SONS OF NORWAY BERNT BALCHEN LODGE – PRESIDENT’S MEssAGE Norway’s Beloved and Brave Royal Family By the time that you read this message we will have enjoyed a visit to Anchorage from His Majesty, King Harald V of Norway. King Harald is a member of a royal family that is beloved in Norway and admired around the VIKING HALL 349-1613 world for their courage and service. www.sofnalaska.com Soon after its final split from the Kingdom of Sweden in 1905, the people of Norway elected Summer Prince Carl of Denmark to be their King. He was elected by an 80 percent margin by the 2015 people of Norway. Once king, Prince Carl took the Norwegian name and kingly title of sommer Haakon VII. He was the first Norwegian king in over 500 years. During those five centuries the Norwegian royal line and nobility had entirely disappeared. That is why the Norwegians in 1905 sought their king from abroad. Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav in eastern Norway during their escape from the Nazis. Haakon VI proved to be an able leader who enthusiastically embraced his role as the King of Norway. His guiding motto was “All for Norway” and he traveled all over the country to meet with people both high and low. His wife, Maud, was the daughter of King Edward of England, and this royal union with Great Britain gave the new-born country of Norway some measure of extra protection from other great powers in the first decades of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, in a bid to control the North Sea, Germany attacked little Norway without warning Sprucing up for Summer! on April 9th, 1940. Luckily, the brave Norwegian gunners at Oslo’s Oscarsborg Fortress sank the Thanks John and Steinar! German heavy cruiser, Blücher, and damaged the battleship, Lützow. This successful artillery action temporarily stunned the Germans and caused the rest of the attacking German flotilla to hesitate. Inside this issue: This delay gave the Norwegian government time to round up the Royal family, the Cabinet, and most Viking Hall News ...................... 2 of the Storting and put them on a special train for Hamar, Norway. On the train was Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav and their immediate families. Little Prince Harald, only three, was accompanied Honors for Erling...................... 3 by his mother Princess Märta. With only 30 minutes head start, here was the Norwegian government Sunshine Report ...................... 3 and the Royal Family hurtling by train through the Norwegian countryside. Also, on the train were the entire gold reserves of the Norwegian nation. The Germans caught on quickly and were soon 4th of July Parade.................... 3 trying to bomb the train to smithereens. Bridge Builders Gala................ 3 At Hamar and Elverum, German envoys urged the King either to come back to Oslo or abdicate. Geology Walk & Talk ............... 3 When he would bravely do neither, German fighters strafed the area he and the Crown Prince were hiding with heavy machine gun fire. Even the King of Sweden advised Haakon VII to comply with Welcome to his Magesty, the German demands. King Harald! .......................... 4,5 As the danger increased Princess Märta and Prince Harald were sent on a harrowing car trip to safety Syttende Mai Celebration ........ 6 in Sweden. Eventually they would make their way to the United States, where Princess Märta and Mother’s Day ........................... 6 her children were frequent guests of the Roosevelts at the White House. Scholarships, Giving and a Meanwhile the King and the Crown Prince continued to elude the German bombings and strafings Special Thank you ................... 7 President’s Message continues on Page 2 PAGE 2 THE FLYER SUMMER 2015 The Great Escape President’s Message continues from Page 1 and remained steadfast in refusing the German “diplomatic” overtures. Haakon told the huddled members of the Cabinet and the Storting at Nybergsund that: “For my part I cannot accept the German demands. It would conflict with all that I have considered to be my duty as King of Norway since I came to this country nearly thirty-five years ago.” These are brave words from a head of state on the run in the forests of Norway with only a small contingent of soldiers to protect both him and the rest of the members of government. The next day the Germans destroyed Nybergsund in an attempt to kill the King, the Crown Prince, and the fleeing members of the Government. And so, they all quickly made their way across the mountains to Molde in western Norway where they boarded a ship for the city of Tromsø in northern Norway. In northern Norway surviving contingents of the Norwegian army together with British and French troops made a brave stand against the German military which was being illegally