The White Falcon - 04.11.1944, Blaðsíða 2

2
THE WHITE FALCON
OUR FORCES
ALWAYS ALERT
- ROTATION
(Continued trom Pare 1)
Published by and for the American Forces in Iceland, under
the supervision of Special Service Section, Iceland Base Com-
mand. All photographs are by the U.S. Army Signal Corps un-
less otherwise credited. THE WHITE FALCON receives material
supplied by Camp Newspaper Service, War Dept.
This paper has been passed by the censor and may be mailed
home for one-and-one-half cents.
THE WHITE FALCON is written and edited by enlisted-man
personnel.
IBC Special Service Officer ..Lt. Col. Lee F. Gilstrap.
Supervising Officer ..........Lt. David Zinkoff.
Managing Editor ..............Sgt. John Moran
Associate Editor .............Sgt. J. Gordon Farrell
Troop News Editor ............Cpl. Robert Hill
Staff Reporter ...............Pvt. E. C. Gray
Multlllth Operator ...........S Sgt. N. H. Heppel
mmanders.
Factors considered in
choosing the fortunate
men include length of
service, value of the
man to hie unit and in-
dividual morale.
"In no instance," the
statement concluded,
"can a soldier be assu-
red that he will be re-
turned as soon as he
has served for a stated
time."
■— Abroad In Iceland —
Photo By Th. Josepsson (Reyk.)
BESSASTADIR
(Other Pictures On Pg. 4)
Bessastadir is the
official residence of
President Bjomsson of
Iceland.
like so many other
things here, it has an
ancient and unique hi-
story. The estate is
estimated to be nearly
1000 years old. "Ear-
ly" records are miss-
ing bat the property
is believed to have
first been owned by a
Viking chieftain, Bes-
si, father-in-law of
the reknown Icelandic
poet and author, Snor-
ri Sturluson, to whom
the estate descended
in 1178 through the
death of his wife. It
was thus that the
grant was named, Bess-
astadir meaning "Bes-
si's residence." Stu-
rluson, due to his we-
alth and powerful pol-
itical connections,
fell victim to a coup
d'etat, instigated by
the Norwegian King,
Hakon the Old, (Hakon
IV) and was executed
for treason in 1241.
As Iceland soon came
under the rule of Nor-
way, all his property,
including Bessastadir,
was seized by the cr-
own. It was then used
as a residence for go-
vernors .
Late in the 18th ce-
ntury the -home housed
one of Iceland's pri-
ncipal colleges, under
the direction of Sve-
inbjom Egilsson, a
great poet and scholar
who brought about a
renaissance of Icelan-
dic literature..
After various other
owners, Sigurdur Jons-
son, a wealthy Icelan-
der, bought the estate
at the turn of this
century and made his
home there until 1940.
At that time he pre-
sented it to the Trea-
sury of Iceland*
The main house of
the estate, used as
the residence, is abo-
ut 184 years old, be-
ing built in 1760-5 by
Magnus Gislason. Con-
structed principally
of stone and timber,
it is reminiscent of
many old American col-
onial homes of that
period, many of the
rooms being beamed,
with low ceilings. La-
st year another wing
was added, of archit-
ectural symmetry, to
serve as an official
reception hall, thus
making a total of 15
rooms in the main ho-
use. Other buildings
on the estate include
an old chapel, circa
1760, for private fa-
mily worship and var-
ious other buildings,
for domestic and agri-
cultural workers on
the property.
Bessastadir is loca-
ted not far from Reyk-
javik and as the Pres-
ident does not have a
town residence, it is
the site for all offi-
cial entertainments
and functions of st-
ate, serving much the
same purpose as the
American White House.
'OOTNOTES
B v
I PvT. E. J&ck. &V4.W
No doubt many a submerged childhood ambit-
] ion has been realized by the GIs in
the Base Fire Brigade—the desire
to ride fire engines—even if it is
in Iceland. S/Sgt. Baine tells me,
that none of the men have had pre-
vious experience, all having been
trained here, but that some like it
so well they are already planning
to become firemen upon their return
to civilian life. The Brigade ans-
wers all civilian fire calls too, averaging a-
bout three a week— with a few false alarms th-
rown in, by the kids, for good measure. Their
modern equipment includes two trucks (one red)
complete with bells and other things such as a
2500 ft. hose, with a 250 lb. pressure and a
150 gal. first aid reserve.
* * * ’
You budding Irving Berlins and Jerome Ke-
rns will be glad to know that there is now a
bona-fide GI plugger for your wares..Hay Rand,
of 1674 Broadway, NYC, a former GI, holder of a
Purple Heart, now discharged.•.He felt many se-
rvicemen were at a disadvantage in presenting
their songs...so he set himself up as their pe-
rsonal agent...He'll be glad to handle all your
potential hits.
* * * •
Back home, people are talking about: The
widening cleavage between the men who have been
overseas and those who have only served in the
U. S.(to say nothing of civilians)...The stati-
stics showing that there will be 7,000,000 spi-
nsters after the war....The enormously funny’GI
book "The Feather Merchants"...The song, "Swin-
ging on a Star"...The new serious negro play
"Anna Lucasta"...Hay fever, now prevalent...Po-
st war air travel at three cents a mile...Cel-
este Holm's smash musical, "Bloomer Girl".....
Harry Brown's quiet perfection in his novel, "A
Walk in the Sun"...The American Gothic type old
maid who has been paired with Charlie McCarthy.
OVERSEAS BARS will be
CHAPLAIN'S CHAT.TENGE
issued in about two
months at the rate of
one bar for the comple-
tion of each six months
of service.
- ARMY EDUCATION
(Continued from Page 1)
Special Service.
It is expected that
all troops in the ETO -
other than those who
are members of service
forces or cpmbat troops
destined for transfer
to other aotive theat-
ers - will be obliged
to take part in at lea-
st one of the three ma-
jor branches of non-mi-
litary activities.
It is emphasised, ho-
wever, that suoh parti-
cipation will in no way
interfere with a sold-
ier's homeward journey
to the U,S.
Termites eat away
the heart of the wo-
od, leaving only the
outside of the stru-
cture intact. From
all outward appeara-
nces the wood is st-
ill strong, but it
will break under st-
rain or added wei-
ght.
In our lives, the
little wrong habits
eat away our resis-
tance and strength,
leaving merely the
appearance of power.
The little wrong ha-
bits deceive us and
trick ua into weak-
ness.
FOR SALE: Accordian
(120 base) for $200.
Inquire at WHITE FALCON
OFFICE.