The Red Scare, UFOs & Elvis: Long Beach Enters the Atomic Age
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The “baby boomer” generation (1946-1964) grew up in a time of dramatic social change. Their experiences in the Cold War were very different from those of their parents. While adults perceived Communism as a threat to the American way of life – to their health and well-being and those of their families – their children learned to fear the loss of a future they could grow into and inhabit. These kids of the Atomic Age wondered if they might be the last children on Earth. They were raised on civil defense films, tales of nuclear annihilation, and a world taken over by Communism. America had entered the atomic age. Flying saucers were big news, Communism appeared rampant, a war in Korea erupted, teens turned to murder, and there was fear the world might end. It was also a time of transition. Rock ‘n’ roll entered the scene, space flight became a reality, and the public learned not to blindly accept what the government told them, especially when it came to atomic radiation and waste.
UFOs
* Southern California UFO encounters.
* The truth behind the Roswell UFO incident.
* The Long Beach man who headed Project Blue Book.
* The facts behind the military’s Area 51.
* UFO theorists and their beliefs.
THE ATOMIC BOMB
* Communist sabotage, espionage and mystery submarines.
* Surviving an atomic bomb attack.
* The Korean War.
* Atomic bomb testing and its aftermath.
MUSIC
* The rise of rock ‘n’ roll & surf music.
* Long Beach’s contribution to the music scene.
* Elvis, Dick Dale, the Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, and more.
TEEN CULTURE
* The Cinnamon Cinder and other teen night clubs.
* Car clubs.
MURDER
* A psychopathic killer out for revenge.
* A teen hypnotized by a television program and told to kill.
* A young girl killed by the instrument she loved – an accordion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UFOs
Spys?
The Korean War
Red Scare
The Atomic Age
Rock ‘N’ Roll
A Murderous Instrument
Teen Murderers
INDEX
A
Abercrombie, Leslie, 64-65
Accordion, 105-115
Adair, Jack, 72
Adamski, George, 23
Adrian and the Sunsets, 87
African Americans, 48, 58-59
Air Force, 8, 11-12, 14-17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29-30, 33, 34-35, 44-46, 68, 71
Alfson, Marshall, 127
Alter, Dinsmore, 15
Altman, Brad, 62
Alvila, Roy, 102
American Civil Liberties Union, 57
American Legion, 63
Anakin, Arthur, 71
Anderson, Carl, 17, 19–21, 23
Anderson, Clarence L., 49
Anderson, Edna, 26
Anderson, H.D., 6
Angel, Johnny, 103
Area 51, 32-34
Armitage, Shirley Jean, 119
Arnold, Kenneth, 6
Artukovic, Andrija, 51-53
Atomic Bomb Survival, 1-2, 66-67, 73-79
Atomic Bombs, 1-2, 11, 18, 42, 54, 66-71, 72, 77
Atomic Energy Commission, 32-33, 67, 68, 80-83
Atomic Radiation. See Radiation
Aunt Dinah’s Quilting Party, 88-89
Austin, Ruth, 26-27
B
Barr, Ralph, 87-88
Beach Boys, 84, 90, 96-97, 98, 100, 101
Beatles, 86, 95, 98-99
Beckman, Bob, 27-29
Belmont Shore, 7
Bender, Elmer, 38-39, 42
Berling, Violet John, 106-115
Bethurum, Truman, 2, 17-18
Big Bopper, 96
Bigelow, Robert, 33, 36
Birnie, Helen Wood, 58-60, 62
Bishop, Ralph E., 49
Blevins, Sam, 73
Bomb Shelters, 74-77, 79
Bomb Wing, 448th, 44, 45
Bomb Wing, 452nd, 44-46
Boone, Pat, 61, 94
Boswell, Robert, 80-83
Boulton, Gary & Jancane, 101-102
Bowditch, Arthur, 48-49
Boylan, Barbara, 105-106
Brick, Edward, 105
Britt, Joseph P., 48
Brown, Charles, 131
Brown, Clyde, 87
