Frozen in Time (32 page)

T
HEIR FAMILIES NEVER
forgot John Pritchard Jr. or Benjamin Bottoms. Nor were they forgotten by the men they served with, or by those who followed them in service.

The most visible memorials to their heroism are the residence halls named in their honor at the Coast Guard facility in Alabama. Their names also are inscribed in granite on the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Memorial in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Atop the memorial is a quote from the book of Exodus: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

Countless other, less public, tributes have been made to their heroism and their sacrifices. And as long as there is a U.S. Coast Guard, there will be countless more. John Pritchard and Ben Bottoms are honored every time Coast Guard rescuers go out, knowing that they might not come back.

B
ACK AT THE
Hotel Kulusuk, on the last day we were all together, I pulled a dollar bill from my wallet and asked for the signatures of my sixteen fellow expedition members. It’s my own Short Snorter membership certificate, and it’s one of my most prized possessions.

When Lou saw me passing around the bill for signatures, he wanted to join the club. He smiled, shrugged, and turned his palms skyward: “Can I borrow a dollar?”

Three days after we discovered the crash site, after a dozen members of the expedition had gone home and the storm had passed, I returned to the glacier with four others: WeeGee, Jim, Lou, and Jetta. We melted more holes at BW-1, bringing our total to twelve, and located more wires and other objects from the Duck, all at thirty-eight feet under the surface. We had hoped to pinpoint the position and orientation of the fuselage, and perhaps locate the bodies, but frozen hoses and issues with the Hotsy intervened.

Later, Jim determined that the first pieces WeeGee and I saw were “the wing rib from the reinforced section of either the upper or lower wing, near the fuselage, where cables attach to stabilize and reinforce the wings.” What we originally thought was a fuse box was most likely the Duck’s “Large Junction Box,” designed to allow four electrical cables to pass through the wing. Best of all, the objects were located perhaps two feet from the plane’s fuselage. Jaana’s flag placement above the anomaly had been perfect.

At this writing, Jim and Lou are planning a follow-up expedition to recover and repatriate the remains of Pritchard, Bottoms, and Howarth. Jim’s superiors at the Coast Guard are on board, working closely with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. We’ve been e-mailing and talking regularly, and when the follow-up expedition happens, I intend to be there. Next time, whether we need it or not, we’ll have a Snublebluss. The polar bear warning system that Lou ordered from England was waiting for him upon his return from Greenland. Meanwhile, WeeGee has taken to calling our against-the-odds discovery “the miracle on ice.”

Lou is still sorting through the bills from the 2012 expedition and making plans for 2013 and beyond. After completing the Duck Hunt, Lou has his eye on a mission memorialized on another one of his patches: locating and recovering the C-53 with the bodies of McDowell and his crew. To Lou’s credit and to the benefit of my credit rating, he sent me a chunk of the money from the Coast Guard contract to help cover my American Express bill.

Nancy Pritchard Morgan Krause was thrilled about our findings. But the actuarial tables for a woman her age tempered her excitement: “I hope I’m still here to see John brought home.” I hope so, too.

THE 2012 DUCK HUNT EXPEDITION TEAM: (BACK ROW, FROM LEFT) RYAN SAPIENZA, ROB TUCKER, MITCHELL ZUCKOFF, ALBERTO BEHAR, MICHELLE BRINSKO, FRANK MARLEY, NICK BRATTON; (MIDDLE ROW, FROM LEFT) JETTA DISCO, LOU SAPIENZA, JIM BLOW, TERRI LISMAN, STEVE KATZ, JAANA GUSTAFSSON; (FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT) W. R. “BIL” THUMA, KENNETH “DOC” HARMAN, ROBERT “WEEGEE” SMITH, JOHN BRADLEY.
(U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTOGRAPH BY JETTA DISCO.)

Cast of Characters

(In Alphabetical Order)

HISTORICAL

B
ERNT
B
ALCHEN—
A Norway-born aviation pioneer, Balchen became a colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and commanded the northernmost American base in Greenland. He was the first to spot the downed B-17 PN9E and was instrumental in planning and executing rescue efforts.

A
LFRED
“C
LINT
” B
EST
—
A tech sergeant and cryptographer at Bluie West One, Best volunteered to take part in the search for Homer McDowell’s missing C-53 aboard the B-17 PN9E.

B
ENJAMIN
B
OTTOMS
—
A Coast Guard radioman from Georgia, Bottoms volunteered to serve alongside pilot John Pritchard Jr. during the Duck’s fateful mission to rescue the B-17 PN9E crew.

M
AX
D
EMOREST
—
A gifted glaciologist with a doctorate from Princeton University, Demorest sidetracked his academic career during the war to become commanding officer of a rescue outpost on the east coast of Greenland called Beach Head Station.

