    WHO worked during the war? Find the Personnel section. Also, Joseph R. Desch
    WHAT were their goals? By the Numbers. Also, The US Bombe
    WHY? History of the Bombe Project A contemporary account of the reasons and the plans for their project for the Director of Naval Communications, 1944.
    WHERE was the project: In Dayton, it was in Building 26. In Washington, it was housed at the Naval Communications Annex