Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Go and do it NOW!!! (kiddin' of course, but if you have some spare time...)
Political career? Do you mean we'll soon hear about mr Terry the President?

Rock and rollin' in Antartica?!? COOL!! (I mean, cold!!) -- Great stuff, Dane!

Very cool Dane.



Hey I just made a joke!! Get it ??

Oh well, never mind.

That's beyond cool - it's subzero, maaaan!

Hot guys in a cool place, so to say...

Lest anyone think I was fibbing about my 'day job' down there, here are a few views of everyday life at 'The World's Bottom'...

The boys of the Water Plant construction crew, 1991...I was the site engineer. The building behind us is the McMurdo Water Desalination Plant; I was site engineer for the original project in 1984...in '91 we were adding on another fresh water storage tank and associated equipment. We had just placed the Fire Protection Pump skid on the slab behind us when we took this photo. The guy in the middle is my good friend and 'blood brother', Don Ferris, our boss on the project...8 years as a Master Sgt. in the 82nd Airborne...hardest working boss I've ever had. He kicked our butts, but we got 'er done on time and under budget with (as you can see) not a very big crew...


A view looking 'out to sea'...


As Don told me when he took this shot, "This is what you look like to God..."

So what do you mean to say? A talented guy can do everything? We know it

Don, Curt the Virginia welder and me on our way to South Pole via C-130...I've probably logged as many hours as Don in these 'birds', but he's used to exiting through a different doorway...


The 'Ceremonial' Pole...this is the one that geezers (like visitng U.S. Senators, etc.) run out to have their pictures taken with...it's comfortably close to the front door of the station...


The 'Real Deal'...a bit of a hike from the station. Every direction is North from here. The location is resurveyed and the marker moved each year, since the ice cap is constantly moving. It was around -25F ambient that day...you can see the flag blowing in the breeze. When you factor in the 'wind chill', buddy, that's cold...


Our 'bad ride'...

Okay, just one more for now...me and a dozen close friends enjoying a typical 'supper' in the McMurdo Galley, 1981...

The guy immediately to your right should be a chick, dude.

You must be thinking of a different Da Vinci...

Besides, there weren't many 'chicks' available in those days...about thirty out of a thousand...

So was this still a military operation or were you guys all civilians by then?

Great pictures Dane. I have been on a lots of construction projects in frigid temperatures but it looks like you have me beat in that area.

Besides, there weren't many 'chicks' available in those days...about thirty out of a thousand...

So, kinda like engineering school, then.

Aw, I don't know about that, Brian...once you're cold, you're cold...

By definition, and according to the Antarctic Treaty, it never was a military operation when I was there, although probably 80% of the population was U.S. Navy when I first got there. Operation Deep Freeze, which started in 1956, was strictly military with a few civilian scientists in tow, but by the late 60's/early 70's, the Navy's role was re-classified as 'logistical support'.

When I first got to McMurdo in '79, I was walking down 'Highway 1' (everything had Viet Nam nomenclature attached to it) in the main building, and two 'squids' passed me going the other way. I heard their footsteps stop behind me, and one of them said in a loud voice, "Did you see THAT?!?" I thought, okay, I'm gonna have to deal with this kind of thing sooner or later...might as well get it over with. I stopped and turned to face them, and one of them said with a big smile, "My hair used to be just that long!"

"So, kinda like engineering school, then."

Yeah, exactly...or a Van Halen concert...