THE ANTARCTICAN SOCIETY NEWSLETTER HONORARY PRESIDENT - RUTH J. SIPLE 7338 Wayfarer Drive, Fairfax Station, VA 22039 (703)250-7338 _______________________________________________________________________ Vol. 03-04 August No. 1 PRESIDENT John Splettstoesser P.O. Box 515, Waconia, MN 55387 Tel/fax (952) 442-2604 BRASH ICE. Although it may not be apparent, we usually try to find a reason [email protected] for writing these newsletters, and this midwinter edition is more or less going to be related to a popular theme in Washington nowadays, the forthcoming TREASURER Paul C. Dalrymple International Polar Year, 2007-2008 (or as it is being abbreviated, IPY-4). Box 325, Port Clyde, ME 04855 This is probably catching many of you by surprise, as you wonder how IPY-1, [email protected] IPY-2, and IPY-3 passed you by. And well you might as the first two polar years Fax: (207) 372-8571 never got any closer to Antarctica than stations on South Georgia, and now what Phone:(207)372-6523 has been embedded in you for the last half century, the International Geophysical Paul C. Daniels Year (IGY), now has an asterisk attached to it which shows that it was actually Memorial Lecturers: IPY-3. So we are going to devote much of this newsletter, plus others to follow, Dr. William J. L. Sladen, 1964 to show how unique the IGY really was and how it can never be re-created. RADM David M. Tyree (Ret.), 1965 Dr. Roger Tory Peterson, 1966 For all practical purposes, most of Antarctica was a virgin in 1957, just waiting Dr. J. Campbell Craddock, 1967 Mr. James Pranke, 1968 to be taken like a fair maiden. We now may know more about Antarctica than Dr. Henry M. Dater, 1970 we do about our own backyards. Back then Antarctica was FOR MEN ONLY. Sir Peter M. Scott, 1971 Oh, Jackie and Jennie had w/o once upon a not-so-golden time, but women Dr. Frank Davies, 1972 scientists were verboten then. Now you can't ascertain whether the red-clad Mr. Scott McVay, 1973 parka wearer is male or female. Their sexual determinations parallel that of Mr. Joseph O. Fletcher, 1974 Mr. Herman R. Friis, 1975 penguins - they have to be inspected. Back then the military were there, Dr. Kenneth J. Bertrand, 1976 including the Seabees, miracle workers who built most everything in the IGY and Dr. William J. L. Sladen, 1977 later. Nowadays, with the sole exception of the Coast Guard icebreakers, there Dr. J. Murray Mitchell, Jr., 1978 are no militiamen. And who are building bigger and better homesteads on the Dr. Laurence McKinley Gould, 1979 Dr. Charles R. Bentley, 1980 ice- private contractors. There was also no central clearing house like the Dr. Robert L. Nichols, 1981 National Science Foundation funding aspiring principal investigators. One had Dr. Robert H. Rutford, 1982 to hitch oneself onto a falling star such the Arctic Institute of North America. Mr. R. Tucker Scully, 1983 With no Antarctic Treaty, you could even take a penguin home with you! Oh, Dr. Richard P. Goldthwait, 1984 what changes in less than fifty years. This is all a new ball game, no Dr. Mark F.Meier, 1985 Dr. Claude Lorius, 1986 resemblance at all to the game played during the IGY - hic - the IPY-3. The Dr. Louis J. Lanzerotti, 1987 only constants are a few derelicts like Charlie Bentley, John Behrendt, and Mario Mr. Peter J. Anderson, 1988 Giovinetto. Dr. Ted E. Delaca, 1989 Dr. Sayed Z. El-Sayed, 1990 So let's go with the newsletter. And let's have some fun while we are at it. Dr. Charles W. Swithinbank, 1991 Dr. Susan Solomon, 1992 Dr. Michele E. Raney, 1993 2004 ANTARCTIC CALENDARS. Once again we are offering at a bare Dr. Doyle A. Harper, 1994 bottom price the ever-beautiful Hedgehog House Antarctic calendars. They don't Dr. Edith L. Taylor, 1995 come any prettier, any more economical, and they should be in stock at our Dr. William J. L. Sladen, 1996 Dr. Robert Bindschadler, 1997 redoubt in Maine ready for distribution early In September. Beat the holiday Dr. Charles R. Bentley, 1998 crush, order NOW. We only have a hundred. Same cool price as last year, Dr. Donal Manahan, 1999 $12.00. Make checks payable to the Antarctican Society, and mail to the Dr. Philip Law, 2000 Society at P.O. Box 325, Port Clyde, Me 04855. Dr. Richard Alley, 2001 Dr. Carl Safina, 2002 Dr. Marv K. Miller. 