The White Falcon - 01.10.1955, Qupperneq 1

Iceland Key Spot
For Aurora Sights
Personnel of the Iceland Defense Force are in one of
the most advantageous geographical locations in the world
to observe one of nature’s most unusual sky phenomena—
the Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern
Lights.
A glance skyward during almost
any cloudless night in the forth-
coming winter months will reveal
the aurora resplendent in a dazz-
ling spectacle of changing colors.
It may be seen in one or a com-
bination of the following colors:
white, pink, red—changing from
pale to deep, green and yellow.
In shape, color and motion the
polar lights play varied and
fascinating roles, all incident to
the electric discharges in the
very rare, high and exceedingly
ionized atmosphere.
While some observers and le-
gend down through the ages have
disagreed about the effects of a
glowing midnight sun, today’s
scientists conclude that the aurora
is neither harmful itself nor the
harbinger of evil.
The aurora is most frequently
found at about 60 degrees longi-
tude over North America and the
Atlantic Ocean and around 70
degrees north over Siberia. The
northern lights cannot be seen
against a daylight sky although
they do appear in the daytime.
However, due to the great glare
of the sun, the sight is blocked
from view.
To the human eye, the lights
are strictly a nocturnal pheno-
mena and for this reason may be
seen during the winter months
when the hours of darkness are
more extensive.
Aurorals may be divided into
the shape of luminous regions. As
seen against the heavens, auroras
may be seen as arcs, bands, cur-
tains, coronas, patches and dif-
fused glows. The rays are some-
times stationary, simply appearing
and disappearing without seeming
to move. At other times there is
rapid motion and they seem to
shoot rapidly upward and recede.
One of the most unusual dis-
plays of the northern lights was
seen west of Norway on Sept-
ember 18, 1926. It appeared to be
an arc to the eye, but photos
showed it to be composed of a
curtain of rays. The diffused
form of the aurora reached the
height of 600 miles. Calculations
proved this although normally
they have an upper limit of from
50 to 240 miles and a lower limit
of 50 to 100 miles.
Trustworthy observers have,
however, reported seeing them at
an altitude of a mile or less. The
lights are said to be accompanied
by a cracking sound like the rust-
ling of silk. Some polar explorers
with years of experience have said
the aurora swish is nothing more
than a faint noise caused by the
freezing of the moisture in an
observer’s breath. How this can
cause a sound is not explained, but
it does afford another chance for
someone with an inquisitive urge.
Central Exchange To
Open Christmas Annex
The Christmas season comes to Keflavik Airport a little
ahead of its Stateside schedule. No—we don’t mean Saint
Nick will slide down the chimney around Thanksgiving time,
but we would like to remind all Iceland Defense Force per-
sonnel that the Christmas shopping season is upon us.
The Iceland Central Exchange
will be ready to help you with
your gift needs before November
15, the last day that packages will
have delivery guaranteed to the
States before the Yuletide.
At the Central Exchange and
its temporary gift annex in the
Air Force Massey Mess, you will
be able to purchase a variety of
presents for everybody from the
toddler stage to your 102-year-
old great-grandmother.
For the children there will be
a fine array of mechanical and
musical toys from Germany and
other European countries. Among
the long lists you will find
blocks, games, trains, planes,
boats, tea sets and a wonderful
variety of dolls from far-off
places like Japan.
Beautiful and useful gifts for
the wife, your mother and dad or
for that very special girl include:
perfumes, Italian leather goods,
400-day clocks, cutlery sets, Ja-
panese slippers, Scottish cashmere
sweater sets, electric razors, radios
and many other miscellaneous it-
ems from around the world.
In answer to the many requests
for souveniers of Iceland, the ex-
change will, in the future, have
many items made in Iceland in-
culding spoons, jewelry and no-
velties.
An assortment of children’s
pants blue jeans, dresses and
shirts is due to arrive soon along
with sport coats, pants and shirts
for the men and both outer and
under garments for the ladies.
(Continued Col 1, Page b)-
Dusty" Miller
Takes Reins As
Red Cross Head
Mr. B. F. Shepler, American
Red Cross Field Director at Kefla-
vik Airport for the last 14 months,
departed for the ZI last Friday
morning. Now headed for the
Nations Capital, he had been sta-
tioned at Fort Sheridan, Illinois
before coming to Iceland.
