Not far from Thule lies Dundas: a Danish-American Weather and radio station, founded in 1932 in NV-Greenland on the south coast of the Wolfstenholme Fjord; on the place was old Thule, whose inhabitants was moved 160 km north To the settlement Qânâq (Qaanaaq) on the north side of the Inglefield Bay. Build in 1951-53 of the USA's Air Force in agreement of a treaty of 1951 between USA and Danmark. There are still houses from the old settlement Thule, founded by Knud Rasmussen, amongst other; his own house which is a museum today, and also a memorial stone.

Before the departure they need to run a comprehensive medical certificate, despite that Thule has the necessary hospital facilities' they would not have a bunch of half-slack people up there when we talk about a 12 hours workday, it was not for weaklings and people which have a drinking problem. It also takes a strong mentality to outstand the long and cold arctic winter, without sun or daylight in 2-3 month.
At that time it was a kind of "being cool" to work at Greenland. Cryolite quarry in Ivigtut was for the harsh contractor types, hard labor, much money and a harsh life. The constructions craftsmen in the settlements along the coastal regions, who erect houses ant other new-fangled facilities', lived closer to the native population, so many unlike acquaintances' were made when the Greenlandic girls meet the fresh young craftsmen who suddenly brought present day into their little insulated world. There was time for "happy-Hour". Many founded their prosperity after their work period at Greenland; other drank them selves into sickness and stuff worser than alcohol.

BThe Bases were still driven by the Americans as bases for the US Air Force and the big American firms of contractors who have build the bases. When I arrived in 1959 there were between 8000-9000 and more troops were coming, in several forms for quartering, from arctic tents with space for 10-12 men, to 3 story buildings with all modern facilities'. Many of the service functions were read to be taken over by Danish workers and it gave people many job on a completely other level than usual and the money were tax-free.Radio Corporation of America or RCA, who I worked for, was in charge of a big part of production, erection and running of most of the electronics behind the whole BMEWS System. Other building contractors were doing the roads, blast of the bedrock, and again others who demands a lot of machines and manpower.

The 12. of August 1959 was everything ready for departure. I have quitted my job and my mother gave a little goodbye party for some of the closest family, and at 23.00 I stood together with 14 other young guys in Kastrup airport waiting to depart against Sonderstrom and further on to Thule. Now a new chapter was open in my young life. Where were we going? How would it be? What about the winter? and The long night and getting polar nuts... Thousands of questions, and Worst of all; the whole thing was very exiting!!

It was for the first time I should flew such a long distance. First across Norway, Iceland, the Greenlandic east coast, across the island's enormous icecap, out west of Greenland where the beautiful deep fjords are, and then the next morning we landed at Sonderstrom. After the schedule we should depart against Thule the same evening, but in reason of a delayed plane we got two days in Sonderstrom and of course we used the time to take a closer look at the surroundings and a fantastic beautiful nature.

Further transportation was in a US Air Force C-124 Cargo master, with 3 stores freight room and space for huge amounts of military gear. After 3 hours of flight we came across a landscape looking harsher when we were on our way and landed on Thule air base where we nearly fell out of the aero plane windows due to curiosity; what was happening here??????

So when formalities' was finished we got a room in one of the 6 newly erected 3 stores, buildings equipped with all modern conveniences; like TV-room, game room, washing machines, drying machines, good bath facilities and 3 men's dorm with wardrobe, Beds, tables, chair's and space for up to 2-300 men. Everything was so new that we got to go down to big containers outside, getting the bed linen, woolen blankets, towels, arctic clothing with fur inside the parka coat hut, warm boots and furred mittens. Later the same day I was introduced to our new chief and workplace. The transportation chief was Francis McKay. And the workshop chief was Max Guillette. The shop was a cold garage building (S-103) near Pittufik Avenue where there were a couple of offices in one of the ends of the garage.

Our fleet consists of 11 American school busses which run shuttle between the main base and "J-site" where the big radar screens was being erected on a massive high altitude plateau above Wolfstenholme fjord. We had some station wagons and small amount of different Contractor materiel. Our jobs were to make different service jobs and preliminary maintenances. Bigger job need to be done at a big Air Force repair shop down-town. The personnel were reached to a number of 12-15 chauffeurs and co-workers in the beginning I was the only mechanics.

I was equipped with a tool-box which must have cost a fortune. It was my tool-box if I took good care of it. "You better get the shop equipped with what's needed. You can pick up materials there and there. The winter is closing up on us, so you better start now, ask if there's anything you will like to know. We start at 7 AM, and stop at 7 PM, or continue until the job is done. What were you doing before you came here at Thule? do you understanding English?. There is a 1 hour break from 12 AM to 1 PM and coffee breaks when they fit into the picture. You see, It shall be alright, welcome to you, let us ride a trip and I'll show you the base and nearby's". Just around that was the reception I got on the first day at the shop. What a challenge, now it was time for the business to start here on "tulle".

We visited the different places I would get in touch with, I was introduced to the different ways to work on, and I was very impressed over the size the operation was. The impression race into my head from all angles, everything was new.
The arctic year has to counter points; the pitch-dark and bitterly cold winter, which last from the 22nd October to the 22nd of February where the sun is so low under the horizon that the darkness is total, only the stars shining and the moon when it shined, not that often. The temperatures was extreme low, - 40 grader Celsius was not seldom. Nearly everything was stunned of the cold. It's bitterly cold to work outside, and therefore avoided if possible.

