Frozen in Time Read online

  and Greenland Patrol, 16

  landings and takeoffs on ice cap, 129, 136–40, 149, 208, 291

  location of, 152, 153, 154, 159, 183, 191–95, 192, 193, 199, 249–51, 282–83

  Lou’s quest to search for, 40, 43–44, 47

  model J2F-4, serial V1640, 4, 43, 96

  as overseas military gravesite, 97

  and PN9E rescue missions, xi, 3–4, 6, 91, 129, 145–47, 149

  possible movement of, 193, 194, 282

  Pritchard as pilot of, 3, 7, 96, 133, 135, 140, 146, 149, 156, 249, 250, 316

  production of, 97

  search (1975) for, 97

  search (2012) for, see Duck Hunt

  on takeoff, 6–8

  and wreck hunters, 97–98

  Gulf of Mexico, search and rescue in, 201

  Gustafsson, Jaana, 308, 311, 313, 335, 342

  and BW-1 location, 278–82, 281, 301, 304, 311–12, 313, 334

  and ground-penetrating radar, 222, 224, 244–45, 251–54, 253, 268–69, 271, 272–73, 278–82, 299

  and JPAC location, 277

  and nighttime glacier hike, 277

  Harman, Kenneth “Doc,” 335, 342

  on Duck Hunt mission, 227–28, 247, 269, 307, 311

  and Hotsy move, 307, 308, 310

  and melting at BW-1, 312, 313

  Healey, Joseph, 215, 263, 288, 338

  background of, 262

  and rescue mission, 261, 265, 285–87, 289, 291

  and sled dogs, 284, 286, 291, 293

  Hearn, Gerard, 182

  Henderson, Frank, 338

  Hitler, Adolf, 16

  Howarth, Irene, 109, 166–67

  Howarth, Jerry, 166–67, 342

  Howarth, Loren “Lolly,” 62, 338

  death officially declared, 155

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148–49, 315

  and Duck crash, 150, 152, 166, 316

  early years of, 109

  Legion of Merit awarded to, 156, 166

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

  next of kin, 166–67

  obituary of, 332

  and PN9E, 33, 34, 37

  and PN9E crash, 54, 57

  and radio transmissions, 57, 61–62, 65, 66, 109–13, 120, 121, 122, 127, 135, 146

  and recovery, 317, 334

  and search for C-53, 37

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

  icebergs:

  in shipping lanes, 16

  and Titanic, 16

  Ice Cap Station:

  crew moved to Beach Head, 182–83

  and McDowell’s C-53, 23

  and motorsled trek, 144

  rescue missions from, 187

  and self-rescue attempt, 175–76, 179

  supply drops to, 211–12

  Iditarod dogsled race, 101

  Imperial Hotel (Motorsled Camp), 286–87, 288, 290

  International Ice Patrol, 16

  Inuit people:

  at Kulusuk, 245

  settlers on Greenland, 10, 13

  Wade and Moe rescued by, 205

  Ivigtut mine, 14–16, 15

  Johannessen, Thurman, 21, 28, 29, 155, 178, 339

  Johansen, Johan, 123, 127, 182

  Jolly Green Giant (helicopter), 96

  JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command), 102, 277, 278, 282, 334

  Katz, Steve, 218–19, 335, 343

  and demobilization order, 299–301

  and Duck Hunt, 223–24, 246, 255, 269, 273

  and team effort, 310

  Keflavík, Iceland, 244

  King, Ernest J., 187

  King, Thomas C. Jr., 95–98, 160, 343

  Koge Bay:

  and base camp, 246–48

  at December solstice, 105

  and Duck crash, 154, 191, 228, 249

  and Duck Hunt, 249, 251, 299

  future plans for, 316

  ice cap in, 50, 123, 127

  and PN9E crash site, 57, 64, 66, 119, 120

  PN9E search area (for C-53) in, 35, 36–37, 64

  Krakauer, Jon, 41

  Krause, Bill, 163, 226–27, 227

  Krause, Nancy Pritchard Morgan, 130, 133, 163–64, 201, 226–27, 227, 317, 335, 343