2003 ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY ON 22 JULY 2003 (British director operation as the allies took over the port of Antwerp Antarctic Survey Press Office). It is with the deepest sorrow in 1944. Ed's Division Director's door, adjacent to mine, at that British Antarctic Survey (BAS) reports the death of a Polar Programs in the 1980s was always open, and some of marine biologist at Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic us would be treated to his wartime recollections, along with Peninsula. those of scenes and tales of his growing up in Newburyport, Mass. Over a span of 14 years I worked for all the Polar Kirsty Margot Brown, 28, was attacked without warning by a Programs bosses from Joe Fletcher to Peter Wilkniss. Ed leopard seal while she was snorkelling at her study site in the Todd is best remembered for his reticent and dignified bay adjacent to the station. She was with her snorkelling manner along with a totally professional, confident and 'buddy1 when the seal pulled her underwater and contact with unflappable management style. He was a wonderful man to her was lost. The two-person shore-cover team saw the work for. incident, and a rescue boat was launched immediately in an attempt to save her. Her colleagues were able to pull her from At NSF Ed moved to the polar science division director job the water and begin resuscitation procedures in the boat whilst by taking a step down from a more senior position. With no transferring her to the research station. Despite carrying out previous polar experience he eagerly and deftly brought Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for one hour, the station himself up to speed with the many international and doctor and colleagues were unable to revive her. Medical interagency players, as well as winning the support of his facilities include a surgery with emergency equipment. home team. In my opinion Ed Todd's greatest contributions to polar science were probably the result of his skillful Kirsty worked as a diver as part of Imperial College's orchestration of multi-national, multi-agency, and multi- Greenland Diving Expedition in 1995 and then as a Field disciplinary projects. Two examples of his skill as a Assistant in Greenland during the summer of 1996 for the negotiator stand out. In those days Japan was the leading Cambridge Arctic Shelf Programme and as a research scientist international partner in earth science at McMurdo. Professor in Canberra. A keen diver, Kirsty had gained BSAC dive 'Tak' Nagata, director of the polar institute in Tokyo, was leader qualifications and a commercial HSE Part IV Ed's counterpart who drove a hard bargain at his annual professional diver's qualification. She had experience of diving planning visit to Washington. Tak came loaded with off Greenland, in temperate and tropical waters off Australia ambitious proposals and demands, while Ed was well and in UK waters. prepared with the USAP position. He firmly countered Tak's performance with a grandfatherly smile, and having Director of BAS, Professor Chris Rapley CBE said, 'This is concluded a fair and balanced program plan, let Tak depart tragic and shocking. My heart goes out to Kirsty's family and thinking he had won. her colleagues at Rothera. Kirsty was a vibrant, dynamic individual, committed to her science and with a promising The other example of Ed Todd's special brand of scientific career ahead of her. The Rothera team reacted in a statesmanship involved the many cooperative agreements in highly efficient and professional manner of which we, and they, the science and logistics of the Antarctic radar ice-sounding can be proud. They are, however, shaken by the loss of a project. Danish, British and Soviet people along with colleague and will need our support.' Americans and others were involved. This was one of those events in Antarctic affairs during the Cold War that stands as Leopard seals are often inquisitive when they encounter a historic example of peaceful and productive cooperation humans. However, they are not generally known to attack that bridged the barriers otherwise dividing the World in that humans unless provoked. BAS has been carrying out research 50-year stand-off confrontation. Dr. Todd's diligence and involving snorkelling and diving for the last 30 years. perseverance in the negotiations, especially those surrounding the logistics (placement of fuel caches) EDWARD PAYSON TODD. (by Al Fowler) We're told produced successful annual plans that sustained the that America is losing its WWII veterans at the rate of 1,000 participation of the foreign players without critically draining per day. To Antarcticans one of the ones that was lost on May the USAP logistic and financial resources. Ed's New 25, Ed Todd, was very special. Like the staunch and solid England temper, although rarely on display, was known as a classic New Englander that he was, Ed recounted his memories 'hot Toddy'. I do remember one time that Ed was really and stories with wry wit and deliberate, slow-paced precision. angry. His duties included many trips to the ice. On one That was the way in which he told me about his experiences as occasion he, as USAP Director, escorted a group of very an Army Signal Corps officer assigned to the military port senior visitors.