Brown, Mickey, 101, 103
Brown, Tom, 102
Brynes, Peggy, 118-119, 120
Burgess, Bobby, 105-106
C
Calarco, Camella, 121-122
Calarco, Dominic “Mickey”, 118-120
Campbell, Delora Mae, 122-124
Car Clubs, 128-131
Carroll, Danny, 6
Cary, Clint, 24-25
Catalina Island, 5, 55-56
Cefalu, Victor, 112
Chantays, 86
Check, Randell, 131
China. See Red China
Christian Anti-Communism Crusade, 58, 60-62, 91
Church of the Cosmic Origin, 22
Cinnamon Cinder, 100-102, 103-104
Clark, Colin, 102
Coastwise Marine Disposal Company, 80-83
Coffee, Robert J., 49
Cohn, Maurice, 75
Collins, Larry H., 119-121
Communism, 3, 49, 52, 56-65, 90-91, 116, 133
Communist Registration, 57-58
Constable, Trevor James, 23-24
Cook, Tommy, 118-121
Cosmic Research Group. See UFO Research Society
Cross, J.D., 70
D
Dick Dale and the Del Tones, 89-90, 101, 102
Diller, Donald A., 127
Dilley, Evelyn, 25-26
Dodson, Gary, 102
Donay, Theodore, 55-56
Douglas Aircraft, 3, 11, 14, 34, 39, 43, 119, 123
Dovey, William, 57
Downs, Muriel, 118, 120
Durham, Mel, 89
E
Ebermayer, W.G., 6
Ed Sullivan Show, 95, 98
Eglit, Ron, 87
El Toro Marine Base, 12
Elder, Sherwood, 11
Elkins, Leah, 70
Ellis, Larry, 102
Epley, Malcolm, 132
Erickson, Beatrice, 107-108, 111, 120, 122-124
Erickson, Harry, 107-108
Erickson, Kay Frances, 106-115
Espionage, 38-41, 56, 60
F
Fadden, Jimmie, 87-88
Fitzpatrick, Patrick, 62
Floren, Myron, 105, 106
Flowers, George, 68-69
Fluoridation, 64-65
Flying Saucers. See UFOs
Friedman, Stan, 9
G
Gardner, Robert C., 23
Gay 90’s, 102
George, Frank, 77-78
George, Stella, 77-78
Giant Rock Airport, 22
Girvin, Calvin, 18–19
Glover, Willie, 85-86
Goldsmith, D.L., 100
Gonzales, Amando, 131
Griffith Observatory, 15, 71-72
Gronowicz, Carl E., 49
H
Hacker, Robert, 75-76
Haines, Tom, 131
Hall, James, 131
Hanna, Jeff, 87-88
Hanson, Kristopher, 30-31
Hanson, Wayne, 107
Hendricks, E.O., 22
Hermosa Apartments, 76
Hill, David, 131
Hill, Jack, 29-30
Hill, V.M., 12
Hoffa, R.A., 76
Holly, Buddy, 96
Holly, Chris, 25
Homosexuality, 112
Horne, Marilyn, 84
Horton, William, 34
Hubbard, Clifford, 45
Hudson, Beulah, 8
Huggins, George, 102
Hughes, Howard, 34
I
ID Bracelets, 78-79
Illusions, 102
Interplanetary Research Group, 17-18, 21, 22-25
Isbell, Donna Joyce, 122-124
J
James, Trevor. See Constable, Trevor James
Jan and Dean, 87, 90, 101
John Birch Society, 61, 62
Johnson, John LaVern, 43
Jones, Lindley Armstrong. See Jones, Spike
Jones, Spike, 84-85, 86, 88
Jones, W.R., 73
Jordan High School, 43, 87, 103
Jussila, Ruth, 10-11
K
Keller, Ronald Lee, 43
Kennedy Assassination, 41
Kessler, Harry, 10
KGB,. See Soviet Union
Kiewiet, Ellen, 72
King, Billie L., 45
Korean War, 42-51
Korean War Casualties, 43, 45
Korean War POWs. See Prisoners of War
Krieder, Robert, 70
Krusz, Harry J., 79-80
Kuehl, Tom, 88-89
Kuiper, Gerhard, 7
Kunkel, Bruce, 87-88
L
La Ronde Rue. See Cinnamon Cinder
Lakewood, 29, 58, 102-103
Lakewood Plaza, 25, 29, 122
Lakewood Village, 6
Lamb, Virginia, 7
Lambert, Dick, 87
Langelle, Russell, 39-41
LeGrand, Ron, 88-89
Leonard, Steve, 85-86
Lido Ballroom, 90, 102
Lindbergh, Jon, 50-51
Lloyd, Adrian, 87
Long Beach Airport. See Municipal Airport
Long Beach Arena. See Municipal Auditorium
Long Beach Police Department, 15, 31, 57, 63, 75, 80, 92-93
Los Alamitos Naval Air Station, 14, 34, 123
Los Altos, 77
Loyalty Oath, 3, 57-58
M
Maddux, Robert, 43-44
Mahan, Neil, 129-131
Manhattan Project, 7
Marijuana, 116-117
Marina Palace, 102, 104
Mars, 13, 20-21, 32
Martin, Johnny J., 43
Mason, Bob, 102
Mattis, Jay, 13
