19 June Up at Greenawalts. 24 June Entering Locks. 24 June Locking in Locks. 24 June Looking straight up at raised draw bridge. 24 June House by locks. 24 June In the locks. 24 June Small boats making room for us in. locks. 24 June Umatilla L. S. at CG Base1 Seattle. 04 July Middle of Gulf of Alaska 08 July Passed through Unimak Pass. Foggy weather. 09 July Sent message - not stopping in Nome but going straight up to Pt. Barrow. Big argument with BRAMBLE on message we sent. 10 July Been in CG 2 years and 6 days. What a place to celebrate - in the middle of Bering Sea. Cold outside. About 5 days from Barro and ice floes. Traveled over 2,000 miles by water since 1st July. As usual, lonesome. Small swell _____ getting _____ 11 July Passed through Unimak Pass into Arctic Ocean. Since 1 July, been in North Pacific - Gulf of Alaska - Bering Sea and in Arctic Ocean. Crossed Artic Circle about 1:00 last night. Received a ________ coded message with SI-S3 _______. What a mess. The sky Is the strangest colors. The water is a blue green. Looks cold. Expect to hit ice today or tomorrow. Pt. Barrow is about as far from Ketchikan as Mobile is from Ketchikan. Is is cold outside. Communications are bad. STORIS is the lead ship now. BURTON ISLAND was in Nome last night at 7:00. Saw a rock belonging to Russia. Was 10 miles from Russia. ______ went through Bering Straits. 11 July Can hang my head out of the port in the radio room and smell tundra. I sure wish I could see this million square acres of grass on flat land. 12 July 1:00 in the morning saw the first ice. Missed all of it. 7 hours from Pt. Barrow. Midnight sun was shining. Now 2:00 in the morning. Sun is still shining. Handled two 800 ____ messages today. We are up north now. Tomorrow we will be north of all Alaska. That is up there. (Bad for taking pictures) 12 July (Sun at 4:00 in the morning). 11:00 ice in front of ship (P.5) cold. 1:00 ice out of radio port. Helicopter coming in to land on STORIS. 13 July Well, now we are in the ice but good. It has stopped us dead. Got pictures of scattered ice at 2:15 taking a picture of pack ice. It got real cold today. Funny feeling going up on the ice and being stopped dead. 13 July Well, we are really in some ice now. We even saw real polar ice today - 20 to 30 feet out of the water. We are about 40 miles from Barter Island and there is a lot of ice between here and there. I shot a pictured of the sun at 3:00 this morning and it is as low as it ever goes. The sun now shines 24 hours a day. It sure is cold out today. I am sure sick with a cold. We have been sitting in the same place for over an hour now. I just looked out the port and all the ships are getting back in line. The BURTON ISLAND, STORIS, SPAR and then the BRAMBLE. We are going to do a little icebreaking. Everyone talks of the fun we will have when we get to New Your. I think we will make it. 14 July We wen by Barter Island on our way to Cape _____. We are out of the ice. I looked on a map today and thin I got my doubts about making it around. We have to go through some straits north of Victoria (________) Island. We are dogging the watch tonight and I am on the 2:00 to in the morning. I saw some 8,000 feet ______ today, a long way up. As usual it is still daytime 24 hours a day. The sun never sets. 15 July Well, the cold I have is about to drive me nuts. We passed Hershal Island today on our way to Cape Perry. I went to GQ today and got all fouled up as fire control talker. Now they are giving me damage control central. Man, will I foul this one up. I told them I didn't do it but they said the 2nd Class RM really fouls up so they told me to take his place. I dread it. It is __________ today. __________ is sure giving me a hard time. He said I am causing him to grow old before his time. 16 July Just my luck we had GQ today and me the Captain's talker. I did O.K. with luck. We are now in nowhere. There isn't a single weather message we can use. We are out of range of all weather forecasts. We are nearing Cape P________. I have been sleeping most of the time, reading the rest. It worries me to think about when I run out of books. It is cloudy and cool, calm water. There is a little ice cut. We are in a 20 mile wide lead now. I am hoping for mail from my parents when we get to ____________ Wish old Dave and Jon were here. Burrows and myself are keeping each other awake during the day. Communications are fair. A long________ from here to NHB Kodiak. 7:40 in the evening. The USS BURTON ISLAND passing us. ____________________ Pt. 17 July 1 picture of helicopter coming in on BURTON ISLAND. 