Time to look back, reflect,and assess our position. It is sixyears since the day the retiredGlacier crew called and said,we’ve got to “SAVE THEGLACIER”. At the first tele-phone meeting in the fall of1997, there were three men anda vision shared. Real progressbegan in January 1997 when weconfirmed plans to inspect theship on June 16, 17 and 18,1998. The commitment to thecrew was, “If the inspectionshows her capable, we’ll launchthe effort to save the ship.”

The next three years wereconsumed with the legislative

effort of gaining title to the shipand finding its drawings andengineering files. We then shift-ed into full speed with restora-tion, building a member data-base, setting up a legal 501c3foundation, raising funds, andunraveling lots of legal andmarine engineering issues.

Today we have about 7,500persons in the database. It takesconsiderable effort to keeptrack of those folks who aremoving about all the time. Weneed to recruit more membersand increase the level of cashcontributions. We have movedpast the time of volunteers

being able to keep this shiprestoration program alive.

We are entering into thephase where professional engi-neering firms and shipyards aregoing to lead the restorationdesign and rebuilding. That isnow our number one focus. Weare making considerable head-way.

Glacier is about to comealive and move to Anchorage,Alaska for her new homeport.When you think about it, this iswhere she belongs, close to theice and those who need hercapabilities. Oh, what aboutConnecticut, the State whoseCongressional delegationwrenched Glacier from thescrap yard? Well, over a hun-dred years ago, our Mysticwhalers sent their ships andmen to Alaska, where manyremained and married into thelocal population. So returningGlacier is a perfect way torebuild that bond of friendship.And Glacier is named afterGlacier Bay, Alaska. Upon ourdeparture from Anchorage justtwo weeks ago, we made thecommitment they asked for.Alaska, here we come!

www.glaciersociety.org Summer 2004

The Official Newsletter of the Glacier Society

Alaska, Here We ComeON THE INSIDE

Alaska Here We Come . . . . . . . .1

Important Message from theChairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Special Recognition to JerrySeeney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Hats off to the shipboard vol-unteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Icebreaking Stories . . . . . . . . . .4-6

Old Boat Seeks New Home . .. . . .7

Dream Big and Dare to Fail . . . . .8

Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Ship Store Order Form . . . . . . . .10

Application for Membership . . . .11

Glacier SocietyPO Box 1419

Bridgeport, CT 06601(203) 375-6638 or

(866) ICE PLAY (423-7529)(TOLL FREE)

Ben Koether and Steve Johnson present a plaque inappreciation to former Alaska Governor William J.

Sheffield, now Director of the Port of Anchorage, forhis support for the plan to berth the Glacier at the Port

of Anchorage.

page 2

Dear Friends:We are writing to you today to fill in the

blanks on what has been going on with TheGlacier Society and say a special thank youfor the persistence of all of our wonderfulvolunteers in our mission. Their efforts arethe inspiration that keeps the office stafflocked on obtaining the money and workingto tear down the barriers to our progress.

Here is an update on where we are andwhat we hope to expect and how you canassist in achieving our goals:w Our mentor in the Bay area hopes tocomplete the contracts with the City ofSan Francisco by the end of thisOctober. Once that is complete, (and,believe me, dealing with these complexenvironmental issues is not easy any-where…especially Frisco!) we willcomplete arrangements for tug & tow.w In the meantime, our 350KW gener-ator is being worked on by PetersonPower and should be ready to bereturned this month or next so that ourpower will be reliable for the trip to thepier.w The next stop would likely be a drydock either in San Francisco or one ofthe other yards from which we are solic-iting bids. Once along side, we willfocus on conducting a 100% audit of thetanks and voids so that the specificationsfor our shipyard repairs can be com-pletely written.w We have had great support in design-ing the medical and earth sciences por-tions of the remodel. The design specifi-cations are out for initial comment andbidding from multiple yards. We areshort aircraft expertise. We will be plac-ing choppers on board, so if you can

recruit for this part of our operations itwould be helpful.w Steve Johnson and I continue towork Washington, Alaska, MARAD,and our corporate partners to gather themoney and equipment to power the con-version. We are in personal contact witha dozen Senators and Congressmen.You'd be amazed at the number of legis-lators and their high level staffers whoare proudly wearing Glacier golf shirtsand offices displaying Glacier Plaques.Everyone is supportive; the trick is howto accomplish our funding and legal lift-ing in these difficult times. We will notknow until after January when Congressreturns after the election.

A SPECIAL REQUEST: It would bewonderful if each of you could make aneffort to recruit one or two more dues payingmembers. And, if possible, form a local sup-port group to help you raise funds for yourteam's efforts, e.g., VFW, Navy League,Elks…any such group could become a spon-sor with the correct local leadership. One ofour members has done just that and has sentin over $5,000…!

