The White Falcon - 05.03.1960, Blaðsíða 1

H Volume X, Nnumber 9
iieauquariers, Iceland Defense Force, Keflavik Airport, Iceland
Saturday, March 5, 1960 '
Top officials of the Army, Air Force and the Navy stand at attention
as the sailors and airmen pass by in review. Left to right are Colonel
Evans, Colonel Willis, Captain C. J. Eastman and Chaplain (Col.)
Joseph C. Sides.
Air Force, Navy Parade
Honors Departing Army
The Air Force and the Navy joined together Feb. 26 in
an all-out parade honoring the officers and men of the
2nd Battalion Combat Team who were slated to board a
U.S.-bound navy vessel March 3.
U.S. Ambassador Tyler Thompson
Assumes \<‘tv Duties in Reykjavik
(Prepared, by U.S. Information Office in Reykjavik)
One of the most important initial reactions of the new American Ambassador to
Iceland, Tyler Thompson, is, he said, the realization based both on his briefings in
Washington and his first impressions in Iceland of how important Iceland is to the
defense of the free world.
At two o’clock on a mild and
clear afternoon, the Army Forces
were formed on the flanks of the
reviewing stand on the West apron
of the 1400th Field Maintenance
Hangar in the customary position
of honor. Across from the Army
were the elements of the Air
Force and Navy flanking the
colors.
Overhead flew twelve F-82s
(“Scorpions”) of the 57th Inter-
ceptor Squadron of the Air Force,
and three P2V Neptune patrol
bombers of the Navy’s VP-18,
in well-executed formations.
Base Supply
Ends Project
Keflavik Airport’s Base Supply
announced this week that they are
now issuing the property which
was backlogged during the magn-
animous Project. “Count” under-
taking. Many tons of supplies and
materials were accumulated at a
central holding point during the
inventory, which was of the closed
warehouse type.
Major James E. Shipps, Base
Supply Officer, said the inventory
which took nearly the entire
month of February to conduct,
has now been completed with ex-
ceptionally good results.
Base Supply received praise
from Lt. Col. Walter L. Peterson,
project observer assigned by Head-
quarters, MATS to monitor the
inventory, for their agressive act-
ions in conducting the inventory,
and for meeting the goals of accu-
racy previously established by
Headquarters, USAF.
After the colors were presented
to the reviewing stand, and the
elements of the Air Force and
Navy had passed in review, Colon-
el Benjamin G. Willis, Island Com-
mander Iceland, addressed the
Group with a brief message in
which he expressed the apprecia-
tion of the military forces in Ice-
land for the contributions and co-
operation of the Army and the
sorrow that would be felt by all
those who had the pleasure of
working in conjunction with the
Army here when the Second Bat-
talion Combat Team departed.
Colonel Benjamin F. Evans,
commander of Army forces in Ice-
land, responded to Colonel Willis’
message with regret that such “a
pleasant association” among the
three services must be terminated
with the Army's departure.
This is a somewhat unique sit-
uation here at Keflavik. There
are few places where the Army,
Navy and the Air Force work to-
gether with such harmony. It was
the realization of this cooperation
and harmony that was the under-
lying message in the speeches of
Col. Willis and Col. Evans.
AF Civilian
Employees Tops
In Suggestions
Suggestions by Air Force em-
ployees during fiscal year 1959
produced first-year benefits esti-
mated at $40,000,000.
This sum is about two-thirds of
the 1959 total for civilian sugges-
tion program within the Federal
Government.
Participation rate for FY 1959
was 27.4%—the highest for any
civilian suggestion program in
the military departments, and sec-
ond only to the Commerce Depart-
ent among all Federal agencies.
The Air Force record was made
possible by the cooperation and
interest of commanders at all lev-
els. In recognition of these accom-
plishments, the DCS/Personnel,
Headquarters USAF, sent person-
al congratulations and plaques to
the major air commands that at-
tained a participation rate of 25%
or better. Plaques were also
awarded to installations which
were tops in their respective size
categories, and to the five instal-
lations with the highest rates re-
gardless of category. Among the
plaque winners were: SAC, USA-
FE, MATS, TAC, ATC, AAC,
USAFA. USAFSS, CAIRC, CON-
AC, ARDC, ADC and PACAF.