3 pictures taken of ice at Cape _________. BURTON ISLAND and SPAR in background ______ pictures of Cape P________. There is sure a lot of shore ice. 4:00 is even. We are trying to break through shore ice - 6 ft. thick. I am on watch and can't get any pictures. Went over on the BURTON ISLAND today and their radio shack. Saw land today. It is really barren. Burrows took 3 pictures for me -(1) ice, (2) Cape P______,(3) Hello. 18 July Started the day off with a bang. Put the same DTG on two messages. Wow'. Did I catch it. Got a picture of high ice with Parrey in the background. The C.O. has mounted a pair of horns taken from the Red Dog Saloon on the front of the bridge. They really look good. He is taking them around the continent for the owner of the Red Dog. Went out on the ice and took pictures. Found out that I over-exposed way too much. Pictures of the ship and the ice. Bought another STORIS sweat shirt. 18 July Traveled 4,100 miles for far. A long way north. Found out that they are going to make a movie on the BRAMBLE's great exploration up in the Arctic. Funny, we are taking them through. It is warm out today with the sun shining. Got a message today asking when we will be in the CG Yard, Baltimore, MD. We don't know. Only 3 rolls of film left (20 exp.) 19 July Another day, another dollar. Well, we sent a message saying we should be in New York early in October. The message said we would stop at Boston, New Your, Panama, San Francisco and Seattle. It has been foggy today. Still sifting at Cape Parrey. We changed time zones today. Now I am but 2 hours difference from home. I don't guess I'll get home for a while. I still hope to make it by Christmas. Had Friday inspection today. Nothing else much happened except I copied 2 ice _________. Missed a third about Group One. Picture of Cape Parry, SPAR, BRAMBLE, and helicopter. 3:00 - the helicopter crashed Really wrecked it. No one hurt. It was taking off and tipped over on the fantail and went over the side. 20 July (Saturday) Slept all day. Early this morning, got pictures of the wrecked helicopter. Saw the movie this afternoon "Carmine Jones". We are on our way back toward Point Barrow to rendezvous with the BURTON ISLAND. Expect to meet them tomorrow morning to change helicopters. Still can't decide whether to the leave from Baltimore, Maryland or stay and see the sights of Washington, DC, New York, etc. Saw a walrus -about 500 pounds. They stopped ship so everyone could take pictures. I took 3 pictures. Went up on the bow and saw this thing plow through the ice. It was really something. 21 July (Sunday) Well, here we sit tied up once again alongside the BURTON ISLAND. Nothing much happened today. Still foggy. Not very cold. 22 July Back at Cape Parrey. Went on watch and it was snowing like mad. All is quiet. Now, after the helicopter crash, when they set flight stations, the boat crew lays to there, ______in life jackets and all ready to go. It is cloudy today but the sun shows now and then. I will be glad when we head for Cambridge Bay. Last night I was playing the role on the Navy net _____ 8518 and whipped out a call. C9F2 came back and completely snowed me. ________ got a laugh, but they snowed him too. Received mail today. Getting mail now about once a week. 23 July Well in the ice plowing along - ram the ice, back out, and ram again. This morning, there was a small seal out on the ice next to the ship Not the least bit afraid of us. The O.D. moved the ship within 15 feet of him. He stayed right where he was. It was the subject of the morning. It lasted about 6 hours. Me and _________ had to paint antenna and leads this morning. Snowing like mad. One of the Air Force Joe's bet me 10 to 1 that everytime he sees me I will be on the way to the pad. We are on our way to __________, west of Cambridge Bay. Not going very fast. We got stuck but good. They shifted the boom back and forth trying to rock us free. After 30 minutes, she finally got loose. 23 July While l write this, we are stuck again. The SPAR is stuck and the BRAMBLE is just about. All three ships have heavy weights hung on their booms swinging back and forth. It is fruitless. We are really wedged in this time. The SPAR is right next to us. Getting stuck trying to break us out. Just got word the BRAMBLE is also stuck. Took pictures. (1) First time we got stuck, so did the BRAMBLE. Picture of SPAR breaking her out. (2) 2nd time SPAR stuck next to us. Chain _______boom. (3) BRAMBLE stuck with boom hanging over the side. SPAR broke free now trying to break us free. BRAMBLE still frozen in. 7:00 in morning. T.N.T trying to blast our way out. All three ships frozen in. 24 July 12 hours later: Blasting