Stephen M. Johnson, for-mer president of New Canaan-based disaster relief andhumanitarian aid organization,AmeriCares, has been namedVice President of Developmentand Communications at theGlacier Society. The appoint-ment was announced byBernard G. Koether II ofWestport, Society chairman.

The international GlacierSociety, headquartered inStratford, CT, is uniting polar

interest around the globethrough the restoration of theUSS/USCGC Glacier, once thecountry's largest icebreaker.

Upon restoration, the ship,which was donated to theSociety by an Act of Congress,will serve as a floatingclassroom, an environmentaland marine science researchstation, and a medical andhumanitarian aid deliveryvehicle.

Johnson, a former resident

of Westport and Ridgefield, CT,

will assume responsibility for

the Society's development, mar-

keting, communications and

public relations functions. He

also will direct the educational,

research and medical efforts of

the Glacier, enabling Koether to

focus attention on refurbishing

the vessel and getting it opera-

tional.

Johnson brings more than

30 years of experience in non-

profit management and

fundraising to the new post.

During his tenure at

AmeriCares, the organization's

in-kind donations of pharma-

ceutical products grew from an

annual retail value of $35 mil-

lion to a yearly average of $230

million and cash donations

increased from approximately

$1 million per annum to over $9

million per annum.

www.glaciersociety.org Winter 2003/2004

The Official Newsletter of the Glacier Society

Former AmeriCares President Joins Glacier Society

as Vice President

ON THE INSIDE

Former AmeriCares President JoinsGlacier Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

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

Hats off to the shipboard volun-teers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

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

Who Is He . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Awards from the BelgianGovernment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

ASME Designates USS/USCGCGlacier A National MechanicalEngineering Landmark . . . . . . . . . .8

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner . . . .9

Glacier Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .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

Year Months worked Annual Mandays Mandays per month1998 3 79 26.331999 2 64 32.002000 12 353 29.422001 12 418 34.832002 12 788 65.672003 10 853 85.30

Annual Volunteer Data for USS/USCGC Glacier in Suisun Bay

Average Mandays per Month

85.30

29.4234.83

26.33 32.00

65.67

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

page 2

We have been working hard for the pastfive years to bring the USS/USCGC Glacierback to the polar seas. For all of the past sup-port we have received, I owe a big debt ofgratitude.

I am writing to tell you that, while thereis still much to be done, The Glacier Societyis making real progress. An examination ofour four-year financial analysis shows con-tinuous growth of our restricted net assetsand reflects our growing success. Similarly,just look at the volunteer mandays chartreproduced below…it shows tireless dedica-tion that continues to increase each year.

In addition, just this month we visitedthe ship in Suisun Bay and had her pro-nounced in good shape by the representativeof an international registry who accompaniedus on our most recent inspection tour. On theheels of this visit, we received the commit-ment for a berth at Pier 80 in San FranciscoBay where Glacier can remain for two yearswhile restoration continues.

But restoring the Glacier isn't just aboutthe personal passion that our committed vol-unteers and I have for the ship. It's aboutproviding health care to the indigenous peo-ples north of the Arctic Circle in all of the cir-cumpolar countries. In addition, it's about

using the Glacier to be able to learn as muchas we can about possible climate change.

And the need for Arctic climate knowl-edge has never been greater. Meltdown in theNorth, in the October issue of ScientificAmerican, demonstrates this urgency toincrease our polar research capability. TheInternational Polar Year (IPY) will take placein 2007 and we are planning for Glaicer’scontribution to this important scientificresearch venture.

We continue to need your support. Yourfinancial assistance will help us providemuch needed helathcare and contribute to theunderstanding of the climatic forces at workat the dawn of the 21st Century. Please con-sider helping The Glacier Society this holi-day season.

With very best wishes for the Holidaysand much appreciation for your interest andsupport.

Sincerely,

Ben G. Koether, IIChairman

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.) Patrick Lennon, Esq. Peter H. Barhydt Capt. Martin McNair, USNR, (Ret.) Thomas C. Beck RADM James E. Miller, USN SC, (Ret.) Rosamond Cooper, Esq. Tom RusertMartin 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

Norman F. Boas, MD David J. Leffel, MDSandra Bogdon, DDS Vahid Mohsenin, MDPhillip Brewer, MD FACEP Jerri Nielsen, MD

Capt. John T. Dinan, Jr., MD USN MCDavid O. Haugland, MD Andrew H. Rice, DPM, FACFASKatherine Hsu, MD, PhD Gary Romeo, DMDBernard G. Koether, II Kimberly Stevens, MD

Science BoardGarrett W. Brass, Ph.D. - Chairman

Anthony Amos, RA Amy Laventeur, PhDRobert Bourke, USN William H. Littlewood, PhDRobert Dinsmore Larry A, Mayer, PhDGary Franklin Jonathan E. Snow, PhDArt Grantz, PhD Susan Solomon, PhDJudd A. Howell, 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.) Capt. Ross Hatch, USN (Ret.) Beth Barhydt Tom Rusert Peter H. Barhydt Peter Tebeau

