South Pole Station--the first 10 years

Admiral Dufek (second from left) and the rest
of the crew of Que Sera Sera, which landed at
Pole on 10/31/56 (Navy photo published by NSF
in "Safety in Antarctica," 1988) (larger views
with full caption)

Naval Support Force Antarctica (NSFA) established (2/1) along with 
   Task Force 43, to be commanded by Rear Admiral George Dufek
Plans finalized for 6 scientific stations: Pole, Byrd, Wilkes, Ellsworth,
   Hallett, and Little America V (LA5), along with a secondary air support/
   logistics base at McMurdo
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd designated "OIC, US Antarctic Program" (March)

"Operation Deep Freeze I" started (after being renamed due to trademark
   concerns by Amana regarding their freezers)
First arrival at Hut Point (12/18), tent camp set up, soon to become McM
First aircraft land at McM ice runway (2 Neptunes (P2V's) and 2 Skymasters
   R5D's), 12/20)
First IGY-era flight over Pole (1/3) (Admiral Byrd was on the first 2 in 
   1929 and 1947 and did it again along with Paul Siple on 1/8, This was
   Byrd's final trip to the ice)
EO3 Richard Williams and his D8 disappear (1/6) in a crevasse near the 
   airfield later named for him (memorial page)

A view of Little America V under construction
during summer 1956-57. All 6 of the original
research stations had the same architecture--
T5 buildings, a RAWIN dome as seen here, aurora
tower...(photo by Jim Waldron)

...93 men at McM, 73 at LA5

First cargo airdrop to Pole (as yet unoccupied), a C-124 Globemaster with
   Paul Siple aboard (10/25) 
Beardmore Station set up as a weather/refueling station for Pole flights
   at the south end of the Ross Ice Shelf (85°S-166°W which was actually
   near Liv Glacier 120 miles east of the Beardmore)
Admiral Dufek lands in R4D Que Sera Sera (10/31)

Here's one view of the aircraft, piloted by
LT Gus Shinn, on deck at Pole. This picture
was taken by LT John R. Swadener (the navi-
gator) and appeared in TIME magazine (info
and more photos)

First construction crew arrives led by LT Dick Bowers (11/20), Pole has
   remained continuously occupied since this date
First parachute jump (11/26); USAF SGT Richard J. Patton (static line jump)
   shows up to help coordinate the airdrop operation

P2V on deck at Pole, Christmas Eve 1956.
The major structures of the new station
are visible in the background. This photo
by Jim Waldron from the flight deck of one
of two R4D aircraft that also made this
trip; the flight crews had an early Christ-
mas dinner before returning to McM.

Ceremonial Pole (original striped bamboo pole with glass ball) first erected
   on the garage roof (12/14)

This low aerial view of the station taken before New
Years Day 1957 shows the newly erected bamboo pole
atop the garage, with the tunnel framework under con-
struction. This view looks southeast; from left to
right are balloon inflation building (small square
structure), science building, gap where Siple's
berthing Jamesway would be erected, garage, berthing
Jamesway (shortly replaced by the prefab Clements
building, see below), and galley. Note the skylights
in the flat roofs; these would go away as the flat-
roofed Clements buildings were replaced with pitched-
roof T-5 structures. This photo courtesy of Don Scott who was one of the UT's. He may
have taken this photo as he departed on 24 December 1956 on one of the R4D's mentioned
above.

First team of Seabees departs (24 December)

Before they left, the group posed for this photo, in
which can be seen the shadow of the striped flagpole
topped by the glass ball. Standing: Bristol, Speirs,
Williamson, Tyler, Wagner, Bevilacqua, McCormick,
Randall, Patton, Roberts, Goodwin, Bowers. Kneeling:
Scott, Chaudoin, Hisey, Prescott, Powell, Nolan,
Montgomery, Hubel, Woody, McGrillis, Slaton. Not
pictured: Tuck. (U. S. Navy photo from the USAP
photo library)

Galley completed and occupied (around 12/27)

This photo, taken about the same time as the
one above, looks northwest at the other end
of the galley, with the newly erected RAWIN
(radar weather balloon tracking) dome at the
south end above the met office. (U.S. Navy
cruisebook photo)