failed. The SPAR frozen in again trying to get us broken free. With the help of her boom and our anchor windlass, the SPAR got free after 4 hours. She came back and broke us out. Then she also broke the BRAMBLE out. SPAR is the hero ship of the day. We are in a pond-like place in the ice. Solid ice surrounds us. No leads. We are waiting for leads. Got pictures: (1) BRAMBLE frozen tighter than we were. In getting stuck, she was trying to break us free. In so doing, she rammed ice under our stern. Sticking us more. (2) Picture of weights on our boom and SPAR in background stuck. In her getting stuck, she pushed ice in on our right side. Sticking us even more. (3) Picture of how close SPAR is to us. (4) Picture after SPAR broke out and in coming back for us got stuck again. Hawser tied to her with us trying to pull her out with our anchor windlass. (5) Picture how she finally got free;. her boom tied to one of our davits lifting with tons of power. Broke a rope and iron cable. (6) Picture of SPAR and BRAMBLE in our only open water within miles. (P.S.) (-)- it has been about the most adventurous thing I have ever witnessed. The booms swinging back and forth trying to rock the ship. It seemed so fruitless, but was successful. We are the goat. We got froze in first and the tightest, then a 180 foot buoy snatcher breaking us out. 25 July 1957 What a day. I had to paint this afternoon. Well, it was so windy and cold that I half froze. After an hour we gave up. We are still surrounded by ice and looks like we set her for a while. We came a little way today and then all three ships anchored by putting their bows up in the ice and running their engines forward. There is no better anchorage. A kid on the BRAMBLE is sick and going to have to fly him out. I got snowed this evening. Someone said today that we would be towing the SPAR out of here if she kept ramming the ice like she did yesterday (ruins a prop in short order). Everywhere we look there is nothing but ice. Solid ice too. 26 July We are still in the heaviest ice I have yet seen. Helos are going up to look for a lead. I don't think there is one. "0" messages have been flying about the sick kid on the BRAMBLE. We are going to try and bust through to Pin One. Sun is shining. Fog has cleared. Had inspection today. Had to stand out in the cold for a couple of hours. I need more reading matter. Wrote home for it but don't know when I will get to mail the letter. It is a beautiful day out. 27 July We made it to __________ Point. Got stuck last night but not bad. Was going through ice 10 feet thick. They have evacuated the sick kid so shortly we will be off for Lady Franklin Point. It is a good run over. I, at last, got to mail my letters. Got to write Dave. - Pictures: (1) __________Pt. barren ground. (P5) 2 pictures. 28 July Last night I was thinking there would be nothing happening today. Ha! We had church services on the mess deck. That was the] most inspirational service I have been to in all my life. The ship ramming ice, all kinds of noise. We all sitting on the mess deck in dungarees, with beards, ragged and singing. 28 July I wonder what the church goers back home would have thought if they could have seen that. When we were standing half the time we had to brace from falling when the ship hit the ice. The weather is all messed up. Yesterday it was hot. Today it is cold, cloudy, and foggy. This is sure hard ice. The BRAMBLE has gotten frozen in. SPAR is breaking her out. Opened second carton of L and M's. We are nearing Lady Franklin Straits. We get mail there. We just got stuck, but good. The boom is going over once again. Romped one ___________in two games of chess. 30 July We are at PIN TWo. Received mail today. Right now we are trying to break the SPAR out of the ice. The ice is very thick and hard. Not making much progress. The BRAMBLE is about 5 miles from here and I hear they are stuck. Hope not. 5 miles is a long way in this. Saw a clipping from Newsweek message today. They told of the trip but was so misleading. They don't even mention the ice or nothing else. They talked as if the only thing could stop is shallow water in _________ Strait which has never been sailed through. The crew is dividing into two groups and really _________ on each other. I am uninvolved so far (what a ________ game). The sun is shining today for a change. Picture 8. SPAR and us frozen in. SPAR listing as the ice moves and pushes the SPAR up on us. Picture from the crows nest. SPAR is back _________ frozen in. 31 July Frozen in tighter than ever now. "0" messages have been flowing like water. All three of us are caught in shore