Design and Building BoardCapt. Brian Basel, USCG (Ret.) Joseph F. Mearman, PE Garrett W. Brass, PhD RADM James E. Miller, USN SC, (Ret.) John A. Erhard, Jr. LT USNR (Ret.) Jon Stewart William Gray, USNR (Ret.) Jeff Stevenson Gary Haberman Capt. George B. Newton, Jr., USN (Ret.) Capt. Ross Hatch, USN (Ret.) Gary ThompsonBrian Kearins Capt. Jack Ringelberger, USN (Ret.) Bernard G. Koether, II John van der Pas

CongressionalSenator Barbara Boxer Congressman J. Dennis HastertSenator Christopher J. Dodd Senator Joseph I. LiebermanSenator Dianne Feinstein Congressman Christopher Shays

Congressman Robert Simmons

At Large Board of Advisors

United States of America - GeneralNorman F. Boas, MD Ronald LaMorte, CPAElbert M. Burr John B. Loehmann, CPAADM James Calvert, USN (Ret) James R. McManus Raymond Caldiero Judy A. Rabkin, EsqRichard Chappell, PhD Donald H. Rullman Capt. Earl T. Ellis, Jr. USCG (Ret) Hon. John E. StrippCDR. Donald Epperson, USNR (Ret) Louis Anthony Unger IIICapt. Robert Farmer, USCG (Ret) John Ward

Capt. Robert W. Klementz, USN (Ret) Capt. Brian Shoemaker, USNR (Ret) Capt. P. R. Dick Taylor, USCG (Ret)

Australia Falkland IslandsSir Phillip Law Hon. Sukey Cameron

CanadaPaul Okalik Capt. Patrick Toomey, CCG Ret.

United KingdomKeith Holmes, Ph.D. - Chairman

Andrew Bellars Bob HeadlandDanny Bonwitt John Heap, PhDDavid Burkitt William MillsJulian Dodds Capt. Patrick A. MoloneyJohn Dudeney Keith RichardsPeter Fuchs Robert H. RutfordHon. Alexandra Shackleton J. Barrie Shaw

Bernard Stonehouse, Ph.D. Note: Data includes Glacier, Icebucket and Office Volunteering

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!

Don Drews, Frank Wright & Ray Bunten in frontof the Glacier’s booth at the SNAME show,October 18-20, 2003 in San Francisco, CA.

It has been a very busy few months andthe volunteers have outdone themselves.Despite a couple of setbacks (the pier and theElderHostel sessions) progress on GLACIERhas been superb. After each work session sheseems more and more like an active ships.Jim Echoff has been named Restoration SiteCoordinator for the crew and MARAD. Jimhas spent nearly 100 days aboard the ship andknows every inch of GLACIER and is com-mitted to riding her to sea.

There was a big scramble when wethought we were going to be able to move inthe summer. Our friends at MARAD locatedsome 21/4" anchor chain and moved it toGLACIER. The restoration crew locatedsome of the critical detachable links that jointhe shots of chain together. Using the operat-ing anchor windlasses, the chain was assem-bled and loaded in to the chains lockers.Finally, just as if we were going to sea, wesecured the chains with the large pelicanhooks that keep the anchors in place until weare ready to use them. Another package ofwork involved the ship's whistle and the 1MCor general announcing system. Wednesday.18 June we were able to sound the ship'swhistle for the first time in 16 years. A cou-ple of the volunteers thought we were about toget underway. There was a little extra work asa volunteer had to go up inside the mast tolubricate a sticking whistle cable. We sawthat the air pressure seemed low and foundand repaired an air service pipe in the boilerroom that had been broken when the ship waslaid up in 1987. This also meant that we nowhave compressed air so that we can start usingsome of the laborsaving air powered tools.That same day the 1MC piped the volunteersto knock off ship's work and jump into theirhammocks for a nap. The heavy mooring

lines were brought aboard and flaked (a wayto lay them on deck) out ready for use. Wedid install some of the halyards for the signalflags, which means we can signal other shipswhen we move. A new set of signal flags hasbeen delivered and is ready to go.

These efforts were aimed at supporting amove to a pier in San Francisco in June.However, at the last minute the planned pierassignment fell through. Anna Falche, aleader in the San Francisco marine communi-ty, has joined the team and is assisting theGLACIER Society in finding a home. We arehoping to have good news by the end of theyear. The pier delay meant we had to cancelour planned service program for ElderHostelvolunteers. Once we have moved, we will setup new dates for an ElderHostel service pro-gram.

A major accomplishment was the com-pletion of ultra sonic and visual inspection ofthe hull plates and voids that is required bythe Coast Guard. The measurement showedno significant thinning of the hull plates withmore than enough steel in the hull and weld-ed closure plates. Most significantly, thevoids are very clean with just surface rust andno scaling or structural degradation.

With the increased capacity of our newgenerator, we were able to focus attention onrestoring the large supply (into the ship) andexhaust (out of the ship) fans, which supplyfresh air to the engineering compartments.The volunteers cleaned and serviced the con-tacts on the ventilation motor controllers. Asyou might imagine, there was a considerableamount of dirt and dust in the vent ducts.When we first started the supply vents, wefound that we were blowing all the dirt andgrime into the ship. Quickly the supply ventswere reversed so they also sucked air out of

the space and, with the exhaust vents, blewthe dirt outside. As Ben said in RestorationLog 28, "the ship is full of fresh air. This isthe first time I cold smell no trace of mustyodors. The ship is alive…."