Finally, another word of deep apprecia-tion for all of the hard work and confidenceeveryone has shown in this effort. We aregenerating some real traction in which all ofyou can take real pride. THANKS!

Sincerely,

Ben G. Koether, II, Chairman

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Board of TrusteesBernard G. Koether, II John A. Erhard, Jr.Martin DeGrand Patrick Lennon, Esq.

Rosamond Cooper, Esq.

Management BoardLt. John Barell, USNR (Ret.) Bernard G. Koether, IIPeter H. Barhydt Patrick Lennon, Esq. Thomas C. Beck Capt. Martin McNair, USNR, (Ret.) Rosamond Cooper, Esq. RADM James E. Miller, USN SC, (Ret.) Martin DeGrand Willits H. Sawyer, CFREJohn A. Erhard, Jr. LT USNR (Ret.) Capt. Steve Soler, USNR (Ret.)Jonathan Fox, LT. USN (Ret.) Rev. J. Perry Wooten

Capt. Ross Hatch, USN (Ret.)

Honorary BoardBolling Byrd Clarke Capt. Philip W. Porter Jr., USN (Ret)Robert Morris, ESQ Gerard R. Seeney, CPO USN (Ret.)

Col. Norman D. Vaughan, USA (Ret.)

Medical BoardJonathan Fox, LT. USN (Ret.) - Chairman Carl M. Hild, MSBruce M. Becker, MD, MPH, FACP Bernard G. Koether, IINorman F. Boas, MD David J. Leffel, MDSandra Bogdon, DDS Jerri Nielsen, MDPhillip Brewer, MD FACEP Andrew H. Rice, DPM, FACFASCapt. John T. Dinan, Jr., MD USN MC Gary Romeo, DMDJack Hickel, PhD, ABFP Kimberly Stevens, MD

Science BoardGarrett W. Brass, Ph.D. - Chairman Judd A. Howell, PhDAnthony Amos, RA Amy Laventeur, PhDRobert Bourke, USN William H. Littlewood, PhDRobert Dinsmore Larry A, Mayer, PhDRobert Dunbar, PhD Jonathan E. Snow, PhDGary Franklin Susan Solomon, PhDArt Grantz, PhD James Q. Tierney-Holly, PhD

Financial BoardThomas C. Beck Willits H. Sawyer, CFRE Jonathan E. Cole, Esq. Capt. Steve Soler, USNR (Ret.) Anthony Muller, Ph.D. Rev. J. Perry Wooten

Public Relations BoardLt. John Barell, USNR (Ret.) Tracy Fincher Beth Barhydt Jerri Nielsen, MD Peter H. Barhydt Judy SchalickMorte Beebe Peter Tebeau

Capt. Ross Hatch, USN (Ret.)

Design and Building BoardPetteri Aaltokari Melisa LisbonJan Erik Anderson Mark McBridePeter S. Anderson Sam McCannCapt. Brian Basel, USCG (Ret.) Dave McMillanGarrett W. Brass, PhD Joseph F. Mearman, PEGary Haberman RADM James E. Miller, USN SC, (Ret.) John A. Erhard, Jr. LT USNR (Ret.) Roy PetersonWilliam Gray, USNR (Ret.) Gary ThompsonBrian Kearins Capt. George B. Newton, Jr., USN (Ret.) Capt. Ross Hatch, USN (Ret.) Haiping WangBernard G. Koether, II Capt. Jack Ringelberger, USN (Ret.) C. E. Leffler Bill Zierke

CongressionalSenator Barbara Boxer Congressman J. Dennis HastertSenator Christopher J. Dodd Congressman Christopher ShaysSenator Dianne Feinstein Congressman Robert SimmonsSenator Joseph I. Lieberman Congressman Mike Thompson

At Large Board of Advisors

United States of America - GeneralNorman F. Boas, MD Capt. Robert W. Klementz, USN (Ret) Elbert M. Burr Ronald LaMorte, CPAADM JamesCalvert, USN (Ret) John B. Loehmann, CPARaymond Caldiero James R. McManus Richard Chappell, PhD Judy A. Rabkin, EsqStuart Dye, Esq. Capt. Brian Shoemaker, USNR (Ret)Capt. Earl T. Ellis, Jr. USCG (Ret) Donald H. RullmanCDR. Donald Epperson, USNR (Ret) Hon. John E. StrippCapt. Robert Farmer, USCG (Ret) Louis Anthony Unger IIIWilliam Gray, USNR (Ret.) John WardKen Kiesicke Capt. P. R. Dick Taylor, USCG (Ret)Ed Rasmuson (Alaska)

Australia Falkland IslandsSir Phillip Law Hon. Sukey Cameron

CanadaPaul Okalik Capt. Patrick Toomey, CCG Ret.

