The White Falcon - 19.02.1965, Page 1
Naval Station Honoris
‘Men Of The Month’
The Iceland Defense Forces’ Sailor, Airman and Ma-
rine for the Month of December were recognized in cere-
monies held Feb. 8 in Hangar 831.
RAdm Ralph Weymouth, Commander Iceland Defense
Force, presented the Certificates of Achievement and $25
checks to the selected men in his office.
U.S. NAVAL STATION, KEFLAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ICELAND
Volume IV, Number 7 Friday, February 19, 1965
Sailor of the Month, Nicholas
A. Schneider, CMA3, a native of
Walbridge, Ohio, graduated from
Lake-Milbury High School in
Lake-Milbury, Ohio. Schneider
works in the Public Works De-
partment as a member of the
Field Power unit, which main-
tains and tests emergency gene-
rators and compressors on base.
Prior to reporting to Iceland, he
was a member of Mobile Con-
struction Battalion 4 in Davis-
ville, R. I.
Airman of the Month, Douglas
P. Coy, A1C, of the 932nd Air-
craft Control and Warning Squad-
ron is a native of St. Joseph, Mo.,
and a graduate of Benton High
School in St. Joseph. Coy was at
the South Pole as a member of
Operation Deep Freeze “64”. Upon
completion of his military obliga-
tions he plans to study in the
Hand-Knitted Helmets
Preferred In Arctic
Hand-knitted helmets, first pro-
duced on a large scale in World
War I by Red Cross volunteers,
are still favorite headgear used
in the sub-zero temperature of
the Artie.
The helmet preserves unique in-
sulating benefits furnished by the
loose threads of wool, experts on
the Arctic say. With no neck or
facial exposure except for eye
slits it is considered the best head
protection in the most severe
weather when worn with a parka.
A Red Cross field director re-
ported, “They are in great de-
mand for inclusion in survival
kits.” On three occasions last year,
the helmets were credited with
contributing to the survival of
military personnel involved in air-
craft crashes in Greenland.
' (AFPS)
medical field. Prior to reporting
to Iceland, Coy was stationed at
Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
Marine of the Month, Cpl.
Timothy J. Kearns, a member of
the security guard stationed at
the Security Camp, is a native of
Mayfield Hgts., Ohio. While at
the Security Camp Kearns will be
serving as Standing Marine Offi-
cer of the Day. A graduate of
Brush High School, Lyndhurst,
Ohio, he entered the Marine Corps
on Sept. 4, 1962. Prior to reporting
to Iceland, Kearns was stationed
at Camp Lejuene, N. C.
Military bearing, appearance,
professional performance and
leadership potentialities are some
of the areas of outstanding merits
which play a part in selection for
Sailor, Airman, and Marine of
the Month.
Johnson To Update
Old Retirement Data
President Johnson has asked a
Cabinet-level committee for its
final report on Federal retirement
programs by Dec. 1, 1965.
President Johnson appointed the
committee to “establish up-to-date
guides for use in the executive
branch in considering proposed
changes and further improvements
in retirement plans.”
The president requested a thor-
ough review of retirement policies
as to objectives, civilian and uni-
formed personnel coverage, bene-
fit patterns, financial soundness
and overall consistency.
He further requested that sur-
vivor benefits under various re-
tirement plans be examined in re-
lationship to similar benefits pro-
vided under Social Security, Gov-
ernment Life Insurance and other
disability, death and survivorship
programs. (AFPS)
Hail & Bless
Personnel who have arrived
(Hail) and left (Bless) U.S.
Naval Station, Keflavik for
duty as of Feb. 9:
HAIL
Ferdcort, J. C., SA
Orlando, A. J., AGAN
May, P. A., AX2
Kelley, H. A. Jr., AGAN
Cook, J. F. Jr., CN
Rushford, L. J., ABFA8
Dunn, J. F. 2nd, HM3
Cobb, J. R. UT1
Bulet, M. C., AN
Beiswamger, D. L. ETMSN
Weaver, G. E., HN
Bridge, H., ABF2
Wright, C. H., AGAA
(Continued on page 8.)
Scrawl Slows
Tax Returns
“When will I get my refund?”
is one of the most frequently asked
questions by taxpayers, according
to an Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) official.
However, an illegible name or
address quite often is the reason
for failure to receive refunds, the
official stated. Thousands of re-
fund checks are returned to the
IRS every year because the post-
man cannot deliver them.
IRS officials say it is permis-
sible to sign your name at the
bottom of the return the way you
always sign your name, even if
your signature is a hurried scrawl.
But at the top of the return, be
sure that your name and address
are carefully printed or typed
along with your Social Security
number. (AFPS)
Naval Station Sitting On Mid-Ocean Ridge
Although the personnel here may not realize it, they are sitting on a gigantic, globe-
girding range of volcanic mountains called the Mid-Ocean Ridge.
The ridge meanders through all the world’s oceans and dwarfs any range of moun-
tains on land.
It is 1,000 miles wide, 40,000 miles long, and covers an area equal to the land mass
of Europe, Asia and Africa combined. Lava flows and earthquakes occur somewhere
along its immense length every1
day.
