Details about each expedition can be seen (www.admiralbyrd.com/). The fear that the USSR would react by making a territorial claim, bringing the Cold War to Antarctica, led the United States to make none. In their imagination, Antarctica is not a continent, but a long ice wall enclosing the Earth. The danger of the Cold War spreading to that continent caused the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to convene an Antarctic Conference of the twelve countries active in Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year, to sign a treaty. On March 15, 1916, Byrd, much to his frustration, was medically retired on three-quarters pay for an ankle injury he suffered on board Mayflower. Byrds federal appointment as head of the newly organized United States Antarctic Service in 1938 represented a significant shift in the nations strategic valuation of the earths poles. On October 23, 1943, Byrd wrote a letter from Nuku Hiva (the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia) to Chambers, the ship's commanding officer, commending him and his crew "for the courage and efficiency" displayed following the explosion that made Byrd "feel proud to be an American. Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888 - 1957) Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USN was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. This provided a more prominent setting for Admiral Byrd, surrounded by flags of the Antarctic Treaty nations. (Popperfoto via Getty Images) Getting the big Douglas birds to Antarctica presented a formidable challenge as, lacking the range to fly from a land base, they had to be launched from Philippine Sea. Byrd believed the governments cancellation of the Navys Antarctic initiatives would incur additional consequences. [31], After their return to the United States, an elaborate dinner in their honor was held in New York City on July 19. As he was only 41 years old at the time, this promotion made Byrd the youngest admiral in the history of the United States Navy. He has hiked, camped, and climbed from . In 1921, Byrd volunteered to attempt a solo nonstop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, prefiguring Charles Lindbergh's historic flight by six years. As of 2023[update], the treaty has 56 parties.[5]. In an obituary prepared after Byrds death in 1957 by one of his children, they observed: Incidentally, one of the [American Antarctic] bases is in the heart of Marie Byrd Land which my Dad discovered and named after his wife and which may be the largest land in the world named after a woman. Untitled obituary draft (Undated) Box 207, Folder 7399, Admiral Richard E. Byrd Papers, Byrd Polar Research Center Archives, The Ohio State University [hereafter Byrd Papers]. Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) Captain James Cook (1728-1779) Operation Highjump (1946) International Geophysical Year (1957-1958) Sir Douglas Mawson (1882-1958) Race For The South Pole (1909-12) Robert F. Scott (1868-1912) Treaty. The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (NSN: 07918), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States while in command of a Special Navy Mission to the Pacific from August 27, 1943, to December 5, 1943, when thirty-three islands of the Pacific were surveyed or investigated for the purpose of recommending air base sites of value to the United States for its defense or for the development of post-war civil aviation. Both Argentina and Chile stated that research carried out on the continent during the International Geophysical Year would not give any territorial rights to the participants, and that the facilities that were erected during that year should be dismantled at the end of it. Jacques Valle in his book Confrontations mentions a "spurious story" about "'holes in the pole' allegedly found by Admiral Byrd", when he quotes Clint Chapin of the Copper Medic case as believing the UFOs came from inside the earth.[56]. Candidate specializing in Military History at Ohio State University and a 202021 Hans J. Morgenthau Fellow in Grand Strategy at Notre Dames International Security Center (NDISC). The main objectives of the expedition, according to the Navy report, were essentially to: train personnel and test equipment in frigid conditions, consolidate areas over the Antarctic, determine feasibility of developing . Facilitating the exchange of information between the Parties required in the Treaty and the Environment Protocol. Byrd and Bennett were presented with Tiffany Cross versions of the Medal of Honor on March 5, 1927, at the White House by President Calvin Coolidge. He qualified as a naval aviator (number 608) in June 1918. [4] This expedition is described by Byrd in his autobiography Alone. p. 187. His papers served as the nucleus for establishment of the BPRC Polar Archival Program in 1990. Richard E. Byrd's Antarctic credentials come from his five expedition to Antarctica from 1928 - 1955 but long before that, in 1912, he had learned to fly as an officer in the U.S. Navy and contributed a number of firsts in that field. [34] To increase the interest of youth in arctic exploration, a 19-year-old American Boy Scout, Paul Allman Siple, was chosen to accompany the expedition. The images were created using artificial intelligence and do not show the discovery of a secret civilization in Antarctica. Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 14:47, Learn how and when to remove this template message, United States Antarctic Service Expedition, Officer, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, List of Medal of Honor recipients during peacetime, "Self-Isolated at the End of the World Alone in the long Antarctic night, Adm. Richard E. Byrd endured the ultimate in social distancing", "Ford, Edsel | Detroit Historical Society", "The Atlantic Challenge: Flight of the NC-4", "Squantum Twenty Years Old: Aviation site since 1911", "Byrd's Heroic 1926 Flight & Its Faked Last Leg", "The Polar Flap: Byrd's Flight Confirmed", "Concise chronology of approach to the poles", "Charles Lindbergh completes the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight", "Why We May Wait 20 Years for Ocean Airliners", Navy History and Heritage Command, "Papers of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd 1941-1945", "Byrd is Honored by Santo Domingo; Explorer Gets Medal of the Order of Columbus at Ceremony at Republic's Embassy", "Valor awards for Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr", "Admiral Byrd Dies at 68. In 1958. the Richard Byrd library, part of the Fairfax County Public Library system opened in Springfield, Virginia. Letter, Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews (1949) 20 September, Box 206, Folder 7328, Byrd Papers. One example is the Hollow Earth theory, which believes that the center of the Earth houses a secret civilization as discussed (here), (here). Admiral Richard E. Byrd was a U.S. naval officer, aviator and explorer who went on several Antarctic expeditions between 1928 and 1956 (here). Operation Deep Freeze with Byrd in command laid the groundwork for the IGY in Antarctica 1955-56. E.Byrd did a total of 5 expeditions to Antarctica (The south pole). The decision-making participants are the Consultative Parties and, in addition to the 12 original signatories, including 17 countries that have demonstrated their interest in Antarctica by carrying out substantial scientific activity there. Moreover, it was the first Navy-led expedition to Antarctic waters in nearly a century.18)Rose (2008) Explorer, 42730; (1947) Byrd Expedition ReturnOperation Highjump Remarkable Record. The Kingdom of Agarttha - Marquis Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre 2008-08-14 First English translation of the book that introduced the realm of Hollow Earth Explores the underground world of Agarttha, Marine Biological Data of the Soviet Antarctic Expedition (1955-1958) A CBS radio station, KFZ, was set up on the base camp ship, the Bear of Oakland and The Adventures of Admiral Byrd program was short-waved to Buenos Aires, then relayed to New York. It was the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War, setting aside the continent as a scientific preserve, establishing freedom of scientific investigation . The performance of duty of Rear Admiral Byrd was at all times in keeping with the highest traditions and reflected credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. United States Naval Academy Midshipman May 28, 1908 (Class of 1912), First Distinguished Service Medal citation, Second Distinguished Service Medal citation. He also was one of a very few individuals to receive all three Antarctic expedition medals issued for expeditions prior to the Second World War. [6] Its goals were to train military personnel and to test materiel in conditions of extreme cold for a hypothetical war in the Antarctic. The innovative Antarctic Snow Cruiser was brought with the expedition, but broke down shortly after arriving. Shackleton was most famous for conducting a daring rescue of his shipmates after their vessel. Journal of Historical Geography 44:62.World War III, it was long assumed, would be.5)Mulvaney K (2001) At the Ends of the Earth: A History of the Polar Regions. With research conducted during Highjump II, glacial highways could be developed for logistics support with improved surface transport equipment; extreme weather missions would simulate war-time operations and conditions; and pilots would learn to make forced landings in Arctic conditions. The images seen in the posts appear in a Medium article (here). With the approval of the Chief of Naval Operations, the expedition sought to emphasize polar survival techniques, assess cold-weather equipment, and build on progress made between 194647. PSHE. Admiral Byrd. King. On February 19, 1947, Admiral Richard E. Byrd left Base Camp Arctic and flew northward. [3], The main treaty was opened for signature on December 1, 1959, and officially entered into force on June 23, 1961. Also in 1927 the City of Richmond dedicated the Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field, now Richmond International Airport, in Henrico County, Virginia. Report of the Adjutant General of Rhode Island. The school opened in its present location in 2008 after its original location was converted to Sun Valley High School. The interview appeared in the Wednesday, March 5, 1947, edition of the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio, and read in part: Admiral Richard E. Byrd warned today that the United States should adopt measures of protection against the possibility of an invasion of the country by hostile planes coming from the polar regions. At the ICSU meeting in Stockholm from September 9 to 11, 1957, the creation of a Special Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) was approved, inviting the twelve countries conducting Antarctic investigations to send delegates to integrate the committee, with the purpose of exchanging scientific information among its members regarding Antarctica. 454, New York City, September 18, 1928. [19] The consultative members include the 7 countries that claim portions of Antarctica as their territory. Although he was allowed to remain at the academy, his injuries eventually led to his forced retirement from the Navy in 1916. As Byrd's image is on both the first and second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medals, he was the only American entitled to wear two medals with his own image on them. This idea was rejected by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, and Norway. Experts began predicting ice-free Arctic summersa harbinger of modern climate deteriorationand warned of future conditions that would fundamentally alter the whole economic and strategic structure of the country.32)Doel R, Friedman R, Lajus J, Srlin S & Wrkberg U (2014) Strategic Arctic Science: National Interests in Building Natural KnowledgeInterwar Era Through the Cold War. For Byrds own account of his second expedition. Byrd used New Zealand as his departure point for several of his Antarctic expeditions. There was also a consensus for