The arctic year has to counter points; the pitch-dark and bitterly cold winter, which last from the 22nd October to the 22nd of February where the sun is so low under the horizon that the darkness is total, only the stars shining and the moon when it shined, not that often. The temperatures was extreme low, - 40 grader Celsius was not seldom. Nearly everything was stunned of the cold. It's bitterly cold to work outside, and therefore avoided if possible.
Vehicles and motors must run all the time. Or else they would deep-freeze. During the night it was a necessity to have electrical heaters in the motor, in the water, and under the battery The engines used pure antifreeze liquid, no thinning. Thin oil becomes as stiff as cold tar

Arctic storms with velocity up to 350 kilometer/hour rush over the country, ripping everything loose rearrange the snow dunes. The wilderness of the weather are arranged in Phases and to stay outside in a Phase-3 condition could be fatal if the rules were broken, while indescribably amounts of snow are falling over the base for several days. It's also a very beautiful and fascinating time. The black canopy is filled with twinkling stars in the deep- frozen night. Every now and then aurora borealis, northern lights was scattered over the canopy in a silent lightshow, which could cover the whole horizon with all the colors as in a rainbow for hours, for then in a split-second leaving everything black.

When the moon was full, and toss its pale light against the snow, and everything got a ice -blue gleam of extreme deep-freeze. Only they who were well-secured against the colds ice-cold embrace dare themselves out into the ice-cold night. Even the smallest glitch could cost them their lives. And then suddenly, last in February, comes the sun back to some of the most northern hemispheres on earth and everybody expresses that it was the whole thing worth; the people at the P. Mountain saw it first.
Now we are on our path to lighter and milder winds, green slopes full of small good hearted arctic flowers which shall fulfill their life cycles' in a short hectic summer, with the light shining all 24 hours a day. The snow is melting, the thaw is setting in and everything is pouring water, the temperatures were rising and the lands scenery was awake.

The ice which has bound the fjords and made long sledging possible, breaks up, first in enormous floe which are driving in the direction of the Arctic Ocean in beat with the oceans pulse, later on in smaller fragments and finally at last: the open blue ocean which again is ready to receive huge amount of slow drifting iceberg's released from the eternal calving glaciers in the bottom of the Wolstenholme fjord. And now the high arctic summer with its sun-beam bombardment and temperatures up around 14 to 17 degree Celsius. Then the land smiles, spring goes waiting on the summer, and autumn goes, waiting on the long cold, and pitch dark winter the land is wild, harsh and violently. Thule is in a creek between two low mountain ridges, open to the sea and to the icecap.

"J-site" is located on a plateau ca. 10-12 kilometers from the base. The locations were the rocket launches should be, were taking place and they were scattered around the base. Every antenna was the same size as an international measured soccer-field vertically mounted, antenna, there were 4 of them, supported by a couple of meters tick steel-legs. Between each antenna there was a couple of roofed transport corridors, where the crew should be shuttled in small wagons in long set of carriages. In the event of a phase-3 many people sleep, eat in several canines strategic placed, and survive there for a long period. Thousands of technicians worked there and with the time the BMEWS facility would be a vital link in a network of stations from Fylingsdales, North Yorkshire, England, to Clear, Alaska which should secure the western hemispheres against sneak rocket attack from the east. As you know; we are in the middle of the cold war. The different BMEWS sites were linked together via the DYE stations scattered down the length of Greenland, over island, and Faroe Islands and finally got into satellite from the Azores to USA

The base was defended by 4 NIKE/Hercules batteries, the air force had a number F-102 jets to their disposal, an also 90mm, and 75mm anti air canons were scattered around the base area. The Americans had a lot of things going on they were established a couple of research stations deep under the inland ice

As mentioned before, there are only a few kilometers from the base are the remaining ruins from the Eskimo settlement and the "Thule" as Knud Rasmussen called the trading station, which him and Peter Freuchen was founded in 1910. Several places around the peninsula sees several houses made of turfs and driftwood, houses which once cultured the frame for many families' daily routines in this harsh land. Ruins of old burial plots where bones and remains of the graves lie scattered around without protection. It hasn't been easy to dig in the arctic soil due to almost whole year of permafrost.

A big memorial stone for Knud Rasmussen, and a flagpole, a few newly build wooden houses used by the Danish workers running the radio station, and power plant. Outermost lies the regions landmark; The Dundas- mountain, an oval, high rock-formation with steep inaccessible slopes and a flat windblown plateau at the top which only can be reached by a dangerous climb on the last vertical piece of rock before the top.

Not far from the outer rim on the Dundas mountain there is a stone cairn and Peter Freuchen' ash spread out over the plateau, as a last tribute to the country's astoundingly magnificence and harshness and a man who lost his use of one's limbs but found his happiness amongst his Eskimo friends and not at least his girlfriends. For them who can like the harsh nature and see the magnificent in the elements raging it is one of the big adventures. For them who weren't in harmony with them selves, it was really tough with the long dark night, yearning home to see more usual surroundings, yearning after the family; it can be like a living hell and a lot quit before their contract were fulfilled. Immoderately drinking has ruined a lot of people on Greenland and marriage in Danmark. When we arrived in the middle of August, there was still normal night and day the weather was beautiful, and the sun shined from a completely blue sky for weeks.

