Interview of Clifford Hathaway by Brian Shoemaker

• Main Author: Hathaway, Clifford
• Other Authors: Shoemaker, Brian
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2008
• Subjects: Operation Deep Freeze (1955-1956) > Interviews; Antarctica > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Hathaway; Clifford > Interviews; Operation Deepfreeze (1955-1956); Antarctic; The Antarctic; Byrd; Sullivan; Clifford; Breaker; Little America; Berglund; Canham; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/30169

Al Gyr, pp. 6, 8, 39-40 John Marshall, pp. 6, 8, 26 Dick Powers, pp. 6 John Cox, pp. 8 Lt. Commander Canham, pp. 8, 76 Lt. J.G. Berglund, pp. 8 Cochise, pp. 12, 67, 82 Disney, pp. 13 Lloyd Beebe, pp. 13, 29, 70 Rear Admiral Dufek, pp. 20, 23-26, 28-29, 51 Admiral Byrd, pp. 29, 49-51 Bob Stretch, pp. 49, 52, 74, 79, 81 Commander Whitney, pp. 49, 51, 53-54, 77 George Moss, pp. 51, 73, 79 Butch Badger, pp. 60 Don Sullivan, pp. 73 Lt. Commander Larsen, pp. 73-74 Dian Belanger, pp. 75 Berglund, pp. 76 Max Keel, pp. 83, 85 After completing the 10th grade, Clifford Hathaway moved to California to be near his brother. He joined the Navy Reserve Program and eventually went to Air Traffic Control School. He worked the control tower at NAS Kwajalein for the first H-bomb test, and later volunteered for the Deepfreeze project. In Antarctica, he operated a quad-radar unit and built the control tower. Lt. Hathaway worked with the ground controlled approach systems. The role of the ice breaker “Glacier” clearing a route for delivering supplies is described. The caterpillars and sleds were the first items unloaded. The GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) equipment, the sleds, and caterpillars were large and heavy and made positioning the radar units difficult. Other difficulties in working in the Antarctic are illustrated. Little America was located when a person threw a flag down, which located the corner of a building. Tanks were constructed to store fuel. Rescue operations of pilots from plane crashes were difficult. Bad weather forced various persons to be creative and/or to try something that he had not trained for. One person was skilled in filling crevasses. On his return to the United States, Lt. Hathaway had other assignments with the Navy that included being a catapult maintenance officer on the USS Ranger. He tells of his experiences, both professional and extra-curricular, with enthusiasm. He enjoyed the new challenges. Major Themes The United States Navy, the NAS Kwajalein, and the first H-bomb test Ground Controlled Approach Unit Operation Deepfreeze Travel to Antarctica Handling of supplies and equipment from ship to Little America Construction in Antarctica ‘Chief of the Ice’ initiation The USS Ranger and the Korean War Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.