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 15, Issue 1 Old Antarctic Explorers Association, Inc Jan-Mar 2015 —Photo by Mary Stortstrom John Strider With His Print of the Famous Landing FIRST AMERICAN TO SET FOOT ON THE GEOGRAPHIC SOUTH POLE RECALLS DETAILS OF HIS EXPERIENCE Story by Mary Stortstrom The then-25-year-old Strider joined the newly The Journal Martinsburg West Virginia commissioned Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6) for 15 March 2015 the military mission, Operation Deep Freeze, a mission to Edited by Billy-Ace Baker support scientist during the International Geophysical Year. From Tennessee, Strider and the other men in VX-6 flew n the comfort of the Elmcroft senior living center, 85-year- to Alameda, California, from there to Hawaii, then Canton, I old John Philip Strider, retired US Navy chief petty the Christmas Islands, Fiji, and finally Christchurch, New officer, can still recall every detail of the historic Operation Zealand, the unit's last stop before flying to Antarctica. Deep Freeze II expedition to Antarctica. “Getting there was the big thing,” Strider said. “We had Strider said he remembers sitting and sharing a meal with to stop for gas, but we never stopped for crew rest because a few other members of his unit stationed in Tennessee in we had a big enough crew that we just slept on the plane and May of 1955 and hearing that the Bureau of Navy Personnel relieved each other of duties.” was looking for volunteers to go to Antarctica.
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