The Benicia Sea Scouts were at the shipwith our 26 ft Motor Whaleboat that theyhave reconditioned. They provided observa-tions of the GLACIER from the water's edge.They also pitched in to clean up the dirt anddebris from the vents. They cleaned the MessDecks and the passageways by the main engi-neering spaces. They also helped attack themess in the boiler room.

Visits by a large number of industry rep-resentatives are taking place as we continue todefine the major overhaul package. Includedare Victoria Shipyards (B.C.) (major over-haul), Sperry Marine (bridge system and gyromanual) and SBC Communications (tele-phone system). On the East Coast, TaylorEnvironmental has agreed to donate materialsto rebuild ICEBUCKET and equip her withheat and air conditioning.

The American Society of MarineEngineers has approved the nomination ofGLACIER as a "Historic MechanicalEngineering Landmark". This resulted from ateam effort led by Joseph C. Franco P.E. Lastbut not least, the GLACIER Society has anew Vice President of Communications andDevelopment, Steve Johnson. Steve has had adistinguished career in non-profit manage-ment including serving as President ofAmericaCares for ten years. Welcomeaboard.

There is still a lot to do and we needevery person who can volunteer. While thereis a special need in the Bay Area, there arealso opportunities to help out at Headquartersor through the internet.

Frank Wright attacks the rusting paint duringrestoration of the Glacier.

page 4

Christmas Onboard the Glacier - David LaPlanteI remember spending my first Christmas

away from home and my family aboard theGlacier. It was 1968 and we were underwaysomewhere in the South Pacific.

As I recall, the seas were pretty smooththat Christmas Day as we were headed forNew Zealand.

The main mess deck had been decoratedwith Christmas ornaments and the crew waslooking forward to a good old-fashionedChristmas meal. It was served up by ourcooks, who had spent most of the night andday preparing it.

There was Johnny, our main cook, andGreek and Sidlick and a few others proudlydishing out our Christmas turkey with mashedpotatoes, gravy and all.

We stood in line eagerly waiting with oursteel trays ready to enjoy this fine meal. All ofus were in a pretty good mood and had asmuch Christmas dinner as we could eat.

We were just sitting around on the messdeck after dinner when someone said that theywere giving guys a chance to talk to our fam-ilies back home via a phone patch, whatever

that was, so I ran up to the forward starboardvestibule, where our radio guys had madecontact via short wave to a radio guy in thegood old USA.

It was my turn to hold the microphoneand hear my Mom's and Dad's voices as Iwished them a Merry Christmas, and then hadto say, "over."

Each time we finished a statement, wehad to say, "over." That way, the radio guy inthe States could key his radio so we did not"step" on each other's sentences.

Anyway, it was great hearing my parents'voices and getting a little bit of news from

back home. It had been a few months since our depar-

ture and, for a 19-year-old kid who had neverbeen away for Christmas, it was a big deal. Iremember it made me homesick, though.

Thanks to the efforts of our radio guys, Iguess it was as good a Christmas as any guycould hope for under the circumstances.

After all, there was a war going on and,looking back, I guess we were pretty lucky tobe headed for the Antarctic rather thanVietnam. As we said back then, "better the icethan the rice."

I am pleased to fill in some of thegaps about the Glacier during the yearsof 1969 to 1971 when she was paintedwhite with a red and blue racing stripe. Iwas interested to learn that the ship waspainted red when she was transferred tothe Coast Guard in 1966 and then oftenwas called "Big Red." At about the sametime, all icebreakers were painted red forbetter visibility in the Arctic environ-ment.

I have two newspaper pictures of theGlacier while she was painted white. Thefirst one is from a Chilean newspaperthat was taken Feb. 4, 1969. The other isa news photo of the Glacier taken in1970 or 1971 on one of the North trips.

The following account is based onmy memory.

I was a Fireman at the beginning ofmy tour and EN 3 at the end of my touron the Glacier.

When I arrived dockside at theGlacier around the first of September,she was in a shipyard having someupgrades done, such as air conditioning

installed. This was in preparation for thedeployment from Long Beach CA.,Operation Deep Freeze in December1969, to the Antarctic, with our first stopat Puente Arenas, Chile.

Word came down that we would notgo into any heavy ice. We were on a mis-sion to retrieve a scientific buoy that hadbeen placed in the Weddell Sea someyears before, but we were unable toretrieve the buoy during this trip.

There was a time when the pack icemoved in on us and, with 10 mainengines and the heeling system on, at theend of an eight-hour shift, we were 100yards behind where we had started!

The weather then changed, and wewere able to free ourselves.

There was an Argentine icebreakerstuck in the ice that we were able to freeon this voyage.

On our return trip, we experienced astack fire about 300 miles from the coastof Chile, just opposite the city ofValparaiso. Although no crew memberswere seriously injured, one firefighter

earned the nickname "Smokey" for hisefforts in extinguishing the blaze.

