Sign up to receive our newsletter regarding veterans, reunions, military, veteran benefits, military pictures, jokes, military history, military catalog, sales. Located 60 miles north of arctic circle, 90 miles from the northeast end of sondre stromfjord, 12 miles westnorthwest of ravneklippen, and 70 miles west of holsteinsborg, greenland. If the us had successfully purchased greenland in the 40s. The development of strategic air command, 19461986 the. Air expeditionary units assigned to usafcent are in provisional status and do not carry a permanent history or lineage. May 01, 2020 one of the longest in the world, the 100mile fjord cuts a straight path into the interior of greenland and is framed by dramatic, glacialcarved mountains.
In this photo, three firebirds are seen hitting the lanes. List of united states air force installations air force. On that date control of the base was transferred from military air transport service mats to the strategic air command sac. Bgsf kangerlussuaq sondrestrom located in kangerlussuaq, greenland icao bgsf, iata sfj. Sondrestrom air base greenland, also known as bluie west 8, was operational 19411992 and brought together individuals from many parts of the world, mainly greenland, denmark and usa. A graduate of alleghany college, he lives in erie, pennsylvania. Thule air base, or thule air basepituffik airport, is the united states air forces northernmost base, located 1207km 750miles north of the arctic circle and 1524km 947miles from the north pole on the northwest coast of the island of greenland. We take the time to learn your travel style and preferences, and then we help. Polito, lieutenant colonel, air force, ret age 84 died peacefully with family by his side on feb 25, 2018. Journal american a,viation historical society, summer, 1977. Luxury cruise from kangerlussuaq to nome alaska 24 aug. The airport dates from american settlement during and after world war ii, when the site was known as bluie west8 and sondrestrom air base. Sondrestrom air base greenland the military standard. Historical name of location, south greenland, greenland.
At the end of the fjord is the old american sondrestrom air base and camp lloyd, the supporting base camp alongside the present seaport. Messerli is assistant deputy chief of staff for programs and resources, headquarters u. Airforce lockheed starlifter c141a tail number 670008. In the world war ii chapter, its 1942, and loki is part of a sled dog team at sondrestrom air force base in greenland, a vital way station for american warplanes heading to england as part of the buildup. The history of air force civil engineers department of defense. Kangerlussuaq museum 2020 all you need to know before. List of united states air force installations us air. Massive us air force aircraft elephant walk at kadena air base, japan a fleet of fully armed aircraft from the 18th wing conduct an elephant walk during a nonotice exercise april 12, 2017, at kadena air base in okinawa, japan. The settlement and the airfield share a symbiotic relationship with most residents being employed by it in one way or another. Sondrestrom air base was founded on 7 october 1941, at the east end of kangerlussuaq fjord, under the supervision of colonel bernt balchen of the united states army air forces usaaf. Presentday kangerlussuaq was first established in 1941 as the americanoperated military base, bluie west eight, and later renamed sondrestrom air base.
To write a new article on the military wiki, enter the page title in the box below. The airport dates from american settlement during and after world war ii, when the site was known as bluie west8 and then sondrestrom air base. Select your suite and request a quote guests who book early are rewarded with the best fares and ability to select their desired suite. It is greenlands main air transport hub and the site of greenlands largest commercial airport. Provides helpful information whether to live on or off base, housing allowance finder. Usaf thule sondy air base fd, greenland, fire patch. Vpnavy has attempted to collect every available piece of information via the internet. The airport history goes back to the american settlement during and after world war ii. Here it was known as bluie west8 and later on sondrestrom air base. Thule air base, or thule air basepituffik airport iata. He was born in johnstown, pa to the late peter and catherine. General messerli was born in 1929, in monticello, iowa.
Let loose in greenland with the 73m yacht planet nine. After the war, this base was kept operational while other bases closed and it was renamed sondrestrom air force base. Vpnavy is dedicated to the men and women of the united states navy flying asw vpvpb patrol aircraft past and present. Churchill to kangerlussuaq 17 days arctic travel centre.
After the war, it was renamed sondrestrom air base. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. One of the longest in the world, the 100mile fjord cuts a straight path into the interior of greenland and is framed by dramatic, glacialcarved mountains. Abruptly, supplies for cubana were no longer available, most routes were altered or suspended, and many of the pilots deserted their jobs or were exiled. Mar 25, 2017 afrts sondrestrom greenland, sondy spotlight by tim hill. Because of its arctic desert climate, its flying conditions were ideal despite the cold. Sondrestrom air base, greenland, closed 1992 thule air base, greenland, open 1943 circular. Greenland to canadian arctic and atlantic coast polar. Survey corporation, based in toronto, canada, for air survey operations in the canadian arctic from may, 1957 until february, 1960. The thule air base is a military base in greenland belonging to the us. Six months a year it was too cold to outdoor activities. In 1959, while i was stationed at sondrestrom air base code name bluie west 8 during wwii, an eighth air force base in greenland, we were visited by a b17.