United KingdomKeith Holmes, Ph.D. - Chairman John Heap, PhDAndrew Bellars William MillsDanny Bonwitt Capt. Patrick A. MoloneyDavid Burkitt Keith RichardsJulian Dodds Robert H. RutfordJohn Dudeney J. Barrie ShawPeter Fuchs Hon. Alexandra ShackletonBob Headland Bernard Stonehouse, Ph.D.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO . . .And we would like to take a moment to recognize atruly dedicated Glacier donor, Jerry Seeney, who hasbeen one of the most consistent and reliable donors toour vision to get the Glacier sailing again. Jerry hasbeen so very generous with the amounts he has paid inmembership and in donations and has been an eagershopper in the Glacier Ship's Store. Thanks Jerry forinspiring others to follow your lead.

page 3

HATS OFF TO THE SHIPBOARD VOLUNTEERS

All are welcome to volunteer, and no special skills or tools are required.Visit our website at www.glaciersociety.org to fill out our online volunteerform and a member of our staff with contact you with more information.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER!

Frank Wright sluicing down the fantail deck

I joined the Glacier Restoration Teambecause of a lifelong fascination with shipsand by chance.

In August 1931, I sailed to Glasgow,Scotland, on the Californian. She heaved to inthe fog a few miles from the Titanic, unfortu-nately with her radio off and the operator off duty.

Several times, I sailed down and up theRiver Clyde from Glasgow on "ClydeSteamers." Some were side paddle wheelers,some had reciprocating engines and some hadturbines. One even was named the "QueenMary". They all were beautiful and they start-ed me thinking of a career at sea.

In the summer of 1945, I moved with myfamily to Glasgow and quickly started towork as a sweeper on a Landing Ship Tank ata yard within walking distance of my home. Ispent most of my time in the various tanks,scraping and sweeping the rust in preparationfor the painters.

I got an opportunity to do small amountsof welding, riveting and caulking, andobserved what seemed like a fairly large shipbeing assembled. The job stopped suddenlywith the end of World War II, but I was goingto enter college in a few weeks to study archi-tecture. The college had a naval architectureprogram and I would admire the ship models

displayed in glass cases.In December 1946, as a private in the U.

S. Army, I sailed on a C-3 from San Franciscoto Yokohama, Japan. We hit a typhoon andtidal waves from a severe earthquake inFukui. We were kept below decks for aboutfive days, making 25 miles per day. As weentered Yokohama Bay, smooth as amillpond, without a cloud in the sky, wenoticed that the steel on the front of the for-ward gun tub had been beaten back to a 45-degree angle.

I sailed on three other troop ships, allmuch larger, and the trips were uneventful. InJuly 1950, I sailed from Okinawa to Korea ona Japanese coal boat, sleeping on the deck onstretchers under our vehicles and heavy equip-ment. It was a surprisingly pleasant voyage.We certainly were not ready for that war!

In May 1952, a few days after being dis-charged, I went sailing for the summer frommy hometown, Lorain, Ohio, on the ore carri-er, Philip R. Clarke, a sister ship of theEdmund Fitzgerald. The Clarke is still sail-ing, same engines, 120 feet longer, with aself-unloader and bow and stern thrusters.

I first saw the Mothball Fleet from thewater. I sailed around it twice, out of Martinez,in my oldest son's sailboat. To see about 95

ships of such varied types was spellbinding. Iknew I had to get on them somehow.

In November 2002, I read an article in theContra Costa Times about the Glacier and, byDecember, I was on the ship.

I immediately met Ray Bunten, our sen-ior volunteer, and began to learn a lot aboutthe Glacier and ships in general. Ray is a goldmine of information and I am still learningfrom him.

I quickly found that all the volunteers hadwonderful stories about ships and other tech-nical matters.

After a tour of the ship with inspection ofmany of her compartments, I was back at myold job of sweeper and scraper from 57 yearsago. I helped remove water from some com-partments and joined heavy lift crews on taskssuch as bringing aboard anchor chain andremote control valve cables from other ships.On most days, I still do some scraping andsweeping.

Looking to the future, I hope that BenKoether's dreams will come true and theGlacier will come alive, renovated into a state-of-the-art, oceanographic ship, with a capabil-ity of humanitarian and scientific tasks.

I hope to be on some of her voyages. Shewill be my starship.

Volunteers at work during a recentwork week aboard the Glacier

A Life At Sea - Francis Wright, a Glacier Volunteer

page 4

USS Glacier Rear-Ended - Charles SwithinbankIn the 1950s, the USS Glacier (later

USCGC) was the largest and most power-ful icebreaker outside the Soviet Union. Inthe Antarctic, she was used for, amongother tasks, to break a channel through fastice to McMurdo Station and to lead cargoships into Little America.

The name, Little America, has an illus-trious history.

