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Authors: Mitchell Zuckoff

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in later years, 332–33

leaving the area, 181–82

and Lost Squadron rescue, 18

and PN9E support, 123–24, 125–30, 173, 174, 175

Pollard as captain of, 126–27, 129–30, 181

and rescue of Canadian airmen, 84–90, 142

and rescue of PN9E airmen, 6, 90–91, 128–30, 140–42, 151–52, 181

rescue work of, 2–4, 182

North Pole, seaplanes in, 207

North South Polar Inc., 43, 94, 190, 221, 228

Coast Guard contract of, 199, 202, 277

demobilization order from, 299

and Lou,
see
Sapienza, Lou

search permit issued to, 197

team members, 223–24

travel to base camp, 246–49

North Star,
208

Norwegian Air Service, 207

O’Hara, William “Bill,”
66
, 339

and crash, 54, 55

death of, 325

food and supplies, 62

and frozen feet, 63, 65, 74–76, 127, 138, 144, 174, 175, 185, 217

and gangrene, 76, 122, 127, 135, 144, 169

in later years, 323–25

legs amputated, 235

at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 185, 285

and motorsled self-rescue attempt, 175–80

and PN9E, 33,
34
, 37

and rescue, 147, 148, 151, 233, 235, 297, 315

and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 71–73

and survival, 65–67, 74, 90, 121, 122, 145, 155, 168, 180, 184–85, 214, 217, 278

Operation Bolero, 17, 22, 118

Operation Duck Hunt,
see
Duck Hunt

Operation IceBridge, 194

Operation Torch, 144

P-38, crash of,
see
Lost Squadron

Pan American Airlines, 14

Parunak, Dick, 118, 207

Pat (sled dog), 284

Patton, George S. Jr., 108

PBY Catalina flying boat (Dumbo),
234

Balchen’s rescue plan using, 207–10, 214–17, 231–35

as naval workhorse, 207

rescue missions of, 22, 261, 263–66, 284, 287–96,
292

volunteer crews for, 210

weak forward bulkhead of, 231, 233, 296

Pearl Harbor, 17

Peter, king of Yugoslavia, 108

Pikiutdlek (Koge Bay), 35

PN9E,
see
B-17 PN9E bomber crew

Podraza, Carol Sue Spencer, 322

polar bears, 198

Pollard, Francis “Frank,” 339

and Canadian airmen rescue, 87–88, 142

Navy and Marine Corps Medal to, 90, 125

as
Northland
captain, 126–27, 129–30, 181

and PN9E, 123, 126–30, 141, 146

POW/MIAs,
see
DPMO

“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” 85

Preble, Stanley, 182

Pritchard, Gil, 129

Pritchard, John Jr.,
8
,
128
,
132
, 307, 339–40

and Canadian airmen, 84, 88,
89
, 90, 129

and Coast Guard oath, 129

death officially declared, 155

and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149

Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 155

and Duck crash, 150–53, 156, 316

as Duck pilot, 3, 7, 96, 133,
135
, 140, 146, 149, 156, 192, 249, 250, 316

early years of, 130–33, 164

landings and takeoffs on ice cap, 129, 136–40, 149, 206, 207, 208, 291

memorials to,
327
, 333

missing in action, 46, 96, 151, 153, 175, 178, 182, 198, 220, 283, 297, 322

Navy and Marine Corps Medal to, 90

next of kin, 156–57, 163–64

and PN9E rescue mission, 3–4, 6–8, 91, 128–30, 135–41, 142, 145–46, 156, 315

and recovery, 317, 334

Pritchard, John Sr., 130, 131

Pritchard, Nancy (Krause), 130, 133, 163–64, 201

Pritchard, Virginia, 131, 155, 156–57

Puryear, Lloyd “Woody,”
59
, 340

and crash, 54, 58

death of, 328

in later years, 327–28

and rescue, 139–42, 156, 235, 297

and search for C-53, 35–36, 58