They were taken well care of us, a new big dining hall with space for 1000 with everything in modern kitchen utensils. Fantastic American inspired food, fresh fruit and fresh milk every day, no low-budget! Cinemas where they for small money, shows the newest American movies. Snack bars with all kinds of conventional American fast-food, milkshakes, and a real drugstore with jukeboxes' and pool-room. Px'es where we on the same terms as the American soldiers could buy much more than daily needed, like clothing, radios, TV's, Records, photo gear, everything what the heart could wish, and do you wish other more unusual gears, then they have the big AAFES catalogue, if you want to buy something special from America.

Recreation centers and later on a complete swimming hall were built in a hangar. Hobby shops with all kinds of hobby works, and photo shop. Airmen's Club, where civilians' personnel has permission to come, NCO Club for non-commissioned officers and finally, the Officers Club for the leaders. All the places the have ability for playing cards, crap-games, slot machines, bar's with very reasonable prizes and a wide range of goods both wet and dry, some evenings they had live music either local bands or imported USO-shows with American artists of both sex. But 1^st of all there was the nature with long hiking, to selected areas, sometimes hiking extend over several days with sleeping in the open.

There were Newcomers that arrive all the time, amongst them there was Freddy, he should also work as a mechanics. His likeness I've seen several times around different restaurants' in Copenhagen. We got along quite fast and together we climb the Thule-mountain and each of us put a stone on the cairn. On several occasions we visited the ruins on the old Dundas settlement and bought some fur at a couple of the settled Eskimos.

Personally I bought a sealskin of one of the few persons now living Eskimos ho knew and travel with Knud Rasmussen on several of his big expeditions, at the time the 17 year old "Bådsmand" (boatswain), as he were called, was now a highly respected old great-sealer in his 60ties. Those visits and our vivid imagination took us on long sledge-rides and a profound atmosphere ruled when one or several sledding's came on visits from remote insulated places or took-off against mod places over ice and land. It was like an adventure, being there. Cut right out of my uncle's books and stories, and I was in the middle of it, what more can a man hope to live trough? In the summer, when the ice on the Wolstenholme fjord was breaking up, a couple of big ice-breakers from the American fleet arrived and steer up in the ice mass and the float of the icebergs began.

Gradually the ice was breaking up and the stream took the ice flakes and the icebergs out of the North Star bay against open water. Then the supply-ships arrived with the next year of supply which weren't not possible to be flown in to Thule. Later on the scavenger-ships arrived, and picked up the outgoing material, which were being fixed or sold on auctions around the world. To chase some of the triviality amongst the thuleites after the long winter, they arranged outings into the fjord with icebreaker "USS. Westwind" on one of the tours we were at a glacier named after Knud Rasmussen. It was fascinating view to stand next to a huge calving glacier. Constantly big chumps of ice breaks off and fell out in the ocean, where thy create up to 10 feet high waves and start their drift against their own destruction and dissolving in the arctic sea.

But the job needs to be done, every day. Every morning we took the vehicles out of the ice-cold hibernation and get them running, ready to shuttle the personnel to their jobs, both close and distant. The 11 busses was born school busses with automatic transmission, they were, without heat in the extreme harsh climate, unsuitable to their purpose. The everyday life rapidly became a routine. 12 hours of work under those climate conditions tear and needs rest, so there could be strength enough for the spare time.

But even though we have the long working days, there were still strength to have long trekking' as the trips to the icecap, and Camp TUTO which was a supply area/base for Camp Century. Camp Century was carved with a peter plow miller, a machine used by Swiss railways to get their trains trough the Swiss alps with long walk's and big hall's for the machinery and living barracks to the staff and scientists, who lived there for quite long periods. Some of the deep freeze', simply was made of a hatch and the shelves were scraped out of the ice wall.

The energy supply to Camp Century was, as we were told, a small nuclear reactor. That sounds alright the never brought fuel to the Camp. On and around Thule Air Base there were lot of secrets, not least the 4 rocket launches as protection for the base against attach from outside.

There was a en diligent corresponding between Thule and Copenhagen, people coming back fro vacation brought a lot of personally things from home, food, carpets, and clothing every once in a while came the home-sickness on visit and the time feels extra long, and self-pettiness was heavy. But life went on one day took the next and the day when we could leave for good I just could discern it in the distance came closer every day.

Many lengthening their contracts several years earn big money and invested them cleverly, others simply used every penny, so that there was not much to bring home when their time come. When the big winter storm's was over us we need to go out in the white inferno when vehicles and staff needs help on the snowy, icy roads, also often with heavy dunes, and almost Impossible to look from one phase-pole to another, if they were stuck in a 6 - 8 feet dune or the shuttle bus were brooked down under the extreme conditions. We are talking real personnel challenges. Every morning and evening we have 300-400 in transportation technicians' and constructing people to and from J-site. Summer or winter, often in the middle of arctic storms and heavy snow fall with very poor (or none at all) visibility, and with temperatures down to 40 degrees Celsius below zero.