Time capsule marked "to be opened in the year 2000" deposited in the astro-
   nomical hut at the real Pole (1/1). The capsule came from Peoria and
   was a D8 cylinder, to be unearthed in 2000. That didn't happen; NSF has
   plans to find it someday
Station officially dedicated "Amundsen-Scott IGY South Pole Station" in a
   major ceremony (held at McM, Pole folks didn't find out until later) 

Admiral Dufek makes the dedication speech at
McMurdo for the commissioning of the new Pole
station on 23 January 1957. Meanwhile, station
supply, construction, and manning remained in-
complete until the slushy McM ice runway was
reworked for service (with help from a cold
spell). Airdrops resumed on 10 February, and
the final w/o's who arrived on the final R4D
flight on 12 February told the rest of the
station about this event.

Last airdrop, "station closed" (2/21)

OIC: LTJG Jack Tuck Jr., population 18 (list and photos) 
Berthing building, delivered with last airdrop, finished in early March
   (building later used as Club 90 and rebuilt)

Winterover crew erects the berthing building
in late February (photo by Paul Siple more 
info)

Admiral Byrd dies in Boston (3/11) at age 66
First weather balloon launched (3/26)...using generated hydrogen as was
   normal for the original station

Another late season construction project,
building the seismo tunnel from formed snow
walls and burlap. (photo by Paul Siple more 
info)

Temperature hits -100°F for the first time (5/12)
IGY officially begins (7/1)
Record cold for the first winter: -102.1°F/-74.5°C (9/18)
First flights from McM to open Beardmore (9/9), station site was relocated
   to the base of the Beardmore Glacier [in the pre-130 days, aircraft were
   left on the ice over the winter, these R4D's had wintered at LA5].

Paul Siple stands on the garage roof next to the,
er, Ceremonial Pole... (photo from Paul Siple the
rest of the story). I'm not sure when this photo-
graph was taken; based on the snowdrifts and sun
angle I'm guessing it was in the spring.

Geographic Pole marked with a circile of 55-gallon drums in a 100-foot
  radius (10/9)

While waiting for the first airdrop, Paul Siple's group moved these empty 55 gallon drums to form a circle which contained the best guess as to the location of the real Pole. They used the results of extensive celestial observations during the winter from the 4'x8' astronomical hut visible in the right photo. The American and UN flags were flown to mark the location. In the right photo (behind Siple and Jack Tuck) the station is visible in the distance, with the galley/dome to the left and the aurora tower to the right. (photo information)

First commercial airliner, a Pan AM jet, lands at McMurdo (10/15)--this was
   a military charter carrying deploying Seabees, VIP's...and female flight
   attendants Patricia Hepinstall and Ruth Kelly (and enough news media to
   make sure the story got out)
Opening airdrop (10/17)
8000' skiway dragged with weasel; only tractor (D-2) down for parts

Opening flight (10/28). At a temperature of -60°F/-51°C, the P2V-7 pilot turns
   his engines off; result: multiple oil leaks, a cracked cylinder and an 
   engine change at Pole. Reporters on the turnaround flight end up staying 
   more than 2 weeks
Second D-2 airdropped (11/10), streams in (parachutes didn't work) and buries
   itself 45+ feet deep; still today a target visible on LC-130 radar
Seismologist Father Linehan determines from seismic sounding (made at the bottom
   of the 45-foot-deep D-2 crater) that the station is 8,397 feet above bedrock
   which is 903 feet above sea level
Station team learns that Pole would continue to be occupied after IGY (12/5);
   the official announcement was made in January by President Eisenhower that the
   U. S. Antarctic program would continue indefinitely beyond IGY
Edmund Hillary arrives from Scott Base (1/4), leading the support leg of the
   Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition (TAE)

Sir Edmund Hillary (left), Dr. Vivian Fuchs, and RADM
George Dufek meet at Pole on 1/20...
(photo information)

TAE leader Vivian Fuchs arrives from Shackleton Base (1/20) halfway on his trip
   across the continent to Scott Base

OIC: LT Vernon N. Houk, population 18
US President Eisenhower first proposes Antarctic Treaty to other IGY
   participants (5/2)
USS Norton Sound, while in Antarctic waters south of the Falklands, 
   launches the first of three 3-stage X-17A rockets armed with low-yield
   (1.7 kiloton)atomic bombs (8/27); the bombs were detonated at 100-466 mile
   altitudes at about 40°S in "Project Argus," a classified study of the
   earth's magnetic field which contributed to the discovery of the Van Allen
   radiation belts
First Russian transantarctic flight (Mirny-McM) passes over Pole (10/24)
First Pole appendicitis case, treated without surgery by Dr. Houk

