Frozen in Time Read online

  press releases of, 318

  and rescue missions, 187

  Sixth Army Group, 209

  Arnold, Henry Harley “Hap,” 118, 231, 318

  Atlantic Fleet, and rescue missions, 187

  aurora borealis, 185, 278

  B-17 PN9E bomber crew, 33, 34

  calendar devised by, 104–5

  communications from, 1–2, 37, 57, 61–62, 111–12, 114, 115, 120, 127, 129, 135

  crash of, xi, 1, 53–57, 129, 153

  crash site of, 3, 57, 64, 66, 70, 119–20, 193

  and damage to plane, 54–55, 57, 60, 73, 109, 111, 112, 119, 172

  Duck rescue missions of, xi, 3–4, 6, 91, 129, 145–47, 149

  duration of ordeal, 297

  flying in milk, 37–39, 48, 50–51, 56

  food and supplies for, 62–63, 113, 114–15, 120–22, 135, 173–74, 186, 210–16, 259, 261

  and frostbite, 63, 74–76

  and landings and takeoffs on ice cap, 136–40, 288–89

  Legion of Merit awarded to, 320

  locating, 119–20

  “The Long Wait,” xii

  media stories about, 317–21

  and Norden Bombsight, 142, 266

  and Northland, see Northland

  official records of crash, 194, 195, 277, 316

  prayers of, 65, 74, 106, 175, 230, 260–61

  and radio transmitters, 57, 61–62, 65, 109–13, 121, 122, 216, 236

  rescue missions for, 119–23, 125–30, 136–42, 152, 174, 182, 186–88, 204–6, 231–35, 261, 264–66, 289–97, 315

  and search for C-53, 34–36, 65

  search for their downed plane, 64–65, 84, 90–91

  self-rescue attempt by, 174–80

  and Short Snorters, 107–8, 115, 142

  Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 68–73, 70, 90

  and survival, 1, 3, 56–64, 65–67, 73–77, 104–7, 110, 114–15, 122, 143–45, 168–80, 186, 188, 216, 229–31, 235–40

  weather preventing supply drops to, 104–5, 187–88, 213, 237

  B-17s:

  B-17F, 31–33, 31

  Bombardier’s Code of Honor, 32

  crashes of, 17

  emergency radios in, 26

  Lost Squadron, see Lost Squadron

  My Gal Sal, 118, 207, 215

  Norden Bombsights on, 32, 142, 265–6

  PN9E, see B-17 PN9E bomber crew

  search missions of, 22, 23, 65

  in World War II, 30–32

  B-25 Mitchell bombers, 22

  Baker, Joan, 162

  Balchen, Bernt, 115–23, 116, 124, 263, 337

  and Byrd, 116–17

  death of, 330

  Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 329

  and dogsled trek, 291, 293

  and Duck location (map), 153, 154, 159, 191–92, 192, 194, 249–50, 276, 282

  early years of, 116–18

  as “The Last Viking,” 115

  in later years, 329–30

  and PN9E cargo drops, 120–22, 135, 136, 138

  and PN9E communication, 121, 122

  and PN9E location, 119–20, 129, 136, 176

  and PN9E rescue plans, 206–10, 214–17, 231–35, 261, 287–92, 294, 295

  and rescue missions, 117, 118, 186, 209, 261, 289–96

  Soldier’s Medal awarded to, 118

  Barkley-Grow T8P-1 ski-plane, 204, 205

  Battle of the Atlantic, 208

  Beach Head Station, 183

  Demorest as commander of, 122

  dogsled mission from, 206

  dogsled trek to, 291, 293

  Fuller and crew remaining in, 182–83

  and McDowell’s C-53, 23

  and PN9E crash site, 123, 127

  and PN9E rescue mission, 122, 124

  supply drops to, 211–12

  Beechcraft AT-7, 210, 295

  Behar, Alberto, 224, 300, 335, 341

  and equipment, 244, 254, 268, 269, 270, 272, 273, 308, 312

  Bennet, Aaron, 190–91, 199, 341

  Bertil, Prince (Sweden), 108

  Best, Alfred “Clint,” 170, 170, 171, 337

  and crash, 53–54

  death of, 326

  and depression, 240–41, 257–60

  in later years, 297–98, 325–26

  at Motorsled Camp, 285, 287

  and rescue, 139, 148, 239, 264–66, 284–85, 289–90, 297

  safe arrival of, 297

  and search for C-53, 35–36

  and survival, 59, 155, 168, 176, 180, 186, 211, 229–31, 235–40, 257–60, 297–98

  Blow, James “Jim,” 200, 335, 341–42

  Coast Guard career of, 200–201

  commitment to Duck Hunt, xii, 46–47, 158–59, 189, 196–97, 199–202, 228

  and demobilization, 300, 301, 313–14

  and discovery, 317

  on Duck Hunt mission, 227, 227, 242, 246, 249–50, 254, 255, 267, 269, 275–77, 282, 304

