The Red Scare, UFOs & Elvis: Long Beach Enters the Atomic Age

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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.

In this book discover:

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

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout America UFO clubs were formed to study the unexplained phenomena. Some were serious researchers, others a bit nutty. In Long Beach, two groups were founded by Long Beach UFO enthusiasts in the 1950s – the UFO Research Society and the Long Beach Interplanetary Research Group to discuss the phenomena. The UFO Research Society was led by Reverend Carl Anderson, who claimed to have been contacted by beings from outer space. The Interplanetary Research Group wasn’t sure about Anderson and his claims, and they wanted to distance themselves from his preconceived notions about UFOs – they considered themselves open-minded and were anxious to hear all points of view.

One of the Interplanetary Research Group’s first speakers was Truman Bethurum, a former Long Beach resident, who addressed a skeptical audience in September 1954. He told how space men led him into their 300-foot flying saucer not just once, but eleven times! The crew appeared human, and was headed by a female captain, Aura Rhanes. All spoke colloquial English, Bethurum claimed, and came from the planet Clarion on the other side of our moon, which could not be seen from earth. Bethurum revealed they took him on trips across country and were here to end war without killing anyone. Bethurum, the author of Aboard a Flying Saucer, revealed that President Eisenhower had also talked with one of these space men.

Bethurum apologized for lack of photographic evidence, saying he had made photographs of the disc on two occasions, but all he got were reflections of metal. He did, however, show an artist’s conception of the 300-foot disc he said came from Clarion, the mysterious planet beyond the moon. Bethurum did have some reassuring news. He told the audience of 250 that he believed there would never be an atomic war “because people from outer space will see to that.” He went on to say the aliens had the power to nullify the bombs and would do so if it became necessary. Mankind would never gain the secrets of flying saucer power, Bethurum added, until humankind lost the desire to fight each other. Bethurum achieved a bit of notoriety after his story came out. He even started a religious commune near Prescott, Arizona, after the space aliens told him to do so.

Another speaker was Calvin C. Girvin who addressed the UFO Research Society in September 1956.

Girvin had an interesting story to tell, claiming to have spotted about 75 flying saucers in the past eight years. He said his first encounter was in November 1954 when he was stationed at Hickham Field, Hawaii. He was just about to go to bed when he saw a blue-white light streaking through the night sky, leaving a trail of red sparks. Figuring it was a just a jet the sergeant fell asleep. What happened then could have been a dream, he admitted, but it was like no dream he had ever had. He felt himself leave the house and over the yard, about three feet above the ground, was a ball shaped object approximately 35 feet in diameter. Its pearl-like cover glowed blue. A voice told him to enter the craft; after he did so he was whisked to another bigger violet colored space ship.

Taken to a UFO conference room, he saw 30 or 40 earth looking creatures dressed in earth style clothing; they identified themselves as being from outer space. They chatted amiably for about 45 minutes about Girvin’s future before he was transported back to his room at Hickham Field. When he woke up the next morning he was already dressed. Not only that – a circle 35 feet in diameter was burned into the lawn.

Girvin later described his encounters in a book The Night Has a Thousand Saucers published in 1958. It differed greatly from what he told the UFO Research Society in 1956.

In the book Girvin said he became interested in flying saucers after reading about UFO sightings in 1947. He soon began to have dreams, and joined the Air Force because he was told to do so by his Venusian friends, Cryxtan and Ashtar, to act as their spy. They wanted him to use every opportunity to inspect any files, reports, photographs or other evidence the Air Force held on flying saucers. At first he only remembered his encounters through dreams, but on September 15, 1952, while driving to Washington, D.C., he saw a Venusian saucer land and got to ride up to the alien mother ship which was orbiting the earth. He did what the aliens asked him and joined the Air Force. He was delighted when he was assigned to the Pentagon, even if it was only in food services, and used every opportunity to strike up conversations about saucers with top military officials. After a few months, Pentagon officials, tired of his incessant banter about UFOs, transferred him to Hawaii.

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