The White Falcon - 11.06.1960, Side 3

Saturday, June 11, 1960
THE WHITE FALCON
3
... Jranklij Speaking...
By TSgt. Frank J. Leary
After eleven months here at
Keflavik Airport, I look back and
keep reminding myself that I have
been most fortunate in having
interviewed some very unusual
people on Welcome Aboard as
well as other radio shows.
Having been in this type of
profession commercially as well as
militarily, I seem to recall some
very fascinating incidents.
On one occasion I recall inter-
viewing a fellow who had for-
gotten his name, and when the
fellow behind him whispered his
name to him, the guy who had
whispered his name, promptly
forgot his own name when it
came his turn to be interviewed!
I also recall interviewing one
fellow who started on a
Chamber-of-Commerce “pitch”
about this and that, and after I
had given him the microphone, I
had to almost physically force
him to return the microphone.
Also some “firsts” included in
my tour here, such as the grand
opening of the NCO Club, the
grand opening of the new field
house, and a personal interview
with the first Icelandic woman
to have flown in an Air Force
tactical jet plane.
Also had the pleasure of broad-
casting a complete winter season
of base basketball from the old
Gek Rec. If we ever get the power
line over at the softball field,
we’ll be bringing some more excit-
ing sports action over the AFRS
aii-ways.
Well we had our first “Club
Hopping’ broadcast from the NCO
Club a week ago this evening and
it “came off” real fine. Sure did
enjoy myself as did all of the
remote crew. A real ‘swinging”
place, this NCO Club. And we’ll
be there a couple of more times
before I leave.
Speaking of interesting inter-
views, I really enjoyed interview-
ing the Philadelphia Woodwind
Quintet. I was scared at first be-
cause of the type group that they
are. .but were they ever “hep” to
the “haps”.
Then there are always the inte-
resting names of those being inter-
viewed from time to time. Take
first names for instance. I’ve
interviewed men whoose first
names have included: Lois, Bever-
ly, Carrol, Francis, Marian,
Tzosis, Clem, “J” (two of these
J.L.—J.W!) and Betie. Some
towns of the fellows are from,
include: Hollow Gap, Pistol Creek,
Hell (It’s in California), Crying
Gulch, and Cross Fork.
Speaking of California (the
magic word), I should know by
now where I’m going, so stay
tuned to AFRS and listen for
the GOOD or BAD word.
We’ll be seeing you from here,
there, or mostly anywhere, as
you’re always on the go with
Armed Forces Dadio. The secret
word for this week is... .FORTY
EIGHT. .. .days that is. And then
SWOOSHHHHHH.
Viking Club Has New Director
Cheerful, optimistic, extrovert are the three words which
best describe Jean Allen, director of the Viking Service Club.
A native of Tampa, Florida, the
bouyant, brown-eyed, Miss Allen
is completing her first month in
Iceland and on this first over-
seas tour that is also a first
assignment with Air Force
people, is currently planning an
ambitious program of recreation-
al activities.
Miss Allen’s work in re-
creation and welfare embraces
nine varied years of experience
which once saw her interviewing
prisoners at Rayford, Fla., while
employed with the State Welfare
Board; working as craftsshop
director for the University of
Florida student union and in mili-
tary assignments at Fort Stewart,
Ga., and Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
A graduate of Stevens College,
Columbia, Mo., Miss Allen receiv-
ed her degree in Arts Education
from Florida State Collega, Talla-
hasse, and had graduate work at
the University of Florida, Gains-
ville.
• As director of the Viking Ser-
vice Club, only facility of its type
for an area the size of Kentucky
state, Miss Allen’s public is pri-
marily the American Armed Forc-
es stationed in Iceland. Actually
the programs are one phase of
a broad recreation and enter-
tainment arrangement managed
by the personnel service office,
Air Forces Iceland, under Maj.
Frank K. Seely.
