Unfriendly Fire: The Murder Of Cathy Wayne

Just hours before Apollo 11 landed on the moon on 20 July 1969, young Australian pop star Cathy Wayne was shot dead on stage while performing as part of the troupe Sweethearts On Parade for American Marines in Vietnam. Yet Cathy hadn’t been killed by the enemy — she’d been gunned down by one of the very soldiers who she’d travelled half way around the world to entertain. But who shot Cathy and why?

The Sydney Morning Herald article about her death.
Cathy Wayne on Bandstand, February 1966

5 Comments

  1. i was at Cue Chi at that time
    in south viet nam
    what a shame they should have had better security but that is the way viet nam was the enemy was everywhere

    1. Hi Jeffrey – that is amazing. And horrific. What do you think was the target? Best, Michael

  2. From hearing your podcast my bet would be on her lover, who might have lied about wanting to leave his wife and would, if this was the case, be upset by Cathy’s pregnancy. He also had inquired after a gun. He might have asked the drunken brother-type guys to do it for him – painting her as a hussy who was blackmailing him for example – which also would explain their rude behaviour towards the entertaining troupe’s females in general.

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