McCabe’s Guitar Shop, 87
McCarthy, Eugene, 38-40
McCarthy, Joseph, 56
McEuen, John, 87-88
McEuen, Richard, 88-89
McMullen, Ron, 85-86
Mefford, Mickey, 131
Mengele, Josef, 32
Mercier, Skip, 85-86
Mikkelson, Mary, 11-12
Miller, Harold, 124, 126-127
Miller, Larry, 124-128
Miller, Lela, 124, 126-127
Millikan High School, 88, 102
Minnis, James, 131
Mon-Ka, 20-21
Moore, Bill, 9
Mullen, Tom, 96
Municipal Airport, 2, 12, 13, 14, 31, 34-35, 43, 44, 45, 46
Municipal Auditorium, 90, 91, 92-93, 96, 99-100, 105, 106
Muntz, Don, 76
Murder, 106-115, 118-128, 129-131
N
Navy Shipyard, 42, 46, 47, 107
New Coast Two, 87
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 87-88
North Korea, 3, 42-50, 83
North Long Beach, 38, 39, 68
Nosenko, Yuri, 41
Nuclear Bombs. See Atomic Bombs
O
Ofield, Marie, 10
O’Hara, Robert, 11
P
Padilla, Eddie, 130-131
Palmer, Anne, 26
Pennington, Eugene, 48
Peters, Donna, 88
Pike, 75, 90
Piper, Dorothy, 26-27
Pitman, Tom, 85-86
Pollard, Frank, 131
Poly High School, 84, 86, 87, 88, 103, 105
Pontrelli, John, 131
Popov, Pyotr, 39-40, 41
Presley, Elvis, 87, 91-96, 97-98
Presleyettes, 93-94
Prisoners of War, 38-39, 47-49, 55
Project Blue Book, 15–17
Proust, Paul J., 75
Pyramids (Music group), 85-86, 99, 101
R
Radiation, 33, 69-70, 74, 77, 81-83
Radioactive Waste, 80-83
Ramos, Eugene, 49
Ramsey, Albert, 108, 111, 112, 113, 114, 119-120
Red China, 36, 38-39, 42, 83
Reed, Jim, 100
Regan, Lavada, 123, 124
Reid, Harry, 35-37
Rendezvous Ballroom, 89-90
Richardson, J.P.. See Big Bopper
Riddar, Bruce, 87
Righteous Brothers, 101
Rillisporians, 24-25
Rioth, Paul R., 9-10
Ritchie, Otis, 70
Robeson, George, 26-27
Rolling Stones, 99-100
Rook, Beverly, 94
Roswell, New Mexico, 8-9, 23, 31, 33, 34
Rowe, Kelvin, 23
Rubin, Tibor, 47
Rumblers, 87
Ruppelt, Edward, 15–17
Russia. See Soviet Union
Ruttgen, Helen, 7-8
S
Sabotage, 42, 44, 57, 60, 82
Salerno, John, 10
Satellites, 13-14, 30, 73
Saxtons, 103
Schauer, Mary, 113-114,
Schwarz, Fred, 60-62, 90-91, 116, 139
Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, 3, 44, 73
Seate, Al, 68
Sexton, Dwayne, 33
Sheldon, Phyllis, 64-65
Signal Hill, 10, 102
Sky Critters, 23-24
Smith, William, 38-39, 42
Soul Club, 103
South Korea, 42-50
Soviet Union, 3, 11, 13-14, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 39-41, 45, 50, 51, 54-55, 56, 60, 62, 64, 66, 67, 69, 73, 77, 83, 88, 133, 134
Spit and Argue Club. See University by the Sea
Sport, Jack, 131
Steiner, Harold A., 49
Sten, Ted, 113, 114, 126
Stivers, Gene, 131
Submarines, 54-56
Sullivan, Ed. See Ed Sullivan Show
Sutherland, Kenneth E., 57
Sutton, Charles, 104
T
Teen Music Clubs, 100-104
Thomas, Bob, 90
Thomas, Mary, 22-23
Thomey, Tedd, 103
Thompson, Les, 87-88
Thurmond, Stafford, 124-125
Thy, Clem, 79
Troxell, Hope, 21-22
Turley, John, 100
U
U.S.S.R.. See Soviet Union
UFO Clubs, 17-25
UFO Research Society, 17, 18-22, 23-25
UFO Survey, 28-29
UFOs, 5-37, 54
University by the Sea, 63-64
V
Valdez, Gilbert, 131
Valens, Richie, 96
Valle, Albert, 131
Van Tassel, George W., 22
Venus, 15, 19, 21, 28
Verdugo, Ernie, 131
Verdugo, Miguel, 110-111
W
Walker, W.J.K., 10
War Criminals, 51-53
Waste, Radioactive. See Radioactive Waste
Weather Balloons, 8, 9, 11, 12-13, 15, 26, 29, 30, 34
Welk, Lawrence, 105-106
Welsome, Eileen, 32-33
Westerman, Travis, 68
Wetzel, Laura, 124-126
Whearley, Bob, 22
Wieland, Lawrence, 131
Williams, Lee, 68
Wilmington, 29-30
Wilson High School, 87, 122
World War II, 2, 31, 32, 35, 42, 43, 46, 47, 50, 51-53, 54, 66, 67, 75, 104