You approach thule air base by banking over baffin bay. During world war ii, the american military base was essential to flights between north america and europe. List of former united states air force installations. Following the fall of denmark to germany in world war ii, responsibility for the security of greenland passed to the american military. The destruction of the iraqi air force was probably one of the most complete such actions in the history of military aviation. In partnership with denmark, the air base supported efforts during world war ii. Lad os fa genoplivet nogle af historierne fra dengang vi slog vore folder pa strommen. Merle assists varnas by reading from the 1928 book of common prayer. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Until 1941, the area was not populated, although it has always been a summer hunting and fishing grounds for the local innuit.
Navy asw patrol squadrons is posted with permission on pages dedicated to each respective squadron. Kwang ju air base, suwon air base and taegu air base had previously been announced as ending operations, but would. The mediterranean sea has become a harrowing gauntlet for hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants each year. Kangerlussuaq is a settlement on the west coast of greenland near the end of a fjord of the same name. Pendleton fledgling church meets in home local news. Sondrestrom settlement, a settlement in western greenland. The bowling alley, gymnasium, base exchange, theater, and any bar, were favorite places to kill time while tdy at sondrestrom in the 1960s. Read the global positioning system for the geosciences. Dec 21, 2017 from air force bases hidden in the middle of the pacific ocean, to bases left over from the soviet union, here creepiest abandoned air bases, subscribe to am. It was almost like old times at the caribou club, like it was before the u. The lucky ones on the right side of the aircraft look down at the icebergs, lonely in september but increasing in number as the fourmonth nighttime of winter closes in. Luxury cruise from kangerlussuaq to kangerlussuaq 08 aug.
Joseph polito obituary bluffton, sc the island packet. Evans, 62nd airlift wing, was returning to mcchord air force base afb from clark afb, philippines, with en route stops at kadena air base, okinawa, and yokota air base, japan. Operation desert storm desert calm 6975th electronic security squadron prince sultan air base, saudi arabia in support of two nofly zones in iraqi airspace. If you didnt want to live your life in the bars and restaurants and stay drunk for all six months, the air force and dac had a various number of indoor activities. Usaaf colonel bernt balchen, who built sondrestrom air base, knew. From 1941 to 1992, kangerlussuaq was home to the american military base blue west8, which was later renamed sondrestrom air base. Aug 22, 2019 the main things are that the traditional communal culture isnt transferred into a social democratic social model and that the colonial trade monopoly isnt transferred into a large publicly owned business sector. In partnership with denmark, the air base supported efforts during world war ii and played an important role as part of the north atlantic air ferry route that operated between america and europe. The base is approximately 11 mi westnorthwest of ravneklippen and 80 mi east of sisimiut. Sondrestrom air base is a former united states air force base in greenland. Airplane crash at sondrestrom air base, greenland, on augu.
Airplane crash at sondrestrom air base, greenland, on august 28th 1976. The northernmost of these bases, bluie west 8, was built at the head of kangerlussuaqsondre stromfjord. Luxury cruise from kangerlussuaq to kangerlussuaq 08. The manchester airport was founded in june 1927, when the citys board of mayor and aldermen. Dec 11, 2001 the northernmost of these bases, bluie west 8, was built at the head of kangerlussuaqsondre stromfjord. The settlement and the airfield share a symbiotic relationship, with most residents being employed by it in one way or another. Three of his books have been history book club selections. Sondrestrom air force base, greenland united states air. I chose this pin because it shows the whole island of okinawa, japan which is actually where i was born and raised for five years. All include the services of a butler thanks to the highest service ratio at sea and almost all have a private teak veranda so that you can breathe in the fresh sea air by merely stepping outside your door. The earlier you book your flight the cheaper the prices. The accident took place right between the hangar and the airport hotel, only a few feet to the right of the runway. This photo of the sondrestrom glacier in greenland was taken from a. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet.
