Local Flyers Aid In
Army Airmen's Rescue
After Helicopter Crash
Pilots Les Green and Earl
Brown of the Palmer airport
participated Monday afternoon in
the final phases of rescue opera
tions following the parachute
jumping of four Army Air Force
men early Sunday morning after
the C-47 in which they were fly
ing on a routine training flight
went into a threatening tail spin.
The C-47 came out of its spin
at the 6.000 foot level, and the
pilot landed the plane with four
other airmen still aboard at El
mendorf Air Force Base shortly
after 3 a. m. Sunday morning.
Palmer Rescue Base
Shortly thereafter, the Palmer
Airport became the base of rescue
operations for the four men who
bailed out. The soupy weather
held up the search for a while,
but shortly after noon Sunday,
the four men were spotted by a
10th Air Squadron helicopter on
Friday Creek near Knik Glacier.
Food and blankets were dropped
«to the men, but the weather pro
hibited all rescue efforts until
Monday morning.
Everything went according to
schedule Monday morning until
the helicopter piloted by Capt.
William Combs took off at 9:30
a. m. for the last of the four men,
crew chief Sgt. Larry Baine of
Lake Odessa, Michigan. Earlier
flight surgeon Major Z. J. Boc
zewski and two men had been
flown in to a sandbar from which
tifey walked in to assist the men
out. The helicopter first brought
out Lieut. C. E. Burger of Evan
ston, 111., who had suffered knee
injuries. Staff Sgt. Courtney Kru
ger of San Bernardino, California,
and Cpl. E. G. Szymborski of
Reading, Pa., were brought out
next. All three were landed at the
Palmer Airport. Lieut. Burger
stopped briefly at the Valley Hos
pital where he got a change of
clothes before proceeding down
town for food.
Helicopter Crashes
Meanwhile, a C-47 came in to
return the four men to their
base. When the helicopter failed
to return with Baine, after an
hour had passed, the C-47 went
off to investigate. About 11a. m.,
the C-47 returned with news that
the helicopter had crashed with
what appeared to be considerable
damage.
Major General William D. Olds,
commanding general of the Air
Depot Wing at Elmendorf took
charge of the rescue operations
personally. Col. Pat Arnold of
10th Rescue and Col. Wallace G.
Walton assisted him. General Olds
took off in an L-5 for closer re
eonnaisance of the crash situation.
Meanwhile, the three parachut
ers were stranded at the Palmer
Airport with their legs getting
stiffer every minute. They had
v.alked for miles through the dif
ficult terrain where they got
scratched up in the alder brush.
They reported seeing several
sheep and mountain goats—and
also a bear. Sunday night they
had been too tired to eat any of
the food dropped to them. About
3 p. m. another C-47 arived at the
airport to return the men to their
base.
Shortly after that another heli
copter arived on the airport, and
plans were made for the rescue.
Les Green offered to bring the
men out if they could be brought
to a sandbar on Knik River where
his small planes could land. The
helicopter was to hover over the
wreckage scene and take the men
Who Will Be Queen?
(Continued from Page 1)
School. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
William Roark of Palmer, she has
i lived in the Valley the past four
j and a half years.
During her summer vacation
she has worked at the Palmer
! Drug store. As far as is known.
Miss Roark is the only candidate
who is being backed by an organ
zation. Palmer Moose lodge mem
bers are her sponsors.
Hazel Barnhardl
Brunette Miss Barnhardt also
-egistered early and has been
Dusy selling tickets in spare mo
nents from her work at the Soil
Conservation office.
Formerly of Binghamton, New
fork. Miss Barnhardt came to the
falley with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. William Barnhardt about
four years ago and graduated
from the Palmer High School this
past May.
Miss Barnhardt was the first
contestant to qualify by selling
the required 200 tickets.
Patricia Kirsch
The fourth contestant to regis
ter was Patricia Kirsch, 17. A
student at Palmer High School,
j Miss Kirsch will enter her Ju
nior year this fan.
She is the daughter of Eugene
Kirsch, local veteran’s on-the
farm instructor and makes her
home at the Treasure Chest.
She has lived in Palmer a lit
tle over one year, coming here
from Fairbanks. Her summer va
cation has been spent working at
the Trading Post and also at the
Valley Theater.
Joan McNeese
Blond Joan McNeese 19, is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George
McNeese and is employed by the
Palmer Drug store.
This is the second time Miss
McNeese has called Palmer her
home for she lived here with tier
family from 1936-45. The next
five years were spent at McHen
ry, N. D. where she graduated
from high school with the class
of 1950. Miss McNeese and her
; family returned to Palmer in De
! cember, 1950.
Joyce Hardage
Joyce Hardage, 18, was the
final Valley girl to enter the Fair
Queen contest. However, she was
one of the earliest to qualify.
Palmer High School graduate,
class of ’51, Miss Hardage is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen
Hardage. She formerly lived in
San Francisco, California, coming
to Palmer in 1949.
Working at the Valley Hospi
tal and the Palmer Drug store
has kept her busy this summer.
She will enter her Freshman year
at the University of Alaska this
fall.
one by one from the cliff to the
sandbar.
Earl Brown went first, accom
panied by Col. Walton. They
brought back Sgt. Baine about
4:30 p. m., shortly after Govern
ors Dewey and Gruening landed
at the airport. Les Green
brought out the second group of
men shortly afterward, and with
the return to base of Sgt. Baine,
Capt. Coombs, Major Boczewski,
and his two men, the rescue op
erations were completed.