demilitarization and the maintenance of the status quo. [38][39][40], Under the South African Citizens in Antarctica Act, 1962, South African law applies to all South African citizens in Antarctica, and they are subject to the jurisdiction of the magistrate's court in Cape Town. He was succeeded on September 1, 2009, by Manfred Reinke (Germany). Lunar crater Byrd is named after him, as was the United States Navy dry cargo ship USNSRichard E. Byrd(T-AKE-4) and the now decommissioned Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer USSRichard E. Byrd(DDG-23). Journal of Historical Geography 44:7071. Highly technical helicopter, submarine, carrier, and cruiser navigation through sea ice behind an icebreaker (a vessel Byrd accurately claimed usher[ed] in a revolutionary period of polar operations) added to the Highjumps achievementsto say nothing of the specific weather, biologic, geologic, and topographic tests undertaken during the expedition.19)Rose L (2008) Explorer, 430; Operation Highjump (Undated) Box 207, Folder 7345, Byrd Papers. Letter, Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen T. Early (1949) 27 September, Box 206, Folder 7328, Byrd Papers; Rose L (2008). New York: G.P. They had difficulty gaining enough altitude, and they had to dump empty gas tanks, as well as their emergency supplies, to achieve the altitude of the Polar Plateau, but they were ultimately successful.[34]. He was also a member of numerous other patriotic, scientific, and charitable organizations, including the Explorers Club, the American Legion, and the National Geographic Society. At left below is the setting in December 1972; the inscribed portion of the pedestal has been moved to the top. From 1945 until his death in 1957, Byrds exhortations led to both successful and abortive government-sponsored Antarctic expeditionsventures that not only underpinned a decade of American polar security policy, but also initiated a pattern of international scientific collaboration that guided all future civil-military polar initiatives while setting an oft-forgotten precedent for the multinational joint-operations that characterize NATOs Arctic security policy today. Byrd was posthumously eligible for the Antarctic Service Medal, established in 1960, for his participation in the Antarctic expeditions Operation Highjump (1946 to 1947) and Operation Deep Freeze (1955 to 1956). It is also commemorated in a U.S. postage stamp issued at the time, and a considerable amount of mail using it was sent from Byrd's base at Little America. In fact he referred to Antarctica as the great white continent of peace. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia. Convinced civilian policymakers were failing to grasp the security implications of such an expedition, Russias successful detonation of its own atomic bomb during the prospective operations review only sharpened Byrds claim for the need of a more proactive polar national security policy.23)Letter, Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen T. Early (1949) 27 September, Box 206, Folder 7328, Byrd Papers; Rose L (2008) Explorer, 43132. In this service Admiral Byrd exercised fine leadership in gaining the united effort of civilian, Army, and Navy experts. Draft, Presentation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the Value of Operation Highjump II to National Defense (Undated) Box 206, Folder 7331, Byrd Papers. After a further summer of exploration, the expedition returned to North America on June 18, 1930. 1929. His wise counsel, sound advice and foresight in planning constituted a material contribution to the war effort and to the success of the United States Navy. 1917. Scott was credited for first discovering that Antarctica was a continent, reaching the South Pole in January 1912, one month after Amundsen. Born: October 25, 1888, Winchester, Va. However, the financial backing for Byrds second operation failed to materialize. In spite of a short operating season, he established two Antarctic bases 1,500 miles apart, where valuable scientific and economic investigations are now being carried on. Byrd R (August 1956) All-out Assault on Antarctica. The Next Big Thing in Antarctic Treaty Admiral Byrd. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, center, explains a plan to fellow expedition members at their Little America IV camp during Operation Highjump, a naval Antarctic expedition conducted during the Austral summer of 1946-47. He rendered valuable service as Secretary and Organizer of the Navy Department Commission on Training Camps, and trained men in aviation in the ground school in Pensacola, and in charge of rescue parties and afterwards in charge of air forces in Canada. [4][20] Bennett died on April 25, 1928, during a flight to rescue downed aviators in Greenland. On May 4, 1955, the United Kingdom filed two lawsuits, against Argentina and Chile respectively, before the International Court of Justice to declare the invalidity of the claims of the sovereignty of the two countries over Antarctic and sub-Antarctic areas. If you are a taxpayer or a small business owner and looking for some assistance in tax filing preparation then Christopher L Byrd can be of assistance to you. [9][10] While serving in this position, he was commended by Brigadier General Charles W. Abbot, the adjutant general of Rhode Island, for making great strides in improving the efficiency of the militia, and on April 25, 1928, was promoted to captain by act of the Rhode Island General Assembly in recognition of his flight to the North Pole in 1926. Caused by ignition of gasoline fumes at the stern of the ship, the explosion threw some men overboard, while others were killed from concussion, burns, fractured skulls and broken necks. During media interviews, the police detective in charge of the investigation criticized the National Science Foundation and contractor Raytheon for failing to co-operate with the investigation. During Byrd's assignment to Dolphin, she was commanded by future Fleet Admiral William D. 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