Every Halloween, two places return to the national spotlight: Salem, Mass., for its witch trials, and New Jersey, for the Martian invasion of 1938. “The War of the Worlds” radio broadcast of Oct. 30 is almost as famous as the crash of the Hindenburg the year before, and both have given rise to popular myths.

The story begins.

“In a CBS office, a man by the name of Howard Koch was in charge of modifying an existing plan of attack used 40 years before against England to bring New Jersey to its knees.