2THE NOME NUGGETMonday, June 27, 1955
THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY . Production Manager
Telephone: Main 125 $1.50 PER MONTH
P.O. Box 618 $16.00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943 at the
postoffice at Nome, Alaska, under Act of March 3. 1879
Subscribers not receiving tueir papers by 5:30 p.m. call
Main 125 for special delivery. After 5:30 call Black 102
RIGHT ova THE TRAP DOOR_
^ tUfe
KBEMLJN
arp
Incident Shows Need of Field Repair
Last week Nomites sat back and read about the
big practice alerts being staged throughout the United
States and in population centers of Alaska.
This area is outside the perimeter of defense and
has no roads for evacuation. As far as the military
goes the population has been told it will be evacuated
in case of trouble since they hold it cannot be defended.
Just who is fooling whom we do not know. We do know
that the airfield here has been neglected to the point
where large aircraft cannot land safely. Washington
officials of the Civil Aeronautics Association have
stated there are no funds to repair the field, not even
for temporary repairs. Nomites are not worried about
invasion or evacuation at this time.
However, they feel keenly and see clearly the need
for the field in any kind of emergency when time is
crucial. The shooting down of the Navy plane at
Gambell last Wednesday is a token example of “any
thing might happen” in this area, and those responsible
for the neglect of the field might have an accusing
finger pointed their way should an international
emergency arise.
There are many kinds of economy, wise and un
wise; we know that some fund, military or otherwise,
should be utilized to .keep this field in operation for all
kinds of aircraft and meet the emergencies when they
arise.
%
THE STATES DIG DEEPER
This is a legislative year for 46 of the 48 states,
Kentucky and Virginia being the only exceptions. In
12 of those states, the Tax Foundation reports, the gov
ernors asked for new taxes, and in 29 they asked for
boosts in existing taxes. In all parts of the country, the
state levies are going up on property, corporations, indi
vidual incomes, gasoline, and so on down the list.
In the fiscal year which will end this coming June,
the states will collect over $12,000,000,000—more than
double the 1946 figure. The total for the next fiscal year
will be substantially greater.
These are matters of fact. And they add up to one
thing—that we must demand economy on the local as
well as in Washington, D.C. The moderate tax reduc
tions made by the federal government last year are
being largely offset by mushrooming local taxes.
Truman Supports
Eisenhower for
Big Four Meeting
SAN FRANOISCO, <*>—After
five days of speeches, the 60 dele
gations at the U.N.’s 10th anni
versary session Saturday took a
day off for private business and
sightseeing. All that remained
was the closing ceremony yester
day afternoon at which it was
hoped, by some at least, that a
“Declaration of San Francisco”
would emerge as the final act.
The • round of formal speeches
wound up Friday night with an
address by former President Har
ry S. Truman, who indicated he
warmly supported President Eis
enhower’s decision to take part in
talks with Soviet Premier Nikolai
Bulganin, British Prime Minister
Sir Anthony Eden and French
Premier Edgar Faure.
“I welcome the signs in the
world today that greater under
standing and agreement may be
reached among the great powers,”
Truman said. “I welcome the pro
posals for further conferences and
negotiations. It may not be possi
ble to make sudden or vast strides
in these conferences, but agree
ment even in some things will be
a gain.”
Truman spoke to a capacity
crowd in San Francisco’s Opera
House. Both Dulles and Molotov
were among those present, even
though the Russians had origin
ally protested mildly to U.N. Sec
retary Dag Hammarskjold against
having Truman speak.
A reported Soviet plan to boy
cott the meeting or lure other del
egates away by a diplomatic din
ner failed to materialize. Molotov
had his dinner, but arranged it
early so his guests could get to the
meeting in time to hear the for
mer president.
India’s V. K. Krishna Menon,
special envoy of Prime Minister
Nehru, was the last of the 60 del
egates to speak. He called upon
the East and West to “join hands
together in working for a lasting
peace for the sake of humanity.”
Von der Heydt at Meeting
Of Alaska Bar Assn. Board
Eight of the nine newly-elected
members of the board of govern
ors of the Alaska Bar Assn, have
been meeting in Anchorage over
the weekend and have completed
their work.
Prominent Juneau attorney M.
E. Monagle was chosen as presi
dent of the board and one of the
leading attorneys in the Third Di
vision, John R. Connally was se
lected as secretary of the govern
ing board.
The lone attorney in the entire
Second Division, James A. von
der Heydt, is here from Nome.
Julien Hurley and Charles J.
Clasby of Fairbanks represent the
Fourth Division on the new board.
The hamburger is first recorded
in 780 A.D. when Italian physi
cians prescribed chopped beef
fried with onions as a cure for
colds and coughs.
