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This story was published in Radio Recall, the journal of the Metropolitan Washington Old-Time Radio Club, published six times per year.
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MESSAGE FROM KEN O'ROURKE, FORMER OTR COWBOY SINGER
(From Radio Recall, April 2005.)
I was recently watching the History Channel about US atomic bombing of Japan, which related that the plane had taken off from Tinian Island. Tinian rang a bell in my head. It was 61 years ago and I still remember landing Marines there in WW II.
One of those Marines was Sgt. Lee Powell. He looked so familiar I was sure I knew him. It turned out I DID know him, not personally , but from the 1938 movie serial of The Lone Ranger. We talked a long time. Lee was the first Cinema "Lone Ranger" ever. He was a great guy in person; his squad loved him! Unfortunately, like many of his buddies, he never left that island alive.
Another Marine in those same weekly movie serials was George Montgomery but I didn't meet until the 1950s. He was then married to Dinah Shore and she introduced me to him and their daughter Melissa. Dinah's real first name was Fanny Rose. I originally met her in 1940 when she had a 15 minute radio show on WNEW, NY. At that time, I went to WNEW to see my buddy, Elton Britt, who had the 15 minute radio slot just before her at 4 PM. Elton used to have me sing a yodel song with him on his show, and Dinah would have me sing a duet with her on the second show.
Later the three of us would all go for coffee and chat. She had dark hair then and walked with a slight limp. When Dinah started gaining fame, she made appearances at the Loew's State theater and would get me in free. I loved it!
See what memories the "Atom Bomb" on the History Channel blew into my head!
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