ice. The BURTON ISLAND has been sent to our aid but they are four days away and we will be on the beach by the time they get here. Never have I seen such ice. Pictures: (1) SPAR frozen in. (2) The size and quantity of ice. (3) The ________on the front of the ship. (4) Men by the SPAR probing the ice. We just broke out of the ice but where do we go from here? The BRAMBLE is 4 miles from here. _________ ice to there. Under pressure. Frozen in tight. (Sunny and clear). Ol August We broke out and are now in a giant floe but the BRAMBLE is still frozen in close to shore. It is foggy. The BURTON ISLAND is still headed this way and to our rescue. We need to get a move on. We will probably build radar reflector towers this month and head east next month. Nothing else much ______. We are about even with the northwestern tip of Mexico. (Picture me with my beard). 02 August Ice bound so the message _________stating that 7 personnel were flying up to take movies of TU 5.1.5. We are trying to break up the ice but are stuck as much as not. The BURTON ISLAND is steaming this way. We were up forward this afternoon when this Air Force guy lets out with (The Mighty STORIS in the far north Arctic reaches can be heard these never ending piercing yell "help").As I write this, we are stuck again. The boom going. It is sunny out today. There is ice everywhere. The BRAMBLE is still in solid. Not too cold out. 03 Aug We are bouncing around in the ice and then out of the ice. We sent out our SITREP today. The C.O. said we were groggy but not out. Also, we sent a message saying we were out of the danger stage; meanwhile a message came in for us, action to Lowell Thomas, saying about all this movie equipment being flown up for movies of the mighty BURTON ISLAND breaking the STORIS out of the ice. Meanwhile we were in open water licking our wounds. The message said to get pictures of the ice breaker leading the other ships. Big laugh on the Coast Guard. Well, this is one laugh they have to miss. We sent in a message requesting 3 points a month while on this patrol. Hope we get it. Sunny today. Nearing Cambridge Bay area. (Picture) Sunset or sunrise - just got another message about the 04 Aug movies. 20,000 extra feet is being shipped; about 10,000 feet is TU 5.1.5 busting through the ice and our entering Bellot Strait and personnel reaction of the strait and leaving the strait. Rumor that the BURTON ISLAND is having trouble in the same ice that we did. Here we are cruising up Dolphin Union Straits headed for some radar reflector towers and PIN 3 where there would be some mail. The land around here is actually black, like coal. There is a lot of rotten ice around but no polar ice. It is an overcast day, but high. Picture of the rotten ice and black land. O5 Aug Sunday. Coast Guard Day. We had a fine dinner. We are plowing right along through rotten ice. Arrived PIN 4. That means mail. We are about 200 miles from Cambridge Bay. Moving right along. Offloaded the Air Force men here. They will be flown on over to Cambridge Bay. Partly cloudy today. We are in Coronation Gulf now. O6 Aug Now time drags. We are still bouncing around in the ice in Coronation Gulf Overcast today. Saw the movie "The Last Command" tonight. A good movie. Of course, I had seen it. Opening my third and last carton of L & M's. I guess I slept most all day. I am getting by on little sleep but the time I spend in the pad resting. Ogar Mung liked to caused me to mess up a message tonight over Fox. Still waiting word about our rotation points from the 17th. No Pictures. 07 Aug Here at Com at last. We are about 200 to 250 miles from Bellot Strait. I wonder how long we will be ___________ here. No mail for me today. Guess my parents have quit writing. I am about as far from home now than I will get (on) this patrol. We got in thin ice and broke it up this morning. The wind carried it out of the bay we are in (Cambridge). I sure would like to go home when we reach the east coast, but I think it useless. No pictures. Communications were poor this morning. I could only work C9F2; NHB was out. 08 Aug Yea! We got the 3 point rotation deal. With that I will rotate the first of next June. We have been laying buoys here in Cambridge Bay. All morning we broke ice in the bay. It has now all drifted out. Having a little trouble with one of the crew members. We are next to "have at it". I wish to avoid a fight on ship. I hear that we should be here for about 10 days. We are way over in Canada now; about 200 miles from Belot Straits. A little overcast today, but warm. Picture (2) time of ex. of _________ 09 Aug Went ashore at Cambridge Bay. Big