"News of ^Americas Last Frontier”
VOL. 4 NO 15
KODIAK, ALASKA AUGUST 19, 1944
PRICE 10 CENTS
President Roosevelt Stops At KodidiU
Rides Through Town, Sees Troops, Fishes
Maj. Mann
Receives
Air Award
Ninth Air Force Troop Carrier
Base, European Theater of Op
erations—Major Glenn E. W.
Mann, Jr , has been awarded the
Air Medal in recognition of mer
itorious achievement while part
icipating in aerial Bight in the
European theater of operations
dming the recent invasion
As commanding officer of a
Troop Carrier squadron and pilot
of a glider tow ng, paratroop
dropping C-47, Major Mann cli
maxed an intensive period of
training by a superb perform
ance in the initial phases of the
inrasion of the continent.
Major Mann is the son of Mr
and Mrs. Glenn E. W. Mann,
Sr., of 1501 Third Avenue,
Scottshluff, Neb. His wife, Mrs.
Anita Ann Mann, is at present
residing in Kodiak. Tney have a
non, Jack E. W. Mann 111, ten
months o d. Mrs. Mann is the
former ADita Ann White, daugh
ter of Mrs. Edna Kraft.
Major Mann formerly attend
ed Scottsbluff high school wheie
lie received letters in football,
track, and basketball. He later
attended Nebraska State teach
ers College and the Universities
of Texas and Wyoming
Major Mann was stationed in
j Alaska 3 years at Anchorage,
Kodiak, Nome and Adak, be
joie being transferred to the
European theater.
The IX Troop Carrier Com
mand to which his unit is as
signed, is part of the Ninth Air
force, the U. S. component of
the Allied Expeditionary Air
forces, and is commanded by
Brig General Paul L. Williams.
Benefit Dance
Next Tuesday
Everything is all set for a
Nod time and lots of dancing at
d* Benefit Dance to be held
Tuesday, August 22, at
lion’s hall. The dance is being
*P0D8ored by the Bartender’s
k®! 875 and money realized
the affair will go for ex
poses of the local hospital.
A large dance orchestra has
secured through the co
nation of navy officials, and
will start at 11 and coc
*®tte until 2 am. Tickets are
#0® on sale at various business
and will also be on sale
1? box office at the hall
‘■Nay.
City Water
Shortage Eased
The critical shortage of water
i > Kodiak was relieved yesterday
when water brought to Erskine’s
dock in a large steel scow was
pumped into the mains. Many
homes on parts of the Erskine
and Benson lines have been with -
out water for 4 days and water
in the city storage tank was
down to 4 feet yesterday and
homes on the latter system in
higher parts of town were also
out. The city water tank is the
main storage as the work on the
reservoir is still under wav.
Through the cooperation of
military authorities the scow,
used for water carrying purposes
with a capacity of 220f000 gal
lons, was filled half full from an
other docks water line and water
from it was pumped directly into
the mains Not only were homes
supplied but water for fire pro
tection was made availab e.
Light rains during the week
ending August 5 were the last
Kodiak had of any help and as
local watersheds are small a dry
spell always causes such a short
age Completion of the large city
reservoir wh'ch will provide am
ple storage for such dry periods!
is expected to remedy the prob
lem.
Property located at Lot 2,
Block 14, along proposed Hill
crest avenue, was sold this week
by L. F Nachtweih to William
& Etta Worth for an unannounc
ed sum
Airline Plans
Better Service
Anchorage—Alaska Airlines
plans to operate multi-mot Ted
equipment between Fairbanks
and Kodiak, and lower passenger
fares will be effected on the run
to Kodiak, it was predicted here
by H. W. Robinson, vice presi
dent, testifying at a hearing of
the Civil Aeronautics Board on
applications for a certificate of i
convenience and necessity. Wood
ley Airways has also applied for
authorization to operate this
route.
Robinson said his company,
now operating to Kodiak under
a temporary permit, will resume
operations to Seward after the
war and thal northbound traffic
from the 2 routes will feed into
Anchorage for service to Fair
banks
The airline official based bis
prediction of lower fares on in
creased traffic He said new tr<f
fic has resulted fiom a land boom
which might also be felt on
Kodiak island
President Visits
For story of local visit, see
Page 1, Col 5.
