Library Museum
Juneau, Alaska
"News oj cAmerica’s Last Frontier
fOL 5 NO. 33
KODIAK, ALASKA
OCTOBER 13, 1945
PRICE 10 CENTS
Naval District, N. Pacific, Centered Here
Families Of Military Can’t ComeTo Kodiak
Juneau (Special) — Governor
Gruening in a message from
Washington to his office here
said today the War Department
has lifted restrictions on entry of
military personnel dependents
into Alaska.
“The Secretary of War,” Gov
ernor Gruening said, “has acted
favorably on my request for re
moval of the prohibition of the
entry of dependents of personnel j
of the Army, Navy and Coast
Guard into Alaska, the only ex
eeption being to the travel of
military personnel to Kodiak
and the Aleutian chain. Secre
tary of War Patterson informs
me that instructions necessary to
implement this policy and the
decision to lift these restrictions
is likewise being coordinated by
the Navy Department.”
| --—
The Dinner Nook building, a
croes from the Belmont, was
struck by a vehicle the first of
the week, resulting in the side
wall being caved in and a win
dow broken.
Police said the damage was
evidently the result of a hit-and
run driver, as no report of the
•ccideot had been made to them.
Guests at the Rotary luncheon
Tuesday included Father Gal
knt, of Skagway; Captain 0. R.
Goss; Comdr. J. M. Lord; Lt
R E. Skinner, son of the presid
ent of the Alaska Steamship
eompany. Lt. Wilson Erskine,
Lt- K. I. Meyer, John S. David
Wn> A. A. Bryan and O. C
Kuhn ley. Movies were shown.
The S. S. Denali is expected at
Kodiak about SunH-J, and the
S. S. Cordova wi ^ m here en
route to Seattle about the same
time.
Nurse Explains
X-Ray Procedure
A land office business in X
**ys has been done at the local
hospital for the past 2 weeks in
wnnection with the tuberculin
®“rvey of school; children, Public
™“th Nurse Marion Curtis an
nounced todays
A. Holmes Johnson is
and interpreting the films
•* a service to the community,
r*8aid’ making it possible to
°w the results much sooner
£mnts mayWn at Dr. John.
■ 8 °®ce to nave X-ray find
^Plained./
“Periodic X-ij-ays of children
(continue^ on page 9)
Liquor Dealers
To Meet Monday
A meeting of the liquor deal
ers of Kodiak has been called by
Mayor O. A. Torgerson for 10
am at the Red Cros3 center next
Monday, Oct. 15. Captain R. R.
Lyons, commander of the Naval
Operating Base, or his represen
tative, will be present at the
meeting, at the request of the
eity council.
The meeting was first discussed
at the Chamber of Commerce
luncheon Thursday, where Pres
ident Lee Bettinger stated that
there were many unofficial ex
pressions, military and non-mili
tary, of dissatisfaction over the
liquor question.
The Chamber also heard a re
port from Dr. A. Holmes John
son that progress is being made
on a site for a playground. In
connection with a discussion on
a clean-up campaign he suggest
ed prizes for home and grounds
improvements as an incentive to
improve Kodiak’s appearance.
Mrs. Martin Jensen was
named as special correspondent
to handle all matters connected
with the Territorial Chamber of
Commei ce.
It was reported that work is
continuing on the 4 priority pro
jects for Kodiak. Data are being
assembled by 0. A. Torgerson
for the school; Stanley Nelson
for a federal building; L. K.
Pocket Digging
In Order For Drive
Canvassing for the National
War Fund Drive in Kodiak will
begin about Wednesday, Chair
man L. K. Wodlinger for the
Rotary club, and Walter Sipprell
for the Chamber of Commerce,
announced today. It is expected
to close the drive by the end of
the following week to make way
for the Victory Bond Drive start
ing later.
The National War Fund goal
for Kodiak this yesr is S2300,
and posters were distiibuted this
week and a talkie film on the
War Fund will be shown Tues
day at the Rotary club I ast
year, with a goal of $3000, Kod
iak raised a little over $2500.
Buttonhole tabs are provided
this year, and all who give to
the d.ive will be presented with
one.
Concerning this peacetime
drive, President Truman said:
“Our concern for the morale
and well-being of our own forces
must carry through beyond the
days of surrender to the day
when proud America can take
back to its hearts and homes the
men and women who will have
won the fight.
(continued on page 91
Wodlinger for a small-boat har
bor; and Lee Bettinger for hous
ing.
Navy Releases
5 Alaskans
Naval Opeiating Base, Kod
iak—Ceremony attended the re
lease Thursday of the first group
of Alaskans on duty within the
17th Naval District to be dis
charged under the Navy’s demo
bilization plan.
Captain Raymond R. T.yons,
USN, Commanding Officer of
the Naval Operating Base, the
separation point for men eligible
for discharge in Alaska, shook
hands as be presented honorable
discharge certificates and con
gratulated each man on his suc
cessful completion of service iD
the Navy.
Somewhat delayed, the Cap
tain stated, because proper forms
and discharge buttons were slow
in arriving, releases hereafter
will be swiftly handled and the
peop'e of Alaska can expect their
men folks home as soon as they
attain the necessary points
Captain Lyons asked the dis
chargees not to entirely forget
their training and to consider en
tering the Naval Reserve after
they have resumed their civilian
careers.