The first Little America was the winterbase of Richard Evelyn Byrd's firstAntarctic expedition in 1929. LittleAmerica II was the winter base of the sec-ond Byrd expedition in 1934. LittleAmerica III was the winter base of the U.S. Antarctic Service expedition in 1940.Little America IV was the summer camp in1946-47 of the Navy's "Operation HighJump." Byrd led all four expeditions.

These Little Americas were all at theBay of Whales, close to the site ofNorwegian explorer Roald Amundsen'sbase, "Framhein," occupied in 1911.

A reconnaissance in 1954-55 by theicebreaker, USS Atka, showed that the Bayof Whales had changed so much that it wasunusable. Ice cliffs 80 feet high had takenthe place of low ramps used by Amundsenand Byrd to unload their ships. KainanBay, 45 miles further east, offered a goodsite and here Little America V was estab-lished and occupied during the winters of1956, 1957 and 1958.

All the Little Americas were built onthe Ross Ice Shelf, a floating ice sheet thatsurvives as a moving glacier in part

because of the continuous accumulation ofsnow on its surface. Layers two or threefeet thick accumulate each year, progres-sively buying bases and stores. Thus, aftera few years, every one of the LittleAmericas was buried to the point where thebuildings collapsed from the weight ofoverlying snow.

This is in contrast to building on rock,where permanent stations like McMurdocan be established without fear of beingburied under snow. Unfortunately, lessthan one percent of the area of Antarcticaconsists of bare rock, so the choice of sitesis limited.

I was aboard the USS Arneb inDecember 1959 as we were led by Glacierinto Little America V. Arneb was namedafter constellation of the same name. Anice-strengthened attack cargo ship displac-ing 14,200 tons, she was 460 feet long andhad a steam turbine engine of 6,000 horse-power that could drive her along at 16knots. She had earned battle honors in thepacific in 1944 and 1945 and served asflagship on Operation Deep Freeze I in the1955-56 Antarctic summer.

Deep Freeze was the Navy's name for amassive construction program to establishnot only McMurdo station, but LittleAmerica V and other stations. In additionto the few passengers, Arneb was carrying4,400 tons of cargo, most for McMurdo sta-tion.

Glacier joined us on 10 December atthe edge of the ice pack. There were

riotous ceremonies on deck to celebratecrossing the Antarctic Circle. KingNeptune, in full regalia, looked on as allnewcomers to the Antarctic were shavenand doused with ice water.

A cool breeze coming off the ice floesfelt good on our faces. One almostbelieved the old-time whaler's claim thatthey could smell pack ice. A short timelater, we were in amongst ice floes, nudg-ing them gently to clear a path.

On the first day in close pack ice, sev-eral of us were looking over the bow towhere, 300 yards ahead, Glacier wasbreaking a path for us to follow. Arneb wasprogressing nicely when Glacier wasbrought to a standstill by a pressure ridge.

By the time our CO, Captain Edwin A.Schuman, USN, had the engines going fullastern, our momentum kept the ship mov-ing inexorably toward the icebreaker.There was a sickening crash of tearing steelas Arneb's bow ploughed into the flightdeck over Glacier's stern and there werered faces on the bridge. Luckily, damage toboth ships was above the waterline.

This sort of accident has happenedbefore with ships in convoy through ice.Normally, it can be avoided by followingthe icebreaker at a greater distance, butthen ice floes tend to drift into the brokenchannel astern of the leader before the fol-lowing ship can get through. Like manybefore him, Captain Shuman learned theoptimum distance the hard way.

There was an added embarrassment.At the time, Captain EdwinMacDonald, the Navy task forcecommander, was using Arneb ashis flagship at the time, and wit-nessed the collision. MacDonaldwas a colorful character with con-siderable experience in drivingicebreakers. He never mincedwords in dealing with subordi-nates. Socially, he could be tact-less, but was good company on aone-to-one basis.

In typically direct manner, helater published an article entitled,"Our Icebreakers Are Not GoodEnough."

Could we ask the same ques-tion today?

I C E B R E A K I N G S T O R I E S

Here’s how Kainan Bay Looked from LIttle America V.The ships in the distance are USS Arneb (left) and USS Greenville Victory.

An Excerpt from my Glacier Experience - Ernest M. Dunmire

page 5

I can hear myself saying to my boyswhen they were growing up, "What do youknow about life? You are too young."

In December 1957, I married my highschool sweetheart, got on a bus toLakehurst NJ, my new bride in tow, withjust enough time to get back to the base. Idid not even have a home for us to live in.But, we had love and we had a promise.We found a place to live and were ready forlife, but, in February, I was picked to bepart of the helicopter crews assigned to theUSS Glacier leaving for the Arctic in lateMay.