For speech oi trip, see Page 5.
For story on Adak visit, see
Page 7.
For story on local gift, to Pres
ident, see Page 2.
Next Week
Official Navy photographs of
Roosevelt’s visit here were dis
Local Man
Cited For
Sub Work
Washington, D. C.—Lt. Wil
son F. Erskine was among offic
ers of a submarine returning to
Honolulu recently after a highly
successful operation in the
Western Pacific in Jap-cont oll
ed waters and has received a
medal and citation for his part
in the missions
The submarine on arrival dis
played 30 battle flags with the
insignia of the Rising Sun, four
representing warships and 26
representing vessels of the Jap
merchant marine, attesting to
the activities of the vessel.
Lt. Wilson was among the of
ficers receiving medals from Ad
en ral Nimitz aboard his flag
ship. The presidential citation
accompanying the medal com
mended Lt. Erskine for his a
bility and for heroism in action
in important naval engagements
ju which over 39,000 tons of
(continued on page 4}
patched in mat form from San
Francisco Monday but at press
time last night, had not arrived,
although the pictures of the new
invasion of France, in this issue,
were sent Wednesday and were
received yesteiday.
The Roosevelt pictures, show
ing him inspecting troops and
fishmg at Kodiak, will be i u' -
lished next week.
Aleutian Gl’s Lunch With President
is * .s
President Roosevelt (center at table) sits between two GI’s at Adak for lunch. The President
paid a surprise visit to the enlisted men’s mess. (.V Wirephoto)
Aug. 7 (Delayed)—Kodiak got
its first glimpse of a chief execu
tive of the United btates in
152-year-old history this after
noon when President Roosevelt
tnd party stopped briefly here
after a tour of the Aleutians that
followed his Pearl Harbor confer
ence witih General MacArthur
First hint of the event occurred
when extensive slick-up prepara
tions were undertaken ea'lieral
the naval base and holt Greel\
Extraordinary precautions were
taken for the safety of the dis
tinguished visitor. Passes were
cancelled, relaxed and re-cancel
led; travelers to Ouztnkie and
other nearby points were denied
permission to leave town; a party
of 6 civilian workers from tow®,
a few minutes late this morning
at the guard house, weie not a3
lowed to go to work; fishermen
and their boats were kept in port;
and an Alaska Airlines plane
from Anchorage got as far as
Homer and turned back. l!t \was
told it could land but not Jeavft.'
No announcements were made
that a visitor was expected, or
who, or when. A cloud of dust om
Sbelikof highway was the first
signal that the visitor was com
ing into town, although the cruis
er had been seen from town. Peo
ple stared hard as the first car
came rushing along and then i«
the second car, a station wagon,
they saw the President seated by
the driver. A spontaneous cheer
went up and Roosevelt, hat on.
smiled and waved as the car sped
faster than the law allows down
Alaska Way. past the bank and
on up Kupreanof to Signal hiR.
Word got around immediately
that the cars were going to make
the loop and come in Brooklyn
and Alaska Way for another
glimpse. Before most could get
there the caravan had passed the
spot and was on its way out
Shehkof to return to the base.
After his appearance in town
the President vveift fishing for an
hour. Result—one trout. After
the fishing expedition the Presid
ent returned to the cruiser and
many townspeople went out Tu
gorra and Mission road to watch
the ship leave the harbor shortly
before 8 pm
Although his stay was brief.
President Roosevelt said he en
joyed his visit at Kodiak very
much and wished he could stav
longer.
Members of the presidential
party were very interested h»
Kodiak and asked the following
questions:
Do descendants of Russian
families still live here? (Ed. note:
Yes)
What do people do for a liv
ing? (Fishing main industry)
What is the wild flower in sudb
profusion? (Fireweed—Esedhf
ites hieracifolia)
Do they teach the Russians
English in the scho’ol here? 4A
few learn Russian at home)
Surprise was expressed that
there aren’t any Eskimos here.
(Two that we know of.)
(For President’s comments«■
Kodiak see Speech Story )