  Kulusuk Airport, 245–46, 277, 302

  Kurz, Herbert, 339

  and Duck location (map), 152, 191–92, 193

  and supply drops, 211

  La Farge, Oliver, 319

  Larsen, Harold, 215, 235, 294, 295, 338

  Lindbergh, Charles and Anne, 14

  Lisman, Terri, 335, 343

  on Duck Hunt mission, 228, 300, 308

  and magnetometer, 254, 268, 272, 273, 276, 280–82

  Long, John, 98, 158, 166, 194, 343

  Lost in the Arctic, 89

  Lost Squadron, 18, 18, 21, 100–101, 197, 221

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

  MALÅ Geoscience, 222

  Manahan, Eugene, 21, 28, 29, 155, 178, 339

  Maritime Central Airways, 204

  Marley, Frank, 252, 335, 343

  and Duck Hunt, 198, 223, 244, 249, 268, 278–80, 300

  and Hotsy move, 307, 308

  and nighttime glacier hike, 277–78

  and points of interest, 301, 311, 313

  and safety team, 223, 224, 251

  McDonough, James, 343

  and Duck Hunt meeting, 158, 159–62, 189–90

  at initial DPMO meeting, 44–46

  McDowell, Eugenia, 29

  McDowell, Homer Jr., 339

  and C-53 Skytrooper, 19–29, 35, 153, 197; see also C-53 Skytrooper

  death officially declared, 155

  missing in action, 29, 178

  MIA/POWs, see DPMO

  Missing Persons Act (Title 10), 162

  Moe, J. G., 204–6, 339

  Monteverde, Armand, 48–49, 49, 288, 339, 340

  and Best’s condition, 240–41, 257–60

  and cargo drops, 120

  and crash, 53–57, 248

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149

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

  and leadership, 60, 62, 105, 109, 168

  Legion of Merit awarded to, 320

  media stories about, 317–21, 320

  at Motorsled Camp, 285, 287

  and O’Hara’s condition, 122

  options of, 50–51, 53, 55–56

  and pilot’s responsibilities, 56, 60, 138

  and PN9E, 33, 34, 36, 153

  and prayer, 65, 106

  promotion of, 288

  and rescue missions, 136–39, 144–45, 146, 239, 264–66, 284–85, 289–90, 295

  safe arrival of, 297

  and search for C-53, 33–37, 48, 56

  and Short Snorters, 107, 108

  and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 71, 72

  and survival, 56–60, 62–63, 74–76, 90, 105–7, 113, 115, 123, 144–45, 155, 168, 175, 176, 180, 182, 186, 211, 229–31, 235–40, 257–61

  Mopey (sled dog), 284

  Morgan, Harry “Tick,” 133, 163

  Motorsled Camp:

  and communication systems, 216–17

  digging in, 180, 212

  and PBY rescue mission, 263–66, 284–87

  renamed Imperial Hotel, 286–87, 288, 290

  rescue missions planned for, 204–6, 261, 287

  and self-rescue attempt, 175–80

  supply drops to, 184–85, 208, 211–12, 213–14

  and survival, 231

  mummification, 76

  My Gal Sal, 118, 207, 215

  Nansen, Fridtjof, 13

  NASA survey flights, 94, 194

  Nash, Al, 339

  and crash landing, 80

  and ferrying mission, 79

  on Northland, 124

  rescue of, 83–90, 89, 114, 127

  and survival, 80–84, 89–90

  traveling with dinghy, 82–86

  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, 228

 
Navy, U.S.:

  and Coast Guard, 93

  and lost George I plane, 94, 101–2

  Navy and Marine Corps Medal, 90

  radar data of, 194

  and rescue missions, 187, 209

  Norden Bombsight, 32, 82, 142, 172, 188, 266

  Nordic Postal Union, 117

  Northland, 2, 86

  at Anoretok Fjord, 84

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

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149, 151

  and Greenland Patrol, 2, 16, 123

  Grumman Duck of, 2, 3, 16, 84, 86, 128, 141, 150–53; see also Grumman Duck

  in later years, 332–33

  leaving the area, 181–82

  and Lost Squadron rescue, 18

  and PN9E support, 123–24, 125–30, 173, 174, 175

  Pollard as captain of, 126–27, 129–30, 181

  and rescue of Canadian airmen, 84–90, 142

  and rescue of PN9E airmen, 6, 90–91, 128–30, 140–42, 151–52, 181

  rescue work of, 2–4, 182

  North Pole, seaplanes in, 207

  North South Polar Inc., 43, 94, 190, 221, 228

  Coast Guard contract of, 199, 202, 277

  demobilization order from, 299

  and Lou, see Sapienza, Lou

  search permit issued to, 197

  team members, 223–24

  travel to base camp, 246–49

  North Star, 208

  Norwegian Air Service, 207

  O’Hara, William “Bill,” 66, 339

  and crash, 54, 55

  death of, 325

  food and supplies, 62

  and frozen feet, 63, 65, 74–76, 127, 138, 144, 174, 175, 185, 217

  and gangrene, 76, 122, 127, 135, 144, 169

  in later years, 323–25

  legs amputated, 235

  at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 185, 285

  and motorsled self-rescue attempt, 175–80

  and PN9E, 33, 34, 37

  and rescue, 147, 148, 151, 233, 235, 297, 315

  and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 71–73

  and survival, 65–67, 74, 90, 121, 122, 145, 155, 168, 180, 184–85, 214, 217, 278

  Operation Bolero, 17, 22, 118

  Operation Duck Hunt, see Duck Hunt

  Operation IceBridge, 194

  Operation Torch, 144

  P-38, crash of, see Lost Squadron

  Pan American Airlines, 14

  Parunak, Dick, 118, 207

  Pat (sled dog), 284

  Patton, George S. Jr., 108

  PBY Catalina flying boat (Dumbo), 234

  Balchen’s rescue plan using, 207–10, 214–17, 231–35

  as naval workhorse, 207

  rescue missions of, 22, 261, 263–66, 284, 287–96, 292

  volunteer crews for, 210

  weak forward bulkhead of, 231, 233, 296

  Pearl Harbor, 17

  Peter, king of Yugoslavia, 108

  Pikiutdlek (Koge Bay), 35

  PN9E, see B-17 PN9E bomber crew

  Podraza, Carol Sue Spencer, 322

  polar bears, 198

  Pollard, Francis “Frank,” 339

  and Canadian airmen rescue, 87–88, 142

  Navy and Marine Corps Medal to, 90, 125

  as Northland captain, 126–27, 129–30, 181

  and PN9E, 123, 126–30, 141, 146

  POW/MIAs, see DPMO

  “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” 85

  Preble, Stanley, 182

  Pritchard, Gil, 129

  Pritchard, John Jr., 8, 128, 132, 307, 339–40

  and Canadian airmen, 84, 88, 89, 90, 129

  and Coast Guard oath, 129

  death officially declared, 155

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149

  Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 155

  and Duck crash, 150–53, 156, 316

  as Duck pilot, 3, 7, 96, 133, 135, 140, 146, 149, 156, 192, 249, 250, 316

  early years of, 130–33, 164

  landings and takeoffs on ice cap, 129, 136–40, 149, 206, 207, 208, 291

  memorials to, 327, 333

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

  Navy and Marine Corps Medal to, 90

  next of kin, 156–57, 163–64

  and PN9E rescue mission, 3–4, 6–8, 91, 128–30, 135–41, 142, 145–46, 156, 315

  and recovery, 317, 334

  Pritchard, John Sr., 130, 131

  Pritchard, Nancy (Krause), 130, 133, 163–64, 201

  Pritchard, Virginia, 131, 155, 156–57

  Puryear, Lloyd “Woody,” 59, 340

  and crash, 54, 58

  death of, 328

  in later years, 327–28

  and rescue, 139–42, 156, 235, 297

  and search for C-53, 35–36, 58

  and Short Snorters, 108

  and survival, 58–59, 74, 105–7, 111

  Richardson, Edward “Bud,” 164–66, 343

  Rinsky (lead dog), 284

  Rittichier, Jack, 95–96

  Rommel, Erwin, 145

  Roosevelt, Eleanor, 108

  Roosevelt, Franklin D., 15, 108, 318, 324

  Royal Canadian Air Force, plane crash, see Canadian bomber

  Sabo, Alex, 215, 289, 338

  Sapienza, Lou (Luciano), 42, 98–103, 100, 335, 343–44

  background of, 98–100

  and demobilization, 299, 300–301, 313–14

  and discovery, 316, 317

  and Duck Hunt, see Duck Hunt

  and equipment, 220–24, 220, 269, 310

