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 3 Old Antarctic Explorers Association, Inc Jul-Sep 2016 Photo by Hamish Wright The Igloo Signed By Its Construction Team, Glows Blue & Green, With The Red Lights From The South Pole Telescope Off In The Distance. H O U S E O F I C E Five South Pole residents spent a night in an igloo they built on their off hours in the dead of winter. Story by Michael Lucibella station’s physician. “I’m not sure who came up with it from Antarctic Sun Editor the get-go, but we were all keen to sleep outside… This way uring the months-long, dark and frigid winter at the it gave us a bit of a taste about what the true explorers DSouth Pole, members of the station’s winter crew spend experienced.” their free time in lots of ways. Some read books, others For a week in August, working after the ends of their watch movies or work on art projects—Still others build nine-hour shifts and on the weekends, he and four other igloos. wintering residents at the National Science Foundation’s “Josh, myself and the others were bandying about the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station spent their free time idea since early in the season,” said Hamish Wright, the 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 16, I S S U E 3 J U L S E P 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—The recent election of officers brought about several changes in the leadership of the Old Antarctic Explorer’s Association. The results of the election are provided on page 3. I congratulate those elected to serve the OAEA during their terms of office. I also desire to express my appreciation to all the candidates who GROWLERS & BERGY BYTES demonstrated a willingness to accept Feature Stories, Odds & Ends, Collected, Compiled, & leadership responsibility. I would also Written by Billy-Ace Penguin Baker like to take this opportunity to extend Page a sincere well-done to the Election Cover StoryHouse of Ice……………………………..1, 4 Committee Chairman Bob Gaboury § and his committee members. Pensacola, FL—OAEA Election Results………………….3 § My congratulations to the OAEA Here and There—Letters to the Editor…………………...6 Scholarship Committee and Chairmen Ed Hamblin for § Tacoma, WA—Where it Started for Me………………9 their efforts in selecting two recipients for OAEA § scholarships for the 2016–2017 school year. (See page 8 Northwest, KY—Penguin Nest…………………………..11 for letters, and photos, from the two scholarship § Omokoroal, NZ—Kiwi Dog Handlers Reunion………...12 awardees). § The 2016 OAEA Reunion in Norwich, CT is only a West Jefferson, NC—Lionel Wafer……………………..13 few weeks away. The planning for the 2018 OAEA § Here and There—In Memory: Obituaries………………14 Reunion in San Antonio is underway. Bids for the § location of the 2020 OAEA Reunion will be accepted Virginia, Beach, VA—Chaplain’s Corner………………18 § from the floor at the General Membership meeting Wellington, NZ—NZAP 2016–17 Program………..……18 during the Norwich reunion. § This will be my final column in the President’s Camarillo, CA—West Coast Group Meeting………..….19 § Corner. I thank all those who have offered Here and There—Days Gone By…………………………20 encouragement, suggestions, and support during my § Pensacola, FL—South Pole Book Review……………….21 tenure as President, Old Antarctic Explorers Association. § To all those who have lost a loved one, please accept Centennial, CO—The Last WINFLY……………………23 § my heartfelt sympathy and my condolences as you pass New York City—Cold Cases……………………………..25 through these tough times. My prayers are with you. To § those under the weather, I wish you a speedy recovery. Brunswick, ME—New England Chapter News…………26 Pensacola, FL—New Members & Reunions…………….30 Laura Snow § Here and There—Locator Column ………………….…. 31 OAEA President § [email protected] Pleasant Hill, CA—My Year in Antarctica……………..32 § Pensacola, FL—GCG Chapter Meetings……………….34 DISCLAIMER STATEMENT The Old Antarctic Explorers Association publishes the 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. 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 3 J U L S E P 2 0 1 6 2016 OAEA ELECTION RESULTS Editorial by Billy-Ace Baker The Explorer’s Gazette is the official publication of the Editor’s Note: The 2016 Election results listed below were Old Antarctic Explorers published earlier on the bulk email service (YahooGroups) Association, Inc. and to individual email address for those members who have NOT subscribed to YahooGroups. National Headquarters 10819 Berryhill Road Pensacola, FL 32506 USA The results of the 2016 OAEA election have been verified Phone 850 456 3556 and accepted by OAEA President Laura Snow and she And is published four times annually asked that I publish the results to the membership. Editor On behalf of the Officers and Directors, I extend my Billy-Ace Baker congratulations to all the candidates elected/re-elected to Editorial Assistants office. Gus Shinn Kerry Konrad A special thank you is also extended to those who ran for John Stewart office, but were not elected. The association would cease to Pam Landy exist if people like you did not step forward and volunteer Editor Emeritus to help govern the OAEA. It should be noted that for this Jim O’Connell election we did get two members to run for President and 2001–2003 Vice President, but those running for Director did so unopposed. In the future we need MORE members to step forward. Association Officers President – Laura Snow And last of all thanks to the 2016 Election Committee and Vice President – Bob Gaboury to Bob Gaboury for volunteering to serve as the Chair of the Election Committee. Once again, under his leadership Secretary – Marty Diller Treasurer – Bill Rouzer the election campaign was very successful. However of Life Director – Billy-Ace Baker the 1450 ballots that were mailed out to Regular Members only 466 were received by the Election Committee. Past President/Director – Jim Heffel Director – David Bresnahan PRESIDENT Director – Wayne Germann EDWIN HAMBLIN (Winner) Director – Ed Hamblin Lisle Rose Director – Thomas Henderson Director – Robert Conner VICE PRESIDENT Director – William Smith JOHN LAMONT WEST (Winner) Director – Russ Livermore Nathan Mason Sr. Director – Dick Spaulding DIRECTOR - 3 Chaplain – Johnnie Draughon ALLEN COX (Winner) Historian – Billy-Ace Baker ROBERT BUETTNER (Winner) Parliamentarian – Jim Eblen DAVID BRESNAHAN (Winner) 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 3 J U L S E P 2 0 1 6 House Of Ice From Page 1 the igloo site. It was a harsh week to be working outside. outside—where winds gusted to 40 MPH, breaking a few With the sun still below the horizon and no moon, the only daily wind-speed records and bringing temperatures below light they had to work with was from their small headlamps. -100 Fahrenheit, with the wind chill—cutting, chopping and “Working on it had its good days and not so good days,” stacking blocks of snow to assemble their icy structure. Rossero said. “Standing out in pitch black darkness equipped only with a head lamp and the will to succeed during 20-plus knot winds driving snow and bitter cold for me just added to the overall experience.” But the harsh, moonless conditions yielded a spectacular sight for the group. “On the first evening the auroras were so bright and beautiful that everyone stopped and laid down to admire them,” Neff said. “You could actually see the horizon in otherworldly green.” The team wanted to use authentic Inuit building techniques that could protect them from the cold. But, collectively, the team had almost no real experience building an photo credit Christian Krueger igloo, so Neff spent the day before starting watching The Igloo team enjoys a hot Thai curry inside their documentaries about the native cultures in the Arctic to construction after its completion. From left to right Christian Krueger, Hamish Wright, Darby Butts, John glean what he could about how they built their igloos. Using Rossero, and Joshua Neff. what they learned, the team designed a snow dome about 13 feet across and nine feet high, with cold trap dug out inside “It is simply great fun to be part of such an ambitious, to catch and divert the cold air inside the igloo. challenging project and I wanted to see how we would “That evening we had a planning meeting because it is perform in such a hostile environment,” said Christian difficult to communicate outside in hoods, balaclavas, winds Krueger, a scientist with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. and differing accents,” Neff said. Illuminated with red-colored headlamps, the igloo glows in front of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and under the colorful aurora australis.