Vernon Houk (right) chats with a couple of
other folks in the galley (photo from the
Amundsen-Scott IGY South Pole Station
1958 yearbook) (cover page)

First "power plant upgrade" -- two new 60 kw generators installed in a new power
   plant building, replacing the original 30kw units

Looking north down the garage entrance tunnel--
that structure housed the original generators.
During the summer the ramp was shifted to the
west of this location, and the new power plant
and snow melter were built on the west side of
the ramp (as seen here a year later). (Fred
Mayeda)

Snow melter/water system upgraded using an asphalt melter in a separate structure
   just south of the new power plant, with two new water tanks in the shops
   building. This occured after the original melter system had been seriously
   contaminated with bacteria from the dogs who sometimes visited the snow mine...
Seismo tunnel hit by a box during airdrop, no injuries but a 2-day repair job
"Chapel of Our Faith" built SW of galley--an Atwell hut (similar to a Jamesway
   but with a peaked roof that would prove no match for the snow load)

One of the tunnels, already reinforced with stacked fuel
drums which are already starting to crumple. Not a good
long-term solution (Fred Mayeda)

Galley, head and garage rebuilt, lab remodeled
 

Thanksgiving dinner 1958...OIC Sid Tolchin is
at the head of the table. To his left is Lt. 
"Buz" Dryfoose, pilot of the VX-6 R4D-8
"Wilshie Duit". Oh yes, Buz contributed this
Navy photograph...

First part of central fuel distribution system installed
Weather Bureau sends the first Dobson spectrophotometer to Pole with Ben
   Remington, installed in a hut adjacent to BIT, but the optical wedges 
   were distorted and it was unusable
Geomagnetic "absolutes" hut completed; opservations started
Berthing Jamesway evacuated (1/30) due to roof collapse
Little Rockford summer weather station (79°35'S-156°46'W) established along
   LA5-Byrd tractor trail near west edge of Ross Ice Shelf
Little America V closed (1/19) by LTJG Frank Stokes after continuous use
   through 3 winters (use as a science base officially ended 12/31; other
   visitors including the Glacier and Arneb visited later to recover stuff)
US turns over Wilkes Station to Australia (2/4), Ellsworth Station to Argen-
   tina (February)

OIC: LT Sidney Tolchin, population 17 (list and photos)
Official end of the US IGY science regime; NSF takes over from the National
   Academy of Sciences (NAS) as the USCARP program begins ("Continuing
   Antarctic Research Program") quickly renamed USARP

One of the USARPs was Fred Mayeda, from the
Seattle office of the US Weather Bureau. Fred
was the first Japanese-American to work at
Pole (Fred Mayeda).

Fred passed away in 1964, but his son Stan
graciously sent me a fine collection of his
Pole photos. Here's a full page of them!

Fuel shortage concerns keep building temperatures below 60°F for first half
   of winter
First 200 club at Pole, using a cabinet-type steam bath constructed from a
   packing crate. This (plus a tanning bed) was set up in the original garage.
   Rules: +120° steam bath temperature followed by a roll in the snow at -80°
   or below
First surgery at Pole, in the new sickbay operating room (successful treatment
   for a urinary retention problem)
Record low temperature of -110°F/-79°C recorded (9/13)
First permanent laboratory, a 20x48 T-5 structure that would evolve into the
   Eklund Biological Center, occupied at McMurdo in April, managed under con-
   tract by the Arctic Institute of North America

A view of the 59-60 station looking north, the
ramp into the original garage is to the right.
Note the parked D-4. Near the RAWIN dome (atop
the south end of the galley building) a pibal 
(small uninstrumented "pilot" weather balloon
used to observe upper air wind speeds) is about
to be released. (US Navy cruisebook photo)

Heaviest recorded C-124 airdrop at Pole...

the first of 2 D4's (10/21), 9 tons, using
5 100'-diameter "G-11" chutes rigged 235'
above the tractor. More pictures and info
here

Antarctic Treaty signed by original 12 member nations (12/1)