Not many people have heard of
the ridge. Parts of it haven’t even
been mapped. For most of the
ridge is hiding beneath a mile or
more of water.
There is, in fact, only one place
in the world where one can really
see what the Mid-Ocean Ridge is
like without getting your feet wet.
That place is Iceland. For Ice-
(WKWWfl!)
«JFTS
land and its hundreds of volcanos,
active and dead, are a segment of
the ridge, risen out of the sea.
Here in Iceland, moreover, one
of the most striking and puzzling
features of the ridge is evident.
Along almost the entire length
of the ridge there runs a great
rift, 10 to 20 miles wide and a mile
deep, as though the earth’s crust
were being tom apart. This great
rift runs right across Iceland,
forming a giant trench through
the mountains from the south-
west corner of the island near
Keflavik to the northern coast.
Within the trench are scores of
deep fissures showing that the
earth’s crust is cracking apart
along the line.
Icelanders call the fissures
“gja” (pronounced “gyaw). The
largest and most famous is Al-
mannagja, a four-and-a-half-mile-
long, 120-foot-deep crack about 30
miles from Reykjavik at the edge
of the valley where the Althing—
the Iceland Parliament—met out
in the open for hundreds of years.
Speakers used the Almannagja’s
lava walls as a natural sounding
board.
Many “gja” are found in the
rift area of Iceland. Careful mea-
surements have shown that most
of the fissures are pulling apart
at a rate of several inches a cen-
tury. The Iceland rift as a whole
is widening at a rate of two
inches a year.
The North Atlantic island on
which we are stationed—which is
about the size of Kentucky—has
more active volcanos than any
other land area of comparable size
in the world. More than 40 have
erupted one or more times since
(Continued on Page 8.)
NEW CANADIAN FLAG—Adm H. P. Smith, NATO’s Supreme Allied
Commander Atlantic, gets his first look at Canada’s new maple-leaf
flag in ceremonies at his NATO headquarters, Norfolk, Va. Capt R.
M. Steele, Royal Canadian Navy, the senior Canadian officer on the
International NATO staff at Norfolk presented the flag for a “peek
preview” on Feb. 9, 1965. The new 11-point flag became Canada’s offi-
cial National Ensign in ceremonies at noon, Feb. 15. The 11 points
represent each of the ten provinces in Canada and one for the North-
west Territory. The red and white colors are Canada’s official colors.
The red borders depict the Canadian motto “From Sea to Sea.” Their
present red ensign with the Union Jack and the Coat of Arms was
first authorized in 1892 and revised in 1921. Since 1945 it has served
as the national ensign of Canada. (Official NATO Atlantic Command
Photo)
“Tl-Point Flag’ Becomes
Canada’s National Ensign
The 15-nation flag plaza at Norfolk’s NATO headquarters
was the scene for the official debut of a new red and white
maple-leaf Canadian flag in ceremonies Monday.
VAdm I. W. T. Beloe, C.B., D.S.C., Royal Navy, Deputy
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic conducted the cere-
mony for the raising of the new^
flag.
Formal ceremonies were con-
ducted at the Peace Tower of the
Parliament Buildings in Ottawa,
Canada; at the Canadian Embassy
in Washington, D.C. and at the
NATO headquarters in Paris,
France. Also, some form of flag
ceremony took place world-wide,
wherever the Canadian flag was
flying.
Canadian Representative
Commodore James Pratt, Royal
Canadian Navy, Chief of Staff to
the Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, represented
the Canadian Government for the
ceremony. He was assisted by a
Color Party of a Canadian Officer
as Color Bearer flanked by an
enlisted guard.
LCdr Clark McRedy, Royal
Canadian Navy, Color Officer,
ceremoniously marched off the
present national flag and pre-
sented it to Admiral Beloe, who
passed it to Commodore Pratt for
custody.
The new maple-leaf flag was
presented to Admiral Beloe by
Commodore Pratt.
The present Canadian national
flag was authorized for use in
1892. It bears the Union flag in
the first quarter and the Canadian
Coat of Arms on the fly. On the
coat of arms are the three lions
of England, the lion and double
treasure of Scotland, the Harp of
Ireland, the Fleur de Lis for
France, and the red maple leaves
for Canada. Prior to 1892 Canada
flew the British Union flag.
This new 11-point leaf flag,
familiar to Canadians as a long-
standing symbol, is placed on a
white background between red
borders depicting the Canadians
motto—“FROM SEA TO SEA”.
The 11 points signify one for each
of the 10 provinces of Canada
and one for the territories in the
North.
(Continued on page 8.)
‘O’Club Holds Dance
The Officers’ Club will hold
a Mardi Gras Theme Dance
at its Main Ballroom, Feb. 27,
at 9 p.m.
In order to bring a bit of
New Orleans to the U.S. Naval
Station, Keflavik, costumes are
highly recommended but other
appropriate attire is acceptable
(almost).
Prizes for the best men’s and
ladies’ costumes by audience
vote will be awarded.
So, come on down! Confound
your friends! Fool your foes!
And have a good time with
everyone!!