Deal. Underexposed all my film. We should be getting underway for Shepherd Bay. All three ships are tied up alongside. We are in the middle. Saw the Hudson Bay Company Store and saw an Eskimo village. The freighter left this morning. They were frozen all winter up here. Pictures: 1. Trading Post (VE) 2. _________ (\,E) 3. Cute little puppy (\1E) 4. Eskimo kids (\1E) 5. _______ (Radar) VE) 6. Ships anchored out (VE) 7. Eskimo family (VE) 10 Aug We are off for Shepherd Bay. A little ice but not much. We set buoys most all morning. We should be thinking of going on around, a long way yet. Dropped my camera today. Don't think I hurt it. Thinking of shaving my beard off. It is getting dark up here for a few hours now1 but not real dark. (Picture) BRAMBLE ________ __________ 11 Aug We are 90 miles up at Jenny Lerny Island. Saw a good movie -"How to Be Very Popular." We are really getting on east. If the ice conditions hold up we will be well on our way. Little ice coming over here. Zero is a good book. I am reading on in it. Came on watch this morning. Had 8 messages pending. Poor communications. 12 Aug Started to build radar reflector towers around Victoria and Simpson Strait. We got in fairly heavy ice today and the SPAR, with one of her props sheared off, still broke ice like mad. I shaved my beard off today. Partly cloudy today and cool. We are still moving east. Got my messages from my parents. 12 Aug Coming past Hat Island. Erected a radar tower there. Not much ice. Clear with few clouds. Still steaming east. This place is a mad house. I am trying to copy Fox. A transmitter is out so I am being crowded all over. I was off 10 hours between watches and did I sleep. I want to go home. l3 Aug Wham and the walls of Jerico came tumbling down. I thought I had had it last night. I got a message so mixed up with C9F2 that it wasn't even funny. I first sent out a message that was wrong. Then a _____ on the C that was wrong; another two that weren't understood; 3 hours to get straight an "0" message. 13 Aug. Well, it is clear and beautiful out today. No ice here in Simpson Straits and the water is beautiful. 14 Aug. We are still in open water in Simpson Strait, pending trying the transit. All three ships in bad shape. SPAR and BRAMBLE each at Hat Island building reflector towers. Picture of beautiful sky, clear and warm out. Really nice. The best weather yet. The sun dips over the horizon but still light 24 hours a day. Finished last L and M's. 15 Aug. The LST's have caught up and away we go through Simpson Strait east to the next site. I was pretty much snowed under last night on the mid-watch. Still no ice but the ice map last night showed James Ross Straits and Franklin Straits closed with ice. There is an overcast today but it is warm. We still have a lot of survey work to do and I think we should head for Bellot Strait. 16 Aug. In Simpson Straits, tied up alongside the GRAPPLE and BALSAM. GRAPPLE sent UDT men over the side to check our hull. Built three more radar reflector towers. Warm with cloudy weather. Still no ice. We are to return to Hat Island to meet the SPAR run ________tracks. Picture: Building tanks at _________ l7 Aug. I don't know where we are now. Must be still in Simpson Straits. Overcast day but warm. Got up and discovered GRAPPLE and BALSAM are gone. Bought 2 rolls Kodachrome. Should last for a while. I am tired and sleepy. 18 Aug. What didn't happen? We got a message saying we would probably "CHOP" to CTF 6 the 21st which the skipper thought was a good idea. We tied up alongside H7OX for fuel and provisions. ___ - got roped into standing a current watch last night standing on the fantail throwing a piece of wood with a string tied around it to see which way the tide was going and how fast. It was overcast today and cold. The wind really whipped up. 19 Aug. At last we are "chopping" to CTF6 the 21st. Everybody is anxious to get moving while we still can. I agree. We sat on the mess deck tonight listening to Spanish music. As soon as I get out of this outfit, I am going to Mexico for a visit. We are still ________ with more surveying to do. Should start tomorrow. Sent an address to my parents today adding that they haven't written in a month. These pictures under the FOX position about to drive me nuts. Still no communications with any ships on the east side. Last night I worked the WESTWIND on 500 but _____ ORN. I am ready to go. 48 days out with no women. 