Kay's Peers: guitarist Linda Lee

 

From Kay's era --1950s square dance program on television

 Everyone in Kay's life was very clear that Western TV shows and movies and cowboy records were anathema to her, I am not sure where she stood on the square dance question.

Movies of Kay's Era: "Calling Philo Vance" (1940)

 

The appeal of the secret language calls to us all

 

Korean War health issues for military personnel -- issues from Kay's era

Kay served first as an enlisted member of the WAAC and then later within civillian personnel at Scott Field, and then she shifted to doing more War / Defense Bond rallies as the Second World War ended. This era was ending for Kay about the time that the Korean conflict began. She still had many connections with active military folks and veterans, so circumstances involving those who went to Korea are part of Kay's story. 

In researching the experiences of those who served in Korean, I became aware of troop numbers involving viral infections. A significant number of U.S. soldiers got sick from hanta viruses (inhaaled as dust from rodine urine and feces) and Japanese encephalitis, borne by mosquitoes. 

Another health hazard for soldiers in Korea was exposure to cold.  I was pretty shocked to read on this government website that a winter campaign in 1950 involved soldiers fighting in temperatures that reached fifty below zero. 

Korean War weaponry -- Kay's military world

 Kay worked on an air base, mostly with radio and electronics as well as music for the military bands. But anybody in the military knew more than the average cicilian about the weapons used. One carry-over from the Second World War to the Korean conflict was the "qusd 50," aka "the meat chopper," a weapon in a wheekled carrier or on a tank which shot 50 caliber shells from a four-gun array. This  video is by a weapon experet who has recreated a working model from vintage parts. 

Links to videos connected with the book MacArther's Spies

https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/5-famous-spies-that-made-philippine-history-a00184-20180108-lfrm

https://www.c-span.org/video/?301941-1/douglas-macarthur-story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yq1dpCLvTM

https://www.c-span.org/video/?428592-2/macarthurs-spies

Celebrities of Kay's Day: Lawrence Welk is a guest on Smokey the Bear's radio show

 Hard to say who was the bigger name, but perhaps Smokey?

 

You can hear the program here.

Newsmakers of Kay's Day: The Saboteur

TIME magazine article

Vanity Fair article

Artists of Kay's Day: Helen Humes

 Helen Humes singing "Blue Prelude":

Artists of Kay's Day: Buck Clayton

 "cup-Mute Clayton" featuring Buck Clayton

Here's a short article I found on Clayton on a jazz blog.