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[[preprinted]] 9 [[/preprinted]]
[[margin]] Tues Dec. 12 [[/margin]]
We were late getting home... Later [[(2/2)]] to bed; and the alarms were set for 3:45 AM. Paid Hotel bill PM before : 15/day. Taxi arr at 4:30 & we were all off for the airport. At 4:45 changed into Antarctic clothing: checked 1 bag -- carried others. I weighed in at 150 lbs w clothing on & camera. C-141 to McMurdo. redesigned: rows of canvas seats lined walls in front of cargo. Secy. of Navy aboard .. was invited to cockpit & Va. got his seat. I was early on & Nr. Cargo next to Dean & some Navy men. A long walk over intertwined foot to head. but negotiated it when necessary. As we neared Antarctica a few of us got into cockpit to see ice floes. ~6 hrs to McMurdo. After take off one Navy man (obviously an old hand) left his seat & reclined on cargo. Another described to us combat flying w men standing up belly to belly - shoulder to shoulder fully armed for 4 hrs. We asked how many? He said he never concerned about how many... he was just interested in getting out of there. 
Landed on ice in front of McMurdo. Trucked uphill to [[strikethrough]] ? [[/strikethrough]] [[insert]] Mess Hall for [[/insert]] Lunch : Later Assigned rooms: I lucked out with the [[strikethrough]] Mett [[/strikethrough]] Mammoth [[det.]] Inn. Women upstairs. Dean stuck in dorm. There were sev. VIPs & retinue on plane & in town. 
Secy. of Navy et al; NSF Dir. Atkinson, NSF. Board Hickman; Hogdund. My roommate B. Sigal, (tracen Hg thru environment); she is [[?inmene]] so I took upper bunk & moved in : checked mail & had a cachet request only.
The weather a great surprise; bright, clean, windless & 24 hours long. After settling in & having dinner Dean & Ackley planned to climb Ohserv Hill. I demurred at 1st; then decided to go. Told that to Va. & [[underline]] she [[/underline]] had to go if I did. (Role model) Wound up w. Dean, Steve, Pat, Susan, Va, Me, Peter, Cliris, Lio. Easy climb to cross at top. Took pictures & admired the scene. Scott Base below. Air clean, scenery across ice to Trans. Aut. Range magnificent. but best of all Mt. Erebus, puffing away, and Mt. Terror and route of the penguin egg exped. close. by Cherry -[[qensand]]. to bed ~ midnight. 
^ Virginia, back before our outing said it was funny but two guys had already asked about sleeping with her. Wish I had asked her [[strikethrough]] t [[/strikethrough]] telling on that. 

Transcription Notes:
[[made some minor corrections. katie 10/9]]