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OUA
1964 - Page 7 |
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m.
The second half of calendar year 1963 saw no appreciable let-up in the work laid on this unit nor in the high qualitative standards
with which it invariably responded.
Flying and ground training requirements were met regularly on both a quarterly and semi-annual basis with 100%
completion results despite the fact that operational missions assigned did
not always lend themselves gracefully to this purpose. Another point of significant note is that the aircrews of this unit are dually qualified in
operation of the ski-equipped D-model Hercules as well as the more
conventional A-model. This, in large part 9 accounts for the bewildering divergent
array of missions assigned it. But even
with many conventional missions continually being pressed upon it, its primary focus of attention remains in the
far north. During the July-December 1963 period it flew a total of 1032
hours for 316 effective sorties and moved 590.6 tons of cargo along with 1550
passengers. The men of the 17th Squadron have become "Ambassadors in
Blue" in the most literal application of the term. The traditional friendship existing be- tween Denmark and the United States has been even more strongly
cemented into enduring fastness by the way this unit has discharged its
professional duties. The long, long
list of friendly and heroic deeds performed by the men of this unit during the past two years has indelibly
impressed itself in the minds and hearts of our Danish landlords in Greenland. Pretty much the same sentiments reflect the feeling of other elements of the
American Armed Forces, both United States Army and United States Air Force,
stationed along the northern rim of the world.
This respect has not been lightly earned nor have the services prompting it been grudgingly given. |
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n. In September of 1963, an emergency mercy
mission was flown to Thule to air-evacuate a member of the United States Army to
Sondrestrom. A 200 pound barrel had fallen 50 feet, crushing the man's back and necessitating medical attention available only at Sondrestrom. Later in the same month another aircrew flew to Camp Eureka to air-evacuate a radar
specialist to Thule. A third mercy
mission was also flown that same month, utilizing a two aircrew relay, to air evacuate an airman from Thule to
Andrews. This airman's injuries were so critical that he had been given only
24 hours to live. The instantaneous
reaction of these two crews saved his
life. When the radar equipment at Cape Dyer became inoperative in October
1963, one of the 17th Squadron's aircrews flew to Thule from Sondrestrom,
made a parts pick-up and dashed back to Cape Dyer in a little over six hours
to return this vital segment of the Dew Line to operational
watchfulness. In November 1963, a Danish national was seriously injured when ran over by a
2 ½ ton truck at Sondrestrom. He
was air-evacuated to Iceland and eventually re- covered despite a negative prognosis at the time. In December, another C-130 air combat crew flew a grueling eight hour mission to
three positions 500 miles north or" the Arctic Circle to airdrop food and
supplies to isolated Danish weather observation posts. Despite the Arctic darkness prevailing at that time, the three drops were successfully made within easy recovery
of the sites. This crew was
subsequently recommended for the award of the Air Medal. As another interesting side note, the 17th Squadron bids fair to
become one of the most individually decorated, units of the peace time
forces. Since 1 July 1962, a total of 163 members of this unit have been
recommended for the award of United States Military Decorations. Many of these were multi- ple awards to the same individual for differing feats of heroism
and airman- ship but all stamped from the common press of gallant dedication
to duty. |
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