supplied and reinforced through the “neutral” country of Sweden. As one Norwegian officer put it: “Could anything be more perfect than shooting Germans in the full beauty of the midnight sun.” But a Viking attitude toward war was not enough. After a hard fought series of battles on land and sea, the Norwegians and their Allies were eventually defeated. Some 860 Norwegian soldiers gave their lives in this struggle. Haakon VII and Olav, the Crown Prince, with their heads unbowed and ready to carry on the fight elsewhere finally boarded the HMS Devonshire in the midst of a deadly naval battle and headed for England. In England, Haakon and Olav would lead the war effort in exile for the next five years. Both the King and the Crown Prince became powerful symbols of resistance to the Nazi occupation of Norway. Their radio broadcasts boosted the morale of Norwegians everywhere and they successfully championed the cause of Norway among the Allies. They traveled extensively giving encouragement to Norwegian soldiers in exile and to the thousands of Norwegians seafarers who sailed Norway’s huge surviving commercial fleet whose ships carried much of the badly-needed freight of the Allies. Many in Norway heard the King’s broadcasts on secret radios and shared the messages with their neighbors and friends. The first letter of Haakon’s name together with the number seven appeared on walls as anti-German graffiti all over Norway as a visible hallmark of Norwegian resistance. King Haakon and the rest of the Royal Family finally were finally able to return home to Norway in June of 1945, five years after their narrow escape from unprovoked German aggression and occupation. The King and the Royal Family were met by cheering crowds and a grateful Norwegian public. Haakon VII’s long reign ended in 1957 with his death at the age of 85 from complications following a fall. Crown Prince Olav then succeeded to the throne as Olav V and continued the tradition of his father as “The People’s King”. He, in turn, was succeeded by his son who became King Harald V of Norway in 1991. All three of Norway’s recent kings had their lives shaped by war, but all three rose above it in their service to their country and people. It is no accident that these same three kings have shared the same royal motto: “Alt for Norge”. Fraternally yours, Terje “Ted” Birkedal President, Sons of Norway Bernt Balchen Lodge Viking Hall News A new computer is up and running in the office. Yeah! Programs needed are speedier and a joy to use. A new printer added to the efficiency of accomplishing more with ease. Numerous in-house jobs have been taken care of, as well as several annual maintenance inspections. Thanks to Gene and Shirley Moe for continuing to clean Briarwood Street and for caring for the South Side flower area. John and Ted cleaned 80th Street. They contribute to a more attractive setting and approach to Viking Hall. Clean-up Day prior to Mother’s Day Brunch led by John was a success. There were many jobs accomplished. John Olnes, Bev Griffin, Ted Birkedal, Merlin Hamre, worked outside washing the walls, picking up trash and cleaning brush, weeds and dirt away from the concrete retaining walls, while Cynthia Olnes and Sandra Hanson cleaned window screens and washed windows in the Hall. John washed the South Side windows outside. Next year, please add your name to the list of helpers! Many hands make work lighter and quicker! Sandra S Hanson, Viking Hall President SUMMER 2015 THE FLYER PAGE 3 Erling Johansen Receives Norwegian Order of Merit Erling T. Johansen, Esq., Royal Norwegian Consul for the State of Alaska, was awarded the prestigious Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Knight First Class, for his outstanding service in the interest of Norway. The award was presented by H. E. Norwegian Ambassador to the United States, Kåre Aas, and signed by H. M. King Harald V who is the Grand Master of the Order. A private reception was held in his honor on May 1, 2015, at Viking Hall, Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to congratulate Consul Erling T. Johansen, Esq. on his noted achievement! Kåre Aas, Norwegian Ambassador (Left) presents the Photograph courtesy of Cary Anderson, Eagle Eye Pictures Royal Norwegian Order of Merit to Erling T. Johansen. Fourth of July Parade Hip! Hip!, Hurra! Hurra! Hurra! Come join your fellow Sons of Norway members in the Bridge Builders section of the Anchorage Fourth of July Parade. Wear your bunad or Norwegian sweater if you have one, but if not, come anyway and meet your fellow Bernt Balchen Lodge members 10:00 AM, July 4th, at the southeast corner of 8th and D Streets beside the Conoco-Phillips Building. After assembling with the rest of the Bridge Builders groups we will proceed to form up in our assigned places for the parade.