A photograph of the galley from the DF-60
cruisebook. Not a lot of that art work on
the walls yet...back to front: ET1 E. C.
O'Quinn, RM2 E. C. Allison, Michael Sabbagh
(summer Met), and BU3 Frank Dodd 

First major surgery: Dr. DuMais performs an appendectomy on 
   CM3 H. F. Bibbee (12/23)
Navy quarters and sickbay--two 20'x52' T-5 structures, constructed
   west of the galley

This view is looking WNW from near the south
entrance door of the galley--the Navy berthing
building (later named the Taj Mahal) is on the
left, and sickbay is on the right. This picture
was taken by Ron Lampert during the 1963-64 
summer when this area was excavated to install
the present structural steel roof framing in
this area. (The OIC office/store/post office
structure was erected in some of this space in
1969-70)

16-man Russian glaciology traverse arrives on round trip from Vostok
   at 2135 on 12/26; they stay until 12/29 and determine with seismic
   shots that the icecap is 9219' thick with its base at sea level

The 3-tractor traverse (seen here at Pole)
was led by A. G. Dralkin, director of the
Fourth Soviet Antarctic Expedition.  (more
information, photos and credit).

New 28'x56' T-5 garage erected 700' from the main station, with a 30kw
   emergency generator
Second new geomag building erected along with new tunnel sections;
   not enough electric power would be available to heat both buildings
All of the original comms antennas replaced

One of two prefabricated supposedly
nonmagnetic T-5 structures erected
east of the main station, about half
way down that long tunnel to seismo.
This is the larger "variables" building
to the south of the main tunnel; the
absolutes hut built the previous year
was in the main tunnel (US Navy cruise-
   book photo)

Tunnel from science building to BIT rebuilt
Antenna field rearranged in an attempt to minimize interferences between
   projects and with comms
Power problems continue; tent stove used for heat in absolutes building
   causes 2 minor fires
Little Rockford relocated to the east edge of Marie Byrd Land
   (79°30'S-147°19'W)
Navy Chaplain Edwin Weidler conducts first protestant Communion service
   in chapel (1/8)
First flights of C-130's (Air Force) to help move cargo inland

The first landing at a specially prepared
skiway at McM. The first one of these made
it to Pole on 1/28 with 14,000 lbs of cargo.
There is speculation that the inland sta-
tions might have had to close without this
assistance (Details and stats).
The Navy, meanwhile, ordered 4

Original 20' x 40' McMurdo cosray building erected between Crater Hill
   and Ob Hill for Bartol neutron monitors

OIC: LT Clay DuMais, population 19 (list)
Generator problems and fuel shortage force severe crowding as new garage
   and barracks and old Jamesway are closed for the first part of winter
   (15 sleep in old barracks (club), 3 in science building and 1 in Dobson
   hut). Later, interior finish in new barracks was started, stopped;
   geomag buildings can't be heated
Major fire in met building at Mirny during 110-knot windstorm kills 8, 
   including station leader (8/3)
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) awards a contract to the Martin Company
   for the 1500-kw reactor PM-3A for McMurdo
Record low temperature at Vostok to date: -126.9°F/-88.3°C (8/24)
Stanford begins 5 year contract to operate the McM biolab, and it is
   doubled in size

VX-6 gets Navy ski-equipped LC-130's to the ice (they were originally
   designated C-130-BL). The first landing at Pole was opening flight
   at 0147 local time (10/30). It was piloted by CDR Elbert B. Binkley
   with RADM Tyree on board. Cargo included a special 10-ton sled for
   cargo unloading. Flight time to Pole was only 1 hour and 54 minutes;
   on deck time was 12 minutes.

The first LC-130 to arrive at McMurdo, in
October 1960, #321, is shown here being
refueled at Williams Field (DF-61 Navy
cruisebook photo). Here is PK Swartz'
color photo of 321, along with the rest
of the story of this famous aircraft.

First TACAN van delivered

Here it is getting unloaded, probably
on that new cargo sled. A better GCA
system was important now that most of
the cargo was to be delivered this way
rather than by airdrop.

Two major seismic traverses arrive...

This Byrd-Pole traverse showed up on
11 Jannuary with 2 orange D-8's that
had originally traveled from LA5. One
reason for the trip actually was to 
deliver the D-8's (more information
and pictures). 