Upon return to our home port ofLong Beach, CA, and before the Glacierwas put into dry dock to repair the dam-aged outer hull, I experienced the ghostof Brian Freedman two times.

Both times were during the mid, coldiron watch. I was pinched (or goosed) asI went up through the hatch that led fromB1 engine room. The second event waswhen the low water alarm sounded whilethe boilers were not even being used.(Brian Freedman, who may have been anelectrician, was electrocuted in B1engine room while the Glacier was still aNavy ship.)

There were two trips to the Arcticwhile I was on board. One was for thescientific study of marine mammals andthe counting of shrimp (Arctic WestSummer 70); the other one was zigzag-ging the International Date Line, map-ping the ocean floor (Arctic West Winter71). We traveled as far north as PointBarrow, Alaska.

My Tour on the Glacier - James Lindley

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

Front cover of aChristmas Hamgram sentby Donald Haag from theGlacier, Christmas 1958.

My Antarctic Trip On The AGB Glacier - Darrell Hoff

page 5

The year was 1967 and I had just com-pleted a sub-par year at junior college. I hadtwo choices, get drafted or join anotherbranch of the service. I opted for my love ofthe sea and joined the Coast Guard.

When I completed boot camp, I went toelectricians' mate school on GovernmentIsland off Manhattan. After EM school, I wassent back to the west coast to the USCGCutter Gresham. She had just returned fromVietnam and was headed for Ocean StationNovember.

Eighteen months later, we were back atOcean Station November. I was showing amovie in the officers' lounge when the com-mander told me I had the privilege of beingassigned to the AGB Glacier, an icebreaker.

Glacier was in dry dock in San Pedrohaving work done preparing for the next trip,the Antarctic. By the time I was walking theplank, I had heard all kinds of stories; thebiggest story for me was that the Glacier is anelectrician's nightmare. She has the usualshipboard electrical stuff, electric propulsionand, of course, the heeling system that rocksthe ship from side to side.

My rank on the Glacier was EM-2. Myfirst project was reinstalling the main contac-tors for the main generators in the engineroom. Hauling them down all those stairs wasa lesson in patience. I was amazed at the mas-siveness of everything in the engine rooms.Nothing quite matched the main motors,though. A DC electric motor pumping out 10,500 horsepower, WOW!

Soon, it was time to hit the open seas.My parents came down to Long Beach to seeus off, and gave me a guitar, hoping I wouldlearn to play it. My new duties were in themotor room. It was cool to answer the bridgewhen they sent down a command for motor

control.The captain didn't schedule any stops

until we got to Punta Arenas, Chile, the south-ern most city on the continent. On the openseas, we would cruise with two generators permotor, about 10-12 knots. After refueling,resupplying and mail call, we headed acrossthe Magellan Straight headed to a scientificstation on the shores of the Weddel Sea.

As we neared the Antarctic region, the iceformations were very beautiful. We were in abad storm one day, so we took refuge behindan iceberg that must was close to 200 feethigh.

When we got into more ice, we ran 3diesel generators per motor. When the ice gotthick, we would have 4 generators going andoccasionally 5 generators would crank out thehorsepower. When the ice was solid, a crackwould go way out in front of the ship.Sometimes, we would back up, ram the ice atfull speed and pound our way as far as wecould go, then do it again.

Sometimes, the ship would get stuck upon the ice. That is where the heeling systemcame in handy by rocking the ship off the icewhile the motors were running in reverse.When we were breaking ice, the motor con-trols were in the hands of the bridge. They hadto be careful of reversing polarity before theprop stopped moving or they would trip amotor off line because of overload.

Helicopters were vital when we were inpatch ice because they would fly around andfind the best routes to take. Otherwise, wecould get into dead end places. Once wewere in a pretty dense area of ice when thewind changed direction and blew all the icetogether. It packed the ice so tight that wewere stuck for several weeks before the windchanged and set us free. We got a distress sig-

nal from an Argentine icebreaker that theywere stuck, so we went to their rescue and ledthem out of trouble.

One evening, the ship suddenly went upand over something. Everyone started goingto general quarters even before GQ wascalled. Turns out we drove over a lip of aniceberg about 10 feet under the surface of thewater. We were leaking fuel, so we sentdivers down to check out the situation. Weripped a pretty good-sized hole, (4-6 ft.) in thehull. Fortunately, the hull had an inner hull.

There were many times when we wouldpull up to the ice and get to get off the ship forseveral hours. We would play football orexplore around. The penguins would be ascurious as we were. It was fun playing withthem. They weren't afraid of man as yet soyou could go right up to them and touch them.

When we had supplied the stations anddone our research, it was time to head home.I would spend a lot of time out on the deckjust looking out to sea. Even though I get sea-sick, I couldn't ignore the magic of being onthe open seas. Looking out at the horizon,feeling the solitude, and the awesome powerof the ocean, I would feel a certain connect-edness to it all.

It was exciting pulling into port. I would-n't be on deck because I was manning one ofthe main motors, but it was neat to answer thecalls from the bridge and feel the power ofthose giant motors churning away.