Current projects now underway
by the Viking director are: a
Viking Wives group which will
include spouses of all enlisted men,
a basewide talent-variety show, an
expanded program of summer
tours of northern and southern
Iceland, a piano recital in Septem-
ber, a series of one-day fishing
trips to the Westmann Islands,
two three-day scenic and shopp-
ing tours during July and Sep-
tember.
Commenting on her impress-
ions of Iceland, Miss Allen stat-
ed: “I like it... .elected to come
here and am overwhelmed by the
cooperation of all base agencies.
The reception by Americans and
Icelanders has been very friend-
ly. This is the first assignment
with Air Force people and I am
quite impressed with the spirit
displayed.”
Miss Allen’s interests are:
people, cooking, collecting anti-
ques, boating, deep-sea fishing,
gardening, jazz music, and people.
She expects that people will be
a very great part of her daily life
here. The Viking Service Club
staff of four has someone always
available to assist in entertain-
ment activities every day of the
year, a minimum of 11-13 hours
daily.
The club is one of the best
VA Payments
Bring History
Up to Present
Washington (AFPS) — The big,
many-sided structure we know as
the Veterans Administration us-
ually is thought of as operating
for Americans who served in the
two world wars and Korea - and
these, of course, make up the
majority of those served by the
VA.
But that is not the whole pic-
ture, as shown by the fact that
the VA still mails 4,200 checks
to survivors of Civil War veter-
ans, although the last soldier who
wore the blue or the gray is now
dead.
How about the Revolutionary
War? The year 1911 saw the
last benefit payment for that
conflict. And, for the War of
1812, the last payment was made
as recently as 1946.
As for WWII, VA’s chief, Sum-
ner G. Whittier, says that pen-
sions and death benefit payments
probably won’t hit their peak be-
fore the year 2000, at which time
the total cost for the programs is
expected to be an annual $5.5 bil-
lion. What prolongs the payments
so, Whittier explains, are provis-
ion’s for payment to children and
other dependents.
The oldest veterans still alive
and receiving benefits include 55
veterans of the Indian Wars that
followed the Civil War. Benefits
are still going out to four rela-
tives of deceased veterans of the
Mexican War of 1846-48.
And, although the number of
Indian War vets has dwindled,
that war still keeps VA check
writers busy - survivors of veter-
ans who fought the redskins num-
ber 740 today!
Final Link In
Communications Net
AFNS - With the opening of an
automatic communications relay
center at Siegelbach, Germany,
the Air Force tied together the
last link of a world-wide, rapid
communications system that can
speed messages between centers at
the rate of 100 words a minute.
Ten switching centers, five over-
seas and five in the continental
United States, form a switching
complex that serves about 5 mil-
lion miles of Air Force circuits.
The system cuts time needed to
handle messages and also requires
less personnel to operate. The
communications network is also
able to feed any message from
Army or Navy stations through
the switching centers without
manual processing.
First of its kind in the world,
the system makes it possible to
handle a message from any major
U. S. Air Force installation to
any other major installation in
the world with a minimum of
manual processing.
equipped outside the continental
U.S. Its local services also involve
coordinating USO troupe shows
for the base and four radar warn-
ing sites, acting as an information
source for base personnel going on
leave to Europe, hosting American
-Icelandic community social events,
making reservations for fishing
stays at the military leisure camp,
serving as liaison for tours of
Icelandic areas given American
civilian employees and military
men.
Rushihg waters of Godafoss on the tour to Lake Myvatn rouse ejacula-
tions of awe from Miss Edith Thomason, teacher in the dependents’
school (left) and Mrs. George Fors, travel representave at American
• Express Company. In 1000 A.D. an Icelandic chieftain tossed his idols
here when Christianity was accepted.