...and a scientific traverse led by A. P, Crary which departed from
   McMurdo on 12/10 and showed up on 2/12 without fanfare because
   they were ahead of schedule. Crary was the first person to set
   foot on both the North and South poles...

In the galley, Dr. Albert P. Crary (center)
discusses his 64-day 1230-mile traverse to
Pole with SSL Dr. Ben Harlin (left) (Navy
photo, AJ 12/87). Crary was the 7th expe-
dition leader to arrive at Pole by surface
transportation...the sequence was Amundsen,
Scott, Hillary, Fuchs, the 1959-60 Russian
traverse from Vostok, Havola, Crary. This
8-man traverse used 3 Sno-Cats with trailers
(route map)


Navy artist Arthur Beaumont visits, sketches, paints first watercolors of
   station (outside, with antifreeze in the paint) (at age 70)

Arthur's amazing painting of Pole...
More information about the artist,
and his work...

First engineering study for a new Pole station. Results: "Present plans call
   for replacement of this station beginning in DF-64."
Comms building erected, the final westward expansion of the station
Interior finish work on the sickbay building
Fuel line run to aurora tower
Seismo tunnel reworked, widened
Chapel (Atwell hut) collapses as does the old garage tunnel ceiling (12/27) 
New head (still a "holer") constructed on the south side of the passageway SE
   of the shops building...and a 30KW generator is installed in the same
   building with the engine fan reversed to blow warm air into the facility
CNSFA Admiral Tyree shows up with the first 50-star American flag to be flown
   at Pole (2/8)

This flagpole at the geographic Pole was a
popular photo spot for visiting DV's who
often brought their own flags. On one occas-
ion a visiting Congressman flew his state's 
flag. When it was leaked to the press that he
had flown it upside down, a the station got
a strong nastygram from above...caption,
credits and more photos

Construction begins on new buried Byrd Station 6 miles NE of original station,
   with buildings in trenches with arched roofs based on proven Camp Century,
   Greenland design 

Here is one of the freshly dug tunnels. These
were created with Peter Snow Millers, which 
worked well at Byrd but did not do so well a
few years later when they were used for sur-
face prep for the domed station at Pole.
These trenches were covered with Wonder Arch,
the same material used for the Pole arches,
and the station buildings constructed inside.
These trench walls would narrow due to the
weight of new snow, so they had to be "shaved"
every so often. (From D. R. Walk, Byrd '61 OIC)

Excavation and site prep completed for McM nuclear plant
Martin Pomerantz makes first trip to the ice, and Pole...
New Dobson ozone hut erected (perhaps to see if the spectrophotometer
   would work better there than in BIT or the aurora tower) 
Replacement cosray lab (present one) built in McMurdo because original Pass
   site was too close to nuclear plant radiation. The two sites operated
   in parallel at first so data could be standardized. The old structure was
   reconstructed at Pole in 1963-64
Major McM fire destroys VX-6 parachute loft and avionics shop (story/photos)

OIC: LT P. K. Swartz, population 20 (list)

The South Pole post office; this is PK Swartz
perhaps contemplating the philatelic mail...
photo courtesy of Billy-Ace Baker; see the
caption and more information.... In these days
the post office was located in the NE corner
of the galley building.

Finally...enough power to heat the variables hut (May)
Congress approves present "Antarctic Service Medal" for service after 1/1/46
   (prewar Byrd/USAS expeditions had separate medals)
Russian physician Leonid Rogozof at Novolazarevskaya Station operates to remove
   his own appendix (4/30) (successful) (Alex Zaitzev unearthed the details)
Antarctic Treaty ratified, officially goes into effect (6/23)
Medevac from Byrd (4/9) for Leonid Kuperov a Russian exchange scientist with 
   an undetermined stomach ailment, first such use of C-130 aircraft in winter

Here's the first winter medevac LC-130 flight
taking off from Williams Field for ChCh with
the Russian  scientist aboard...well, despite
that JATO it didn't make it on this try, they
had to pack the skiway down a bit more before
it got off. The full story of the medevac,
including the strange final twist, is here.