When a bus brooks, or just got a flattened tire on those pretty bad roads, we received a wireless call over the radio from Hill-top then there was take-off in a hurry to found the vehicle and get the crew and passengers back to the base. To change a wheel under such circumstances is not a dance on roses, when the storms howls and snow blinds and the body is frozen cold.

We learned a lot of rational large-scale operations. When a vehicle returns with major damages which demands repair of crankcases' or engines, in Denmark we use to repair us out of the problems. "That's not rational" Max said. He was to a unit-replenishment. "You dismantle not an engine and grinds valves. You put a new cylinder head in instead and send it for repair in USA. You need to think in bigger terms. US Air Force has 10,000 busses of this model. On our factories they have everything what's needed to make it rational and low-priced. We can't compete with them; Pick up a new one on base supply, install it, and the bus will be shuttling again within the next hour. If we should repair it, it will take us a whole day and at home there might be a worker un-employed. Hit the road. People waits. Here we do not repair the crankcase. We order a "replacement" on base supply… "

At one time, there were only 3 out of the 11 busses which were operational, which makes us out of ability to get the staff on their jobs and our chief Max ordered 3 new busses on a "NORS-K". It means delivery within 8 hours. One day, Max said to me that I should walk over to the air-lift terminal: "the new busses has arrived. Go and get them. Remember to write for them" in comes a big cargo-plane. A sergeant comes out of the plane and asks me if I was Mister Nielsen? "Please write here and you'll have the busses". Down on the loading platform came 3 brand new busses. "Check them for motor oil, fill them up and drive down and load the staff so that they can go to work".

A fantastic motivation to achieve results, to get things done and continue the program in a professional spirit: "Business before pleasure". On the private front it was quite a challenge to live in the arctic. It was my first contact with the real world besides Denmark, and at that time, we were limited to see trailers before a movie. The Danish television was in the early stages of public announcements, so the news was limited. Many of the entrepreneur types who worked for the American contractors were skilled people who have worked on different projects all over the world. They don't waste the time with small-talk so I guess it was school of life for me.

12 hours of work under extreme and very harsh circumstances takes some special mentality. Don't you have that, the life and missing the family easily becomes a living hell. It's of odd most importance to use the spare time to relax, and liquor isn't the solution. On the contrary if you have the ability to howl amongst the others in the wolf-pack in a male-dominated and insulated society and also have the ability to engage yourself in the spare-time, you can really learn how to behave and learn god tone amongst the working colleagues. It was a good school which gave a lot of inspiration for later use, and opened a lot of new doors.

In August 1960 the base was visited by the royal Danish family. The whole bas was turned upside down. Everything was cleaned and even the small white stones along the roads got painted. We were invited to salute the King Frederik IX and his family which took time to talk with several of us. Freddy have an Asiatic look and when the King passed by, he asked Freddy if he was Greenlandic? Freddy could only reply no to that, but eventually the King knew better and answered; "yes, something there is to it".

When the summer 1960 was at its end, we were about ready to leave for good as hard-boiled "Thuleites". We stood up for a whole year on one of the worlds toughest working areas, "The Northernmost Air Base in the World", only a few hundred miles from the North Pole. We feel us very tough when we entered the plane which should bring us out of the Arctic and down to Sonderstrom on our way bag to civilization and the happy life.

I was loaded with goods and presents, good memories and around 30,000 Danish kroner in the bank. I guess I could walk the water. When we later on departure Sonderstrom and flew across the inland-ice and it wasn't exactly returning to Greenland which was in our thoughts. The Base-virus hasn't touched us, one period was enough. I should have known better.

We landed on the day for departure, exactly one year after. Many were picked up by their families, kissed and hocked in their reunion. Daddy was home and loaded with money so it was party-time. Others left the airport with disappointment, obvious nobody were there to pick them up. Three of us, Claus from "Sorø", Flemming from "Gladsakse" and I, took a cap to "Kongens Nytorv" in Copenhagen, where we put the cabdriver on hold at the road: "Strøget" while we equipped us luxurious from the city's best gentlemen's boutiques, throw the goods in the cap and asked him to follow us along the street called "Strøget" in a suitable pace.

We finished off with inviting the chauffeur on Diner in restaurant "The 7 Nations" where we drank Claus pissed and send him home to "Sorø" in the cap, who happened to have a good day looking at the tax-meter. Home at "Petersborgvej" there were lots of hogs and kisses, lots of updates on what's happened since last, old connections need to be restored, and plans for the nearest future and what the many money should be used to.

Those who aren't familiarly With Knud Rasmussen's and Peter Freuchens life and doings In the arctic areas, does properly not know the history about how Peter Freuchen was so unlucky to get frost-bitten feet and later on, gangrene In the left foot under a long journey to Hudson Bay, in 1932. The consequent of that accident was that Freuchens foot at last needed to be amputated to ensure that the gangrene not spread to the rest of the body and thereby at last killing him. Just to be aware of how dangerous and dramatic such an accident can develop I will explain it. The accident is described in details in Freuchens book "from Thule to Rio", published by Fremad he wrote the book the year he died, in 1957. The whole book is exiting readings and it is to be recommended, both for people who lives in the arctic or for those who like to read about the truth Thule heroes.

