Category: Antarctica

For seven years, from the mid 1980’s until the early 90’s, I worked at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This is the Antarctica I saw working in a kitchen feeding 1200 people in summer, and 200 in winter. Antarctica records the tics and quirks of a world of compulsion – military personnel were sent without choice – and abdication. For many civilians it was an exile of ready money and fled responsibilities. It’s not completely truthful. Some of what occurred is so bizarre as to be not credible and has been omitted. This is one person’s story. It’s not a film. It’s a series of still photographs. The first three posts are scene setting. Because we were all very young – names have been changed – youth provides both an excuse and explanation for what later may cause cringe. Anyone who was there will recognise these obvious contrivances.

Posted in Antarctica

Unscheduled

Posted on by tq1695

Abbreviations
there were so many.

POD. Plan of the day.
NOTAMS. Notices to airmen
PTAC. Polar transport aircraft commander
MRE. Meals ready to eat
ETA. Expected arrival time
ETD. Expected departure time

And DV
DV.  Distinguished visitor
flying visits
literally
four or five days
shaking hands
dedicating new buildings
sightseeing.
Senators, congressmen, persons of influence
those who kept the purse open
or able to persuade loosening.

Funding. That was NSF’s problem
the Navy did logistics
mother of the household
feeding, healthcare, transport
NSF was the breadwinner.
To the Navy DV’s were not a big deal
“ no biggy,” was the catch cry blowing through a kitchen
whenever distinguished visitors blew through town.
Not this time.

He had his own unique abbreviation
CINCPAC. Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet.
A very distinguished visitor. VDV
The big cheese
the head serang
an admiral of course.
A very big deal
“ bestest ” behaviour.

The admiral’s flight to the South Pole
halts at the point where taxi ends and speed begins
technical difficulties
the aircraft must be checked.
CINCPAC is brought to the airfield galley
coffee and refreshments supplied
assistance shrouds around him
he must not see the forgotten fuel being added.

For the back story click Backstage

Posted in Antarctica

Breakdown

Posted on by tq1695

She was 19 and very pretty
high school girl smile
and eyes that said .. . .maybe.

By economic theory scarcity increases value
and competition
shortage equals price increase
acute shortage equals highest bidder
supply and demand.
In McMurdo in winter
where men were men . . . . and women few
those who would, or might
could pretty much have what they wanted.
She did
for a while
and then accepted another tender
without informing the now former.

Perhaps she thought intuition would
or bush telegraph.
Popular forensics said sound distracted reason
rumour said it was the steepling ecstasy of coupling
the Master Of Arms said it was straight from ‘The Shining’
a madman with a shovel
a traitorous shovel
issued to every hallway to break out of snow clasped buildings
now breaking in.

The drywall was easily replaced
the door and frame repaired.
She still looked 19
but her eyes seemed much older.

For the back story click Backstage

Posted in Antarctica

Foreplay

Posted on by tq1695

Her name was Annabel
Never.
“Fig”- always
Fig, the first syllable of her four syllable surname
Puerto Rican and hard-working
signed up to the military to see the world
and get out of San Juan.

Smart
savvy
and salty
she knew exactly what was going down
and who was screwing who.

We were a contractor
the Navy our client
blame was transferable and uni directional
the Navy’s mistakes were the contractor’s mistakes
non returnable.

Once when called to the office
Fig arrested me en route
planting a big wet kiss cheekside
“there baby”, she cooed
“ you should always have a kiss before you get fucked.”

For the back story click Backstage