  and funding, 161, 201–2

  future plans of, 334

  and Hotsy move, 305, 306, 308, 310

  and melting at BW-1, 312, 313

  “Operation Duck Hunt 2012” report by, 201

  and radar, 243–44

  and research, 98, 202

  Bluie East Two, 17, 84

  rescue missions from, 232, 235, 261, 287–96

  safe arrival at, 297

  supply drops from, 211–12

  Turner and crew relocated to, 184, 210–11

  Wade and Moe returned to, 205

  Bluie West Eight, 17, 23, 115

  Balchen as commander of, 118

  radio contact with PN9E, 122

  rescue missions from, 118, 136, 186–88

  Bluie West One, 17, 19, 21, 56

  and BW-1 report, 277

  communications from PN9E to, 112–13, 180

  search planes from, 51, 64–65

  weather preventing missions from, 105, 114, 187–88, 213

  Bombardier’s Code of Honor, 32

  Bottoms, Benjamin A., 8, 134, 337

  death officially declared, 155

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149

  Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 155–56

  and Douglas Dolphin, 134

  and Duck crash, 150–53

  as Duck radioman, 3, 133, 134, 135

  memorials to, 327, 333

  missing in action, 46, 96, 151, 153, 175, 178, 182, 198, 220, 283, 297, 322

  next of kin, 164–66

  and PN9E rescue mission, 3–4, 6–8, 129, 135–41, 142, 145–46, 156, 315

  and recovery, 317, 334

  Bottoms, Olga Rogers, 133, 165

  Boy Scouts of America, 321, 323

  Bradley, John, 223, 252, 335, 342

  and GPS, 251, 269, 278

  and nighttime glacier hike, 277–78

  and points of interest, 268, 273, 278–79, 282, 301, 311

  roles of, 224, 251, 308

  Bratton, Nicholas “Nick,” 223, 335, 342

  and Duck Hunt, 224, 226, 241, 268, 270, 273, 311

  and Hotsy move, 305, 308

  Brehme, Carl, 210, 288

  Brinsko, Michelle, 300, 301, 335, 342

  and base camp, 247

  and nighttime glacier hike, 277–78

  roles of, 223, 224, 306, 308

  Britain:

  U.S. Air Force in, 17

  and World War II, 14, 16, 17

  Byrd, Richard E., 100, 116–17, 262, 330

  C-47 Skytrains, search missions of, 23, 65

  C-53s, search missions of, 22, 23

  C-53 Skytrooper, 19–24, 20

  communications from, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 57, 105

  crash of, xi, 21, 22, 35, 153

  crew members of, 21, 28, 297

  and hypothermia, 28

  loss of, 28–29, 114, 144, 154–55, 182

  Lou’s permit to search for, 197

  Lou’s quest to search for, 43–44, 94, 335

  as modified DC-3, 20

  official declarat
ion of deaths, 155

  PN9E’s search for, 33–37, 65

  search abandoned for, 122, 123

  search missions for, 22–23, 25–28, 33–35, 48, 56, 58, 64–65, 84, 90–91, 105, 122, 123

  takeoff and flight plan, 19–20

  C-54 Skymaster, and Balchen’s rescue mission, 119–23, 135

  C-130 Hercules transport plane, 46, 93, 190, 196–97, 199, 218, 227, 228, 244, 246, 303

  Canada, Little Norway in, 117

  Canadian bomber, 79–90, 129

  bombsight destroyed, 82

  crash landing of, 78, 80, 153

  crew of, 79, 142

  ferrying mission of, 79

  and hypothermia, 88–89

  and Lost in the Arctic, 89

  and Northland, 85–90, 86, 124

  rescue of crew, 83–90, 89, 91, 114, 127, 142

  survival of crew, 80–85, 89–90

  travel with dinghy, 82–86

  Capa, Cornell, 99

  Carlson, William S., 25

  Christian, Patrick, 45

  Churchill, Winston, 108, 145

  Coast Guard, U.S.:

  and Arlington National Cemetery, 96

  Aviation Memorial, 333

  budget of, 93, 201–2

  and competition among military branches, 84, 209

  contract with North South Polar, 199, 202, 277

  creed of, 127, 129

  and demobilization order, 299, 314

  and Duck crash, 152–53

  and Duck Hunt, 46–47, 92–93, 102–3, 158, 189–90, 195, 196–97, 198, 199, 201–2, 225, 277