The incident starts with that Freuchen lost track under a strong storm with severe driving snow he couldn't get further so he tried to make a hike, but due to the snows condition it was impossible to build an igloo and he found himself walking fourth and back the whole night just to stay warm. Finally he got some snow pushed together next to a cliff where there was a small ravine made by the wind and drifting snow he pulls his sledge over as a kind of a roof and thereby make it as a small protections against the howling winds and tremendously cold temperatures he didn't knew anything about wind shill factors, but they were present, at last he finally fell a sleep.

When he wakes up again he discover that he's literally covered or should I said buried in snow and at the same time he sees that the sleeping back is frozen so he couldn't free himself. Things get worse and at last he was so exhausted that he again fell at sleep. All his gear is still on the sledge, but the sledge is roof so he couldn't get hold on the tools to dig him free. In his efforts to free himself, he turns around and unfortunately his big beard was frozen against one of the sledge runners and to un-tighten himself he literally rip his beard of the skin so the blood runs down his neck.

Han er nu stærkt hæmmet i sine bevægelser af den tunge pels som har forskubbet sig og som sidste udvej former han sin bløde afføring til en mejsel og da den er frosset stiv nok, bruger han den til at lave et hul som er stort nok til at slippe ud af sit kolde trange isfængsel. Da han forsøger at rejse sig, kan han ikke stå på venstre ben, som nu helt følelsesløst. Efter at være faldet i søvn igen og vækket af sin kammerat Patloq, må de skære hans kamikker af og opdager at venstre fod nu er forsvundet i en frossen blære på størrelse med en fodbold. De må forlade deres forråd og rejser hjemover og deres termometre viser at temperaturen har været nede på -54 grader. Siksik, en eskimokvinde som har erfaringer med forfrysninger forsøger at holde foden lun med lemminger som hun dræber og lægger på såret til også de bliver kolde. Kødet på foden begynder at rådne og falde af i store stykker og til sidst stikker de bare knogler frem af såret som væsker og lugter forfærdeligt. Siksik tilbyder at bide tæerne af Freuchen fordi hun mener, at hvis de bliver bidt af vil de onde ånder ikke brede sig. Hun kommer med et godt tilbud, "Det er ikke umuligt, at en sølle kvinde kan udføre det så godt, at der bliver givet en uldtrøje til tak". Hun fik uldtrøjen men Freuchen måtte afslå tilbuddet.

Det ender så med at Freuchen selv tager en bidetang, lod den bide over de nøgne knogler og hugger til med en hammer. Som han skriver i bogen, "Mærkeligt nok gjorde det voldsomt ondt. Måske var det tanken, måske mærkedes det virkeligt, jeg ligefrem græd over mig selv og lindring fik jeg ikke i benet. Måske var det som sagt mere tanken om at miste lidt af mine lemmer, der fik mig til at sørge. Hver mand holder jo lidt af sin krop og han finder den for kostbar til at smide noget væk før tiden".

Da de efterhånden kommer til mere civiliserede områder kommer foden under midlertidig lægehandling og flere gange under turen hjem til Thule springer såret op og det blive mere og mere klart at der skal en mere kvalificeret behandling til for at redde benet. Efter en rejse med ulidelige smerter når de til Thule og tager videre sydpå til Upernivik og Umanak og er endelig på vej til Danmark hvor foden amputeres på Hjemmet for vanføre. Freuchen er godt klar over at hans tid som nordpolsfarer er slut og han køber en gård på øen Enehøje i det lollandske øhav og begynder at skrive sine mange spændende bøger som bliver trykt i mange lande. En eventyrlig karriere er slut og Freuchen begynder sine verdensomspændende rejser, "Fra Thule til Rio" og alt inclusive. Læs selv bogen.

Når man tænker på de fantastiske hospitalsfaciliteter som nu om dage findes på baserne, må man sige at der bliver gjort noget for personalet, hvis uheldet skulle være ude. Det kræver en ganske særlig psyke og viljestyrke for at vandre bag slæden fra Canada til Thule med koldbrand i foden.
Man må beundre deres indsats. Det var nogle mandfolk af særlig karakter. Det første stykke tid gik godt nok med at ture rundt i nattelivet med vennerne og spille smart med alle mine penge og jeg havde en herlig tid som rigmand i Tropicana og resten af byen. De fik hurtigt ben at gå på og da jeg kom til sommeren 61 var tempoet sat væsentligt ned og de fleste penge brugt.

Så så jeg pludselig en annonce hvori Danish Arctic Contractors, DAC. søgte håndværkere og arbejdsmænd til Søndre Strømfjord. Det amerikanske luftvåben ønskede at reducere sit personale på basen og ville lade væsentlige servicefunktioner overtage af civile. Blandt andet søgte de en Supervisor eller værkfører til at lede et værksted som vedligeholdt og reparerede det hjælpeudstyr der bruges til at holde flyene startklare med, når de holdt standby under mellemlanding eller skulle til reparation. 256 benzindrevne varmekanoner af en type jeg kendte ret godt fra tiden i SAS, mobile generatorer, lysanlæg, hydrauliske hjælpeaggregater, traktorer og køretøjer og en stab på 12-15 mekanikere, et par arbejdsmænd og en lagermand.

