The White Falcon - 22.09.1956, Blaðsíða 1

﻿THE WHITE Volume VI, Number 30 Headquarters, Iceland Defense Force, Keflavik Airport, Iceland Saturday, September 22, 1956 Navy Patrol Bombers Destroy Killer Whales ¦:^0Ww^'mMm Neptune patrol bombers of VP-7 drew blood last week as they killed a number of killer whales which plague Icelandic fishermen by damaging millions of kronur worth of fishing nets each year. Captain Agnar Gudmundsson (upper left), skipper of an Icelandic whaler, accompanied the crew as a spotter to prevent killing of commercially useful whales. Upper middle shows one of the P2V bombers in flight over the Arctic waters surrounding Iceland. At upper right, Commander Amos L. Wooten, skipper of VP-7, pilots the bomber which made the run on the killer whales. He and Captain Gudmundsson plot a course at lower left before taking off on the bombing run. At bottom center a depth charge used to destroy and scatter the vicious killers in loaded into the bomb rack by VP-7 armament crews. The entire crew of the bomber which scored the first kill is shown before their aircraft at lower right. (Photos by s/Ps Bob loeffler). VP-7 Patrol Bombeis On Whaling Safari; Bag "Big Game" Over the North Atlantic Depth Charges Help Fishermen Navy Patrol Squadron Seven, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Iceland Defense Force, went on an oceanic safari last week and bagged the big game it was hunting with 350 pound depth charges. The squad- ron's Neptune patrol bombers, considered the roving "aerial eyes" of the NATO forces in Ice- land, engaged in the bombing mission for the second year in a cooperative effort with local fish- ermen. Prey for the Navy P2V bomb- ers were schools of vicious killer whales which annually plague Icelandic fishermen by damaging and destroying several million kronor of fishing nets. Commander Amos L. Wooten, skipper of the naval air unit at Keflavik Airport, estimated that over ninety per cent of a large school of whales was killed and on another run, approximately half of a smaller and scattered school was destroyed. Squadron Seven took over the mission at the request of the Icelandic Foreign Office after local fishermen had requested aid from their government in combating the whale menace. Last year the naval unit ren- dered similiar aid to Icelandic fishermen by destroying hundreds of whales with depth charges, rifle fire and machine guns. The hunt was started early tfiis year before the whales could do any extensive damage to the fishing nets. Captain Agnar Gudmundsson, skipper of an Icelandic whaler, accompanied the Navy bombers on the mission as a spotter to prevent bombing of commercially useful whales which are also in the area. Last year, said Captain Gud- mundsson, damage to fishing nets by the killer whales threatened to cut the fishing season in half be- fore the Navy joined in. The bombing by the patrol squadron enabled the fishermen to complete their season and fulfill vital for- eign trade commitments for Ice- land. Captain Gudmundsson said the request for help was made as soon as the whales were spotted this year so that they could be destroyed or scattered before they did much damage. Loaded with 350 pound depth charges, the VP-7 bombers left the Keflavik NATO installation and patrolled off-shore Arctic waters when the whales were spotted. The depth charges were dropped in the middle of the school when the whales were sighted at low-level patrol runs. Whales not killed by the ex- plosion were frightened by the blasts and diverted from the area. Captain Gudmundsson said the diversion caused by the bombings may keep the whales away from the fishing area. Iceland Defense Force officials indicate that the Navy will con- tinue to bomb the destructive whales when requested. The de- fense force undertook the mission as an act of community cooperation with the Icelandic people. Good Conduct Medals Given Good Conduct Medals were pre- sented to eight enlisted men of VP-7 by Commander Amos L. Wooten at an inspection held last Saturday. Receiving his third award was AOl F. G. Daniels. First awards were presented to A02 D. N. Miller, A03 J. 0. Johnson, AE3 G. R. Boisseau, AT3 R. E. Merritt, AE2 A. L. Goodwin, AD3 J. E. Huddleston and AM3 J. F. Salvini. Maj John F. Cercek, Hq IADF, leaves soon for an assignment with the 855th Tactical Con Sq, Foster AFB, Tex. Four Minute Deadline Hospital Staff Revives Boy After Heart Stops Beating Eight-year-old Charles Cordell flew back to the United States this week a few days after his heart stopped beating while in the operating room of the 1400 USAF Hospital. He was air evacuated for further treatment and recuper- ation. Charles was struck by a speed- ing taxicab last Friday night as he was returning home from a Cub Scout meeting shortly after 8 p.m. Dr. Edward Kantor, who was passing by when the accident occured, applied a tourniquet to a gaping wound in the left leg while an ambulance was called. Dr. Joseph A. LaChance, com- mander of the hospital, said the first aid treatment prevented excessive loss of blood and prob- ably saved the boy's leg. Rushed to the hospital, Charles was examined for further injuries, X-rayed and taken to surgery where a team of doctors were ready to operate on the right leg, which was broken in three places. A mild anesthetic was adminis- tered by Captain Edith E. Selter, hospital anesthetist. While the doctors were preparing for the operation, Captain Selter noticed that Charles's heart had stopped beating. Pure oxygen was administered and Charles was revived fifteen seconds after his heart stopped. Four minutes is the maximum time to revive the heart without death or permanent injury to the brain. When oxygen fails the chest cavity is normally opened and the heart is massaged. Dr. Kantor, assisted by Dr. LaChance and Dr. Sherman Hoover, worked for over four hours to save the badly mangled leg. A/2C Robert Hahn served as medical corpsman during the four hour and 40 minute operation. An electro-cardiograph was taken throughout the operation to keep a check on the heart. Tests and examinations showed that Charles suffered a minor fracture of the right leg, cuts, bruises and slight internal in- juries in addition to the broken left leg. X-rays showed that Charles had incurred severe bruis- es to the chest area from the impact of the crash. Hospital spokesmen listed his condition as satisfactory when he was evacuated to St. Albans Naval Hospital, Long Island, N. Y. He is the son of ADC and Mrs. J. A. Cordell. Following the accident, Major Albert C. Aiello, base provost marshal, renewed an appeal to automobile operators to drive carefully and observe traffic re- gulations. He said that extreme caution must be taken while driv- ing during the winter months of darkness. Lover's Spat? Cohasset, Mass. (AFPS) — Re- cently, for the first time in 96 years, the blinking light on Minot's Ledge in Boston Harbor failed to blink in its accustomed one-four- three sequence. It just glared steadly. Romantic seamen say that the sequence spells out, "I love you." Maybe it's just a lover's spat. A Little Boy In The Land Of Toys "Wow l" says Bobby Coatsworth as he watches Miss Gunna Gunnars- dottir stock the shelves of the Seawed PX with loads of toys. With Christmas approaching the Base Exchange Office has cleared the branch of all merchandise to make room for a giant assortment of Christmas toys from all countries. Bobby got a sneak preview of the assortment and was all "wows" for days after. (Photo by S/Sgt Alton W. McDougaU.