VIDEO: The Kay Kyser Show for the 11th Airborne in Lipa, Batangas, 1945
In August of 1945, while troops mostly of the 11th Airborne Division rested and recuperated at the Lipa Airstrip in what is now Lipa City in the Province of Batangas, the bandleader and radio personality Kay Kayser visited for a show to entertain the soldiers.
This was at a time when, for all intents and purposes, southern Luzon, including Batangas, had been liberated from Japanese occupation and US Army troops were merely conducting mopping up operations to flush out stragglers from the Japanese Imperial Army.
Kyser, whose full name was James Kem Kyser, was also a recording artist – with his band – and appeared in a few movies, often as himself.
The video that appears below was originally taken from the United States National Archives. It has been treated with video editing software to brighten up the images somewhat, although understandably, video technology in the era was considerably poor compared to today’s. Thus, the sound quality is not very high either.
Batangas History makes this video available to researchers, teachers, students and the general public in Batangas who have interest in the history of the province, particularly related to World War II.
Notes and references:
“Kay Kyser Show for the 11th Airborne Div, Lipa, Batangas Province – Luzon, Philippine Islands,” video at the United States National Archives.
This was at a time when, for all intents and purposes, southern Luzon, including Batangas, had been liberated from Japanese occupation and US Army troops were merely conducting mopping up operations to flush out stragglers from the Japanese Imperial Army.
Kyser, whose full name was James Kem Kyser, was also a recording artist – with his band – and appeared in a few movies, often as himself.
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| Entertainer Kay Kyser with a show for the 11th Airborne in Lipa, Batangas, 1945. |
The video that appears below was originally taken from the United States National Archives. It has been treated with video editing software to brighten up the images somewhat, although understandably, video technology in the era was considerably poor compared to today’s. Thus, the sound quality is not very high either.
Batangas History makes this video available to researchers, teachers, students and the general public in Batangas who have interest in the history of the province, particularly related to World War II.
Notes and references:
“Kay Kyser Show for the 11th Airborne Div, Lipa, Batangas Province – Luzon, Philippine Islands,” video at the United States National Archives.