Catherine Anne Warnes, professionally Cathy Wayne, was an Australian singer and dancer, who was killed during a tour of Vietnam at a United States Marine Base where she was hosting with others a music concert to entertain the troops during the Vietnam War conflict.
20 Facts About Cathy Wayne
1.
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Cathy Wayne was the first Australian woman killed during the Vietnam War.
3.
Sergeant James Wayne Killen was originally convicted of the unpremeditated murder of Wayne; at his first court-martial it was alleged that he was aiming for his commanding officer, Major Roger E Simmons.
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Cathy Wayne had intended to use money earned from her performances in Vietnam to revive her recording career; and to marry her fiance, Clive Cavanagh, who was the drummer for her performance troupe, Sweethearts on Parade.
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Cathy Wayne was born as Catherine Anne Warnes on 7 December 1949 in Arncliffe, New South Wales, Australia.
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Cathy Wayne was the child of George Warnes and Nancy Starnes, nee Buck.
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Cathy Wayne went to Athelstane Public School where she began singing and dancing classes.
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Cathy Wayne later attended Arncliffe Girls' High School, and, before the age of 12, had performed in school concerts and local community stage shows.
9.
Cathy Wayne took up a dancing spot on the localised version of Opportunity Knocks on the Nine Network.
10.
Cathy Wayne appeared on an Australian TV special, A Night with Leslie, starring US entertainer Leslie Uggams.
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At the age of 16, after winning a talent contest, Cathy Wayne was offered a regular role on television variety show, Bandstand, alongside veteran Rock 'N' Roll performers Col Joye and Little Pattie.
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Cathy Wayne signed with Joye's agency ATA and was managed by his sister Carole Jacobsen.
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Cathy Wayne recorded singles, although these failed to enter the charts.
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Cathy Wayne was presented as a modette version of fellow Bandstand regular Little Pattie.
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Cathy Wayne wanted to marry her fiance, Cavanagh, who was the drummer in Sweethearts on Parade.
16.
The group arrived in Vietnam on 26 June 1969, Cathy Wayne stayed in Saigon between shows for Australian and US troops.
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The tour agent was Ingrid Hart, who recalled that "[Cathy Wayne] wanted to be there with her boyfriend, they were going to get some money together and get married".
18.
Cathy Wayne died almost instantly as the bullet severed her aorta.
19.
At his first court-martial, US Marine Sergeant James Wayne Killen was charged with premeditated murder and was alleged to have been aiming for his commanding officer, Major Roger E Simmons.
20.
Killen was convicted of the unpremeditated murder of Cathy Wayne; he was stripped of all service privileges, dishonourably discharged and sentenced to 20 years hard labour.