Now we had love and we had promise,but we had no money, so the least expen-sive commodity was gasoline. I bought anew 1957 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hardtop(Canary yellow) in March, and we hadwheels. Gasoline was 30 cents a gallon aswe left New Jersey. After a couple ofsleepless nights, we arrived home inValsetz OR, three days later. I kissed mywife good-bye and was back in Lakehurstthree days later.

We prepared the aircraft for sea duty,packed the necessary repair parts and lubri-cants. We practiced flying in survivalsuits, affectionately called "poopy suits"

for obvious reasons. Once you got into thesuit, it was impossible to get out, so we justthought we might live in them.

When the training and packing werecompleted, we were to transfer TDS atWeymouth MA prior to boarding the ship.I flew with the Bell HUL-1 asnavigator/crew chief and, in tandem with aSikorsky HRS-1, headed up the East coastto our next fueling station. We did not packmuch fuel.

The first fueling leg went as planned,but on the second, we battled heavy head-winds and I could not see that we wouldmake the next fuel station. I radioed theother chopper to check my numbers andthey agreed it would be close.

The aircraft flight manual stated that,in emergencies, we could use premiumautomotive gasoline. We landed in thefield behind an ESSO station and bucketedfuel to the aircraft in cans. Helicopterswere not common in those days and to saythere was interest would be a gross under-statement.

After fueling, we had to figure out howto pay for the fuel with a Navy Chit systemthat in no way looked like money to the sta-tion owner. Fortunately, ESSO Extra was

only 32 cents a gallonand, between the pilotand myself, we paid thebill. We caught up withthe other aircraft at thenext fueling station andarrived in Weymouthintact and on time.

Life was good backthen.

We were to board theGlacier as she steamedout of the harbor, but wedetoured to pick up theSkipper and take him tohome nearby for afarewell party. We landedin a green pasture andwere greeted by familymembers. The Skipperinvited us to dinner and itwas an honor to be a partof the festivities. Again,the chopper was a bigdraw to those who hadnever seen one.

We next stopped inSt. Johns, Newfoundland,

for fuel. The people greeted us with wel-come arms, but I never could understandwhy they were glad we were leaving.

Once at sea, life was good again. We steamed north to meet the convoy

heading into Thule, Greenland. It was notmany days before we encountered ice.Many of the ships had moved into the icepack and stalled, then waited for us to leadthem through the ice. Big "G" handled theice with ease, breaking a channel for othersto follow. Unfortunately, the ice wouldclose in on less capable supply ships andwe would turn around and get them movingagain.

At times, it was like a "KeystoneKops" movie, ships stranded bow to bow,stern to stern, broadside to broadside. Itlooked at times like a parking lot for way-ward derelicts. The ice increased in thick-ness with large pressure ridges impossibleto break through. We flew ahead and foundthe best leads to work with and, by sharinginformation, finally worked the first con-voy into Thule. We made three successivetrips in and out re-supplying the needs ofthe bases in the frozen north.

With this mission accomplished, theGlacier was scheduled back to Boston torefit for Operation Deepfreeze 58/59. TheUSS Atka was scheduled into Thule to pickup our chopper detachment and proceed onmissions for the IGY Committee.

We moved the aircraft and our belong-ings to the Air Force Base at Thule and theGlacier steamed for home. We settled intemporary housing and were waiting forthe Atka to get into port when we werealerted that the Glacier was sending SOSmessages that she had run aground and wastaking on water. We launched the aircraftto give aid.

While we were in the air, the Glacier'screw sealed off the damaged compart-ments, transferred liquids around as she socapably could, waited for the rising tideand pulled off the rocks. She was deemedto be sea worthy and slowly steamed backto Boston for repairs.

We diverted the aircraft to the Atka andsteamed back to Thule for duty. We laterheard that, when the Glacier got back toport, they repaired the gouge and filled thecompartments with concrete. She may stillbe that way today.

Life was good again.Helicoptor as seen from the USS Glacier

page 6

Manuel Prieto's Tour of Duty Onboard USS GLACIER 1958-1959- Told by his daughter, Theresa Johnson

If you could sum up the essence of myfather's career in the navy, President John F.Kennedy said it best, "Ask not what yourcountry can do for you, but what you can dofor your country."

It was this strong conviction to serve hiscountry that led my father, Manuel Prieto, anative of Wilkes-Barre, PA, to enlist in theNavy the day he graduated from CoughlinHigh School. This Naval career took himaboard the USS Glacier in the Antarctic withOperation Deepfreeze.

As a yeoman 1st class, my father started hisAntarctic tour Oct. 1958 when he left the UnitedStates to fly to New Zealand, where he met withthe Task Force Commander, Navy Capt EdwinA. McDonald, to board the USS Glacier.

