Explorer's Gazette

EEXXPPLLOORREERR’’SS GGAAZZEETTTTEE Published Quarterly in Pensacola, Florida USA for the Old Antarctic Explorers Association Uniting All OAEs in Perpetuating the Memory of United States Involvement in Antarctica Volume 16, Issue 1 Old Antarctic Explorers Association, Inc Jan-Mar 2016 Photo by Electricians Mate 1st Class Jeremy Bivens Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One (NCHB-1) Chief Petty Officers gather for a group photo shortly after arriving at McMurdo Station. Antarctica Bound: NCHB-1 Departs To Support Operation Deep Freeze 2016 Stories Edited by Billy-Ace Story by LT David DiSanto Upon arriving in Christchurch our entire group was NCHB-1 S3 OIC escorted to the U.S. Antarctic Programs facility where hen leaving for a deployment you never know exactly everyone had their first encounter with Extreme Cold W what to expect. Sure, there are the emotions of leaving Weather Gear. This was an important first step in the family and completing the mission at hand and Operation Antarctic mission because proper gear at the right size Deep Freeze 2016 (DF-2016) is no different. Waking up allows for longevity in the harsh elements and the selection before most of Hampton Roads on 13 Jan 2016, members of of gear available at McMurdo Station is limited. Once this NCHB-1 headed to Cheatham Annex to travel as a group to was complete everyone proceeded to get acclimatized to the Norfolk International Airport. From Norfolk the Cargo time change after such long flights. Normally, one full day is Handlers took various routes via Christchurch, New Zealand allocated to see New Zealand prior to departing for “The on their way to McMurdo Station located on Ross Island in Ice” as Antarctica is commonly referred and this year was no Antarctica. To make this trip at least five separate flights and different. nearly 30 hours of flying were required just for one leg of Continued on page 4 the Operation. E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 16, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 6 P R E S I D E N T ’ S C O R N E R Laura Snow—OAEA President TO ALL OAEs—As we move into 2016 the Eighth National OAEA Reunion to be held in Norwich, CT is fast approaching. Everyone is encouraged to make plans now to attend this gala event that will be conducted during 11–13 October 2016 at the Norwich Holiday Inn. The committee chairpersons; Billie and Larry Hunter, are hard at work GROWLERS & BERGY BYTES formulating plans for the reunion. I Feature Stories, Odds & Ends, Collected, Compiled, & want to offer my personal thanks to Written by Billy-Ace Penguin Baker Billie and Larry and their committee Page for all the hard work they are doing in Cover StoryNavy Cargo Handling Battalion………..1, 4 § order to make this a reunion to Chesapeake, VA—OAEA Membership Report………….3 remember. § The Reunion Special Edition of the Explorer’s Here and There—Letters to the Editor…………………...8 § Gazette will be mailed out to all members in early April, West Jefferson, NC—Lionel Wafer……………………..13 so by the time you read this you should have received § your copy. The special edition has also been posted on Here and There—In Memory: Obituaries………………14 the OAEA web site and can be downloaded by anyone § Virginia, Beach, VA—Chaplain’s Corner………………18 interested in attending the reunion, but are not yet § members of the OAEA. Copies will also be mailed to Scotland—Antarctica’s Forgotten Hero………..……….18 anyone who requests one from the reunion POC in § Lakewood, OH—Grounding of the Southwind………....19 response to media notices. § The 2016 Election Committee Chairman has Chesapeake, VA—Tidewater Group News……………..22 prepared a self-nominating form for the election. These § Here and There—Days Gone By…………………………23 forms must be mailed to the reunion committee no later § than 30 June 2016. The form may be downloaded from: Pensacola, FL—It’s a Dog’s Life Book Review…………24 http://oaeaelection.bobgaboury.info. Ballots will § Brunswick, ME—New England Chapter News…….…...25 be mailed out in July and must be returned to the § Election Committee by 15 September 2016. Slingerlands, NY—Ice Eagles Update…………………...26 Your recommendations and suggestions concerning § Pensacola, FL—New Members & Reunions…………….27 those areas that you perceive as satisfactory, as well as in § those areas where you feel that the OAEA could be Here and There—Locator Column ………………….…. 