Wendy Kaye is as American as cheeseburgers and apple pie, and about ten times as appetizing. Born in Memphis, blonde-haired Wendy is proud to be American – at one month old, she celebrated her first Independence Day with her father, a U.S. Navy flier, and to this day, it remains her favorite holiday. Rather fitting for our bright, independent July Playmate – who better to celebrate the Fourth with than Wendy Kaye? “It’s perfect, I love it,” gushes Wendy. “A lightning bolt came down, and God said, ‘Do something different with your life.’ This is it!” Growing up in Santa Barbara, Wendy was a little shy – she was hesitant, for example, to set foot on the upper-class East Beach – but by her senior year, her nickname was Barbie, and she’d been named “Most Likely to Have a Secret Admirer” by her classmates. Her 5’6”, 34D figure – often clad in a thong swimsuit – was the stuff of legend on East Beach. “I wasn’t too wild,” says Wendy with a laugh. “I say be true to your values – if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it!” Being Miss July 1991 felt so, so right – thanking God, her parents and of course, the troops, Wendy earned a place in American (and Playboy) history. Memorably, she waved to fans from a float in Manhattan’s Desert Storm parade. As for other helpings on an already-full plate, Wendy would love to travel – “to see how other cultures live,” she explains – and vows to commit herself to truth, beauty and goodness in the world. Being a Playmate of the Month, she’s off to a pretty spectacular start.