During the next three months, the TaskGroup operated in the Ross Sea area, wherethe U.S. Navy maintains and re-supplies sev-eral science stations for the U.S. AntarcticResearch Program. This trip took the Glacierhalfway around the Antarctic continent.

In January 1959, the Glacier was orderedto go to the assistance of the Norwegian expe-

dition ship, Polarhav, when the vessel wastrapped in an Antarctic ice pack 170 miles fromher destination. While assisting the strickenship, Manuel Prieto had the opportunity to talkwith top Norwegian and Belgian scientists, aswell as with the Rev. Frans Dircken ofBrussels, Belgium, a member of the BelgianAntarctic Expedition who were there as part ofthe international Geophysical year.

When the Glacier was on her way toSantos, Brazil, it was learned that the Navywas dispatching the icebreaker USS Edisto tothe Palmer Peninsula area to help the UnitedKingdom re-supply several science stations inthe South Polar Region.

Navy Captain Edwin A. McDonald'sstaff, of which my Dad was a member, wastransferred to the USS Edisto to be put intoaction once again. After a short re-provision-ing stop at Buenos Aires, Argentina, the USSEdisto was in the Antarctic for six weeks dur-ing the Palmer Peninsula operation andremained in that area later in the season thanships had ever operated before.

When the ship stopped at Montevideo,

Uruguay, on her way home, my father learnedthat he had been promoted to chief yeoman.Home at last, the USS Edisto, docked atBoston May 23, 1959.

All staff personnel of the Commander ofthe US. Naval Support Force who returnedfrom Antarctica joined in celebration at acocktail dinner party. This affair, of which myfather was chairman, was their first gettogether since the trip. The dinner was held atthe Café Aldo in Washington D.C. onFebruary 27, 1960.

My father passed away in 1965 at age 36,leaving seven children. Our family was for-ever changed without him, but we have beenblessed with a wonderful Mother and theNavy, who both filled in his absence.

On behalf of my father, thank you forgiving me an opportunity to express theappreciation and gratitude he always had forhis Navy career. His assignments always ledto meeting people who humbled him. Thankyou for allowing me to recognize a remark-able man who never once regretted walkinginto the recruiting office at the tender age of18 to enlist in the United States Navy.

I reported on board the Glacier inDecember 1969, having spent the previouseight months on the USCGC Gresham inAlameda. After doing a double Ocean StationVictor and an Ocean Station November, I was-n't real happy to be assigned to an icebreaker.At that time, the Glacier was white with a rac-ing stripe on it, not like it is now with a red hull.

When I got to the dock in Long Beach, Iwas surprised at how big this thing was! Itwas the largest cutter with the biggest crew(240) that the USCG had at the time. Eventhough I was somewhat salty due to my O/Strips, it was intimidating to go on board witha completely unknown crew. We left for theice three days after I came on board, and thetrip was nothing but routine.

First of all, I had to go through anotherinitiation as we crossed the Equator. I was a"shellback" from crossing the 180th parallelon the Gresham, but that didn't cut it here. Ifound out I was just another lowly "pollywog"who had to do it all again. It wasn't too badand the fact that the XO had to do it with usmade it comical.

One of our details was taking a bunch ofscientists into the ice to study the penguinpopulation. It seems that the penguins weresuffering from tuberculosis, and the scienceguys wanted to find out why. They had cap-tured about a dozen of the little suckers andhad them in a pen up on the foc'sle.

One of the deck crewmen, I think hisname was Mike Shea, decided this was toocruel. So, in the middle of the night, he wentout on deck and let them all go! Afterward, heturned himself in and took his punishmentlike a man. Even the Captain respected Mikefor his views, and then busted him to SA forthe remainder of the trip.

Another fun time was taking a group ofNavy Seabees from Punta Arenas, Chile, toPalmer Station. The Seabees were anything butreal sailors and, when we hit a huge storm goingacross Drake's Passage, those poor guys suf-fered for two full days. The seas were so highthat all weather decks were off limits, and noone could go up into the 'Loft Con' (crow's nest).

I stood bridge watch during that time andhad never seen anything like it. As we crested

a swell, all you could see was rows of swellsgoing off into the distance for miles. Wewould see the bos'n of the watch (usuallyBM3 Jerry Lewis) have to go out and checkthe anchor chain, trying to time his runningout there so that it was between waves.

When I received my 2003/2004 winter issueof "Ice Breaking News," I was amazed to findthat three of your letter writers were on theGlacier with me! Dave LaPlante (a truly funnyguy from San Diego), Darrell Hoff and JimLindley. I don't remember Lindley, but I doremember the other two. It was neat readingtheir stories because I lived them as they did.

A lot of names came back to me afterthinking about the crew: John Rose, MarioDuncan, Big Johnny the cook, SonnyMelendrez, Keg, Ned Sacco, Ken "Soupy"Campbell and "Smoky" Robinson. "Smoky"actually died during the fire in the engineroom, but the PHS doctor who was on boardbrought him back with CPR.