Those to go were: Jackson W.
Martin, Sic, Kodiak; Harold A.
Maxwell, BMlc, Kodiak; Dwer
J. Bisplinghoff, CBM, Kodiat;
Allan S. Sinder.CPhoM, Kodiak,
and Frank Paul Bergdoll, CBM;
Sitka, Alaska.
Admiral's Luck With laps Fails On Bear
(By Mirror Staff Correspondent)
The Naval Air Station and
Kodiak’s famed bear country
played host this week to a dis
tinguished visitor in the person
of Vice Admiral Frank Jack
Fletcher, USN, who was en route
to the United States for the first
time since the historic surrender
signing in Northern Japan aboard
his flagship, the Panamint, at
Ominato, Nippon naval base.
Arriving here last Friday a
board the flagship, which was ac
companied by a complement of 5
destroyers, Admiral Fletcher left
immediately on a bear hunting
trip aboard the YP 58, with
Comdr. Jack Benson, NAS, who
was the local Fish & Wildlife
agent before entering the service,
as his guide.
The hunting party went to
Paranosa bay on the northeast
end of Afognak island where
they ran into plentiful bear sign.
Admiral Fletcher said he was im
pressed by the size of the tracks.
and by two bear he saw from a
distance. The Admiral got a shot
at one of the animals, as did
Comdr. Benson, but the latter
said it was about 125 yards away
and “going in the other direc
tion” when they shot and the
bear ^disappeared in the dense
underbrush.
When I interviewed Admiral
Fletcher at his quarters at the
base Monday after his return, al
most his first words were about
being stiff from the many hours
climbing over rough terrain and
through thick undergrowth.
“After all,” he said, “I’m 60
years old and that was pretty
rough going for a man my age.”
We mentioned that all bear hun
ters, no matter what age, obtain
the same results from hunts in
tne rough terrain of the local
bear country.
“But I enjoyed the trip im
mensely,” Admiral Fletcher con
tinued, “and it was beautiful
country. Yon know, I have never
thought much of yachting, but
when I saw that bay I thought
what a wonderful spot to come to
in a yacht and spend a few days
in it with its ducks, bear and
other hunting.”
As Admiral Fletcher sat at
ease with his pet dog and travel
ing companion, a golden Che6a
Deake, close by, it was hard tc
picture him as the stern-faced
Admiral the news pictures show
ed as he spoke aboard the Pana
ir.int to the Japanese surrendei
delegation from Ominato.
By order of General Mac'
Arthur and Admiral Nimitz, Ad
miral Fletcher w’as directed tc
make an emergency naval occup
ation in a portion of northerc
Honshu and designated areas ir
Hokkaido.
The occupation proceeded with
out a hitch, but Admiral Fletchei
admitted that when they arrive!
at the Japanese base Septembei
9 they did not know what t<
(continued on page 4)
(By Mirror Staff Correspond
ent)—With the transfer Wednes
day of the Command of the
North Pacific Force and Area
from Vice Admiral Frank Jack
Fletcher to Rear Admiral Ralph
Wood, of Seattle, Commander of
the 17th Naval District head
quarters, the Kodiak base be
came the headquarters for the
Navy sphere of operations for
the entire North Pacific.
After the transfer Admiral
Fletcher flew to Anchorage en
route to Washington, D. C. to
spend his leave at his Maryland
home. Preceding the transfers of
the command Admiral Fletcher
presented 12 awards, including
the Legion of Merit to his suc
cessor Admiral Wood and Cap
tain J. S. MacKinnon of Juneau
and Bronze Star to Captain John
White of Fairbanks.
On a canopy-covered deck of
the OSS Panamint that on Sept.
9 had seen the surrender signing
of the Japanese at Ominato for
Northern Japan,Admiral Fletch
er read his orders relieving him
of the duties of command and
Admiral Wood read his oiders to
assume the command in addition
to his duties as head of the 17th
Naval District, formerly with
headquarters at Adak. Included
in the transfer was duty as com
mander of the Alaska Sea Fron
tier.
Other awards presented were:
Legion of Merit to Commodore
Robert E. Robinson, Jr., Cam
den, S. C.
Gold Star in lieu of a second
Bronze Star to Captain Merle
Van Metre, Gaithersburg, Md.
Bronze Star to: Lt. Comdr. S.
G. Howd, Englewood, Now Jer
sey; Comdr. Loren L. Kuske,
Astoria, Oregon; Comdr. George
Good, Tacoma, Washington; Lt.
Comdr. Marion Joel Reed, Se
attle; Lt. Comdr. Fred Machet
anz, Jr., Kenton, Ohio; Lt. Clif
ford G. Armstrong, Seattle; Lt.
(jg) John N. Rupp, Seattle.
Funeral Held For
Plane Victims
Funerals for 8 fliers who were
killed when a Navy PBY crashed
at a local base Wednesday, Oct.
3, were held at the base Monday.
Names of the dead have not yet
been released.
Frank Marshall, president of
the Alaska Federation of Labor
of Juneau, arrived here Wednes
day and expects to leave on to
day's plane for Fairbanks.
Tonsillectomies were perfornred
i yesterday on Mrs Claudia Kil
gore, and Gertrude Selig, age 9.