Marble plaque presented to the station by Norwegian and UK government repre-
   sentatives (10/30)

The presentation ceremony marked the 50th anni-
versary year of Amundsen's and Scott's arrival.
This is a more recent photo of the commemorative
plaque, which is of course still on display in
the station today.  Here's the story and more
photos.

Navy P2V Neptune crashes at Wilkes (11/9, the day after Pole opening flight)
   killing 5 including glaciologist Edward Thiel (crash story)
Byrd memorial statue dedicated on Memorial Avenue near Arlington National
   cemetary (11/13)
Weather Bureau tries again and gets a Dobson spectrophotometer to monitor
   ozone (11/17) supposedly the first successful operation according to NOAA
New hut for Baker hydrogen generator erected adjacent to balloon inflation room
   (Gill H2 generator remained)
Another 50th anniversary event--presentation of this 1911 Pole photo signed by
   the last survivor of Amundsen's visit (12/7)

This photo was a signed personal gift from Olav
Bjaaland, who had died earlier in the year at
the age of 88. Guests at the Pole presentation
ceremony included Captain Finn Ronne (the rest
of the story).

USGS completes result of detailed icecap position survey with daylight star
   observations: their result--the station is moving 20m per year
2 Argentine DC-3's visit from Ellsworth

This was the first Argentine visit to Pole, but
by no means the last. The team left behind this
plaque which was on the wall of the dome pool
room until 2005 (more information).

Six skuas are brought to Pole in an LC-130 and released (1/25); one of these
   birds is observed with a mate at their Camp Crozier nest site 10 days later
Fire destroys the air-traffic control (ATC)/passenger terminal wanigan (Feb)

This lovely structure was one of many items left
behind by Hillary in January 1959 (This 1958-59
photo by Fred Mayeda). Here's a view of the other
side, behind the trash sled

First turbo helicopters (Army), capable of 13,000' altitude, deployed to support
   McM area science

"USARP Swiss Chalet" built in McM This fancy facility, actually an embellished Jamesway, was the NSF headquarters office. It was located in approximately the same location as the present Chalet, with, of course, a large picture window to provide a view of the helos and the distant mountains. (Left photo by Steve Kauffman (about 1965); right photo from a U. S. Navy cruisebook)

PM-3A nuclear reactor arrives at McM aboard USS Arneb (12/12)
Camp Ski-Hi, first upper atmosphere/VLF summer station (near future Siple,
   associated with conjugate radio site in Quebec) established (75°10'S-77°10'W) 
First nuclear powered automated weather station put out 60 miles south of McM,
   (by traverse, it weighed 3700 pounds) 
New buried Byrd Station dedicated (2/13) and occupied, powered by 4 150kw generators

Speaking of buried facilities, this is some of the
Pole fuel storage...empty drums were stacked in this
trench which was then roofed over. The drums were
filled with a hose from the surface. Later, fuel could
be drawn from these drums with a pump or siphon. Much
easier than handling lots of full drums.

Since new 55-gallon drums later became scarce after 
bladders came into use, the old ones were often reused.
I probably handled some of these same drums in our 1977
emergency fuel cache. (US Navy DF-62 cruisebook photo)

OIC: LT Malcolm Lentz, population 22 (list)
Memorial to Admiral Byrd dedicated in New Zealand

The memorial was dedicated on 3/11 by the Prime Minister...
details and more recent photos are here


First of 2 winters at "Delta One" otherwise known as Byrd Auroral Substation, 40
   miles northeast of Byrd. 3 men--the smallest US station since Byrd's in 1934
Monument to Admiral Byrd dedicated at Mt. Victoria lookout in Wellington (3/11)
   with stones, plaques and a bronze bust
McM nuclear plant first goes critical (3/4, only 3 months after the reactor was
   delivered), first power output to station (7/12)
USNS Eltanin, first exclusive NSF Antarctic research vessel (converted from a
   cargo ship), begins 15-year program (June)
US Atomic Energy Commission cancels the contract for a portable nuclear plant at Byrd
   Station because of cost increases, schedule slippages and design issues (10/1)

First US transcontinental flight (McM-PA,November)
Last year of fuel drums airdropped by the AF/first year of bulk fuel deliveries
   by VX-6 LC-130's using fuselage tanks, plus the bladders to put it all in and 
   the first steel fuel arch ("Cache #1" with 3 25,000 gallon bladders and a 
   smaller one)