The next year on the Glacier, we went tothe Artic twice. I'm not quite sure why I wasdestined to spend so much time in the BeringSea. Out of my 4 years of active duty, I spent2 1/2 years at sea. The Glacier is an awesomeship and most of the time I felt really goodabout being there. I learned things that I stilluse a lot today.

Rescued by the Glacier - Svend Kirkegaard, Denmark

Seeing your website is bringing backmemories.

It was back in February and March 1960.Our vessel, the Kista Dan, was stuck in the iceon our duty to evacuate one of the Britishresearch stations at mainland Antarctica. Thestation had not had new supplies for a fullyear, as it has not been reached the yearbefore due to the ice situation.

In our attempt to reach the station, we gotstuck in the ice.

The situation was very critical, and ourvessel was turned around by the driftingice. Soon all the ice around was red fromthe paint of our vessel, and our hull wasstarting to give in.

We were all ordered to pack our backpacks and bring them to the deck, ready forevacuation.

We were in contact with the Glacier,which, lucky for us, was in the area, only fouror five days away.

Another icebreaker was closer by, theRussian icebreaker Lenin, which was onlytwo days away!

As we were a charter of the BritishGovernment, we were, in those days, not ableto use the service of the Lenin.

But Lenin came close and kept stand byuntil the arrival of the Glacier, at which timethe situation was very critical.

After the Glacier arrived, it took threedays to get us free of the solid ice.

During these three days, we were invitedon board the Glacier, crossing the ice on foot.I remember I was very impressed by the sizeof the vessel, as well by of the hospitality wereceived from all the crew.

After we were brought free, Glacier madea survey by air, for a better route for the base,which still had to be evacuated, but that isanother story.

The whole operation had been followedby the world press, and later I read an articleof the whole operation, in which one of theofficers of the Glacier was quoted for saying,"and then those crazy Danes went straightback into the ice", which they did.

I want to take the opportunity to sendvery late thanks to Glacier and her crew at thetime. If any of those who were aboard then,read this, I would be pleased to hear if anyrecall this incident.

I wish you all the best with the admirableproject you have undertaken.

page 6

Comments Re: USCGC GLACIER - Bruce H. Giunta

In 1964, I graduated from Leominster(Mass.) High School in Leominster. I wantedto serve my country and do something withmy life that was interesting and fulfilling, so,I joined the United States Coast Guard. Iattended boot camp at Cape May, NJ. Afterboot camp, I reported to Groton, CT for RadioSpecialist training for six months and gradu-ated with distinction as a RM3.

This was an exciting time for me. Myfirst duty station was the Air Station in SanDiego, CA. Because I wanted the rating ofRM2 and above, I was told I needed sea duty.I saw an article concerning the re-commis-sioning of the USS Glacier to the USCGCGlacier. I put in for the RM3 slot aboard theship and won the assignment.

I went back home to Massachusetts for a while,thinking about the trip ahead. I was rejoicing at thechance to go out on the USCGC Glacier. I knew thiswould be an experience of a lifetime.

As I reported to the Navy shipyard inBoston, I looked up in awe at my new grayhome. I believe it said "GB4" on the bow. Iwas about to embark on a new journey.

I was assigned to the CommunicationsDepartment and also picked up the duties asthe only Postmaster aboard the ship. I went tothe communications building and reported topick up the Glacier's mail. A Navy Lieutenanttold me that he could not release mail for theUSS Glacier to the Coast Guard. I explained,"In Due respect, Sir, I'm the Postal Clerk eventhough I have sparks on my sleeve!" He stillrefused. I told the Lieutenant I was not goingto leave until I had the mail. He pointed at hisname badge and said, "Listen, Giunta, anyonewith a last name of Giunta is not going toleave this communications building withoutaccepting an invitation to dinner!" I looked athis name badge and to my surprise it said…LT. John Giunta. It was my cousin fromCambridge, MA whom I had not seen foralmost six years.

We left Boston about a month later. Thisis when I learned why the Navy painted theirships gray. I had never scraped paint to thebare metal before, but soon learned how.Everyone worked very hard to dress up theGlacier to make a good first impression. Shenow had "W4" on her bow. She was white asa sheet and was floating proud. I hadadvanced to Seaman when we headed out. Wewould go around Cuba, through the Gulf ofMexico, the Panama Canal, Acapulco,Mexico, San Diego and then to our newhomeport of Long Beach.

We had a few stops on the way. One wasin New Jersey to fill up with ammo. I saw forthe first time the Statue of Liberty, standingproud out in the harbor. I remember tearsfloating down my face when a friend said,"Giunta, are you ok?" I handed him the binoc-ulars and said, "You tell me!" This was a veryprecious moment. Freedom! Liberty! I wasextremely proud to be an American!

After we got underway and were some-where outside of Cuba, we were confrontedby a Navy ship. Somehow, our ship was notresponding properly to the Navy's requests.Some of us thought the Navy was going toshoot over our bow! I can remember theChief and our Lieutenant in the crypto roomscrambling. Finally, we got something right. Inever was sure why the Navy was so upset.