and Short Snorters, 108

and survival, 58–59, 74, 105–7, 111

Richardson, Edward “Bud,” 164–66, 343

Rinsky (lead dog), 284

Rittichier, Jack, 95–96

Rommel, Erwin, 145

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 108

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 15, 108, 318, 324

Royal Canadian Air Force, plane crash,
see
Canadian bomber

Sabo, Alex, 215, 289, 338

Sapienza, Lou (Luciano),
42
, 98–103,
100
,
335
, 343–44

background of, 98–100

and demobilization, 299, 300–301, 313–14

and discovery, 316, 317

and Duck Hunt,
see
Duck Hunt

and equipment, 220–24,
220
, 269, 310

and funding, 45–46, 95, 160–63, 190–91, 196, 197, 199, 201–2, 221

future plans of, 334–35

and
George I,
101–2

and
Glacier Girl,
101,
102
, 160

and Hotsy move, 305, 308, 310

and Lost Squadron, 100–101, 197

meetings with military brass, 41–47, 92–95, 158–63

and mission operations plan, 244–45

patches and logos of, 94

plans moving forward, 196–98, 224–28

and points of interest, 276–77, 280, 282, 301, 313

quest of, 40, 43–44, 47, 94, 190, 196, 200, 283, 334–35

and radar, 242–44

and Short Snorters, 334

Sapienza, Ryan, 219, 300,
335
, 344

and Hotsy move, 307, 308

roles of, 223, 224

travel to base camp, 246

Sargent, Thomas, 131

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), 330

Shackleton, Ernest, 202–3, 218, 283

Shangri-La, rescue mission to, 187

Short Snorters, 107–8, 115, 142, 333–34

Smith, Edward “Iceberg,” 340

and Balchen’s rescue plan, 206, 208–10

and Canadian airmen rescue, 91

and Greenland Patrol, 16, 123, 130, 151

and
Northland,
91, 123, 125–27, 129–30, 151–52, 181

and PN9E, 123, 125–27, 141–42, 149, 151–52

Smith, Mont, 96, 98

Smith, Robert “WeeGee,”
335
, 344

and base camp, 247

and demobilization, 313, 314

and discovery, 315–17

and
Glacier Girl,
221, 274

and Hotsy, 221–22, 224, 255, 273–75, 280, 304–10,
312
, 314

and magnetometer, 275–76

melting at BW-1, 311–14, 334

Snublebluss, 197

South Pole, first flight over, 117

Spencer, Harry, 49–51,
50
,
237
, 340

and crash, 54

death of, 322–23

and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 148, 149, 331

fall in crevasse, 67, 68–73,
70
, 90, 104, 127

flying in milk, 37–39, 50–51

injuries to, 53, 238

in later years, 321–23

leadership of, 105

at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 285, 322

and PN9E, 33,
34

and radio repairs, 109–10, 111

and rescue, 139–40, 146–47, 214–17, 232–33, 235,
236
, 297

return to Greenland, 322,
323

and search for C-53, 35, 36–37

and self-rescue motorsled attempt, 175–80

and survival, 58, 62, 63, 65–67, 74, 76, 90, 105, 122, 145, 155, 168–69, 172, 179–80, 184–85, 213, 214–17, 231

at White House, 318

Spencer, Patsy, 68, 216, 321

Spina, Paul,
64
,
288
, 340

and Best’s condition, 240–41, 257–59

and crash, 53, 55, 58, 74

death of, 325

and frostbite, 76, 169

injuries to, 55, 58, 59, 130, 138, 144, 180, 259

in later years, 325

“missing in action” telegram,
106

at Motorsled Camp, 285, 286–87

and PN9E, 33,
34

and prayers, 65

and rescue, 147, 148, 151, 239, 264–66, 284–85, 287–90, 294, 315

safe arrival of, 297

and search for C-53, 34, 37

and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 71, 72

and survival, 58, 59, 60, 63, 74, 90, 110, 112, 121, 145, 155, 168, 176, 186, 211, 229–31, 235–40, 257–61

