M"” -. CunDra Ctnifsi
Indian i---T/-,
Pena Nena Henash The Land Speaks- . 0^00
A I' f ^—: W i -VjisU^ L Ut kah neek Informing and Reporting
f\lQUt -ft>,f A—T
CJaungang Toonooktakuks The Aleuts Speak STT\ _
VoL 2, No. 5 __ Monday, Dec. 2, 1963 Fairbanks, Alaska
rTr©-;., : MB. MMMM
KENNEDY WITH ALASKANS—The Nov. 22 murder of former President John F. Kennedy in Dallas,
Tex., caught the world off-guard. It saddened the populace of our nation, including those of us in Alas
ka, the farthest north, and the farthest west of our 50 states. That Kennedy was concerned with Alaska,
as with the rest of the states. Is shown in this White House Rose Garden photo taken in August 1962.
The occasion was the graduation of a group of RCA trained Alaska native men, who have since re
turned to Alaska to man our protective "White Alice” warning system. This photo, originally released
by the Associated Press, has been carried in the personal possessions of Sam Kito, one of the gradu
ates, who Is in the center of the picture. Kito loaned the photo to the Tundra Times, minutes after
Kennedy's death. “It was terrible that he was assassinated. He worked for Alaska — for the world.”
Kito said. With the former president and Kito are (front) Harry Kito, and (right rear) Joseph Pungo
wiyi, of Savoonga. The Kito brothers are from Petersburg, Alaska.
Radio Spread Word
Of KennedyMurder
To Remotest Areas
The news of the shooting of the
late President John F. Kennedy
came to many people in may dif
ferent places.
And though Alaska is the re
matest state from Dallas, Tex. where
the president was gunned down
by a sniper, the word spread amaz
ingly fast, in the cities, in the out
lying areas, and even deep in the
Arctic Ocean.
In Fairbanks, the chief of Minto
village, Richard Frank, was driv
ing his car along Cowles Street
when the radioannouncer broke in
with a bulletin.
“I just pulled over to the side,
stopped the car and listened to the
radio,” he said. Later, when Frank
arrived home, he found his wife
listening to the house radio, with
tears in her eyes. There were tears
in the eyes of many people that day.
Former State legislator John Nu
sunginya of Barrow, like the more
than 1,500 people of his village,
heard the news over the Armed
Forces Radio Station network.
There are no commercial broadcast
stations in that area, and the mili
tary network kept the people noti
(Continued on Page 5)
NOTICE
The next issue of The Tundra
Times will be published Dec. 23,
two days before Christmas. Be
cause the Tundra Times is pub
lished twice a month, there are
certain times when there is a
three week lag between issues.
This is one of these times.
—-r-r-r r r «- r w
Alaskan RCA Graduate Remembers
Meeting Kennedy at White House
A muscularly built Indian young
man walked into the office of the
Tundra Times on November 22 and
asked, “Are you the editor?” This
was minutes after President John
F. Kennedy was pronounced dead
of his wounds inflicted by an as
sassin.
Sam Kito, 26, was obviouly mov
ed and haken when he said, “1
would like to say sometihing. “I’m
an RCA graduate and I’m working
on the White Alice Line testing
equipment and calibration.” He
said he worked out of Anchorage
office, and that he a Tlinget Indiar
from Petersburg.
The radio was going, telling o
I the assassination of the President
“This is a terrible thing that hap
pened to him,” Sam said with emo
tion. “I have met President Ken
nedy. He had an overwhelming per
sonality. He was easy to talk tc
and he had an amazing knowledge
of Alaska."
When asked if he had a picture
of himself that mgiht be used in the
paper, he answered without hesita
tion. “Yes, I have some.”
“Have you got some with you or
are they in Anchorage?"
“No, I have them in my suitcase,"
he answered. “They’re in the hotel.
I'll go get them.”
Sam was gone for a few minutes
and came back. He opened a small
suitcase and pulled out three pic
tures. The editor picked out the
one appearing on the front page
today.
Sam said he liked his job very
much. “RCA and BIA gave us a
wonderful opportunity — the na
tives of Alaska,” he said. He saic
he was happy that RCA was giving
the boys opportunity to advance.
In his job, Sam Kito checks Whiti
Alice installations all over Alaska
“I check equipment from Smug
gler's Cove, near Mctlakatla, t<
Shemya in the Aleutians to Cap<
Lisbourne in Northwestern Alas
ka," he said.
Wherever he went, Sam has been
carrying pictures of Pdesident
Kennedy and the native RCA
graduates.
(Continued on Page 5)
Editorial
Our Nation's Symbol
"THE PRESIDENT IS DEAD!" These were tragic words
that numbed the people of Alaska, as they had in the rest
of the United States—yes, all over the world. As did count
less other people, our little secretary said more than once,
"I can't believe it."