All installations which reached
a participation rate of 25% or
higher received a certificate sign-
ed by the Chief of Staff. AF Ice-
land’s rate of 70.19% merited
such a certificate, and it is dis-
played in the office of Lt. Col.
Edward J. Wagner, DCS/Person-
nel.
AF Iceland’s military participa-
tion rate for FY 1959 was 25.97%,
considerably above the Air Force
average.
Recently, responsibility for the
military suggestion program has
been assigned to the Executive
Secretary, Incentive Awards Com-
mittee (Miss Jean Rocca, Civilian
Personnel Office).
The new Ambassador has had
a wide background in working
with America’s defense forces.
And, he says, it is against this
background that he is looking for-
ward with anticipation to a close
official and personal relationship
with the defense forces stationed
at Keflavik.
Mr. Thompson’s experience lead-
ing up to his association with the
armed forces of the United Stales
actually began in August of 1939
when he, Mrs. Thompson and then-
son, Tyler Hunt Thompson, were
in New York City about to sa 1
on the Isle-de-France for France
where Mr. Thompson had beer,
assigned to the American Embas-
sy in Paris. Twenty-four hours
before they were to sail he receiv-
ed a telephone call from Mr. Ro-
bert Murphy, who later was to
hold many important posts in the
United States Department of
State and to become political ad-
viser to the Commander in Chmf
of all Allied Forces in Europe
during World War II, General
Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr. Murp-
hy described the critical situation
in Europe and advised him not to
take his family with him to Paris.
After hasty consultation Mr. and
Mrs. Thompson decided that it
would be better for her and their
son to remain in the United States.
IN PARIS
It was a wise decision. Two
days before the envoy reached
France war broke out. He was
in Paris and watched from the
Embassy windows the occupation
of the city in June of 1940. While
in Paris Mr. Thompson was in
charge of the section of the Em-
bassy which dealt with problems
connected with the war, including
planning for the emergency evacu-
ation of American citizens if nec-
essary. He also was in charge of
the work entailed in protecting
the interests of the United King-
dom, Canada and certain other
nations which entered the war be-
fore the United States. These
duties principally consisted of pro-
tecting property rights, citizens
and where possible making life
easier for the civilians of these
nations who were interned.
Later he was transferred to
Vichy in the Free Zone of France
where Mrs. Thompson joined him.
It was there that news was re-
ceived on December 7, 1941 of
Pearl Harbour.
On November 8, 1942, when the
liberation of North Africa began
with the Allied landings there,
the Free Zone of France was
occupied and the American Em-
bassy staff in Vichy, including
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, were in-
terned. For two months they were
interned at Lourdes in Southern
France and then for fourteen
months in Baden Baden, Germany.
In February 1944 they were ex-
changed with other Americans for
a number of German citizens and
were repatriated through Lisbon,
Portugal.
WORKED WITH SERVICES
Shortly thereafter Mr. Thomp-
son was assigned to Oran, North
Africa as Consul where practical-
ly his entire work was with th?
United States Armed Forces. Lat
er, at the request of the Unite:
States Commanding General 1
Southern France, Mr. Thompsa
returned to France and reopene
the American Consulate Genera
in Marseilles. In December 19 '<
he returned to the American Em
bassy in Paris where again his
responsibilities required constant
work with United States military
forces.
This general background was
climaxed in 1949 when he was as-
signed to the National War Col-
lege at Fort McNair.
Then, during his recent assign-
ment as Minister in Ottawa, Can-
ada, his responsibilities included
close liasion with the American
military there, particularly with
(Continued on Page U.)
Good Things Happen
March 7 marks the opening
kick off in the American Red
Cross drive at Keflavik. This
is one campaign the military
has always supported gener-
ously because of the dividends
that have been returned.
Each month last year nearly
80,000 members of the U.S. mili-
tary service needed friends and
found them in the Red Cross
office. At Keflavik during 1959
the Red Cross was credited
with 2,936 assists.
When you are asked to con-
tribute during the coming cam-
paign be generous — for you
will be helping your friends.
WHEN YOU GIVE

Air Force units march briskly along while members of the departing 2nd BCT observe from the sidelines.
NATO
UNIFIED POWER FOR PEACE