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. Continued on page 4 E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 15, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 5 P R E S I D E N T ’ S C O R N E R Laura Snow—OAEA President FELLOW OAEA MEMBERS: During this quarter, the board discussed the use of the term Old Antarctic Explorers by entities other than the OAEA, Inc. Most of the BOD were not in favor of others using the term, but it was pointed out by Billy-Ace that the term is not GROWLERS & BERGY BYTES the property of the OAEA. So, Feature Stories, Odds & Ends, Collected, Compiled, & the bottom line is that there Written by Billy-Ace Penguin Baker was no proposal for a Page resolution and the discussion Cover StoryFirst American at the South Pole ……..1, 4 was shelved. § It is springtime and Chesapeake, VA—Scholarship Info………………………2 § therefore Ed Hamblin is Slinglerlands, NY—Ice Eagles Fund Raising Project……3 providing information below § about the scholarship opportunities provided by the Centennial, CO—Penguin Art Contest…………………...7 OAEA. Also in this issue details have been provided of § Here and There—Letters to the Editor…………………...8 board member Tom Henderson’s successful fund raising § campaign for his documentary, Ice Eagles: An Account of West Jefferson, NC—Lionel Wafer……………………..13 American Aviation in Antarctica. § Your suggestions, recommendations, and constructive Here and There—In Memory: Obituaries………………14 criticism are always welcome. § Virginia, Beach, VA—Chaplain’s Corner………………17 Laura Snow § OAEA President Washington, DC—When Penguins Attack……………...17 § [email protected] Camarillo, CA—West Coast Group News………………18 § ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ § ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here and There—Days Gone By…………………………19 § Pensacola, FL—Shackleton Book Review……….………20 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS § by Ed Hamblin Pensacola, FL—New Members & Reunions…………….22 § Here and There—Locator Column ………………….…..23 It is time to start thinking about scholarship awards for § the 2015–2016 school year. To be eligible for Washington, DC—Navy Should Buy An Icebreaker…...24 consideration for receipt of an Old Antarctic Explorers § Association scholarship award, an individual must be Brunswich, ME—New England Chapter News…………26 § graduated from high school or graduating in the Spring of Pensacola, FL—GCG Chapter Meetings……………….29 2015 and accepted for undergraduate enrollment at an § accredited college or university; or presently be attending Chesapeake, VA—Penguin Club Donor Awards……….32 an accredited college or university. Applicants must be sponsored by a current member of the Old Antarctic DISCLAIMER STATEMENT Explorers Association (for the 2015–2016 school year, all Life Members, and Annual Members with membership The Explorer’s Gazette is published quarterly by the Old Antarctic Explorers Association. Opinions expressed by the dues paid through 6/30/2016 are eligible to sponsor). Scholarship award application are available by email or editorial staff or contained in articles submitted by members, snail mail request from the sponsor, to the OAEA and non-members are not official expressions of the OAEA Scholarship Committee Chairman, Ed Hamblin at; 3104 nor does the mention of books, products, or events constitute Deepspring Drive Chesapeake VA 23321, by email at: endorsement by the OAEA. [email protected], The cutoff for receipt of applications will be 30 June 2015. 2 E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 15, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 5 Successful Funding for Ice Eagles By Tom Henderson The funding campaign for “Ice Eagles” through Kickstarter has been an overwhelming success! The final total of contributions is $15,284, 159% of my original goal! This will allow me to improve the The Explorer’s Gazette is content and quality of the film through additional the official publication of the interviewing and research trips. It will also give me Old Antarctic Explorers the resources to license more copyrighted material and Association, Inc. pay for digitization of archival film footage from the National Archives and the Byrd Polar Research National Headquarters 10819 Berryhill Road Center. I sincerely thank all of the OAEA members Pensacola, FL 32506 USA who contributed to the campaign and made this Phone 850 456 3556 possible. And is published four times annually I made the decision during the campaign, based on the very positive response, to go ahead with my Editor planned trip to Washington, DC. I was there from Billy-Ace Baker 6–14 March, during which I conducted seven more Editorial Assistants interviews and spent two full days at the National Gus Shinn Archives Motion Picture, Sound, and Photography Kerry Konrad research facility in College Park, MD. One of those I John Stewart Pam Landy interviewed was CPO John P. Strider USN (Ret.) who sadly passed away two weeks later. There is more on Editor Emeritus Chief. Strider in this issue of the Gazette. Jim O’Connell 2001–2003 I will be providing regular updates to the Kickstarter contributors on the progress of the film and how the money is being spent. However, anyone Association Officers can follow the progress on the Internet by going to President – Laura Snow www.kickstrater.com and searching for “Ice Eagles” Vice President – Bob Gaboury using the Search Projects tool on that page. Secretary – Marty Diller Treasurer – Bill Rouzer Life Director – Billy-Ace Baker Past President/Director – Jim Heffel Director – David Bresnahan Director – Wayne Germann Director – Ed Hamblin Director – Thomas Henderson Director – Robert Conner Director – William Smith Director – Russ Livermore Director – Dick Spaulding Chaplain – Johnnie Draughon Historian – Billy-Ace Baker Parliamentarian – Jim Eblen Lincoln Ellsworth’s Polar Star 1934 3 E X P L O R E R ‘ S G A Z E T T E V O L U M E 15, I S S U E 1 J A N M A R 2 0 1 5 John Striker From Page 1 landing gear and put the steps down for According to Henderson, now is the Although the unit was outfitted the admiral. time to interview people who went on with four DC-3 aircraft, two C-54 Strider said the climate was so cold the early expeditions, since they are aircraft and some seaplanes, Strider that his gauges couldn’t get an accurate advancing in age. said much of the equipment they had to reading, but it was colder than minus “Now is the time, if we’re going to work with was outdated and only the 50 degrees Fahrenheit. do it. The more I get into this story, the C-54s were capable of making it to He spent 48 minutes at the South more interesting it is and the more I Antarctica where they had to land on a Pole, planting an American flag and find people want the story told. A lot of runway made of ice. radar equipment. the folks (who went on these missions) Other members of the unit were feel they’ve been somewhat over- concerned that the plane might not looked at this point, so I feel more of operate in the extreme cold and at such an obligation to get their stories out a high elevation (10,000 feet altitude). there,” he said. Strider said the strong, chilling Henderson has a Kickstarter fund winds blew snow into the belly of the for the film, Ice Eagles: An Account of plane, and crewmembers had to place American Aviation in Antarctica." heaters under the engine. Through the crowd-funding site, Upon a safe return from the $9,491 has been raised of the $9,600 Operation Deep Freeze II expedition, goal needed to finish making the film. Strider said he did other things while in the Navy, including tours in the Middle Editor’s Note: Tom Henderson East and India. exceeded his goal. See details on page “I was a country boy and had never 3 of this issue. been out of the States, and here I was going to Hawaii, the Christmas Islands FLASH BACK and Canton.