Panama was another "hot spot" in theworld. It was off limits to U.S. military per-sonnel, so our visit was limited. As wemaneuvered through the lock system, wecould see all the money spent at work. Itsaved many days at sea for thousands of men.

We docked in San Diego to pick up sup-plies and other goodies and then moved on toLong Beach. Glacier was the first USCGCIcebreaker home-based in Long Beach. Itwas a great feeling to be a part of history.

On our way to Hawaii, we passed anOcean Station November. Some folks neverknew what OSN and other Ocean Stationswere for, but after seeing that ship in the mid-dle of nowhere, I had a deep respect for thecrews who served on them. The OceanStation duty is 30 days on-site in the middleof the ocean. Aircraft and ships would travelnear. Their purpose was to have this vesselaccessible in case something went wrong. Iwas not sure how many stations were outthere, but I was glad I was on the USCGCGlacier!

Then we arrived in the Ross Sea. Wordscannot explain this body of water. I havenever seen such waves! When we broke outthe other side, the waters started to calm.Icebergs began floating by us. We kept head-ing deeper into the Antarctica region, headedto McMurdo. MSTS vessels were behind us.We pushed further and further into the thickice.

Another incident was when I was gettingoff radio watch and learned we had a helicop-ter down. The Tinker Bell had crashed some-where. A bigger helicopter was sent out andthe pilots and crew found our folks.

Icebreaking was an interesting experi-

ence; the banging, shifting, ungodly noises,riding up on the thick ice, shifting from side toside, slamming down, watching the icecrack… my adventure to Antarctica was forreal! The Glacier slowly moved towardMcMurdo.

Once the ship got stuck in the ice and wecould not get it off. The plan was to keep agroup of people there on the ship during thewinter and come back for them the next sum-mer. My name was called to stay. Was I gladwhen two icebreakers pulled us off the ice!

Finally, McMurdo was in sight. We wereclose, cutting back and forth in the water. Itdid not take long for the channel to clear andthe MSTS cargo ship following us could dockand bring the people on the base the suppliesthey needed.

We made three trips to Christ Church,New Zealand and then we were back to theice. Some might remember the Captain(Oppie Dawson) going over to the Russianicebreaker in New Zealand and asking theircaptain to stop their crew from throwing eggsat the Glacier. If we had stayed in the port theTHIRD WORLD WAR would have started.Dawson backed the Glacier out and anchoredoutside the New Zealand port until theRussians left.

Back to Long Beach was via Australia,Fiji and New Caledonia. Nice places to visit,but I had my eyes on home.

I was 58 years old Nov. 26th and stillremember my 21st birthday on the Glacier. Iwould love to share some pictures and hearfrom some old friends. My email address isbruce.giunta@centurytel.com

Bruce & Judy Giunta

"Who is he?"For years I have wandered this earth with

a question. This question pops into my mindwhenever I see a picture of a penguin orwhenever I see images of helicopters hover-ing over land, sea or an ice floe.

The question has haunted me especiallyfor the past fifteen years as I have attemptedto recall, in some detail, my life aboardGlacier during Operation DeepFreeze in 1963and 64 serving as the ship's OperationsOfficer. I have been remembering and writingabout those two cruises during which we cutthe usual channel on course 147 degrees Truetoward Hut Point, the volcanic finger juttinginto McMurdo Sound where Captain Scott in1901 set up his Discovery camp.

I recall the question when I think of res-cuing a sailor from Nella Dan by racingaround Cape Adare and westward toward theOates Coast so Dr. John Dinan could bring thesailor aboard and perform, if memory serves,a successful appendectomy.

The question comes back when I recallthe Tent Island adventure:

We helicoptered across McMurdo and setdown on this volcanic island not far fromCape Evans where Scott established his basecamp for his fateful dash to the Pole in 1911-12, which, as we all know ended in tragedy"all along the line," as he wrote in his journal.On Tent Island, we were viciously and outra-geously attacked by a flock of skua gullsbecause we got too near their rookeeries.

The question returns when I rememberVostok:

I had the good fortune to fly off to

Vostok, the Russian base, where glaciologistswere drilling down through two miles of polarplateau taking ice cores and revealing the sta-tus of earth's atmosphere thousands of yearsago. No one then knew there was beneathVostok a lake the size of Lake Ontario com-pletely free of any human influence.

The question pops into my mind whenev-er I see Captain Ed Grant teaching me how todrive through the pack ice and when I thinkthat one of our staff, Henry Ohls, onceentered his stateroom during a voyagethrough the "Furious Fifties" to find CaptainGrant down on the deck doing his dailypushups. I'm not sure we knew he was apugilist, as well as track star, in his collegedays.

This question nags at my mind wheneverI think back on "The Mighty G" and the year-book we created for that cruise. On so manyof the pages are these perfectly wonderful car-toons of penguins playing Tic-Tac-Toe withpaint on the ship's bow; of a penguin flyingchoppers (with lawnmower motors) onto theflight deck, of the little Adelies sporting aboutwith footballs and beer on the pack ice and ofpenguins motoring around in Bud Waite's(one of Admiral Byrd's rescuers in 1934) littleice scooter.