  Duck Hunt team members, 227–28

  and Duck search (1975), 97

  and Eagle, 95

  Greenland Patrol of, 16, 23, 66

  and International Ice Patrol, 16

  and Ivigtut mine, 15, 16

  missing personnel of, 46, 93, 96, 103, 154, 164

  and Northland, 2, 84, 90–91, 333

  Office of Aviation Forces, 46, 227

  ownership of downed planes and shipwrecks, 160

  radar data collected by, 194, 242–43

  and recovery plans, 334

  rescue work of, 2–4, 8, 46, 90–91, 127, 183

  roles of, 93

  “Semper Paratus,” 46

  souvenirs on eBay, 96, 97

  travel to base camp, 246–49

  World War II history by, 15

  and World War II jurisdiction, 93

  Coast Guard Aviation Association, 95

  Coleman, Ralph, 211

  Collins, Thomas, 96

  Columbus, Christopher, 10

  Comanche Bay:

  and Duck crash site, 192

  and Duck Hunt, 249, 250

  Northland in, 2, 123–24, 125–30, 135, 140, 150, 151, 181, 188

  and PN9E crash site, 3, 123

  Congress, U.S., and Title 10/Missing Persons Act, 162

  Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, 207

  Crea, Vivien, 98

  CReSIS (Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets), 194

  CRREL (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory), U.S. Army, 201, 202, 242, 243, 251

  cryolite, 14–16

  Deer, Joe, 98, 342

  Defense Department, U.S.:

  budget of, 93, 161

  and Coast Guard, 93

  congressional mandate to, 162

  Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, see DPMO

  recovery of personnel and equipment, 93, 161–62

  Demorest, Max, 24–27, 24, 337

  and Beach Head Station, 122

  death officially declared, 155

  fall in crevasse, 147–50, 151, 152, 168, 178, 315

  missing in action, 175, 297, 322

  and motorsled rescue mission, 123–24, 127, 136, 138, 141, 143–45, 146–47

  and PN9E rescue mission, 122

  search for McDowell’s C-53, 25–27

  tributes to, 330–31

  Demorest, Rebecca, 330

  Denmark:

  government-in-exile, 16

  and Greenland, 13–14

  and World War II, 14–15, 16

  Devers, Jacob, 209

  Disco, Jetta, 227, 246, 274, 305, 335, 342

  dogsled teams, 123, 183, 186–88

  at Motorsled Camp, 286–87

  and PBY rescue missions, 215, 261, 264, 265, 284–86, 292

  trek to the coast, 291, 293

  Dolleman, Hendrik “Dutch,” 215, 261, 263, 288, 337–38

  background of, 262

  and dogsled trek to the coast, 291, 293

  and rescue mission, 265, 285, 286–87, 289, 291

  Dorian, Charles, 87, 338

  Douglas A-20, see Canadian bomber

  DPMO:

  congressional mandate to, 162

  and Duck Hunt, 43–45, 160

  and JPAC, 102, 277

  meetings with Lou, 41–47, 92–95, 158–63

  mission of, 41, 45, 94, 162, 164

  more than 83,000 lost military personnel on record, 44, 46

  ratio of cost to recovery, 45, 161

  ten servicemen lost in Greenland, 44

  Drisko, Donald, 182

  Duck Hunt:

  author’s plans to go to Greenland, 195–96

  base camp (2012), 246–49, 248, 267–69

  Coast Guard support of, see Coast Guard, U.S.