Alt sammen materiel jeg kendte og brugte som mekaniker i SAS. Det måtte lige være et job for mig og med mine erfaringer fra Thule og SAS var jeg næsten selvskreven og så heldig at få jobbet. Årsløn 48,000 kroner skattefrit om året, gratis kost og logi, mulighed for forlængelse. På grund af min erfaring fra både SAS og Thule kunne jeg dokumentere at have de krævede forudsætninger og fik jobbet. Jeg var netop fyldt 26 år den sommer. Atter havde heldet været med mig og efter endnu en afskedsmiddag og farvel til venner og bekendte stod jeg en tidlig morgen den 1. september 1961 igen på Søndre Strømfjord som skulle blive mit hjem de næste 20 måneder. Det havde jeg ikke troet da jeg forlod Grønland året før.

Søndre Strømfjord: Kangerlussuaq; fjord i Vestgrønland, på 66º nordlig bredde, meget smal, ca. 170 km lang. Flyveplads anlagt af USA 1942-45 med betegnelsen Bluie West 8, 1954-67 også civilt område som mellemstation på ruten København-Los Angeles. Moderne transithotel; fra 1967 centrum for flyforbindelsen Danmark-Grønland. Søndre Strømfjord ligger lige nord for Polarkredsen og selv om det selvsagt er koldt om vinteren, med temperaturer ned til 20-30 grader celsius, er det langtfra den fimbulvinter som hersker på Thule. Sydpå er sommeren meget længere og det giver mulighed for langt flere udendørsaktiviteter Der er stor forskel på vejret i Thule og Søndre Strømfjord og i lige linie vel en afstand på 1500 kilometer.

Fra selve basen til indlandsisens rand er vel ca. 10-12 kilometer og en skøn vandretur i et uberørt landskab og vi var tit på jagt og weekendture i området. Det var tilladt at købe og eje skydevåben og i de lange sommerdøgn kunne vi gå på rypejagt og sælge nogle af dem til SAS-hotellet på den anden side af startbanen, hvor Asgers bror var ansat som kok. I nærheden af basen ligger Lake Ferguson hvor man kunne fiske og sejle og i øvrigt nyde naturen, nogle forsøgte at bade der men koldt vand har aldrig virket tillokkende på mig. Også der var arbejdstiden på 12 timer, men alligevel havde vi tid til andet end at arbejde og sove.

Ligesom på Thule var der også en række andre fritidstilbud og specielt i biografen opholdt vi os meget, ja de første 3 måneder var vi i biografen 89 gange og så alle de nyeste amerikanske film. Som på alle amerikanske militærforlægninger var der en "BX" med masser af gode tilbud og hvad de ikke havde, kunne skaffes. I basens NCO Club kunne vi forlyste os med alle former for spil og et godt udbud af amerikansk mad, ikke mindst store lækre bøffer og noget til at skylle ned med.

Da jeg overtog "Ground Power Shoppen", havde den til huse i en af de store gamle hangarer. Alt materiellet stod hulter til bulter, meget af det fungerede ikke og de unge amerikanske soldater, som skulle vedligeholde og reparere udstyret, anede ikke hvordan det virkede, endnu mindre hvordan det skulle repareres og kunne slet ikke følge med i det tempo det brød ned. Reservedele var det småt med, engagementet hos soldaterne var lavt, de skulle snart hjem til staterne eller udstationeres andre steder.

Den militære del af Søndre Strømfjord var en fuldt operativ Air Base som blandt andet var udgangspunkt for de mange fly som kom fra USA og skulle videre til de isolerede DEW varslingsstationer inde på selve indlandsisen med udstyr, mad og personale eller til Thule og Station Nord. Den kolde krig var på sit absolutte nulpunkt og basen derfor også et vigtigt led i hele den intense trafik af mandskab og udstyr som førtes videre frem til andre baser i det europæiske område. Men vigtigst i hele spillet var de 6 store KC 97 tankfly som stod standby og klar til at gå på vingerne og levere brændstof til de endnu større atombombebærende B-52 fly som konstant var i luften over hele det arktiske område mellem USA, Nato's forsvarsområde og Sovjetunionen.

Ground Power shoppens opgave var at sørge for at disse fly altid, 365 dage om året, 24 timer i døgnet, var opvarmede og klar til at gå i luften med 7 minutters varsel. Ikke 8 minutter men 7. Ud over varmen, skulle der altid være et vist backup af generatorer og andre hjælpeaggregater så opstart og take-off ikke blev forsinket. Helt igennem var det en militær operation som krævede præcision og omhu og der var ingen plads til slaphed eller forsinkelser. Soldaterne i shoppen modtog os med nogen skepsis og tvivlede på at vi kunne leve op til kravene men var alligevel glade for at få hjælp.

Heldigvis viste det sig at de 12-15 mekanikere som kom til at arbejde sammen med mig de næste mange måneder hurtigt lærte hvordan "The Hermann Nelson Heater" virkede og skulle repareres og i løbet af 14 dage havde vi så meget styr på tingene at vi måtte bede soldaterne trække sig tilbage. De gik bare i vejen. Samtidig var jeg så heldig at blive gode venner med de officerer som styrede hele den komplicerede operation, dels fordi jeg jo kendte til omgangstonen blandt soldaterne fra min tid på Thule og ikke mindst fordi jeg var vant til at omgås fly fra min tid i SAS og kendte til det udstyr som brugtes.