..' . \
No Panic Under ‘Worst Possible
Conditions’ in Patrol Plane Downed
By Mig Off St. Lawrence Island
KODIAK, 15V—The Russian bul
lets which wounded three U.S.
Navy fliers Wednesday noon and
forced their patrol bomber to land
in flames on a Bering Island came
without warning.
Four of the 11 men aboard, all
of whom escaped with varying
but minor burns and wounds, re
turned to Kodiak Friday and Lt.
Richard H. Fischer of Pittsburgh
reported there was no opportunity
to avoid or return the gunfire.
He said the bullets ripped thru
the left wing and fuselage, “in
juring three men” just as the
gunner, Aviation Ordnance man
Donald E. Sonnek of Minnesota
Lake, Minn., reported sighting an
airplane.
The bullets ripped a hole in the
wing and set it afire; others tore
chunks out of the fuselage and
struck three men or whizzed past
the heads of the others.
“No one panicked,” Fischer said
in an interview, and the plane
veered sharply east into a cloud,
beginning an immediate descent
from its 8,000-foot level.
The Russian Mig, so identified
by Sonnek, made only one pass
and disappeared.
The left engine stopped and
Fischer feathered the prop, start
ing the long pull toward St. Law
rence Island, 40 miles t6 the
northeast. Flames ate steadily at
the wing, Fischer said. The avia
tion ordance man Martin E. Berg
who had been struck by bullets
on the left side of his back, kept
reporting on its condition despite
his wound.
First aid was given to Berg and
the other two men who had been
hit. They were Ensign David G.
Assard of Terryville, Conn., hit
on the left hand, and Aviation
Technician Edward Benko, Chi
cago, hit on the left arm.
Meanwhile, the plane’s position
and condition were radioed to the
home base at Kodiak and the
plane was brought in for a land
ing on tundra at St. Lawrence
Island.
“Our bomb bay tank exploded
halfway thru our landing,” said
Lt. Fischer.
“The flames were high and the
men were burned on their faces
and hands as they escaped thru
emergency exits. One man broke
an ankle diving out of the plane.
He thought it was going to ex
plode.”
Natives from the village of
Gambell who had seen the burn
ing plane coming down, met the
men on the beach, taking the en
tire crew to Gambell.
An Air Rescue Service plane
from Ladd AFB was waiting at
Gambell and after treatment was
given the burned and wounded it
flew the 11 men to Fairbanks.
Fischer and the other three who
were not injured returned to Ko
diak.
Fischer said he had only the
highest praise for his crew mem
bers.
“There was no panic. No one
worried. It was a perfectly func
tioning crew under the worst pos
sible conditions.”
He lost no blood in the fracas
but he left a bit of his heart back
on St. Lawrence Island. That’s
where he watched the plane he
loved burn to a jumble of wreck
age.
“Only the bow, tail and two
wing tips were left,” he said. “I
sure hate to see a plane burn. It
hurts.”
Three other men escaped with
out wounds or Jaums. They were
Lt. (JG) David M. Lockhard, Ala
meda, Calif.; Lt. JG) George T.
Sloan, Oakland, Calif.; and Avia
tion Technician John Francis
Rump, Malden, Mass.
In addition to the wounded,
treatment for other injuries are
being given at Fairbanks to these
crewmen:
Aviation Machinist Mate Thad
deus Maziarz, Oakland, Calif.;
Chief Aviation Electronics Tech
nician Elmer R. Janke, Alameda,
Calif.; Airman Technician Charles
W. Shields, Clawson, Mich.; and
Sonnek.
U.S. officials in Washington said
the attack occurred over interna
tional waters between Alaska and
Siberia. The plane was a Navy
P-2V5 Neptune.
Although the shooting occurred
Wednesday, announcement of the
Russian attack was delayed two
days while President Eisenhower
conferred by telephone with State
and Defense Dept, officials.
The following is a copy of the balance sheet of the
Alaska Crippled Children’s Association for the year
ending December 31, 1954.
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash on hand and in banks. $ 11,529.42
Accounts receivable from chapters. 5,828.68
Accounts receivable-trade . 8,028.06
Real estate contract-due within
one year . 8,342.88
Merchandise inventory . 59,894.39
Prepaid insurance . 1,505.58
Total Current Assets . $ 95,129.01
OTHER ASSETS
Real estate contract . 8,342.88
Less payments due within 1 year. 8,342.88
Total Other Assets .
FIXED ASSETS—Ai cost
Land . 3,700.00
Buildings . 64,301.79
Furniture, fixtures, equipment . 17,627.10
Reference library . 339.82
Film exhibit . 160.44
. 86,129 15
Less reserve for depreciation ... 17,319.03
. “$"68,810.12
OTHER ASSETS
Refundable deposits . 45.00
Total Assets . $163,984713