According to Coomb’s report
on the helicopter crash a down
draft sucked the helicopter to the
ground while it was hovering
overhead waiting for Baine to
climb up. It was impossible for
the ’copter to land. Major dam
ages were sustained by the craft,
but no one was injured.
Johnnie Alex Killed
In Alaska Airlines
Crash Near Seldovia
Johnnie Alex. 17. who made
Palmer his home for the past
three years, was killed Monday
: morning in the crash of an Alas
ka Airlines Travel-air fleet plane
! into Kachemak Bay shortly after
taking off from Seldovia for Ho
mer.
Four other persons lost their
lives in the accident.
Young Alex left Palmer about
two weeks ago to visit with re
latives in Kenai and his family m
Seldovia before leaving for San
Francisco where he planned to
finish his last year of high school
Former Palmer School superin
tendent Francis Malcolm had tak
en a deep interest in the boy
when he taught in Seldovia, and
had brought him to Palmer with
him in 1948. Having no family of
his own. Malcolm had planned to
put Alex through his last year of
high school and send him to col
lege later.
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Fridley.
; who took the boy into their hyme j
when Malcolm left Palmer two
years ago, were overcome by
news of his death heard over the
radio Monday night. Only a few
days before they had received a
letter saying he planned to go to
Homer to get a plane to San
Francisco.
“He was just like a member of
our family,” Mrs. Fridley said.
“We were so proud of him, and he
left here with such high hopes of
making the most of the opportu
nity Mr. Malcolm offered him.”
After two years in Palmer High
School, Alex attended a private
school in Canada last year. He
returned to Palmer during va
cation to earn money for his fare
to San Francisco. He had been
employed by the Co-Op garage
for a month prior to his departure
two weeks ago. Previously, he had
worked for the Standard Oil bulk
plant. I
I uuilg nit A *o aui vivcu vjy
parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Alex
of Seldovia and several brothers
and sisters.
Mrs. Fridley sent a wire to Mr.
Malcolm in San Francisco to in
form him of the tragedy.
Valley Fair
(Continued from Page 1)
Charles Hodson, Johnny Mears,
and Duane Cooper participating.
Losers and winners of the first
two days’ games will play Mon
day morning.
There will be horseracing all
three days of the Fair: 4 p. m. on
Saturday and Monday, 1:30 p. m.
on Sunday.
Junior Baseball (Palmer vs.
Anchorage, will be played Sunday
at 2:30 p. m. and the Palmer home
town team will play the Army
Monday at 5 p. m.
Fair Dances
Coronation of the Queen of the
Fair at midnight Saturday will
climax the first fair dance to be
held in the gym. Formal dress is
optional.
The 18 prizes to be given away
at the Labor Day dance will be
on display at the Fair Grounds,
at midnight. Charlie Schaefer’s
orchestra will furnish the music
for both dances.
Special feature of the Fair this
year is an air show to be put on
by Jack London and his fliers at
the Palmer Airport. Plenty of
thrills and stunt flying are prom
ised.
Several local groups are spon
soring concessions at the Fair
Meal? will he served at the Ad
ministration Building rarh day
of the Fair by the home econo
mists of the Northland Pioneer
Grange. The local Moose and
their ladies v. ill have a booth
featuring Alaska's favorite gam«
The Pahnasilla Homemakers art
selling craft gift items, produce,
and baked goods to earn then
share of the Homemakers Coun
oil's $1,000 pledge for the new
hospital. Serving hot and cold
food to hungry Fair goerF will be
Beta Sigma Phi's.
The foot weary will find rest
and edification in the 4-H Quon
set Hut watching the demonstra
tions going on there every after
noon of the Fair.
Eugene Kirseh, superintendent
V»ll*y rrontimmm
iS
of livestock at 1 he eleventh an
nual Valley fair has everythin* .n
readiness lot a large display of
local livestock Dairy cow*, heif
ers. pig*. horses and sheep are
listed as exhibits "There are
some fine stock in the Valley and
this is the tune for owners to ex
hibit and for the fair-goer* to
see it." Kusch remarked. Thi*
year we hope to have the biggest
livestock display in Fair history.
With the cooperation of the farm
ers. we'll do it. too", he said.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember?
--“ A
Hunters Headquarters
It's not too early to get ready for hunting
season. We have a good supply of guns
and ammunition. Come in NOW for your
outfit.
% Remington - 30.06
% Remington - Model 270
• Winchester - 30.06, Model 70
# Winchester - Model 270
• 12,16 and 20 Guage Shotguns
AND AMMUNITION OF ALL KINDS
i
OflSTUUISC
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I California—Portland—Soattle—Alaska
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Leave Whittier August 31
Arrive Anchorage September 2
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Arrive Seward August 31
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Leave Seattle August 31
Arrive Seward/Valdez September 5
S. S. TARLETON BROWN
Leave Portland September 7
Arrive Seward/Valdez September 15
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Leave Long Beach
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Arrive Seward/Valdez
September 5
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Freight Depot
Mein 1*4
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Operating Manager
anchorage
233 Central Bldg
P. O. Box S92
Phone 34401
George Hutton
Dirt. Manager
FAIRBANKS
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Jameaon Engineer
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M8
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