20 Aug. We got a message saying to stay under ________ for another week. Now we can start worrying about getting out of here. So we sit here surveying some more. Let's move while we still can. We anchor, raise anchor, etc. Still no communications with the east side. During the mid-watch being able to get broadcast stations. Should be underway. The ____ H7OX is already back at __________. All three icebreakers are still up here. 21 Aug. Still anchored in this hole, Simpson Straits. Foggy today so no work was done. It gets dark up here now. My nerves are shot. I will be glad to get on around. We are ready to go. This surveying is for the birds. when I get home, I have a lot to do. Well, nothing to do. Picture: Sunrise over the thunderheads. 22 Aug. Still anchored - raining. 23 Aug. Still anchored Simpson Straits. Heading for _____ tomorrow to put on the new transducers. But still no word of leaving here. 23 Aug. We are out in Queen Maud Gulf. The LABRADOR made it through Bellot Straits. We are "chopping" to CTF5 the 27th of Aug. Damn, I am tired. 23 Aug. Pen out of ink. Foggy and cold. Man it is cold outside. Three days work to do here in Queen Maud Gulf. Got a map of this ______ area. Got to plot our course. 24 Aug. What a beautiful day. We returned ___ where the CO had a conference with an admiral. We aired out our bedding. It was sure nice. Had 3 hours sleep in last 36 hours and now on Fox I got snowed and I mean snowed. Stayed that way for two hours. Returning back to Queen Maud Gulf. 25 Aug. Foggy. Heading for _____ 2. Labrador _____ messages are really interesting. She is in doing a lot we should be doing. Got gypped out of it. 26 Aug. Foggy. Still in Queen Maud, Hat Island. Leaving for Matty Island. All three ships tied up along side each other. Still surveying and knocking about. Now everything that comes in for CTU5.15 we have to relay to NODK and NODV. 2200Z - enroute Matty Island (Ross and Franklin Straits). 27 Aug. Steaming through Simpson Straits. Foggy and then clear. Cold. Saw a big walrus on the starboard side. I think we will make it. We are going to Matty Island which is close to Bellot Strait. ____________ was having words with NODK and NODV. Kept coming in with _____. Had instructions today on watertight integrity. Losing communications with C9F2. He is about ready to forget us. The ELDORADO is about ready to sail from Barrow. The LABRADOR is still taking all the glory. Ah, at last now in James Ross Straits, headed north. 28 Aug-29 Aug Rotten communications. Not in touch with anyone but NPG on 18.6 kcs. Have started to build 2 of the 4 radar towers on Matty Island. Cloudy out. Got a message - 29th - stating that we could plan on staying in the CG Yard from the 15th of October to the 2nd of November. Don't know where we are going from here. SPAR and BRAMBLE still in Queen Maud Gulf. Still sleeping a lot. 30 Aug. In James Ross Straits surveying. BRAMBLE and SPAR to join us here. We "chopped" at 310001Z and not copying NPG anymore but CFH Halifax. Still in a blackout. CFH is poor _______ to now. I started copying them first. Just a commercial station. Not much ice out but much shallow water. Well, not too much longer up here but I do like the 3 points a month on rotation points. 31 Aug. Snowed by CFH at about 26 WPM QRK1 QRM QRN. Cloudy out and at last there is some ice. Not much but ice. BRAMBLE and SPAR on their way up here. Missed one message. Saw The Screaming Eagle this afternoon and going to see Good Morning Miss Dove tonight. Both good movies. Ol Sept. A beautiful day - not very cold. CFH went out on me again. We are still in James Ross Straits. The BRAMBLE and SPAR are to tie up alongside tonight. Got a ice recon from Pt. Barrow. All the area over there is beginning to refreeze. Just about have to go through. Supposed to leave here the 4th of September. This ship has the worst chow I have seen in the Guard. 02 Sept. Where to start. Found out last night that me, Schwiebert and Marryfield are to be transferred back to the 17th from Boston. I hope we get 6 cents a mile and maybe leave. Chief told me to study for my 2nd class exam. So I have a CG Manual. Clear day out today, cool, little ice. Still in James Ross Strait. Should depart for Bellot the 4th. 04 Sept. 9:00 - Where I stand now I can look out and see Bellot Straits. The LABRADOR is entering them now. I cannot describe the scene. There is mountains on both sides coming straight down to the water. It is about the most impressive sight I have ever seen. Now the LABRADOR is silhouetted in the sun. There is a heavy haze and snowing. The mountains are bare with a milky coloring from the snow. The sea is moderate. We are about one half mile from the strait and I believe at this end it is about 200 yards wide. There goes the SPAR through backing the LABRADOR. We are to sit here until Saturday. We are swinging away from the Straits and can see all the mountains around here. To think of the ships that have tried to transit these straits. 