H
ENDRIK
“D
UTCH
” D
OLLEMAN
—
Born in the Netherlands, Dolleman was a sergeant in the U.S. Army who spent time in Antarctica before being sent to Greenland to take part in rescue efforts.

C
HARLES
D
ORIAN
—
An ensign aboard the
Northland
and later a Coast Guard captain, Dorian alerted the ship’s captain to the sighting of the lost Canadians. He served as a primary source and technical adviser on this book.

B
ERNARD
“B
ARNEY
” D
UNLOP
—
A U.S. Navy lieutenant, Dunlop was the pilot of the PBY Catalina/Dumbo used in the rescue efforts at the Motorsled Camp. His crew included copilot Nathan Waters, flight engineer Alex Sabo, radioman Harold Larsen, and Dr. P. W. Sweetzer, medical officer at Bluie East Two.

W
ILLIAM
E
VERETT
—
A corporal who was a crew member on the C-53 cargo plane that crashed in Greenland on November 5, 1942.

R
ICHARD
F
ULLER
—
A Coast Guard ensign aboard the
Northland
who volunteered to go ashore to lead what he thought would be a two-week rescue effort. He and his fellow Coast Guardsmen were stuck on the ice for five months.

D
AVID
G
OODLET
—
Pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force A-20 that crashed in Greenland on November 10, 1942.

J
OSEPH
H
EALEY
—
A sergeant, Healey served on the crew of Admiral Byrd’s 1933–1935 Antarctic expedition before becoming a dogsled driver on rescue teams in Greenland during World War II.

F
RANK
H
ENDERSON
—
A navy ensign who was pilot of the backup PBY Catalina during the rescue mission.

L
OREN
“L
OLLY
” H
OWARTH
—
Radioman on the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53. Howarth’s work rebuilding the broken radio was credited with making possible the B-17 crew’s survival. He was aboard the Duck on November 29, 1942.

T
HURMAN
J
OHANNESSEN
—
A private who was a crew member on the C-53 cargo plane that crashed in Greenland on November 5, 1942.

H
ERBERT
K
URZ
—
Navigator on Kenneth “Pappy” Turner’s supply B-17.

E
UGENE
M
ANAHAN
—
A staff sergeant who was a crew member on the C-53 cargo plane that crashed in Greenland on November 5, 1942.

H
OMER
M
C
D
OWELL
—
A captain who was pilot of the C-53 cargo plane. His crash on the east coast of Greenland on November 5, 1942, set in motion the search-and-rescue efforts by the B-17 PN9E and the Grumman Duck.

J. G. M
OE
—
An army captain who served as navigator on Jimmie Wade’s unsuccessful attempt to rescue the survivors at the Motorsled Camp.

A
RMAND
M
ONTEVERDE
—
A captain from California, Monteverde was pilot of the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53. Monteverde’s leadership was credited with helping his crew survive after the crash.

A
L
N
ASH
—
Navigator of the Royal Canadian Air Force A-20 that crashed in Greenland on November 10, 1942.

W
ILLIAM
“B
ILL
” O’H
ARA
—
A stoic native of a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania, O’Hara was navigator of the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53.

F
RANCIS
“F
RANK
” P
OLLARD
—
A lieutenant commander, Pollard was the captain of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter
Northland
during the rescue of the Canadian crew and the efforts to rescue the PN9E crew.

J
OHN
P
RITCHARD
J
R
.—
South Dakota–born and California-raised, the eldest of five children, Pritchard became a Coast Guard flier after more than two years as an enlisted man in the navy. As a lieutenant assigned to the cutter
Northland
, Pritchard piloted the ship’s amphibious rescue and surveillance plane, the Grumman Duck. After leading the successful rescue of three Canadian fliers, Pritchard attempted to rescue crew members of the downed B-17 PN9E.

L
LOYD
“W
OODY
” P
URYEAR
—
A staff sergeant from Kentucky, Puryear was a volunteer searcher aboard the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53.

E
DWARD
“I
CEBERG
” S
MITH
—
A rear admiral with a PhD in oceanography from Harvard, Smith led the Coast Guard’s Greenland Patrol during the war and played a role in planning rescue efforts for the PN9E crew.

H
ARRY
S
PENCER
—
An effervescent Texan and a natural leader, Spencer was copilot of the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53. Along with Armand Monteverde, Spencer was credited with keeping alive fellow crew members after the crash.

P
AUL
S
PINA
—
An easygoing private from upstate New York, Spina was the engineer on the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53.

W
ILLIAM
S
PRINGER
—
A lieutenant, he was copilot of the C-53 cargo plane whose crash in Greenland on November 5, 1942, set in motion the search-and-rescue efforts by the B-17 PN9E and the Grumman Duck.