  costs of, 45, 94, 201–2

  demobilization order, 299–306, 313–14

  discovery, 315–17

  and Duck location, 191–95, 192, 193, 199

  equipment gathered for, 218–20, 220, 225, 244, 303

  Essex One, 244, 251, 252, 255, 268, 270, 276

  Essex Three, 244, 250, 276

  Essex Two, 244, 251, 252, 255, 268, 270, 276

  funding sought for, 45–46, 95, 160–63, 190–91, 195, 197, 199

  and Hotsy, 221–22, 224, 255, 273–75, 280, 302–11, 309, 312, 314, 316

  and King, 96–98

  and Lou, see Sapienza, Lou

  meetings with military brass to authorize, 41–47, 92–95, 158–63

  mission plan for, xii, 160, 198, 244–45

  “Mule Team” effort, 310–11

  plans moving forward, 196–99, 218–28

  Point BW-1, 277, 278–82, 281, 299, 303–4, 310, 311–14, 312

  Point JPAC, 277, 278, 282

  Point K, 244, 251, 252, 268, 276

  Points A and B, 244, 251, 268, 270, 272, 273, 275, 276

  Points N and O, 245, 268, 270, 273, 276, 277, 278, 282

  “points of interest” (POIs), 199, 202, 244–45, 251–56, 267–73, 275–77, 278–82

  research for, 94, 194–95, 202, 242, 243

  and safety issues, 270–71, 310–11

  and Shackleton’s whiskey, 202–3, 283

  team members, 221–24, 226, 227–28, 335

  Dumbo, see PBY

  Dunlop, Bernard “Barney,” 288, 338

  death of, 328

  Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 328

  and PBY rescue missions, 215, 216, 232–35, 261, 263–64, 284, 289–96

  Dutch New Guinea, rescue mission in, 187

  Eagle (three-masted cutter), 95

  Earhart, Amelia, 117

  Egede, Hans, 13

  Eisenhower, Dwight D., 108

  Ellsworth, Lincoln, 117, 207

  Emerson, Mike, 98

  Encounters with Wildlife in Greenland, 197–98

  Erickson, Frank, 96

  Eriksson, Leif, 10

  Erik the Red, 9–10, 13, 17

  Eskimos, see Inuit people

  Essex overflight (2008), 243

  Everett, William, 21, 28, 29, 155, 178, 338

  Fallen American Veterans Foundation, 43, 94, 197

  Fennie, Joan, 66

  Finnish Air Force, 117

  Flying Fortress, see B-17

  frostbite, 63, 74–76, 144

  Fuller, Richard, 338

  at Beach Head Station, 182–83

  and Canadian airmen rescu
e, 89

  Navy and Marine Corps Medal awarded to, 183

  Gandhi, Mohandas K. (Mahatma), 81

  gangrene:

  dry vs. wet, 76

  and loss of limbs, 142

  and O’Hara, 76, 122, 127, 135, 144, 169

  Garr, Bruno, 211

  Geological Society of America, 25

  George I (navy plane), 94, 101–2

  Germany, and World War II, 14–16

  Gibson, Charles, 61

  “Gibson Girl” transmitter/kite, 61–62, 65, 66, 109–11

  Glacier Girl, 18, 101, 102, 160, 221, 274

  “Glacier Worms,” 173

  Goodlet, David, 338

  and crash landing, 80

  on Northland, 124

  as pilot, 79–80

  rescue of, 83–90, 89, 114, 127

  and survival, 80–84, 89–90

  traveling with dinghy, 82–86

  Green, Harold, 182

  Greenland, 9–15

  air crashes in, 17–18, 40, 51, 118, 153–55, 318

  beauty of, 34

  climate of, 12–13, 45, 63, 124, 187–88, 211, 231, 237

  coastline of, 12

  as code “Bluie,” 16, 112

  cold in, 63

  crash sites (map), xv

  crevasses in, 57, 67, 69, 70, 73, 111, 127, 147, 285

  December solstice in, 105

  and Denmark, 13–14

  Encounters with Wildlife, 197–98

  fjords of, 35

  flying in milk over, 37–39, 48, 50–52, 56, 150, 302

  foehn (warm wind), 82–83

  glaciers on, 11–12, 94, 193, 253, 253

  hypothermia in, 28, 88–89, 101, 139, 185

  Ivigtut mine, 14–16, 15

  landing and takeoffs on ice cap, 129, 136–40, 206–7, 232–35, 289–93

  Lou’s 2010 survey in, 194, 225

  map, xiv

  melting ice cap of, 97–98

  military investigations in, 206

  military rescues in, 21, 187

  military secrets in, 188, 318

  permits to search in, 45, 97, 197

  pilot challenges in, 119

  population of, 11

  sastrugi (snow waves) in, 57, 127

  settlement of, 9–10, 13, 17

  size of, 11

  snow buildup in, 94–95, 193, 316

  Spencer’s return to, 322, 323

  survival in, 57, 124

  trade with Europe, 10, 13

  U.S. air bases in, 16–17, 112, 114, 118

  weather stations for, 14

  in World War II, 14–18, 40

  Greenland Cooperative Salvage Company, 118

  Greenland Patrol, 2, 16, 23, 66, 123, 126, 130, 151, 332

  Grumman Duck, 2, 4–6, 5, 128, 135

  all aboard officially declared dead, 155, 178

  and Canadian airmen, 84, 86

  characteristics of, 4–5

  conflicting historical records of, 194–95

  crash of, 150–53, 156, 165, 182, 249, 316

  discovery of, 315–17, 334

  Essex overflight (2008), 243

  as “flying boat,” 3

  flying in milk, 150