Replacing Mr. Shepler is Mr.
Stuart Miller, who has just ar-
rived at Keflavik after a two and
one half year tenure at Castle
AFB.
Mr. Miller has been a Red Cross
Social Worker for over 12 years.
During World War II, he was in
New Guinea, the Philippines and
Germany. After the war, he ser-
ved in Burtonwood, England for
three years.
He has also served as a Red
Cross Director of Personnel in the
Far East and Deputy Director of
Military Camps for the eight'
western States.
“Dusty”, as Mr. Miller is
known to everybody wherever he
travels, gave up the last two
mentioned positions to get back
to his “first love”, being a Field
Director.
Not only has “Dusty” traveled
around the world for the Red
Cross, he was also quite a wan-
derer in his youth. Born in Scot-
land, educated in Canada where
he graduated from McGill Uni-
versity in Montreal, he moved on
to Southern California schools for
post-graduate work.
He states that he is pleased
with his Keflavik assignment be-
cause cf the many past friends
that he has bumped into during
his very few days here. “I wasn’t
on the base an hour before I
heard someone yell, Hey Dusty.”
New Red Cross Rirector
Mr. B. F. Shepler (left), American Red Cross Field Director at Kefla-
vik Airport for the past 14 months, seems anxious to hand over the
keys to the office and station wagon to Mr. Stuart “Dusty” Miller, the
new Field Director. “Dusty”, recently arrived from Castle AFB, Cali-
fornia, is shown signing the last of many documents to relieve Mr.
Shepler of his Keflavik responsibilities.
Keflavik Cooperation
Three Service Cooperation
Highlights IDF Operation
Colonel James B. Bennett, Commander Army Forces, Iceland, is shown
climbing aboard a T-33 jet trainer which he recently piloted with
Colonel Norval K. Heath (right), Deputy Chief of Staff for Opera-
tions. This flight was one of the many instances of joint service spirit
and cooperation here at Keflavik Airport.
Commanding Officers and enlisted personnel of the Ice-
land Defense Force continue to cooperate in team spirit.
Recently, Colonel Norval K. Heath, Deputy Chief of
Operations, IADF, piloted one of the jets with Colonel
James B. Bennett, Commander Army Forces, Iceland, to
show him the capabilities of the aircraft and the air support
here at Keflavik Airport. Later, Lt Col Lester K. Olson,
Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion Combat Team,
went aloft in the same aircraft with Col Heath.
In turn, the Army forces pro-
vided the Navy and Air Force
with a firepower demonstration
of all the 2d BCT’s crew-served
weapons. The event was witnessed
Fire
Prevention
Fire Prevention Week this
year is being observed from
October 9 through 15. Its
purpose is to direct public
attention to the tremendous
loss in life and property that
result each year from fire
and to emphasize the safety
measures whereby these los-
ses can be substantially re-
duced.
President Eisenhower’s pro-
clamation in setting aside
this one week of the year to
a national effort, has pointed
out that safety to life and
property is a matter of in-
dividual responsibility—the
responsibility of each of us
working together the year
’round in the community and
the nation.
Let us assume our share
of the responsibility and
thereby help make Keflavik
safe from FIRE.
by leaders of all three branches
of service from atop a ridge over-
looking the display.
Brigadier General John W.
White, USAF, Commanding Gen-
eral of the Iceland Defense
Force, after observing the de-
monstration, proceeded to. parti-
cipate in the actual firing of the
many weapons demonstrated by
the Battalion. Also taking advan-
tage of the opportunity to try '
their hand at these weapons
were Col Bennett, Col Heath,
Col Mark F. Brennan, Chief of
Staff IDF, and LCDR Stanley
May, a U.S. Naval Officer ser-
ving as Ass’t J-3 at IDF Head-
quarters.
There have been many instances
of cooperation between the ser-
vices ever since the Defense Force
was first organized in 1951. Such
acts as Air Force helicopters
evacuating Army personnel from
remote outposts during emergen-
cies are a common occurance here.
Army, Navy and Air Force per-
sonnel are found working side by
side in many assignments here,
“Scrub the deck” or “He’s work-
ing in the galley” are now com-
ments coming from Army and
Air Force men working with
Navy personnel in the consolida-
(Continued Col 5, Page b).