Cub Scout Bill Dunlap – USO Letter On A Record

This is one of the first things I ever picked up that was at 78 revolutions per minute. It brought me so much joy to listen to (once I bought the proper cartridge), and really expanded my view of the tangibility of recorded media. I could hold history in my hand, and now, can share it with whomever I desire.

As for what this record actually is, I'll let the WKU Libraries blog explain its provenance best:

 

 

"During World War II, servicemen could enter a booth at USO clubs operated by the National Catholic Community Service and make an audio recording.  The result was a two-sided, wax-coated cardboard disk, 6-1/2 inches in diameter and playable on a turntable at 78 r.p.m., that could be mailed to friends or loved ones back home."

This "letter on a record" is of 10-year-old Cub Scout Bill Dunlap that I believe could be 1943, but really could be any time during the USO's WWII tenure. On both sides, he sings "The U.S. Air Force" song, as well as his very own Den 7's theme. It's definitely adorable, and there's a fair amount of interesting things about this. There's a point in which he whistles for a dog, a person tells him to sing lower, and he also recites the of-the-era cub motto. 

I've begun to upload my transfers to YouTube, and that includes both sides of this one! I've embedded it below, and I plan on uploading most of my unique (foreign, acetate, flexi, etc.) records there. I also updated my first & previous post to include the link to the video transfer, rather than an audio link. Enjoy!