Efter en måneds tid havde vi fået arrangeret os og ryddet op i alt rodet, fået indrettet vort værksted som vi ville og kunne påbegynde en hårdt tiltrængt gennemgang af udstyr, værktøj og reservedele og få bestilt hvad vi kunne se vi skulle bruge i den kommende vinter.

I begyndelsen var det os strengt forbudt bare at komme i nærheden af det område hvor tankflyene stod parkeret, men efterhånden som vi beviste at vi var opgaven voksen og brokkede os over at soldaterne ikke behandlede materiellet rigtigt og bare lod det køre til det løb tør for olie og brændstof, fik vi lov til at komme forbi de stærkt bevæbnede vagter og helt op til flyene. Det var vi meget stolte over. Nu var vi med helt fremme.

I den kolde tid, fra sidst i september og frem til april, var der altid folk på vagt i shoppen. Hver fjerde time blev ca. 30 varmeapparater udskiftet, sendt til service, fyldt op med brændstof og gjort klar til næste omskiftning og til sidst havde vi konstant 80-90 % af vort materiel køreklar døgnet rundt og altid reserver stående klar.

For mig personligt var det en stor tilfredsstillelse at vi fik etableret et så godt samarbejde at jeg kunne gå ind og ud af operationscentret uden hindring og i mange tilfælde deltage i planlægningen af de aktiviteter som skulle finde sted. På et tidspunkt skulle værkstedet flyttes fra hangaren og til en lagerbygning nærmere "fligth-linen" og takket vort gode forhold til de SAC officerer som var ansvarlige for tankeroperationen, fik vi indrettet os med et varmt og hyggeligt kontor og lager og et særdeles velfungerende værksted.

Vedligeholdelsen af disse varmeapparater kostede uhyrlige summer og ved at ændre en anelse på apparaternes hældning, opdagede vi at kondensvandet inde i selve varmeudveksleren bedre kunne løbe ud og i løbet af sommeren 62 blev alle heaterne modificeret, hovedrepareret og malet og fra det tidspunkt faldt vort forbrug af reservedele så meget at der blev sendt et ingeniørhold fra fabrikken op for at se hvad det var vi havde lavet og få måneder efter blev alle heaters i hele verden modificeret efter vor ide og vore militære chefer var mindst lige så stolte over vore resultater som vi og pralede meget af os til de andre baser i det arktiske område.

John F. Kennedy var USA,s Præsident i 1962 og på et tidspunkt da Sovjet begyndte at sende operationsklare missiler til Castro,s Cuba, spidsedes den kolde krig til i et par meget spændende måneder for os i "Ground Power". I oktober tog sagen en alvorlig drejning da JFK meddelte Sovjets Præsident Khrusjtjov, at enten kaldte han skibene med raketterne tilbage fra Cuba, eller også blev de stoppet, hvilket i realiteten betød krig. Samtidig hermed begyndte US Air Force at sende hundredvis af alle slags fly til Europa via Søndre Strømfjord.

Min gode ven, chefen for den lokale Strategic Air Comand, SAC., Lt. Col. Grover Y. Greene kom en dag op på værkstedet og bad mig kalde alle folkene sammen til en briefing om hvad der var ved at ske og fortalte os at basen ville blive erklæret i "Alert State", og nu ville han godt vide hvor han havde os og om han skulle sætte sine egne folk på jobbet eller kunne regne med vor støtte og loyalitet. Hvis han ikke kunne regne med os, måtte vi overgå til andet arbejde eller i yderste instans, rejse hjem. Det var klar snak. Der var ingen som ville hjem. Vi ville være med og da vi jo havde vist at de kunne regne med os, fik vi lov til at fortsætte det meget tætte samarbejde og høstede senere megen ære af vor indsats.

Alle mulige slags fly kom til os i hele eskadriller i den periode og vi arbejdede i døgndrift når det rigtigt gik løs. Ind gennem Søndre Strømfjords indflyvningskorridor kunne vi se flyene ligge i trappeformation og lande med 2-3 minutters interval, køre hen til et kort hvil og optankning, en bid brød og en tissetår og så af sted igen ind over indlandsisen og videre til baser på Island og i England. Det var virkelig en spændende tid.

Vi var på vagt 24 timer i døgnet, sov i soveposer på kontoret og helt oppe på tåspidserne i de cirka 2 uger hvor det var mest hektisk og alle gutterne følte at de var med i noget stort og fik stor ros for vor indsats. Vi var alle meget stolte over vor indsats og følte os som et vigtigt led i en stor operation og da han rejste hjem, fik mine folk og jeg, gennem basens øverste militære chef og DAC en udtalelse, hvori han nævner at han ikke tidligere har set en så effektivt arbejdende gruppe og takker os for en strålende indsats under Cuba-krisen.

Som en personlig cadeau fik jeg en uges ferie på Thule hvor jeg ville besøge nogle af de gamle gutter fra min tid der og "da jeg nu var der alligevel, ville det være en god ide hvis jeg ville være venlig og afse tid til et besøg i den lokale ground-power shop og udveksle erfaringer med den løjtnant som ledede shoppen.