04 Sept. 9:00 and have failed. Here success lies in our grasp with the help of the good Lord we will make the most torturous 18 miles in the world. We left Franklin Straits yesterday after tying up alongside the LABRADOR. We dropped our CFH guard and followed the LABRADOR up here. (The ship is rocking). I got pictures. (1) LABRADOR insignia. (2) LABRADOR superstructure (3) LABRADOR fantail through ice (4) Bellot Straits The SPAR is following the BRAMBLE. We have lived two months for this. I wish I could describe the straits (like a path through a heavy forest). It is the only opening in the mountains for hundreds of miles. Not many people have ever even seen these straits. They were the most talked about thing of the whole trip. They are the key from west to east. I am glad to be a part of turning the key. 05 Sept. Surveyed approaches to Bellot. Cloudy and cold. All 4 ships moored together. Went over on the LABRADOR - a clean ship. Tomorrow at 0830, going through Bellot. Still studying for AtoN test and radio test. Much time is being devoted to that. 06 Sept. Noon. Today I made history on the first American ship to go through Bellot Straits. It was very interesting. I am around taking pictures like mad. Helos, landscapes, ships. It was an experience I shall long remember. The straits were very narrow and high mountains on each side. The most impressive was the fact that I was looking at the most northern tip of the mainland of the North American Continent. I almost froze outside. 06 Sept. We will CHOP from CTG 6.5 tonight and head north to the Lancaster Sound, then south. We passed within 50 miles of the magnetic north pole. 07 Sept. Enroute Resolute Bay for mail. Foggy out. We should be in Argentia this month, about the 18th. Not much ice - just scattered floes here and there. It is cool. We were the first American ship ever to go through Bellot Straits. CFH is still weak. Up at Barrow Straits farther north than ever. Daylight 20 hours a day. 08 Sept. At Resolute Bay in Barrow Straits. Sunny and cold. This is in the far north. We are here to pick up mail. From here we travel 2,220 miles to Argentia. Then on to Boston. Lot of traveling. We have made it. Passed by some cliff this morning that was 1000 feet or more straight down to the water. It was like square blocks in the water. No slant on any part of the __________ 09 Sept. Going through Lancaster Sound. Entering the Baffen Sea. Have started a big map of the Continent. Saw giant icebergs today. Clouds made the high cliffs around here look strange. The icebergs are all square like and look odd. Pictures of iceberg, distance 1 1/2 mile. 10 Sept. Anticipation. Seen many large icebergs. I mean giants Hear tell we are getting big write up Stateside. I hope maybe my parents have heard about it by now. 11 Sept. 240 miles covered. Got pictures of giant icebergs today. Took AtoN test. 12 Sept. Crossed Arctic Circle at 1226. High winds, rough seas, but no ice. 13 Sept. Troubles. Spilled coffee all over my position ruining a whole day's logs. Pretty women and notices. Got to retype all the logs and notices. The fellows raise hell for ruining their women. Chief will be mad for _______deck. CFH sending like mad. Carbons have to be filed. No message blanks made up. Other position snowed with a distress. Then when you think you have it ______ seasick. Missed in _____ number. Can't work for bouncing around. 14 Sept. 250 more miles gone. No more ice recon. In the North Atlantic out of Davis Straits. Man is this tub rolling. Well, I should be transferred again in a couple of weeks. What's new? Drawing all my money this pay day. 15 Sept. 250 more miles. Saw Northern Lights. Nice. 17 Sept. What a mess. We are off now ~n a distress. Aircraft down. Hurricane on its way. Seas rising. This is a mess. It is supposed to be 15 foot swells where the aircraft is down. I got the Xxx from NODK this morning and that was the beginning to the end. Got paid today. ETA Argentia indefinite. 4-11-75 We searched for possible survivors for 3 days with no luck. We proceeded to Artgentia for a couple of days - then Boston and I was not transferred but remained on the ship where we continued to New York - then Baltimore (2 weeks there in shipyard) - then Miami, Jamaica, Balboa, Canal Zone, through the Canal to Acapulco, then San Francisco with a short stopover at San Diego for quarantine inspection, then Seattle and on to our home port of Kodiak. The entire event was 6 months in time, 22,500 miles. traveled. James J. Jones