NORTH ICELAND INTERLUDE
by Margo Nolan
Ushered into a deluxe Viscount plane at Keflavik Inter-
national Airport on a cloudy, windwashed pre-Memorial
Saturday are forty Akureyri-
It’s a flauntingly gay assembly-
teachers, military and civil service
employees, wives, teensters, and a
red-bonneted blonde child—toget-
her with Gisli Gudmundsson, fam-
ed tour guide of Iceland.
Later, flying the northerly
route to the Island of Grimsey
(90 inhabitants), the passengers
are warmed by festive champagne
as they skirt the Arctic Circle for
some 15 minutes and celebrate
its straddling, now entitled to
receive the coveted Bluenose
Certificate from Iceland Air.
From Akureyri Airport, pass-
engers are quickly whisked to the
KEA Hotel where steaming cof-
fee, panakocka (pancakes with
whipped cream), and melting pas-
tries await quick comsumption.
Mountains loom above the vill-
age of Akureyri, their sides em-
bellished with Navajo designs
formed from froth of summer
snow and lava black soil chastened
by the centuries. Sheltering the
city, they provide sharp contrasts
to the carousel of color—red and
green roofed houses—where Ice-
landers have carved intricate de-
signs on railings and porticoes.
A Saturday night hop awaits
those interested in bop at a
country house nine miles from
Akureyri. This is an occasion for
mixing. Icelanders tell you un-
hesitatingly they seek a potpourri
of cultural exchange and that
they “like you very much be-
cause you are American”.
Surprises await those who do
not attend the dance. Across gar-
den fences, friendships are quick-
ly formed and invitations to coffee
are accepted with eagerness.
Returning to the KEA Hotel one
sleeps soundly because the bedding
is soft, warmed by comforters and
blue-flowered spreads. And in the
morning the awakening is equally
cheerful. A sun-spangled day in-
vites one to be up and ready for
the three-hour trip to Myvatn
(Midge Lake).
Surviving here are seventeen
different breeds of ducks, the
largest number to be found any-
where in the world in a single
spot.
This planned tour untwists be-
fore glaciers and craters, sidles
along a circuitous route over a
bridge spanning an arch, beyond
minature waterfalls spilling
down mountainsides at unexpect-
ed curves in the road, and leads
■bound passengers,
to Godafoss (Idol Falls). By fol-
lowing a violet-burrowed path,
one reaches and clings to the
stalactite-like lava forms to cap-
ture in photography the rushing
waters where idols were tossed,
when Christianity was accepted.
On the return trip, a stop is
made at a forest where attention
is riveted on young saplings glist-
ening like silver maple leaves. Al-
most “lumbered out of existence”
through the centuries, this natural
forest, the only true one in all
of Iceland, has since become a
national reserve.
Excellent cuisine back at the
hotel, served while music is waft-
ed to the tables from a white
baby grand, rejuvenates the sight-
seeers and puts them into the
mood for supper dancing.
Taxis band at the hotel the
next morning to give everyone an
opportunity to see the woolen
factory where blankets or multi-
colored woolens may be purchased
at moderate prices.
Operating independently, each
one may stroll up a dandelion-
populated mountainside to a
primrose-lined park. Only a sema-
phore of music dispels the peace.
It comes from robins blending
chirps with the chiming of bells
from the Church of Akureyri.
Americans who took this chance
to reassess the value of living
in Iceland celebrated their awak-
ened faculties with exclamations
of appreciation. As Major Frank
K. Seely, Personnel Service Offi-
cer, phrased it, “If you want to
fulfill that yearning to escape
from monotony, take an exhilarat-
ing journey over the Island of
Grimsey, into Akureyri, frontier
of Eden.”
WW II G. I. Loan
Deadline Nears
AFNS - World War II veterans
have until July 25 to ottain a
Veterans Administration guaran-
teed or insured home loan
The veteran must complete his
contract with the builder for pur-
chase of a home by that date.
Additionally, he must have applied
to a lender for a loan and the
lender must have processed his
application, together with supple-
mental documents through the VA.
before July 25.