Det ville jeg jo gerne og fik på den måde en fornemmelse af hvordan jeg var indplaceret i den militære rangorden. I alle henseender opnåede vi et godt ry og der var rift om at få lov til at arbejde i vor afdeling og vi valgte kun de bedste til at hjælpe os og først når min uundværlige sjakbajs Asger havde testet deres kunnen og villighed til at gøre en ekstraordinær indsats sammen med resten af vor gruppe som en helhed, fik de allernådigst lov til at arbejde sammen med os. Vi var noget særligt.

Om sommeren er dagen 24 timer lang. Klimaet på Søndre Strømfjord er langt mildere end det højarktiske Thule og det gav mulighed for spændende vandreture både i det lokale område og ind til selve indlandsisen som ligger ca. 10-12 kilometer væk fra basen. Man skal være meget arrogant overfor den grønlandske naturs storhed hvis man ikke bliver slået over sin egen lidenhed når man står foran indlandsisen som breder sig hundredvis af kilometer foran én. Det er et fantastisk syn og en oplevelse uden sidestykke.

De som var til jagt og fiskeri kunne bare tage for sig at retterne. I basens forretninger var et rigt udvalg af fiskeudstyr og mindre jagtgeværer. For mig og mine nærmeste venner, Asger og Frank, blev det rypejagten. Det var et meget drabeligt hold på 3-4 gutter som forlod basen til et par dages jagt i den smukke natur, overnatninger i det fri og lejrbål.

Når jeg nu ser tilbage på min tid på Thule og Søndre Strømfjord, er jeg ikke i tvivl om at det var særdeles lærerige år. For det første fik jeg realiseret nogle af mine drengedrømme om at komme til de steder jeg havde hørt om som dreng. Jeg fik afprøvet mig selv under de ekstreme arktiske forhold, både rent fagligt og socialt og modnedes af samværet med mennesker som jeg ellers aldrig ville have haft en chance for at møde.

Mine engelskkundskaber forbedredes enormt fordi jeg lærte sproget ved kilden, både indenfor min egen branche, de ledelsesmæssige aspekter og ikke mindst, daglig tale og skrift. Jeg lærte fornuften i at udføre et stykke arbejde rigtigt første gang og fandt ud af, at det at lede nogle medarbejdere i fælles stræben mod et fælles mål, gav mig meget større glæde og tilfredsstillelse end bare det at være "manden på gulvet". Og så modnedes jeg politisk og så dagligt beviser på at et liberalt samfund gav individet langt flere muligheder for personlig udvikling og glæde end tilfældet var i et samfund som var styret af en socialistisk ideologi.

Den 30. April 1963 udløb min kontrakt og så havde jeg fået nok af Grønland. Nu ville jeg hjem og se om jeg kunne drage nytte af mine erfaringer. Egentligt havde jeg ikke nogle konkrete planer eller tanker om hvad jeg ville tage mig til når jeg kom hjem. Jeg syntes bare, at nu havde jeg fået nok af Grønland og at næsten tre års cølibat forud for min 28 års fødselsdag måtte være nok. På det tidspunkt var mit største ønske nok at finde en sød pige at komme sammen med og se hvad det så kunne føre til. Mine umiddelbare behov for at rejse og opleve var mættede. Situationen på arbejdsmarkedet var god. Der var masser af stillingsannoncer om lederjobs i alle brancher og pudsigt nok var der endnu ikke ret mange ansøgere til de forskellige job, hvilket nok skyldtes at der heller ikke var ret mange som havde erfaringerne og "gåpåmod" nok til at påtage sig et reelt ledelsesansvar.

Jeg havde gjort op med mig selv at jeg ikke ville vedblive med blot at være mekaniker, det var ikke udfordrende nok med en fremtid med bare at skrue på beskidte biler, nu havde jeg prøvet tilfredsstillelsen og glæden ved at lede og fordele et stykke arbejde og havde papir på at det var jeg god til. Stort set har mine referencer fra Grønland skaffet alle mine efterfølgende gode jobs, både i Danmark, hvor jeg har været uddannelseskonsulent i 10 år, inspektør på en større arbejdsteknisk skole i København i 12 år og udlandet, hvor jeg har arbejdet for UN i Bangladesh under krigen i 1972, for DANIDA i Liberia og i Kenya fra 75-77 som chef for Nairobi,s offentlige transportdepot, med ansvar for vedligehold af over 650 forskellige køretøjer, og deltaget i nødhjælpsarbejdet i forbindelse med sultkatastrofen i Eritrea i 1985-86. Man kan roligt sige at tiden på Grønland har banet vejen fremover for mig. Nu ville jeg lige holde lidt ferie først og havde jo lært af mine erfaringer fra hjemkomsten fra Thule og set at pengene hurtigt fik ben at gå på hvis ikke man selv holdt igen. Det måtte ikke ske en gang til. De ca. 65,000 kroner jeg havde nået at spare op denne gang skulle holde længe. Jeg startede med at købe nyt gaskomfur og fjernsyn til min mor, det ville vi begge have glæde af.

Jørgen Nielsen