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(click on the items below to view complete information)
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I think dad---Harry--- was there in the '59-'60 range. Has a lot of
stories from there-----Big Al, building model airplanes, the site's
record collection, rolling flaming barrels down a hillside---and
something about a WWII surplus half-track.
But there's one story that sticks out. Couldn't get him to relay
it--not really into the computer thing---so I will.
Long duty hours compounded by long periods of being shut in produced
some strange results. There was one troop who had his quarters across
the hall from the latrine. After a while he noticed that from his
vantage point in his room he could easily see a customer sitting on
the commode---something about the door not shutting all the way. Then
the wheels started to turn in his head,thus embarking on a longrange
program that was sure to yield results.
He started out by finding a spare toilet seat. Two small holes were
drilled in the seating surface and hair fine wires were
installed----all barely visible to the naked eye. You get where I'm
going with this right?
Then over the period of weeks he slowly ran two wires from this room
into the bathroom stall. Tucked in along the floor's black molding, up
around the door frames, and back down to behind the
toilet---connecting to the newly replaced seat. Like I say this took a
while and no one was the wiser.
And of course one of those crank generators from a hand crank phone
was found and hidden in a desk drawer.
Then came the big night. Oddly enough (or as fate would have it) there
seemed to be somewhat of a mild intestinal bug going around.
After getting off of duty our "cranker" settled in to his vantage
point and secured the thumb nuts to each wire on the generator. Soon a
victim had a seat.
A few small turns of the armature were given---just enough to give a
little tickle---the sitter fidgeted some. Then a couple faster turns
resulting in more attempts to "reposition", all happening when some
serious downloading was going on.
Then our "cranker" couldn't take it anymore. The build up to that
moment was too much. He could have played it cool and stopped right
there----drawing more into his hot seat later on, but he didn't. He
let out and cranked on that thing like a 10 year old making homemade
ice cream. The guy shot off the toilet like a rocket-----leaving a 4
foot "trail" up and over the toilet. Standing there he saw across the
hall someone rolling on the floor laughing his head off----holding the
generator. He figured it out real quick. I guess he totally lost it
and started beating up the guy---never taking the time to pull his
pants up. He was going to kill him. Dad said a bunch of guys heard the
ruckus and came running in to see that sight. Guess it took a couple
guys to pull him off.
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Cat Driver Jon Vagnsson a Man of Courage
Friends,
Jon Vagnsson Cat driver at H-4 1955-1960 passed last Thursday, 27 January. He was 76, same age as his lifelong friend, Chris. They both grew up at the old village of Latrar until Chrish’s family moved away in 1943. Jon’s family was the last to leave in 1952 when the Latrar village was abandoned only one year before the first contractors came in to prepare for the construction of H-4 in 1953. The two returned to Latrar in 1955 to work for the building contractor and later the 934th. Jon was usually employed at Latrar by the construction contractor in the summer and by the 934th Transportation clearing snow in the winter with Einar. He was one of Elli’s crew of 10 Icelandic caretakers who maintained the site in the winter of 1960-1961 in anticipation for final disposition of stores and equipment in the following summer. He then moved to Isafjordur where he married his surviving wife, Johanna. They had three children. Jon and his brother Hinrik operated their fishing boat that they crewed together until retirement a few years ago. Jon was a quiet, confident man with a steady hand. He was the one who rode the Cat D-8 backwards down the hillside above Latrar when it came off the road during one of the snow clearing operation and could not be pulled back over the steep bank. That took both nerve and a steady hand. Watching him and Chris a few years ago having a grand time in a lifelong favorite past time - fishing in the Adalvik bay and cleaning the catch at the landing afterwards like when they were young lads was an unforgettable experience that took me right back to the 1950’s when I observed the same so many times.
Mom and dad and Gummi all send you their best regards,
Fridthor
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A2C Gerald F. Dorris Letter of Commendation
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Excerpt from the White Falcon, newspaper for the Keflavik AFB, Iceland. February 6, 1959.
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Account of a L 20 flight into H 4 1959
By Pilot Fred Hannah
We owe so much to these Airman. They were the life line
in difficult times. Thank you Fred .
Reed
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This is an excerpt from the White Falcon newspaper, Keflavik AFB, Iceland May 18, 1957.
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Historical account of H-4 by Fridthor who as a child lived at H-4 base camp
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Brief History H-4 1958
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Brief history H-4 1957
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Account of 1956-1957 H-4
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Report from Chaplin Rev Robert Frost Summer 1957
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