H
AROLD
S
TRONG
—
A captain who’d made a fortune in the stock market and worked as a trapper in Alaska, Strong led a search-and-rescue team in Greenland that played an important role in the effort to rescue the downed B-17 PN9E crew.

D
ON
T
ETLEY
—
A sergeant from Texas with a background as a cowboy, Tetley served on the motorsled rescue team with Max Demorest. He spent more than two months with survivors of the PN9E crash.

A
LEXANDER
“A
L
” T
UCCIARONE
—
A laborer and truck driver in the Bronx before the war, Tucciarone was a private who served as assistant engineer aboard the B-17 PN9E that crashed on November 9, 1942, while searching for Homer McDowell’s lost C-53.

K
ENNETH
“P
APPY
” T
URNER
—
A native of Salt Lake City, Turner was the pilot of a B-17 that braved months of terrible flying conditions to airdrop supplies to the survivors of the B-17 PN9E crash.

J
IMMIE
W
ADE
—
A Canadian bush pilot, Wade volunteered for an unsuccessful rescue mission to the Motorsled Camp.

A
RTHUR
W
EAVER
—
Radioman of the Royal Canadian Air Force A-20 that crashed in Greenland on November 10, 1942.

C
LARENCE
W
EDEL
—
A mechanic from Kansas, Wedel was a private en route to England who hitched a ride aboard the B-17 PN9E days before it crashed in Greenland.

R
OBERT
W
IMSATT
—
A colonel, Wimsatt was commander of the U.S. Army’s Greenland bases and took part in overseeing the rescue efforts.

MODERN

A
LBERTO
B
EHAR
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Behar holds a PhD in electrical engineering and a degree in robotics. He designed the down-hole camera that played a pivotal role in the expedition. Behar also oversees one of the experiments aboard the NASA Mars rover
Curiosity
.

A
ARON
B
ENNET
—
An independent television producer, Bennet served as Lou Sapienza’s de facto business partner, handling financial, media, and other duties while he pitched a show based on the exploits of Lou and his exploration company.

J
AMES
“J
IM
” B
LOW
—
A U.S. Coast Guard commander, Blow serves in the Office of Aviation Forces and was the service’s liaison and mission leader for the Duck Hunt. He led the Coast Guard team during the 2012 search-and-recovery mission.

J
OHN
B
RADLEY
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012 and a veteran ice rescue guide, Bradley served as a leader of the safety team. He oversees the mountaineering department of REI’s flagship store in Denver.

N
ICHOLAS
“N
ICK
” B
RATTON
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012 and a former mountaineering guide, Bratton served as a member of the safety team. Away from the ice, Bratton designs land conservation programs in Washington State. Bratton also serves as the board treasurer for the Fallen American Veterans Foundation.

M
ICHELLE
B
RINSKO
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Brinsko served as the base camp manager and chief cook. If there had been a morale officer, she would have been it. Away from Greenland, she is a physical therapist.

J
OE
D
EER
—
A Coast Guard commander who served in the Office of Aviation Forces, Deer was a key member of the service’s team that launched the Duck Hunt.

J
ETTA
D
ISCO
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Disco is a petty officer second class in the Coast Guard. She serves in the service’s public affairs office in New York. Her images of the expedition constitute the official record.

J
AANA
G
USTAFSSON
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Gustafsson was the team’s inexhaustible ground-penetrating radar expert. A Finn living in Sweden, Gustafsson has a PhD in geophysics and works as a land surveyor.

K
ENNETH
“D
OC
” Harman—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Harman is a captain in the Coast Guard and a flight surgeon. Harman has responded for the Coast Guard to trouble spots around the globe.

J
ERRY
H
OWARTH
—
Nephew and primary next of kin of Loren “Lolly” Howarth.

S
TEVE
K
ATZ
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Katz served as second-in-command of North South Polar. A retired colonel in the Army Reserves, Katz works as an executive in a logistics and transportation company.

T
OM
K
ING
—
A retired Coast Guard captain, King was active in the Coast Guard Aviation Association when he suggested that efforts be made to locate the lost Grumman Duck and recover the bodies of the men aboard the plane.

N
ANCY
P
RITCHARD
M
ORGAN
K
RAUSE
—
Sister and primary next of kin to John Pritchard Jr. She was an inspiration to and a stalwart supporter of the Duck Hunt.

T
ERRI
L
ISMAN
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Lisman is an image scientist for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Brought on the mission by the Coast Guard, she operated the magnetometer used to confirm BW-1 as a key search location.

J
OHN
L
ONG
—
Retired master chief petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and an indefatigable researcher into the crash of the Grumman Duck.

F
RANK
M
ARLEY
—
A member of the Duck Hunt expedition of 2012, Marley served as leader of the safety team. A third-year medical student, Marley intends to practice expedition medicine. At the time of the Duck Hunt, he had just returned from Afghanistan, where he was a captain in the U.S. Army National Guard.