The White Falcon - 26.03.1965, Blaðsíða 5
WHITE FALCON
Friday, March 26, 1965
Friday, March 26, 1965
WHITE FALCON
OKAY SKIPPER—Ltjg Donald G. Pritchard, officer-
uv-chatge of Grindavik Site, gives some kelpful advice
to Paul IV. Balf, RM2, on working the controls of
the AN/F11T-4 low frequency broadcast radio trans-
mitter located in the Communication-Transmitter
Building.
CHECKING THE VALVES—Dennis A. Pfenning,
CEPN, (left) and Emery D. Hampton, EN1, inspect
the valve rocker arms on a diesel generator during a
routine inspection. This eight-cylinder generator is
one of three housed at the Site’s Power Plant Build-
ing.
HOW MUCH “PAPPY”?—That’s what Gary L. Scott,
RMSN, seems to be saying as he pays Albert C.
“Pappy” Lancaster, UTP2, for a carton of cigarettes
bought at the small exchange operated by “Pappy.”
Grindavik’s Exchange, part of the Navy Exchange,
sells most everything that an be bought here at the
Naval Station’s Exchange, Keflavik.
The Grindavik Story
Situated about 16 miles south-
east of Keflavik is a tiny but all-
important transmitting station
called Grindavik. It is located a
short way from the little fishing
village of Grindavik.
At the Site 48 men, 13 Marines
and 35 sailors, keep the radio
transmitters beaming messages
from Keflavik to the Atlantic
Fleet, Europe, MATS aircraft
and the United States.
I and my co-reporter were in-
troduced and shown around the
station by Ltjg Donald G. Prit-
chard, officer-in-charge of Grinda-
vik Site.
Two Marine guards are always
on duty, one at the gate and the
other up in the Site’s look-out
tower.
The 100-foot plus tower, locat-
ed in the center of the base, is
only accessible by climbing a maze
of stairs. Atop the tower is a
searchlight while inside the Mar-
ine sentry, armed with an M—1
rifle, constantly scans the two-
mile lighted perimeter and the
outlying antenna field.
The first stop along our itiner-
ary started at the Site’s power
plant. Three huge diesel genera-
tors stand by ready to deliver
their 350 kilowatts of power per
engine for the Site.
Presently, only one of these
eight-cylinder diesel powered gen-
erators, capable of supplying elec-
trical needs to a town of 4,000
people is necessary to supply the
base. In case of a failure of the
operating diesel generator one of
the standby units can be put into
action in a matter of minutes.
The newly programmed equip-
ment for this base will require at
least two of these units and poss-
ibly all three to be operated simul-
taneously.
Suck power is needed to operate
the 35 transmitters at the Site's
Communications Building.
Over 3% million dollars worth
of equipment is housed in the
building. These radio transmitters
are the primary voice of Iceland
Defence Force (IDF) and the
largest complex of its kind in Ice-
land.
Here, highly complex electro-
nic machines are interconnected
by a maze of wires. They are con-
tinuously monitored through
hundreds of lights and dozens of
dials operated 24 hours a day un-
der the watchful eyes of highly
skilled radiomen and electronics
technicians. Messages are beamed
to all points of the compass from
these devices.
Each radio transmitter has a
different job to perform. For in-
stance, one transmitter, the larg-
est at the Site, is used only for
beaming signals to the Fleet. This
low frequency radio transmitter
called the AN/FRT—4 can beam
signals to the Fleet anywhere
within a 2,000-mile radius. Two
of the machine’s tubes each weigh
250 pounds and must be lifted by
a crane.
One of the towers used for
beaming the low frequency sig-
nals of the AN/FRT—4 is 800 feet
high and the second largest tower
in Iceland. The other, a 600-footer,
which nestles among the Site’s
already antennae-surfaced land-
scape, is used as a back-up in case
MMMM .... RAISIN PIE — Chief
Cook Donald D. Parsley, CS2, pre-
pares to bake his homemade raisin
pies. “Flakes” as everyone at
Grindavik calls him, runs the gal-
ley with an assistant cook and an
extra duty man who works during
weekdays.
H!if! ~~ - f
sc... *
ENTERTAINMENT AT SITE—The Varsity Vaga-
bonds from Western Michigan University provide an
evening of entertainment to the men at the Site.
The show took place inside the combination lounge
and TV room. (Photo my Shidiskis, SK3)
WHAT’S COOKING? — Assistant
Cook Steven B. Ray, CS3, stirs
some noodle soup in preparation
for the evening meal.
KINDA’ WINDY UP HERE —
Joseph P. Shidiskis, SK3, begins
the long climb up the 600-foot
transmitter tower. Both towers are
checked periodically for installa-
tion of new lights and routine
maintenance.
