Operation Blue Jay: The building of Thule Air Base
Most of you already know, but I am getting ready to head to the Arctic. I have everything I need except some gloves and extra Ranger Up Tee shirts. Anyway, was researching today, and I found this AWESOME video of the building of it. Now, granted this is no “War on Masturbation” post, so it will get little traffic, but I love these old time DoD films.
BTW- The distance from Indy to DC is the same distance from Thule to the arctic circle. That means I am going WAY NORTH of where one ought not go! Can not fricken wait.
Category: Politics
One thing to remember up there, TSO:
Watch out where
The huskies go
And don’t you eat that
Yellow snow!
Tell Nanook I said hi. (smile)
In before people start screaming about OPSEC.
Kidding, have fun freezing your ass off. Don’t forget your Bunny Boots and poncho liner (wubbie). I’ll be thinking of you while I watch this video laying in the grass in Palisades Park in a t-shirt and shorts (when I’m off the clock, naturally).
Nice find!
@ 1 … Zappa.
We used to see him every Halloween night at the Palladium in NYC.
AFN has had this on before on their channel that shows history stuff the other interesting one is building the nuclear reactor under the ice in Greenland.
MCPO: correctamundo, amigo – Frank, one ea. From 1972 or thereabouts.
— break —
TSO: in all seriousness, be careful while there. And I really wouldn’t advise eating any of the snow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Thule_Air_Base_B-52_crash
Have fun up there in the frozen north… thinking about it though we have not been all that much warmer than up there. I hope you did some acclimnation training around Chicago first.
@6: Nah, his acclimation training would/should have been up here. We could have went out and built a bonfire on the lake while ice fishing and have some adult beverages to pass the time. 🙂 Of course, it wasn’t as cold as where he’s going; it only got down to -25 to -35 with a -60 wind chill, but it would have given him a fighting chance.
I remember a story an Air Force wife wrote, that when they PCSed from Thule they were given a shoebox full of Greenland dirt. She started to thank them for the the constant reminder – when the presenter told her “hell, we hope if we keep giving the place away, someday we can go home!”
TSO, mind where you set your feet and don’t fall into any of the cracks or crevasses.
Upon screwing up in the Air Force we were often threatened with transfer to Thule or Goose Bay.
If you’re interested in the nuclear reactor and Camp Century, here’s a 31 minute film on its construction.
@11, 100 percent chance I watch this tomorrow if I have electricity. Thanks!
@11 Thanks Don H. I have saved that to watch this evening.
Very cool… reminded me of the old Victory at Sea series.
I hope TSO stumble upon one of those abandoned crash-landed P-38s or P-51s in pristine condition that were left behind from WWII. Literally hundreds of fighters and bombers that were being ferried/flown from CONUS to Britain crash-landed in Greenland during the war due to weather or mechanical. Finding one of those in good condition could net you a huge hunk of change…
Stay warm, TSO, and if you do start feeling chilly, just remember that there is probably a couple of guys feeling a little chillier than you:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/01/sled-dogs/finkel-text
Maybe you’ll get a chance to meet these guys. Pretty impressive bunch.
There is an old tradition at Thule that has been around since its opening. No matter what brought you there, permanent party, air crew rest, refueling, TDY, whatever, you are required to take at least one rock with you when you leave. The legend says that the place will disappear eventually as all the rocks will be somewhere else.
TSO: once you’ve viewed the film on Camp Century, you might want to view the Wikipedia article on Project Iceworm to get the “rest of the story”. It’s also fairly interesting.
As much as I hate the cold – I envy you, amigo. Enjoy the trip, and “be careful out there.”
@11 – Don, thanks for that. It was interesting.
TSO you lucky dog. The weather forecast for the next ten days looks pretty balmy.
Don’t forget your swim suit and sun glasses. You never know, you may get a chance to go to Iceland. If you do, go here.
For mittens, I own a pair of these they work really well.
Bunny boots are okay but they provide zero ankle support so they are hard to walk in, crampon straps crush the insulation, they get really smelly after a little while, and if they get punctured, they mostly stop working. If the weather stays this nice, you might consider a pair of Sorrels with a spare pair of felt liners.
I do need mittens, so good call on that.
L.L. Bean has everything you need for the extreme outdoors, and they’re having a huge sale right now. Call them.
Dude, it all worked out, that’s awesome! Give my best to the good Commander and see if he’ll let you be a guest DJ on their radio station, is so, post info on how to listen in.
TSO, before you go, get Mrs. TSO to find you the best moisturizer she can get, acquire a medium to large size (depending on the amount required to cover topography) and slather it on everything, especially exposed skin and your feet. It keeps water from evaporating out of your skin. It also reduces the onset of frostbite. And get that new Vaseline lip gloss, also, because it won’t dry out your lips.