It's amazing what your memory can do ifyou try. Semper Paratus, my old shipmates. Iwish you good health and fair weather always.

Deep Freeze '70 on the Glacier- Mike Verrengia SN (later EM3), USCGC Glacier 12/69-8/70

page 7

NORWALK - If seafaring Norwalk wantsa new opportunity for city kids to get involvedwith seamanship and boating, Westport resi-dent Ben Koether says he has just the thing.

After trolling from Bridgeport toWestport without a strike, Koether is settinghis sights on Norwalk in hopes that someonehere may want a 40-foot former U.S. CoastGuard ship to instruct kids on how to maintainand sail a ship.

The boat Koether wants to give away isthe Ice Bucket, the tender to the 310-foot for-mer Coast Guard icebreaker USS Glacier.

The Ice Bucket was piloted in the sum-mer of 2002 from Baltimore to Captain'sCove in Bridgeport where she was pulled outof the water and a restoration effort wasbegun. Koether also had planned to makeBridgeport the home port of the Glacier, butwill now be sending it to Alaska.

Koether contacted youth groups inBridgeport, Stratford, Milford and scouttroops in Westport, but no one expressedinterest in taking over the Ice Bucket. He ishoping someone in Norwalk will want to starta youth education program around her or beable to incorporate the Ice Bucket into anexisting maritime program.

"If I can't get it off the ground inNorwalk, I'll bring it to Florida. All we need isone or two adults to champion it and a youthgroup to perpetuate it and keep it going,"Koether said from his Fort Lauderdale officeearlier this week.

The boat was used for scientific expedi-tions during the USS Glacier's 32-year careerwith the Navy and Coast Guard, whichincluded 29 Antarctic expeditions. The IceBucket once served as Admiral RichardByrd's survey vessel, charting the watersaround Antarctica.

Koether, who served as navigator aboardthe Glacier in 1959 and 1960, said the boatregularly operated in temperatures of 50degrees below zeroand was designed to pushthrough ice.

Steve Johnson, vice president of commu-nications and development for the GlacierSociety, the Stratford-based nonprofit groupset up by Koether to restore the Glacier, saidthe boat is in relatively good shape.

Ideally, whatever program takes the IceBucket would teach kids how to work anddrive the ship, and bring classes aboard fromtime to time for rides through the harbor,Johnson said.

Koether said lots of equipment for the IceBucket's refit, such as a new heating and air-conditioning system, has been donated and issitting in a warehouse waiting for installation.Although the ship motored up from Baltimoreunder her own power, the engine is not oper-able now because of limited disassembly dur-ing the initial renovation.

He figures that the boat, which sleeps sixcomfortably, needs about $10,000 more inequipment, and hundreds of hours of labor.

"I am absolutely convinced we can get

every part we need donated. All we need is thelabor and supervision," Koether said.

The ship's windows and ports need to beresealed and replaced, and the interior sur-faces need to be sanded and refinished. Thereis plenty of carpentry and wiring work to bedone, but some of the wood inside the cabinhas already been varnished, Koether said.

One group that might be willing to takethe ship is Norwalk's chapter of the SeaScouts, which offers 14- to 20-year-olds thefull spectrum of seafaring instruction andexperience.

The program, which costs $59 per year,was founded in 1957 and counts 18 youngmen and women as members.

They sail a 40-foot racing sloop,Celebration, and take care of all her mainte-nance. The scouts regularly sail in highlycompetitive regattas and have won their classat Block Island Race Week on several occa-sions, said Bill Austin, who heads the group.

Austin, a local ship rigger, said he wouldlike to take a look at the Ice Bucket, but isn'tinterested in acquiring a hole in the water tothrow money into.

"If it is an interesting boat and not a hor-rendous money pit, I might want to take iton," Austin said. "I don't need another moneypit. I have a 40-foot racing boat now."

z2004 Southern CT Newspapers, Inc.Reprinted with permission.

OLD BOAT SEEKS NEW HOME:Former U.S. Coast Guard vessel ready for new life

- By John NickersonStaff Writer, The Advocate, March 13, 2004

The Icebucket today

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Anyone even remotely interested inPolar exploration has heard of ColonelNorman Dane Vaughan.

Born Dec. 19, 1905, this venerableexplorer, adventurer, mountain climber, dog-sled driver, retired U. S. Army officer andauthor has done it all, including working as acrewman on Admiral Richard E. Byrd's firstexpedition to Antarctica in 1928 - 1930.

Vaughan's book, With Byrd at the Bottomof the World, recalled his agreeing to work fora year without pay to train Byrd's dogs, con-struct sleds and kennels, and gathering gearfor the voyage, just so that he could be part ofthe expedition. The volume recalls the longmonths exploring land never before visited byman.