  and funding, 45–46, 95, 160–63, 190–91, 196, 197, 199, 201–2, 221

  future plans of, 334–35

  and George I, 101–2

  and Glacier Girl, 101, 102, 160

  and Hotsy move, 305, 308, 310

  and Lost Squadron, 100–101, 197

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

  and mission operations plan, 244–45

  patches and logos of, 94

  plans moving forward, 196–98, 224–28

  and points of interest, 276–77, 280, 282, 301, 313

  quest of, 40, 43–44, 47, 94, 190, 196, 200, 283, 334–35

  and radar, 242–44

  and Short Snorters, 334

  Sapienza, Ryan, 219, 300, 335, 344

  and Hotsy move, 307, 308

  roles of, 223, 224

  travel to base camp, 246

  Sargent, Thomas, 131

  Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), 330

  Shackleton, Ernest, 202–3, 218, 283

  Shangri-La, rescue mission to, 187

  Short Snorters, 107–8, 115, 142, 333–34

  Smith, Edward “Iceberg,” 340

  and Balchen’s rescue plan, 206, 208–10

  and Canadian airmen rescue, 91

  and Greenland Patrol, 16, 123, 130, 151

  and Northland, 91, 123, 125–27, 129–30, 151–52, 181

  and PN9E, 123, 125–27, 141–42, 149, 151–52

  Smith, Mont, 96, 98

  Smith, Robert “WeeGee,” 335, 344

  and base camp, 247

  and demobilization, 313, 314

  and discovery, 315–17

  and Glacier Girl, 221, 274

  and Hotsy, 221–22, 224, 255, 273–75, 280, 304–10, 312, 314

  and magnetometer, 275–76

  melting at BW-1, 311–14, 334

  Snublebluss, 197

  South Pole, first flight over, 117

  Spencer, Harry, 49–51, 50, 237, 340

  and crash, 54

  death of, 322–23

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149, 331

  fall in crevasse, 67, 68–73, 70, 90, 104, 127

  flying in milk, 37–39, 50–51

  injuries to, 53, 238

  in later years, 321–23

  leadership of, 105

  at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 285, 322

/>   and PN9E, 33, 34

  and radio repairs, 109–10, 111

  and rescue, 139–40, 146–47, 214–17, 232–33, 235, 236, 297

  return to Greenland, 322, 323

  and search for C-53, 35, 36–37

  and self-rescue motorsled attempt, 175–80

  and survival, 58, 62, 63, 65–67, 74, 76, 90, 105, 122, 145, 155, 168–69, 172, 179–80, 184–85, 213, 214–17, 231

  at White House, 318

  Spencer, Patsy, 68, 216, 321

  Spina, Paul, 64, 288, 340

  and Best’s condition, 240–41, 257–59

  and crash, 53, 55, 58, 74

  death of, 325

  and frostbite, 76, 169

  injuries to, 55, 58, 59, 130, 138, 144, 180, 259

  in later years, 325

  “missing in action” telegram, 106

  at Motorsled Camp, 285, 286–87

  and PN9E, 33, 34

  and prayers, 65

  and rescue, 147, 148, 151, 239, 264–66, 284–85, 287–90, 294, 315

  safe arrival of, 297

  and search for C-53, 34, 37

  and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 71, 72

  and survival, 58, 59, 60, 63, 74, 90, 110, 112, 121, 145, 155, 168, 176, 186, 211, 229–31, 235–40, 257–61

  Springer, William, 21, 28, 29, 155, 178, 340

  Storch, Marc, 166–67, 344

  Strong, Harold, 215, 263, 340

  background of, 262–63

  and rescue mission, 261, 265, 266, 285–87, 291

  and trek to the coast, 291, 293

  Sweetzer, P. W., 215, 233, 235, 338

  Taub, Donald, 194, 344

  Tetley, Donald, 171, 171, 237, 340

  death of, 329

  and Demorest, 25, 26

  and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 147–49, 151, 152

  and hypothermia, 185

  in later years, 329

  Legion of Merit awarded to, 320

  at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 285, 287

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

  and radio transmitter, 173, 174, 236

  and rescue missions, 204, 206, 234, 235, 236

  and search for McDowell’s C-53, 26, 27, 123

  and self-rescue motorsled attempt, 175–80

  and survival, 155, 168, 172, 179–80, 184–85, 187, 213, 214, 215–17

  at White House, 318

  Thuma, W. R. “Bil,” 222, 242, 300, 335, 344

  and flag locations, 255–56

  and Hotsy move, 305, 308

  and points of interest, 224, 269, 272, 273, 282

  Titanic, 16

  Title 10 (Missing Persons Act), 162

  Tucciarone, Alexander “Al,” 52, 52, 341

  and cargo drops, 121

  and crash, 54

  death of, 327

  injuries to, 54, 142

  in later years, 326–27, 328

  and PN9E, 33, 34, 37

  and rescue, 139–42, 141, 145, 156, 235, 297

  and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 72

  and survival, 113, 114

  Tucciarone, Peter, 327

  Tucker, Rob, 335, 344

  and demobilization, 300, 301