This group is dedicated to keeping the memories alive and maybe find a long lost friend or colleague from the sondrestrom air base era. The base is approximately 11 mi 18 km westnorthwest of ravneklippen and. This is a list of united states air force installations. The base was named after sondre stromfjord on the west coast of greenland. After its closure in 1966, it was reopened as manchesterboston regional airport. Sondrestrom air base, greenland, closed 1992 mediterranean united kingdom. It was turned over to the greenland government in 1992 and is now a civilian community and airport, although the usaf operates a small air national guard detachment on the former base. Vandenberg, usaf chief of staff, ordered the 22d and 92d bomb groups to deploy their b29s to the far east to carry out conventional bombing operations north of the 38th parallel. The danish government briefly controlled the base in 1950, but following a renewed base treaty also resulting in the construction of thule air base, the united states reopened bw8 under the name of sondrestrom air base on 27 april 1951. Mediterranean is the first book from the editors of warscapes. Afrts sondrestrom greenland, sondy spotlight by tim hill.
Online shopping for military aviation history books in the books store. Sondrestrom air base, sondre stromfjord, vestgronland, greenland. This collection of vietnam war lighters was assembled and sourced by bradford edwards for his book vietnam zippos and the 282 lighters were recently available for auction. The kangerlussuaq area is also home to greenlands most diverse terrestrial fauna, including muskoxen, caribou, and gyrfalcons.
Following world war ii, the base was briefly returned to danish control between 9 october 1950 and 20 july 1951. For the greenland civilian settlement, see kangerlussuaq. Sondrestrom air base sondre stromfjord, vestgronland. The 22d went to kadena air base, okinawa, and the 92d deployed to yokota air base, japan. At narsarssuak air base 6140n, 4610w u shaped contrails were seen forming in a southsoutheasterly direction. Veteran firebird pilot buck buchanon on sondrestrom ramp holding a hidden bottle of champagne after flying his last firebird. The main things are that the traditional communal culture isnt transferred into a social democratic social model and that the colonial trade monopoly isnt transferred into a large publicly owned business sector. Check out our lowfare calendar and discover your next flight to oslo or on of the more than 150 destinations we fly to. At sondrestrom air base on 10 december 1952 contrails were reported at an estimated 50,000 feet on a heading of 019 degrees. Luxury cruise from reykjavik to kangerlussuaq 29 jul 2021. Kangerlussuaq airport was first established as a us airbase in wwii, code named bluie west 8. The contrails had a definite point of origin and could be seen forming. After the war, the airport became sondrestrom air base in 1951 after the us and denmark signed a defence agreement.
The site is located 60 mi north of the arctic circle and 90 mi from the northeast end of kangerlussuaq fjord, formerly known by its danish name sondre stromfjord. To the air force civil engineers who have led the way. Sondrestrom ab then became instrumental in the airlift to build thule ab, although it had little function of its own, and rarely had permanently stationed aircraft. The base briefly came under danish control in 1950, but following mounting concerns about the cold war threat, a new agreement saw the united states reopen bluie west8 under the name of sondrestrom air base on 27 april 1951. Kirt, anmpn14 radar, 5th combat communications group. After january 1, 1959, the castro revolution changed the way business was done in cuba. Welcome to military wiki, the worlds largest, free, interactive online military encyclopedia that anybody can edit. More from the abandoned air force base, bluie east two, in east greenland duration. Sondrestrom air base, originally bluie west8, was a u. Blending nature, culture and history all year round.
Kangerlussuaq is greenlands largest commercial airport and central air transport hub. Kangerlussuaq also called sondrestrom is a settlement on the west coast of greenland near the end of a fjord of the same name. There was bars, clubs and restaurants who served alcoholic beverages. The population amounts to roughly 500, and the settlement is highly dependent on the airport and the. Vpnavy vp8 aircraft summary page vp patrol squadron. Its danish name is sondre stromfjord, and until the early 1990s was home to a u. Summary and proceedings of a workshop on improving the gps reference station infrastructure for earth, oceanic, and atmospheric science applications 1997 chapter. Kari lutzen plesner added a new photo at sondrestrom air base. The engravings range from sentimental to shocking, and together they paint a unique, personalized picture of the u. The site is located 60 mi 97 km north of the arctic circle and 90 mi 140 km from the northeast end of kangerlussuaq fjord, formerly known by its danish name sondre stromfjord. Inside the abandoned air force base polluting greenland.
He graduated from monticello high school in 1947 and. Cold warera us air base in greenland gets a second act. Bgsfkangerlussuaq sondrestrom general airport information. In our library here at bluie west eight sondrestrom air base i come on rasmussens book, across arctic america, and i recall as i read that he told me once of an icefree harbor on the northwest coast of greenland, a place called thule. Grenier air force base is a former united states air force base located three miles 5 km south of the central business district of manchester, new hampshire on the county line of hillsborough and rockingham counties. The former sondrestrom us air force base is now a busy. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.