Today, the 98-year-old Vaughan is thelast surviving member of that first ByrdAntarctic expedition.

Determined to learn and experience asmuch as possible about polar exploration,Vaughan left his studies at HarvardUniversity in 1925 to travel to Newfoundlandas part of a team bringing medical supplies bydog sled to isolated villages.

In 1932, he took part in the OlympicGames' dog racing event and, in 1952, wasthe first non-Alaskan dog driver to compete

in the North American Sled DogChampionships.

When the United States entered WorldWar II, Vaughan enlisted in the Army AirCorps Search and Rescue operations, trainingmen and dogs in saving fighter pilots andbombardiers of the Lost Squadron inGreenland. He also took part in the Battle ofthe Bulge with 209 dogs and 17 drivers andcommanding dog sled ambulances used torescue wounded soldiers.

Vaughan was named Chief of Search andRescue for the North Atlantic Division of theInternational Civil Aviation Organization, theair wing of the United Nations. During theKorean War, he was assigned to the Pentagon,serving in the Psychological WarfareDepartment.

Vaughan's post-war return to Alaskamarked the start of a life devoted to exploringand enjoying the Arctic regions. Over theyears, he has participated in 13 Iditarod SledDog races. He received the MostInspirational Musher and the True Gritawards in 1987 and, in 1990, his last finish, atthe age of 84, he was named Musher of theYear.

In 1995, three days before his 89th birth-day, Vaughan returned to the Antarctic to

climb the 10,302-foot Mount Vaughan,named by Admiral Byrd in recognition ofVaughan's contributions to the Byrd AntarcticExpedition.

Vaughan's autobiography can be found inMy Life of Adventure.

DREAM BIG AND DARE TO FAIL!- By Avril Westmoreland, Glacier Society Volunteer

Norman D. Vaughan in caribouparka with wolfskin ruff. Takenduring Admiral Richard E. Byrd'sfirst American AntarcticExpedition in 1928-30 in which hewas a team member as a dogdriver.

Steve Johnson, Norman Vaughan and Ben Koether

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Ben Koether and Steve Johnsonwith Walter J. Hickel, formerGovernor of Alaska and formerSecretary of the Interior, duringtheir June visit to Anchorage.

Governor Hickel is a firm support-er of Glacier’s arctic mission andhas gone on record as saying:“Once it is back at sea, this proud,former Coast Guard vessel will bea needed and effective ambassa-dor of goodwill throughout theFar North ... My son Jack is apassonate volunteer and support-er of this project and a member ofthe Society’s Alaska MedicalAdvisory Board.”

In August, Ben Koether and SteveJohnson presented a plaque in apprecia-tion to Senator Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. for his sponsorship, together withSenator Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., ofthe legislation which deeded USS/USCGCGlacier to The Glacier Society.

Through their efforts along withCongressman Christopher Shays of CT,the 2001 Defense Authorization Bill includ-ed a provision authorizing the Secretary ofTransportation to transfer title of the formerUSS Glacier to the Glacier Society.President Clinton signed the legislation inOctober 2000.

Thank you for your continued support! Please consider making a contributiontoday! We are in the home stretch and could use your support today!! Visit our website at www.glaciersociety.org to fill out a donation form.

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General Membership Participation in the General Membership pro-gram entitles you to society membership inone of the categories listed below. Dues arepayable in full.

The Glacier ClubBenefits include the Icebreaker Newsletter,free admission to the ship, a 10% discount atthe ship store, news pertaining to shipreunions, a membership kit, and eligibility forrestoration participation and voyages.

O $25 Retired Military (Any Branch)O $35 Retired Military and FamilyO $40 Active Duty MilitaryO $50 Active Duty and FamilyO $50 Faculty Members & Students O $100 General Public IndividualO $125 General Public and Family

The Plank Owners' ClubPlank Owners will receive a $35 GiftCertificate to the Ship Store in addition toGlacier Club benefits.

O $250 Plank Owner SilverO $500 Plank Owner GoldO $1,000 Plank Owner Platinum

The Polar Explorers' ClubIn addition to Glacier Club benefits, PolarExplorers receive Invitations to AnnualMeetings, Invitations to Expeditions, and aDistinctive Jacket with Emblems. PolarExplorers will also receive a $200 GiftCertificate to the Ship Store.

O $2,000 Polar MarinerO $5,000 Polar PioneerO $10,000 Polar AdventurerO $25,000 Polar Explorer

The Flag Rank ClubPlease speak with one of our trustees aboutattaining lifetime Admiral status.

The Crew Club MembershipThe dues for the Crew Club Membership pro-gram are payable in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual installments and entitles youto Glacier Club benefits.

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