Fuel Cache #2, which was built a year later
during 1963-64. This arch has 6 10,000 gallon
bladders. Unlike more recent photos, here 
the bladders are full, the lights are on, 
and you can't reach them...photo by Bob
Nyden during the 1971-72 season

Replacement power plant (not the last one) built inside the builders' tunnel
   which was enclosed by a new wonder arch 
Summer visitors include: Lowell Thomas, Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, and...
the first helicopters to arrive at Pole (2/4); 3 Army UH-1B's that had
   supported USGS survey teams flew from near Mt. Weaver (87°S 154°W); they'd
   flown to Mt. Weaver from McM via Brockton earlier in the season (they were 
   dismantled and flown back to McM in LC-130's)
First "Pole Bowl" football game (Thanksgiving), final score was NMCB-8: 6,
   USARP's 0. No football was available so a basketball was used
VLF hut built about 1/2 mile north of the station. This buried hut was also
   used as an emergency cache and had a backup generator
"NRL" building also built 120' ENE of balloon inflation; used for radiation
   measurement equipment that was moved out of the met office to give more
   office space
Seismo vault replaced

Not quite buried yet; the seismometer vault
is the larger building, the recording buil-
ding is on the left, and the station is to
the west in the distance. New equipment was
installed, part of the World Wide Seismograph
network, and operated by the Coast and Geodetic
Survey (USC&GS; predecessor organization to
USGS). (Photo by R. N. Davis, USC&GS, from the
Bulletion of the U. S. Antarctic Projects Offi-
cer, Summer 1964)

USARP barracks built on site of original collapsing Jamesway
Darkroom enlarged

The radio crew inside the new comm center at
the west end of the station. Left to right: 
"Tom" Thomas, Dave Peterson and Gary Larsen. 
Note the dart board!(caption/info)

Mary Alice McWhinnie, pioneer US female USARP researcher, visits the ice for
   the first time (to the Peninsula on the research vessel USNS Eltanin)
Summer/winter Eights Station established at Ski-Hi site near the Antarctic 
   Peninsula; 8 "vans" (modules that would fit in an aircraft...fabricated by
   a Canadian concern, the Alberta Trailer Company (ATCO) that would later 
   build Plateau, Byrd Longwire/Siple I, and the domed station Pole modules)
Ellsworth Station closed (12/30; this station on the Filchner Ice Shelf had
   been turned over to Argentina i February 1959. By now it has gone to sea)
NZ instructors first employed for snowcraft survival ("happy camper") school
   at McMurdo
First survey selects Arthur Harbor, Anvers Island site for proposed Palmer
   Station (1/22-25)

OIC: LT Don Bessinger, population 22 (list)
Another engineering study on the proposed new station released (6/26)--this
   one is by NCEL (Naval Civil Engineering Lab--Port Hueneme) and recommends
   "...an elevated structure and underlying tunnel for the camp core, with
   the major outlying facilities connected to this core by fully lined under-
   snow tunnels." (link to abstract).
Continental overflight with 2 LC-130's, RADM Reedy, and Lowell Thomas--14.5
   hours Capetown-McM, then on to ChCh passes over Pole after sunrise (10/1)
   (the rest of the story from Dave Riley's VX-6 website...)
3-man Byrd Auroral Substation closes (10/9) after second winter--this year's
   3-man team included OSU glaciologist Art Rundle (who wintered the first 2
   years at Palmer, 1965 and 1966) and Allan Gill (who may have been the Allan
   Gill who accompanied Wally Herbert on his 1968--69 North Pole adventure)

President Kennedy killed in Dallas TX (11/22)...due to comms blackouts and 
   no flights, Pole folks don't find out for 20 days
Air Force C-130E's (wheeled) used to augment ChC-McM cargo flights; one of
   these overflies Pole (12/3) on a flight to McMurdo--13 hours flight time
Steel arches replace earlier wood-supported supply and seismo tunnels

Looking north at the entrance to the newly
completed supply tunnel (photo by Ron Lampert)

...and here's the new seismo tunnel--new,
unfrosted and uncrumpled (photo by Bob Tate).
One of the geomag huts had to be relocated
becasue there wasn't enough arch material

Twin 220' "forward scatter" science antenna towers erected (the project never
   worked well)
Second fuel arch constructed ("#2" east of the builder's tunnel, with
   6 10k bladders)