'Continued on Paso 2>
FAA and CAB May Ground
C-82 Cargo Planes; Oil
Industry in Quandary
| me intant oil industry in lxortn
ern Alaska sees itself faced with
the threat of losing its lifeline, if
the Federal Aviation Agency and
the Civil Aeronautics Board suc
ceeds in grounding the C-82 "Fly
i ing Boxcars" that are used to haul
heavy equipment to remote areas.
; Tiie Tundra Times has learned
that the long fight over fully certi
i fying the Flying Boxcars, which arc
j former military cargo planes, may
| be coming to an end. with the op
i erators losing.
Despite modifications, and much
political pressure, the FAA has stat
ed that to date none of the twin
tailed planes have succeeded in
passing safety and engineering
j tests that allow them to be lieens
] ed under the transport category.
All of these big planes are now
| operating under Part 8 of the Civil
: Air Regulations. This category was
I set for for such activities as crop !
\ dusting, aerial photography, and
I transportation of the plane owner's
own goods and certain “unique
cargoes." However, planes in this
j category are not to be used for
I general hauling for a profit, accord
J ing to an FAA source.
I The source further noted that
the FAA has filed several com
plaints against Alaska C-82 opera
tors. alleging that the operator’s
have been flying materials for hire,
and that their cargoes have includ
ed materials not in the "unique"
category. The unique cargoes for j
the C-82 include materials too large
Pres. Johnson
Reaffirms Goals
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 57, Texas
rancher, businessman, politician i
and former Navy officer, automatic
ally assumed the presidency of the
United States upon the death of
John F. Kennedy.
He was sworn into office about
90 minutes after the death by as
sasination of his predecessor.
In slightly over one week in of
fice, our new President, a 6 foot 3
inch powerhouse, has reaffirmed
the basic beliefs of the Kennedy
administration, and has stated that
he will work to continue the poli
cies set forth by Kennedy.
11 In two major national speeches
! since assuming office, one before a
j joint session of Congress, and the
other a Thanksgiving Day talk to
the American people, Johnson has
[ come out in favor of moderate ap
j poraches to problems, denouncing
fanatics on both ends of the polit
ical platform. He has also noted his
belief in the dignity of man, and
the need for greater understanding
between different creeds and races.
“Jack Kennedy will be remem
bered for many great achievements.
His inaugural address will rank
with our history's inspired utter
ances. Through the generations
Americans will and should remind
themselves to ask what they can
do for our country. His fight for
civil rights will lift our nation to a
new level of justice and racial
equality.” Sen. Ernest Gruening in
the Nation Magazine.
or DuiKy ior loading into oilier
transports.
The large doors on the C-32 al
low loading equipment that will
not fit into many other transport
olanes.
Local FAA officials say com
plaints against the air carriers state
the carriers have allegedly added
cargoes that do not fit into this
class. Groceries, small tools and
many other commodities can be
carried by planes already certified
as transport carriers, it was said.
Change Law
The official added that there is
some opposite n to the rule con
cerning transport certification. "But
the rule is the rule," he said. "If the
rule is changed, then we will
change, but right now we are charg
ed with upholding it."
He also noted that the planes
were certified by the military when
they were military craft, but the
rules for civilian planes are dif
ferent. The rules are made for the
safety of the public, it was said.
The officials added that there
are two possible ways for keeping
C-82's flying with general cargo.
This is either for the oil company
operator's to purchase the craft, and
fly them themselves, thus comply
ing with Part 8; or for some fed
eral or other governmental agency
to own the planes. Other agencies
fall outside the commercial flying
rules.
Transporters Concerned
Local firms and individuals in
volved with flying oil equipment
to remote sites with C-82's are con
cerned with the fate of these planes.
Several have spent money and
time attempting to get the planes
certified. This has included such
measures as adding an additional
jet engine to the twin piston en
gined airplane, to get additional
power.
So far it has not worked, and the
crafts remain uncertified.
Other Planes
The question: “'What will be used
if the C-82’s are grounded0” has
been asked.
Nearly all the planes suited for
this type of work are in the hands
1 of the military, it has been noted.
These include the C-119. a pepped
up verision of the C-82, the C-123,
and the C-124, both used extensive
ly in Alaska by the armed services,
i Such planes as the C-130 and C-133
| turboprop transports, are also in
| production, again for the military.
Should these planes be surplused
I it is doubtful if private firms now
| operating here could afford the
prices and operating expenses of
! these planes, according to local air
line people.
Pressure From Industry
Local C-82 operators have laid
part of the blame for the present
dilemna on the aircraft industry,
which would like to get new planes
into production. These companies
would like to have the military
i planes outlawed for civilian use, so
they could build more planes, one
official said.
But even if they did, we could
not afford them. In the meantime
we are worried about the C-82's,
he said.