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Yesterday in La Crosse

Uncle Sam said “I want you” to men and women, 55 years ago

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At the start of 1964, the Army Recruiting station in La Crosse reported that 176 persons had enlisted at the office during the previous year. According to a newspaper headline, seven of the new recruits were “gals.”   

Both of Minnesota’s U.S. Senators … Hubert Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy…were being mentioned as possible running mates for President Lyndon Johnson in the fall election. The job of vice president was left vacant when LBJ became president after the Kennedy assassination.  Humphrey became the new veep.  

The surgeon-general started a firestorm over smoking that January.  Luther Terry released a report on “Smoking and Health,” which concluded that the use of cigarettes could lead to lung cancer and other illnesses. Later that year, Washington ordered cigarette makers to put health warnings on cigarette packages.   

And on this night in 1964, a new musical opened on Broadway. “Hello, Dolly” was a star-making show for Broadway veteran Carol Channing. The title song also gave Louis Armstrong a chart-topping record. That fall, Armstrong would perform at La Crosse’s Oktoberfest…in 1964, yesterday in La Crosse.     

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.

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