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0683-VTN-05/2014
Marvin Kay, PhD
1 LT
U. S. Army
Vietnam
Dates of Service: 12/10/1968 - 09/20/1970
Platoon Leader, 4th BN, 31st Reg.,196 Light Inf BDE, 23rd Inf DIV (Americal)
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Dr. Marvin Kay was born in 1946 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Lionel E. Kay and Ester Estelle Kraus Kay. His father, a naturalized American, was from Vildo, Poland and his mother was born in New York City with parents who emigrated from Belarus. Both of his parents were Jewish and many relatives were killed during the Holocaust. After graduation from college he enlisted in the Army, qualified for OCS and was commissioned as second lieutenant. In 1969 he was sent to Vietnam, first to Chu Lai and then to the Americal Division at LZ West where he served as the battalion night duty officer. Later he was transferred to Alpha Company where he took command of the 2nd Platoon then transferred to MAC/V (Military Assistance Command/Vietnam) patrolling near Hiep Duc and Hau Duc. While at Hau Duc, he contracted amoebic dysentery and had to be sent to the hospital at Chu Lai. After recovering, he took two companies of Vietnamese (called Ruff Puffs) to do an operation off of LZ Mary Ann, near the Laotian border. Marvin was not surprised that LZ Mary Ann was later overrun because there was simply no discipline on the firebase. After discharge he attended graduate school at the University of Missouri where he completed his masters degree and then went on to the University of Colorado for his PhD. Marvin and Susan met in the lab at the Midwest Archeological Center in Lincoln, Nebraska where she was working. After marrying they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and he taught at the University of Tulsa for a year and then began teaching at the University of Arkansas remaining there as a Professor of Anthropology. Marvin has written several books including, Plains Village Archaeology: Bison Hunting Farmers in the Central and Northern Plains. Susan and Marvin have two daughters, Sasha and Jenna.