28 improved, are solicited by me, your President of the Old § Antarctic Explorers Association. Pensacola, FL—GCG Chapter Meetings……………….29 DISCLAIMER STATEMENT Laura Snow OAEA President The Old Antarctic Explorers Association publishes the [email protected] Explorer’s Gazette quarterly. Opinions expressed by the editorial staff or contained in articles submitted by members, and non-members are not official expressions of the OAEA nor does the mention of books, products, or events constitute endorsement by the OAEA. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this newsletter is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Norwich Holiday Inn 2 E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 16, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 6 OAEA MEMBERSHIP REPORT Editorial by Billy-Ace Baker & Ed Hamblin If you look at the OAEA Accounting Statement on the last page of the Oct-Dec 2015 issue of the Gazette you will see a Membership Status at the bottom of the report. Even though we only have a few new Annual Members each The Explorer’s Gazette is year, the old Annual Members fail to renew their membership. the official publication of the Some only join in order to be eligible to attend the OAEA Old Antarctic Explorers reunions, and then they intentionally let their dues expire. Association, Inc. However, most simply forget to renew their dues and have to be reminded several times. And therein lies another problem. The National Headquarters OAEA is not set up to send renewal notices by US Mail, so we 10819 Berryhill Road send email notices to the delinaquent Annual Members. Some do Pensacola, FL 32506 USA not have email addresses, some of the email reminders bounce, Phone 850 456 3556 some go unanswered and a few members renew after getting the And is published four times annually email notices. Editor The below Annual Members have dues expiring on 6/302016. If Billy-Ace Baker you are on this list please renew your dues as soon as possible, or if you know anyone on the list please contact me at Editorial Assistants [email protected] or Ed Hamblin at [email protected]. Gus Shinn Membership renewal checks should be mailed to OAEA Kerry Konrad Membership Committee, 3104 Deepspring Drive, Chesapeake, John Stewart VA 23321; checks should be made payable to OAEA. If Pam Landy upgrading membership to Life, please note so on the check. Editor Emeritus Annual membership renewal is $10.00 per year, or an upgrade to Jim O’Connell Life Membership is as per the following matrix: 2001–2003 81 and above - $5.00 76 to 80 inclusive - $10.00 56 to 60 inclusive - $75.00 Association Officers 71 to 75 inclusive - $20.00 51 to 55 inclusive - $90.00 66 to 70 inclusive - $40.00 46 to 50 inclusive - $100.00 President – Laura Snow 61 to 65 inclusive - $60.00 45 and below - $110.00 Vice President – Bob Gaboury Charles Amsler………………..Margaret Amsler Secretary – Marty Diller Edwin Anderson………………Terry Boyum Treasurer – Bill Rouzer Lewis Clyburn II………………David Duke Life Director – Billy-Ace Baker Michael Fussell………………..Sarah Gillens Past President/Director – Jim Heffel Susan Hartman………………...Debbie McCrory Director – David Bresnahan Kenneth Moncrief…………… Kelly Moran Director – Wayne Germann Michael Murley……………… Dennis Schenborn Director – Ed Hamblin Kenneth Terry………………… Charles Woske Director – Thomas Henderson Director – Robert Conner A reminder that active membership is required to sponsor Director – William Smith candidates for OAEA scholarship assistance, and to attend the Director – Russ Livermore upcoming 2016 reunion in Connecticut. Director – Dick Spaulding There are also Annual Members from previous years who failed to renew their dues. When the above list is resolved we will Chaplain – Johnnie Draughon publish a list of those delinquent Annual Members who have Historian – Billy-Ace Baker been dropped or are otherwise MIA. Parliamentarian – Jim Eblen 3 E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 16, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 6 NCHB-1 From Page 1 for more than two days before the city of Christchurch. Following the With the amount of gear and conditions supported safe passage. earthquakes of 2010 and especially personnel this year, two flights, or Before the first chalk left for the 2011 the city embarked upon a journey “chalks” would be required to get ice, a fair amount of our group decided to rebuild with both modern amenities everyone to The Ice. The number of to take a tour via bus with one of the and making the city more repellant to available aircraft to transport personnel local sightseeing companies in an earthquakes in the future. One of the and equipment was not an issue for us. effort to maximize what we were able first ways to inject life back into Rather it was the weather in Antarctica to see of Christchurch.

Load more