So who was the cartoonist? That's myquestion! He may have been a member of theOperations Department.

Who was he? Where is he now? Howhas he developed his aesthetic capabilities?

We want to know who had the imagina-tion to see Nature's splendor of the South insuch jocular terms, who livened up what

could have been a dull yearbook, and who haslingered in my memory for lo this many,many years.

Please step forward and receive the acco-lades of your shipmates!

John BarellOps Officer,Operation DeepFreeze 63-64

Who is He?

page 7

Depicted in these photos are twoawards given to theUSS/USCGC Glacier by theBelgian Government in conjunc-tion with Glacier's assistance inexpeditions 1959-60 at the BaseRoi Baudouin.

Persons who might haveinformation as to the where-abouts of these two awardsare asked to contact the Glacier Society at info@glaciersociety.org orTOLL FREE (866) ICE PLAY (423-7529) or (203) 375-6638.

Awards From The Belgian Government

The mystery artist has been identified.He is Donald Burns who was a Glacier

crew member from 1963-65. He currentlylives in Hobart, Australia with his familyand works as a trooper with the state

police force. Anyone who wishes to con-tact him can e-mail him at

donsand@netspace.net.au

page 8

The American Society of MechanicalEngineers has designated the USS/USCGCGlacier, a retired historic icebreaker vesselthat conducted 39 missions to the Antarctic,as a National Mechanical EngineeringLandmark.

The Glacier was nominated for therecognition by the ASME's Fairfield CountySection and its History and HeritageCommittee headed by chairman Joseph C.DeFranco, PhD, PE.

Award presentation ceremonies, to takeplace onboard the Glacier, will be announced.

Built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.,Pascagoula, MI, the Glacier was launchedAugust 27, 1954, and commissioned May27,1955. Considered a prototype in icebreak-er construction, she was the free world'slargest and most powerful icebreaker, capableof breaking ice up to 20 feet thick. Navyservice extended to June 30, 1966, when shewas transferred to the Coast Guard, servinguntil decommissioning in May 1987.

The Glacier represented the "Glacier"class of icebreakers, a scaled-up version ofthe "Wind" class, and had extended range,heavier ice-breaking capability and extendedmission duration. The ship supported numer-ous polar scientific explorations, made sever-al Antarctic landings and penetrations notpreviously accomplished, and performed anumber of ship rescues.

The only ship of its class, the Glacier isthe only remaining diesel electric DC pow-ered icebreaker. She is 309.6 feet in lengthwith a beam of 74 feet, draft of 28.5 feet, dis-placement of 8,600 tons, propulsion of22,000 hp, maximum speed of 17.6 knots,cruising range of 29,200 nm, propellers 17 ½feet in diameter and a heeling system/ship rollof 7 degrees. Her complement of 241 includ-ed 15 officers and 226 enlisted men.

The ASME designation lists variousmechanical engineering concepts, featuresand characteristics that make the vesselunique:

* Two 15-foot diameter propulsionmotors were the largest DC motors(10,500 hp) built into any vessel in theworld and her diesel engines representedthe greatest diesel power aboard any shipbuilt in the United States up to that time.* Ten Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston12-cylinder diesel engines each develop-ing 2,400 hp drove the two propulsionmotors. Four 300-kw Fairbanks-Morsediesel generator sets and one 200-kwdiesel emergency set provided auxiliarypower.* Armature shafts of the two deck-high

motors are actually the propeller shaftswith no reduction gears. * The first icebreaker to have total pilothouse functions replicated in an aloftcontrol station that could be operated bya single person. Previous vessels had theship's telegraph and helm wheel enclosedin the pilot house on the main deck,while the aloft station was an exposedcrow's nest with intercom to the bridgebelow, subjecting the crew member toweather elements.* Contained a water ballast transfer sys-tem that introduced an artificial list,transferring 69,000 gallons of seawaterfrom side to side to break the vessel fromice.* The ship had an enclosed hangar toprotect the aircraft from arctic weatherconditions. The hangar is steam-heatedand insulated with a complete workshop,including an overhead crane, to serviceaircraft engines. Previous icebreakershad an exposed helicopter pad added tothe aft deck, where maintenance crewsworked outside in the extreme cold envi-ronment.* Insulation on the Glacier was fiber-glass, rather than the cork that had beenused on earlier icebreaking vessels.* The glass windows of the ship's pilothouse and conning station were treatedwith an invisible current-conducting filmto provide electrical anti-icing and anti-fogging capabilities.* Glacier was the only icebreakerequipped with deep-sea coring and bot-tom sampling winches and equipment.