Springer, William, 21, 28, 29, 155, 178, 340

Storch, Marc, 166–67, 344

Strong, Harold, 215,
263
, 340

background of, 262–63

and rescue mission, 261, 265, 266, 285–87, 291

and trek to the coast, 291, 293

Sweetzer, P. W., 215, 233, 235, 338

Taub, Donald, 194, 344

Tetley, Donald, 171,
171
,
237
, 340

death of, 329

and Demorest, 25, 26

and Demorest’s fall in crevasse, 147–49, 151, 152

and hypothermia, 185

in later years, 329

Legion of Merit awarded to, 320

at Motorsled Camp, 180, 184, 285, 287

and motorsled rescue mission, 123–24, 136, 138, 141, 143–45, 146–47

and radio transmitter, 173, 174, 236

and rescue missions, 204, 206, 234, 235,
236

and search for McDowell’s C-53, 26, 27, 123

and self-rescue motorsled attempt, 175–80

and survival, 155, 168, 172, 179–80, 184–85, 187, 213, 214, 215–17

at White House, 318

Thuma, W. R. “Bil,” 222, 242, 300,
335
, 344

and flag locations, 255–56

and Hotsy move, 305, 308

and points of interest, 224, 269,
272
, 273, 282

Titanic,
16

Title 10 (Missing Persons Act), 162

Tucciarone, Alexander “Al,” 52,
52
, 341

and cargo drops, 121

and crash, 54

death of, 327

injuries to, 54, 142

in later years, 326–27, 328

and PN9E, 33,
34
, 37

and rescue, 139–42,
141
, 145, 156, 235, 297

and Spencer’s fall in crevasse, 72

and survival, 113, 114

Tucciarone, Peter, 327

Tucker, Rob,
335
, 344

and demobilization, 300, 301

on Duck Hunt mission, 227, 249, 267, 269, 308

Turner, Kenneth “Pappy,”
212
, 341

at Bluie East Two, 184, 210–11

and communications, 214, 216, 236–37, 239

death of, 328

Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to, 328

and Duck location, 152, 153, 176, 191, 194, 195

and rescue missions, 232, 261, 264, 287, 291

and supply drops, 173–74, 180, 184–85, 186, 208, 210–12, 213–16, 238, 258–60, 284, 286

UFOs (unidentified frozen objects), 299

United States:

entry into World War II, 16–17

treaty with Norway, 117

University of Kansas, CReSIS, 194

Vaughan, Norman, 100–101

Wade, Jimmie, 204–6, 341

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 235

warbirds, collectors of, 97–98

War Department, U.S., 209

warplanes, aluminum production for, 15

Waters, Nathan, 215, 289, 328, 338

Weaver, Arthur, 341

and crash landing, 80

and ferrying mission, 79

and frozen feet, 85

and hypothermia, 88–89

on
Northland,
124

rescue of, 83–90,
89
, 114, 127

and survival, 80–84, 89–90

traveling with dinghy, 82–86

Wedel, Clarence, 169–70,
169
, 341

and crash, 54

fall in crevasse, 177–79, 184, 212, 214, 274

Legion of Merit awarded to, 178

loss of, 297, 322, 331–32

mechanical repairs by, 109–10, 111, 112, 172–73, 179

and rescue, 148

and search for C-53, 33, 37

and self-rescue motorsled attempt, 175–77

and survival, 112, 155, 168, 172

Wedel, Helen, 170, 331

Wimsatt, Robert, 118, 207–9, 341

Women’s Army Corps, and rescue mission, 187

World War II:

aircraft lost in, 40

B-17s in, 30–32

Battle of the Atlantic, 208

blitzkrieg in, 14

and Coast Guard, 15, 93

and cryolite mine, 14–16

German surrender in, 318

Greenland in, 14–18, 40

and military personnel unaccounted for, 44, 97

news censored in, 188, 318

and overseas military gravesites, 97

Pearl Harbor attack in, 17

in Scandinavia, 117, 123

and Short Snorters, 108

and souvenir hunters, 96–98, 201

U.S. entry into, 16–17

U.S. neutrality in, 16

Yates, Erma Ray, 106

Zuckoff, Mitchell,
312
,
335

About the Author

M
ITCHELL
Z
UCKOFF
is the author of
Lost in Shangri-La
, a
New York Times
bestseller and winner of the Winship/PEN New England Award. His previous books include
Robert Altman: The Oral Biography
and
Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend
. He has written for national and regional publications and is a former special projects reporter for the
Boston Globe
, where he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for investigative reporting. He is a professor of journalism at Boston University and lives outside Boston.