The White Falcon - 04.08.1967, Síða 1

White Falcon Photos by George Cate*
ATTRACTION AT REYKJANES—Just south of U. S. Naval Station, Keflavik, between Hafnir and Reykjanes Lighthouse and about 500 yards off the road that leads to Grinda-
vik is a geyser quite active now since last week. There has been no activity there for the past year. The three photos here were taken last Saturday (July 29) within minutes
after eruption began. First photo shows the empty hole with steam, while the second photo shows the eruption of hot, black water spouting up out of the ground. The third
shows the entire area nearly covered with boiling water with the eruption now at its highest peak (about fifteen feet) noticed that day. Eruptions would occur at intervals of
about every six minutes. Last Sunday, many people from Reykjavik and nearby areas driving the “circle” had a chance to see at first hand, nature at work. Whether the erup-
tions are a result of the recent series of earthquakes that have blanketed much of the volcanic line that passes through Iceland is not known at this time. Geologists are
gathering information and this paper will carry a complete story with photographs in the August 25 issue to help answer the many questions on the minds of those residing on
the Naval Station, who suddenly found themselves sitting straight up in bed on the morning of July 27, as tremors were felt here at Keflavik.
Refurbished Pool Room IMow Open
---K
Polar Club Up Next
On Renovation List
The reopening of the newly renovated Viking Billiard
Room, better known as Jack Brink Pool Room, last Friday
is but one of the good things to happen within the Viking
Club which houses the Polar Club, Arctic Bowl, Restaurant
and “21” Club.
An estimated $70,000 renova-
Coast Guard
177 Years
Old Today
Historically, the Coast Guard
dates from Aug. 4, 1790, when the
first Congress of the United
States of America authorized the
construction of 10 cutters for the
collection of revenue.
Now for 177 years, the Coast
Guard has been serving people
with its operations that span the
world. Its officers and enlisted
men have learned to become adept
both in military and peacetime
functions, notably in search and
rescue, aids to navigation, and ice-
breaking. On this birthdate, Coast
Giiard ships and personnel are
taking part in the war in south-
east Asia as they have in every
military action the United States
has engaged in. The Coast Guard
has extended its LORAN (Long
Range Aids of Navigation) sys-
tem from the North Atlantic to
the South China sea and from
the Arctic to the Mediterranean.
The Coast Guard has been the
prime operator of the LORAN
System because of its historic and
legal role in the aids to naviga-
tion field.
Because of the LORAN Sys-
tems reliable, accurate, and all
weather service, it has become a
common, highly useful and valued
aid to navigation.
In Iceland a group of Coast
Guardsmen are a part of the
LORAN System living and work-
ing on the Naval Station. The
Coast Guard Station is operating
a LORAN Monitor Station and
is the operational control for the
North Atlantic LORAN-C Chain.
This LORAN Chain has stations
(Continued on Page 4.)
tion of the “21” Club and Polar
Club announced earlier in the
year and that was to begin this
summer is being temporarily
postponed until this fall. The rea-
son is that with the long daylight
hours and the good weather at
this time of year, the contractors
are now busily engaged in erect-
ing 50 new family housing quart-
ers so as to meet the opening
deadline set for occupancy of
these homes in September. Where
the renovation work to be done on
the “21” Club and Polar Club is
all inside, the contractors felt it
necessary to concentrate all their
efforts towards the erection of
these new homes at this time.
Those who have already en-
joyed their off-duty hours in the
reopened Jack Brink Room have
noticed a great change over what
it used to be. The floor has been
completely retiled and platforms
including spectator benches in-
stalled on each side, so an indi-
vidual may now sitdown and en-
joy watching a game instead of
standing. Lighting fixtures have
been hung over each pool table
adding to the enjoyment of play-
ing the game. The entire room
was repainted and curtains hung
with plans for wall murals being
rapidly expedited.
All the pool tables were com-
pletely repaired and refurbished
and new playing equipment was
purchased (some of the finest on
the market) and the bar also
brightened up for those who en-
joy a cool beverage while playing
or observing a game being played.