The ASME also noted equipmentdesigned for the Glacier which remainsunique to the vessel:

* Two 25,000 Cargo Lifting cranes, thelargest DC cranes built up to that timeaboard icebreakers.* Steering gear capable of moving rud-der from hard-over (35 degrees) left orright to 30 degrees on the opposite side in20 seconds when the ship is going aheadat 17.1 knots or astern at a speed that willdevelop the equivalent rudder torque. * On her maiden voyage, the Glaciersailed south to participate in the firstOperation Deep Freeze (1955-1956) inpreparation for the InternationalGeophysical Year. She served as theflagship for noted polar explorer AdmiralRichard E. Byrd during his final trip tothe Antarctic.* In Pine Island Bay of Antarctica, theGlacier penetrated ice floes further thanany ship in history, more than 100 milesof previously unsounded waters to the

glacier at the head of the bay. Scientistswho accompanied the Glacier were thefirst humans to set foot on Pine IslandBay Glacier.* Because of her greater ability to breakice, the Glacier permitted establishmentof the McMurdo baseline camp in 1955,which has become the largest settlementin Antarctica.* In 1956, the Glacier made the firstlanding in history on the Princess Marthaand Princess Astrid coasts in theAntarctic.* Glacier assisted in the discovery of theVan Allen radiation belt above the Earth.* Glacier was key to the many OperationDeep Freeze expeditions to Antarcticaand in establishing and re-supplyingbases there.* In February 1960, Glacier was the firstship to penetrate the Bellinghausen Seain Antarctica and to make landfall onThurston Island.* Glacier made more than 24 Antarctictrips and more than 12 Arctic trips in sup-port of scientific research by openingvital channels to allow supply ships toreach research stations and remote settle-ments.

Additional information:* Glacier is under restoration in Benicia,CA* The ship will be preserved and operat-ed by the Glacier Society in Bridgeport,CT* The Society's stated mission is for theship to be an operational memorial to thecontributions of the United States inexpanding knowledge of the PolarRegions. The Society will conduct edu-cational cruises for medical and earthsciences and will make the ship availableto the public as a museum/university.* A medical team composed of BruceBecker, MD, Brown University facultymember; John Fox; Sandra Bogdon,DDS; Jerri Nielsen, MD; David Leffel,MD and others from Yale UniversityMedical School has set a mission for amedical facility aboard Glacier. Themedical facility will provide free medicalcare to the indigenous populations of theArctic while conducting environmentalstudies related to cancer. * The Glacier Society participates in theannual meeting of the United StatesArctic Research Commission. * The Society is a full member of theHistoric Naval Ship Association, recog-nized as operating a museum.

ASME designates USS/USCGC Glacier a NationalMechanical Engineering Landmark

page 9

Chairman Ben Koether and VicePresident Steve Johnson were in SanFrancisco in October to attend the SNAME(Society of Naval Architects and MaritimeEngineers) World Maritime TechnologyConference and Exposition. The Glacier

Society was prominently in evidence with itsbooth on the exposition floor.

As part of their week's stay on the WestCoast, a dinner was organized for Glacier vol-unteers at Scott's Restaurant in Walnut Creek.

The evening was a chance for volunteers

and supporters to meet each other and for allof them to learn about the most recent devel-opments with the ship.

The photographs below leave no doubtthat a good time was had by all.

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Petie Wright with Don and Ida Drews

Charmain and Bob NordhausenChristian Koether, Steve Johnson & Frank Wright

Jacques and Sandra Ouziel with Ben Koether

* We were aboard ship again in Decemberwith members of the American GeophysicalUnion who were holding their annualConvention in San Francisco. The ship is allsecured and ready to move to the pier.* Kvaerner Masa sent a designer to visit theship and they have subsequently presented aproposal for beginning the redesign process.They were very supportive of the project andbelieve it is indeed feasible. This is very bignews and we will be proceeding with thesediscussions early next year.* DNV also sent a surveyor who paralleledKvaerner and our team. We entered voids andfound them to be in excellent condition. Acomplete inspection will be accomplishedonce we are along side the pier in preparationfor placing the ship in Class.

* Teco-Westinghouse inspected the mainpropulsion motors and the generators andcleared them for being placed back on line.They also conducted a class in motor designand maintenance for our work crew. We allenjoyed being back in class.* We received the okay to proceed to pier 80after the successful election of the new MayorNewsome in the City of San Francisco. Weare completing the movement details ASAPand hope to shift the week of FEB 17th 2004.As soon as the movement details are con-firmed with all the parties we will send out thedetailed movement plan. * We received aboard a team of scientists whopreviously cruised on the ship and discussednew modifications to the compartments andstructure so as to make Glacier State of the Art

Science capable. Kvaerner participated andcontributed their Icebreaker knowledge. Thiswas a giant step forward.* The Arctic Research Commission Executiveteam, Capt. Newton and Dr. Garry Brass, alsoparticipated. * The only barrier remaining in front ofGlacier's sailing is the lack of funding and weneed your ongoing support to keep the GlacierSociety going! If you can, please considermaking a contribution three ways.

1. Online at www.glaciersociety.com2. Mail it to Glacier Society, 905Honeyspot Road, Stratford, CT 066153, Contact Vickie at (866) ICE PLAY(423-7529) TOLL FREE or (203) 375-6638.

Glacier Update

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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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THE GLACIER SOCIETYPO BOX 1419 BRIDGEPORT, CT 06601

905 HONEYSPOT ROAD STRATFORD, CT 06615TELE: 203-375-6638FAX: 203-386-0416

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Glacier SocietyPO Box 1419

Bridgeport, CT 06601(203) 375-6638 or

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