Viewing page 74 of 94

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

& sat in the second seat. (All dreams of riding the cockpit were gone. I mentioned my previous experience to the captain but the concluded I couldn't get up the stairs.) He told me my escort would sit by me at all times. I did not see him again for a long time. He lounged on the soft bags of the cargo area.

It turned out that my seat position was probably the most traveled area of the plane. It was right next to the stairs to the cockpit and one or two crew members, all hooked up to wires were walking back & forth constantly. The young one who doubles as a librarian was there. He reminded me of the evening I discoverd a book by Erwin Roisy in the library. He said he thought of  asking if the Library would let me have it. -- if I thought it was unusual. I was pleased at the thought, & hope I expressed that, but said Oh no -- I probably have an earlier edition anyway.

As I left the hospital I got my chance to thank Stover for his help -- asked him how many seasons he's there. Three.

[[end page]]
[[start page]]

I said I was interested in finding out how, in the Navy, you can ask for an assignment & probably get it. (Another medic told me of the wish-list system). Stover said: "But I didn't ask. I was on the machinist ship in the Navy. A young girl took my job. I was given this as all there was." He has visited the Pole & other places but he has had enough of Antarctica.

The plan took off at 9:20. For quite awhile I didn't even try to look out of the window although there were 2 portholes behind me. After I began looking around * noticed at least 4 bunks suspended above the seats. Spletsloene & Strumf were sleeping in 2 of them. Eventually I saw the "toilets" being utilized. Nobody bothered to pull the canvas around. I was glad I had dehydrated myself almost completely and, for once, was in no urgent rush.

3 years ago Annexstad, who was in the cabin, heard an officer say: We better put up the modesty cloth, we have a woman riding w. us tonight." Once I was in the cabin, a crewman offered to show me the facilities. It was all very civilized. This time, none of that. I decided I would have to ask Clark, when the time came, to pull the canvas