Credit of the Jack Brink Pool
Room goes to the multi-group ef-
forts of the Station’s Public
Works Department, Navy Ex-
change and Special Services for
providing the improvements to
give the enlisted personnel on
board one more recreational area
in which to enjoy those off-duty
hours. Public Works accomplished
the retiling, carpentry work and
(Continued on Page 4.)
WHITE
as dm.
U. S. NAVAL STATION, KEFLAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ICELAND
Volume VIII, Number 31 Friday, August 4, 1967
Change of Command Set For Aug. 17
Native New Englander
Next Naval Station C.0.
In change of command ceremonies scheduled for August 17, Captain Ralph W. Hart, Jr., will relieve
Captain Emile E. Pierre, Jr., as commander, Naval Forces Iceland and commanding officer, U. S. Naval
Station, Keflavik. The ceremonies are to be held in Hangar 831 at 10:30 a.m.
Captain Pierre, has been order-
ed to temporary duty on the staff
of commander, Naval Base Los
Angeles at Long Beach, Calif,
awaiting further assignment with
a unit afloat and home ported at
Long Beach. He has filled the
billets in Iceland since July 6,
1965.
Captain Hart, is coming to Ice-
land from Norfolk, Va. where he
was commanding officer, Fleet
Airborne Electronics Training
Unit, Atlantic.
Born in Boston, Mass, on Sept-
ember 17, 1917, Captain Hart
graduated from Penacook High
School of New Hampshire in June
1941 prior to entering the Navy as
an aviation cadet. He received his
flight training the U.S. Naval Air
Station, Squantum, Mass, and
was designed a naval aviator on
February 12, 1942. He was com-
missioned an Ensign in April 1942
and subsequently advanced to his
present rank on February 1, 1962.
After flight training and now a
naval aviator, he stayed on at
Squantum as flight instructor un-
til July 1943. From August 1943
to January 1948, Captain Hart
served in Air Transport Squad-
ron VR-11, VR-5 and VR-8 as
plane commander and operations
officer.
In 1948 the naval aviator attend-
ed General Line School at Mon-
terey, Calif, returning upon com-
pletion of school to VR-8 for six
months as squadron operations
officer participating in the Berlin
Airlift. He was then assigned to
Naval Air Development Center,
Johnsville, Pa. from August 1949
to June 1951.
Captain Hart saw duties with
Airborne Early Warning Squad-
ron TWO as operations officer
for two years following Johnsville
and then did a tour as operations
officer in the seaplane tender USS
GREENWICH BAY until 1953.
The seaplane tender was then on
deployment to the Middle East
as flagship for commander, Middle
East Forces.
From 1954 to 1957, the native
New Englander was executive
officer of Naval Air Development
Unit at U. S. Naval Air Station,
South Weymouth, Mass, involved
in research and development of
airborne radar equipment. After
that tour of duty, he saw duties as
executive officer and commanding
officer of Patrol Squadron
TWENTY EIGHT in Hawaii un-
til 1959, followed by a two year
tour on the staff of commander,
Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet
as air anti-submarine warfare
operations and tactical coordin-
ator.
In 1961, Captain Hart served a
year in the Test Plans and Pro-
grams division of the Defense
Atomic Support Agency and was
then ordered to duty in the office
of the Chief of Naval Operations
where he served from 1962 to
1964 as head of Air Anti-Sub-
marine Warfare Programs
Branch.
After his Washington assign-
ment, Captain Hart reported to
the Naval War College, Newport,
R. I. to attend the School of Na-
val Warfare, after which he was
awarded a Master of Science de-
gree in International Relations
from George Washington Uni-
versity.
Captain Hart lists his home of
record as Concord, N. H. and is
married to the former Thelma M.
Ashe of Ottawa, Canada. The
Harts have two children, Bar-
bara 23, and Richard, 20.
Due to the printers in
Reykjavik observing their
annual vacation, there will
be no paper next week. Next
White Falcon, Aug. 18.
I