Small In Manpower;
Large In Importance
SITE FROM 800 FEET UP—Picture taken atop the 800-foot low frequency transmitter
tower shows how small Grindavik Site really is. If one looks closely enough one can see
that the backward L-shaped building is the barracks; the oblong structure, the Transmitter
Building; the “fence-post”, the watchtower;and the square block to the tower’s right is
the Power Plant. (Photo by Ainsworth, CEPS)
LONE SENTINEL—Pvt. Ray L. Cain of the
U.S. Marine Corps stands at his post on top
of the look-out tower. The sentries keep guard
over the entire area.
HALT! IDENTIFY YOURSELF — The
gate guard, PFC Dennis A. Gadowski,
USCM, checks all persons entering and
leaving the Site.
ONE MORE TURN—A1 S. Pashcal, ETNSN. tightens the screw just once more as Gene
C. Musante, ET3, steadies the vacuum tube. The men were working in the “helix house”
located beneath the 600-foot tower. This house contains numerous coils used to match the
impedence of the transmitters with the antenna.
the larger transmitter malfunc-
tions.
Each tower must be checked
periodically by men at the Site
and a climb up both towers is a
tedious, cold, dangerous and yet
important job performed by the
base’s seabee electricians.
The building also maintains
transmitting equipment for con-
tact with Military Air Transport
Service (MATS) planes. One of
the most modern transmitters, a
40,000-watt single side-band mach-
ine, beams messages from Com-
mander Iceland Defense Force
(IDF), Keflavik, to Commander-
In-Chief Atlantic Fleet (CINC-
LANTFLT) in Norfolk.
Constant contact is kept between
Keflavik and Grindavik by way of
a two-way teletype that sends and
receives messages from Technical
Control Center, Hangar 831,
Keflavik.
All information that’s trans-
mitted at Grindavik is received
from Keflavik Control via a 24-
channel microwave system. Be-
cause of the microwave’s extreme-
ly high frequency, many voice
channels can be used simultane-
ously.
The antennae systems of a mi-
crowave directs a small amount of
energy into a pencil-width beam
having the equivalent effect of
8,000 watts of radio frequency
power.
Life at the Site is not all work
and no play. Although the facili-
ties for recreation are few in
number, they, nevertheless, con-
tribute a great deal to the high
morale at this small Navy Station.
One of the biggest factors in
the men’s high morale at Grinda-
vik is the excellent food prepared
and served by the hard-working
and highly competent galley crew.
The main living quarters build-
ing combines a mess hall, a pool
and table-tennis room, and a com-
bination reading-lounge-TV room
under one roof.
A short walk from the barracks
a small building situated on a
rise overlooks the rest of the Site.
It is called the Grindavik Club.
Built by the men themselves,
the club provides a place of en-
joyment during off-duty hours
and movies are shown each even-
ing. Being the only club at the
Site, it is open to all members of
the Grindavik Transmitter Station
and their guests.
Besides these recreational faci-
lities, the natural land features
around Grindavik are quite differ-
ent from the terrain at Keflavik,
and something to see.
An extinct, old, lava-filled vol-
cano looms behind the Site. Many
men have climbed “Mt. Grinda-
vik”, as some call it, and even a
road winds its way to the summit.
Also, a few miles out on the road
to Grindavik, a mysterious, craggy
and crater-like plain dubbed
“Moon Valley” can be seen.
So, as my co-reporter and I
drove through the moon-like plain,
we felt more secure knowing that
at this small and almost forgotten
Site a handful of men were doing
their job keeping us in contact
with the outside world1.
MECHANICAL OCT AW ft—Monty 8. Taylor, RM2,
makes sure the radio frequency patch-panel’s tenacles
are securely fastened. The patch-panel hooks the
transmitters to the antennae out in the field.
OUTDOOR WORK—Fixing an antenna on the roof •
of the Barracks Building Gene W. Beaver, RMC, non-
commissioned officer-in-charge of Grindavik Site,
and Daniel R. Steichen, RM1, perform the cumber-
some task.
LEISURE FUN—A couple games
of ping-pong during off-duty hours
provides enjoyment for men like
PFC William A. Buchanan. A pool
table is also found in the recroom
for all the pool enthusiasts.
TREE CLIMBING—Climbing up the transmission-
line pole which feeds the lines to the antennae is
PFC Dennis A. Bird. Private Bird must wear special
shoes and safety equipment used in pole-climbing.
TELETYPIST AT WORK —
Richard J. Patterson, RM3, keeps
in constant contact with Keflavik
by way of a two-way teletype that
sends and receives messages from
Tehnical Control Center, Hangar
831, Keflavik.
DAY’S END—At the day’s end Craig A. O’Der, SN,
still finds time to write his favorite girl. And maybe
this would be a good place to say “au revoir” to this
story too. THE END. (Joseph P. Schmieg, JOSA)