RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN IN
“ORDEAL IN THE ARCTIC”
© 2002. Okihei Enterprise, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Tribute to Richard Chamberlain

 

 
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There is at the very top of the earth's land mass, 
a small outpost dedicated to the gathering of signals intelligence. 
Located near the northern extent of Ellesmere Island,
500 miles from the North Pole and just across Robeson
Channel from the tip of Greenland. 

The Alert listening post is the most northerly 
permanent settlemant in the world.
Those responsible for the station do their best  to discourage 
any notoriety from attaching itself to this distinction.

The Canadian Cabinet's authorization for the 
establishment of the intelligence post is sealed. 
The Alert operations are classified. 

The post cannot be visited without the approval of the commanders 
of  both the Air Force and the Communications, 
two of the five elements that make up the Candian Armed Forces.

 

 
Two of the passengers were, Sue Hillier and Bob Thomson,
were civilians. Others were supply specialists, going up
to sort out a new computer link meant to ease the
formidable logistics of suppling such a remote installation.
The rest, with one exception, were radio technicians and
operators, in the full six month tour.

 
Box Top 22 is loading for fuel and the crew is
going to the cockpit.

 

 
"Great" Sue said, to no one in particular.
"Here I am with American dollars up to the ying-yang.
and I can't even get a cup of coffee.
""You must be a civilian", said Wilma de Groot.
Pleased to share the company of another woman, 
Sue began chatting about hair,
which she always found a convenient opener as a hairdresser.
"You really should think about doing something, you know."
"Just because you're in the millatary is no reason not to do
something with your hair." "Most of my clients
are from the millitary." "You'd be surprised what
you can do and still stay with the restrictions."

 

 
Captain John Couch has been making
the run for three days now.
He did not have a seasond crew.
Two of his memebers were "pipeliners", 
just graduates on their first tour of duty.
This has concerned Couch at first ,
though it wasn't his style to make fuss. 
He'd just kept a close eye on them. 
This was their third run between
Thule and Alert, and which each flight his
confidence in them has crown.

 

 

 

 
"Flight engineer's pre-start chec complete", said West.
The lengthy list of pre-flight checks began.
Couch, with his right hand, edged the four condition levers
from "ground to stop" to "first forward".
The aircraft hummed to life as energy ran
through the circuits.

 

 
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