Construction of fuel arch #2 underway south
of the USARP barracks. At the far right is
a three-sided plywood wind screen upwind of
the roof hatch of the balloon inflation shel-
ter (photo by Ron Lampert)

Club 90 building (original Clements building used for berthing) rebuilt

This was some of the work being done by NMCB-8
this season...basically rebuilding the struc-
ture from scratch. It still remains a Clements
hut (flat roof). Here the Seabees are replacing
the floor panels (official US Navy photo by PH2
Philip T. McClure taken 5 December; with thanks
to Henry Storm)

Yet another power plant building constructed
Forgotten buried orange D-8 "bow tanker" dug out of snow near the
   garage; blade installed (one of 2 D-8's that came from Byrd in 1961)
Station completely dug out for major reconstruction of tunnels

Looking north at the central portion of the
station; the white structure is the galley; at
left is fuel arch #1 which was constructed the
previous season. In this view the area west of 
the galley has been dug out to install the rigid
frame (prefab structural steel with a roof deck)
over the food storage area. (photo by Ron Lampert)

Cardinal Spellman visits to celebrate midnight Mass on Christmas Eve
First (and only?) visit from a head of state...Sir Bernard Fergusson, Governor-
   General of NZ, stops in (11/11), and the oldest reported visitor at age 81--
   the Hon. Walter Nash (former PM of New Zealand) visits (1/29)
Bartol and Dr. Pomerantz set up first cosray detectors (buried in lead bricks
   in a separate hut north of the snow melter).

The hut (seen here in 1965-66) was reconstruc-
ted from the original McM cosray building that
was too close to the nuclear plant. Martin Pome-
rantz broke a finger while securing the copper
screen shielding the hut. Note also the black
D8 which was a fixture at Pole for many years. 
Lars Andersson (1966 cosray w/o)

Aurora domes replaced in aurora tower
BIF (balloon inflation) doors enlarged, hydrogen generator storage area built
US Weather Bureau w/o 1963 team leaves Wilkes Station, ending US participation
   at the now-Australian base
US Secretary of the Interior approves renaming of the Antarctic Peninsula (21
   February)
Latest closing flight to date...25 February

OIC: LT William E. McClean, population 22 (list and photo)
Time capsule hidden in striped flagpole that would later be the Ceremonial
   Pole (where is it now?)
First head with 3 flush toilets and urinal, plus laundry, water tanks etc...
   constructed in the northeast corner of builders tunnel), it included a
   gray water system for flushing the toilets!
DFA distribution piping installed to reduce manhauling of drums to refill
   building day tanks. Reported fuel use for the year: 220,000 gallons
Amateur astronomical observatory constructed
First winter airdrop (well, 9/30) with mail and freshies, from an LC-130 with
   RADM Reedy. It left Melbourne, flew over Pole, and landed at Byrd before
   continuing to McM...after the Pole airdrop the sliding door wouldn't
   close; upon arrival at Byrd the nose ski could not be lowered...plane 
   landed safely without it (details as described by Leo Campbell (VX-6) 
   and Phillip Law (ANARE) who were on board...)
Spectacular spring fire (10/13) destroys garage (free-standing structure
   150 yards south of the supply tunnel) with exploding DFA  drums shooting
   their ends off like frisbees; fire smolders for a week. The fire started
   in a Coleman heater in the office, a lean-to addition to the main structure

The D4 works at digging out the garage in
the predawn days of early spring 1964,
shortly before the garage and the tractor
are destroyed by fire (photo by Ron Lampert).
Three tractors parked in and around the
structure were destroyed, and efforts to
fight the fire at -67°F in 10-knot winds
were fruitless

Fire destroys Hallett science building (3/6)...and
Last winter at Hallet; NZ involvement ends (summer US use for penguin
   studies to continue)
Appendectomy surgery at McM
Second midwinter medevac from McM (6/26): BU1 Bethel McMullin injured in fall...
   well, he suffered a severe back injury in the fire house after sliding down
   the pole head first (really!) ... (the firehouse was then the large Quonset
   hut which later became Hill Cargo, east of Building 155)
Little Jeana weather station established (October, 81°23'S-170°45'E) built on
   the Ross Ice Shelf replacing earlier Beardmore stations

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