Oral Abstract
Control Form
Name
of Interviewer: Brian Shoemaker
Place
of Interview: Lt Hathaway’s home in Vancouver, WA
Number
of Tapes: 3 (5 Sides)
Restrictions:
No
Cataloged:
No
Transcribed: Yes
Abstract of
Contents: Lt
Hathaway joined the Navy reserves in 1947 and trained as an Air-Controlman . He
served in a variety of air-control assignments and attended a progressive number
of air-control schools between then and 1955. At that time he answered a Navy
call for duty in Antarctica and volunteered for Operation Deep Freeze. About
this time he learned that he had been selected as Chief Air Controlman (ACC) and
would be promoted after he arrived in Antarctica.
He reported to MCB Special at Davisville, RI in the summer
of 1955 where he and his crew organized the GCA (Ground Controlled Approach)
Unit that was destined for Little America. He also cross-trained to operate
heavy equipment, builders and other Seabee rates. In November 1955 he boarded
the USS Arneb. The Arneb arrived in Port Littleton, New Zealand in
late November 1955 where the crew received a “fantastic welcome.”
The Arneb, together with other ships of Task Force 43 left
New Zealand on the 16 of December 1955 and entered the Ross Sea a week later on
December 23rd. The USS Glacier led the Arneb, Wyandot,
Nespelen and Greenville Victory through the ice pack to McMurdo
Sound. After a short stay at McMurdo the Glacier, Arneb and Greenville
Victory made their way to Kainan Bay 400 miles to the East of McMurdo. Once
there the Glacier cleared the bay for the Arneb and Greenville
Victory – “a spectacular operation!”
Once cleared the Arneb and Greenville Victory
unloaded the heavy Caterpillar Tractors and ten-ton sleds. Hathaway recounts
incidents that occurred during the offload and the buildup of Little America V.
He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer on New Years Day 1956 and properly
initiated in a fitting ceremony. On January 4th Little America V was
commissioned by Admirals Dufek and Byrd.
Each of the GCA unit personnel were assigned to a tractor
including Cliff Hathaway. They spent most of the initial phase of the buildup of
Little America V driving the heavy equipment and sleds and were not able to set
up the GCA unit even when the aircraft began operating. This led to some
dangerous situations when aircraft were airborne and the weather turned bad. On
January 14th the first Marie Byrd Land tractor traverse departed
Little America and Otter aircraft were launched to support the trail party on
the 18th.
Sometime after flight operations began, CDR Whitney, the
base Commanding Officer, asked the GCA crew to talk down an airborne pilot
through the fog without any navigation aids including the GCA radar. Luckily the
pilot was able to land safely. After that incident the GCA crew was allowed to
set up their air control equipment. He recounts several interesting events that
took place during the buildup.
On February 3 the crew received word that an Otter aircraft
was overdue on a return flight from Byrd Station. Shortly afterward they got
their GCA unit up, but at “reduced capability.” He recounts the difficulties
of navigating in the polar regions and around Little America in particular and
how this affected the search for the missing aircraft. The crew completed
setting up the “direction finder” and shortly afterward picked up a strange
radio signal and plotted the bearing to the signal on the search map. After a
period of bad weather a search crew flew the bearing and located the wrecked
Otter Aircraft, but no crew was there. The crew had decided to walk back to
Little America and was half way back when found. (See CDR Robert Streich’s,
aircraft commander of the Otter, transcription).
In an analysis of the radio bearing information after the event, it was
discovered that the signal that had been picked up was a feedback signal from
the GCA and not the downed aircrew. Divine providence??
Chief Hathaway had originally been scheduled to winter-over at Little America, but shortly before the last ship departed, it was decided to cut back on the winter-over GCA crew. Since he was the authority on what would be needed for the Air Control Unit, in Deep Freeze II, he elected to return to Davisville, Rhode Island to ensure that the proper equipment and personnel would be sent to Antarctica the next year. He sailed back to Norfolk, Virginia on the USNS Wyandot. Once back in Davisville Rhode Island, he ordered all of the supplies needed for the GCA unit to be sent down in Deep Freeze II. However, Chief Hathaway was given a change of orders and was transferred to NAS Moffett Field in California. He was commissioned as a Limited Duty Officer in 1962 and retired from the Navy in 1973. He has been living in Vancouver, Washington since that time working in private industry.