GEORGE BLOOD'S SHEMYA SCRAPBOOK
April 1977 - April 1978

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On April 1, 1977 I had my line number for MSgt (USAF) and was on my way to Shemya to assume the position of head MFWIC of the still new Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory (PMEL). I spent the next year there helping to keep the test equipment on the island working and calibrated. Other than being away from my family I think I enjoyed the tour. Besides my Air Force duties I also worked part time at the theater and in the base exchange (BX). I was the custodian of the amateur radio station, KL7FBI, and found lots of time to explore the island. I took lots of pictures and have posted only 44 to conserve space. If any of you who look at these have further comments as to what they are, especially those of you from WWII, please let Smitty or me know. I wish now that I had spent more time exploring and recording the history of the island as I will never get back there. Smitty is doing an excellent job at listing the history of the island during WWII and I wish to send along my very big thank you for all the vets who have sent him their pictures and stories. I think as we grow older (I'm now 60) the past means more to us then it did when we were there.

MSgt George C. Blood, USAF Retired
Arvada, Colorado
gcblood@comcast.net

NOTES

For more info on the gun, photo #5, click HERE

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1. Welcome to Shemya Island, The Black Pearl of The Aleutians

2. West end of the Island showing old runways 'C' and 'B'

3. Building 600 where most of us lived in 1976

4. Totem in front of Bldg 600 (Coord. K4/5)

5. Display gun in front of Bldg. 600. If somebody can identify this weapon please let us know.

6. Our power plant (Coord. L3/4)

7. My quarters before remodeling. I guessing this is a little different than what the WWII veterans had.

8. After remoldeling

9. MSgt. Blood at his part time job in the BX. The BX was inside of Bldg. 600

10. Snacks in the BX

11. Amateur radio (Ham) shack. Painted for the Bicentennial in 1976 (Coord. J7)

12. Amateur radio station KL7FBI, 70 miles from tomorrow

13. The Cobra Dane (Coord. I2)

14. The front of the Dane

15. One of many "Smoke Houses" on the Island in 1976. WWII bldgs. that different groups had taken over for clubs (Coord. L4)

16. Inside the Raytheon smokehouse

17. Inside the Raytheon smokehouse

18. Inside the Raytheon smokehouse

19. White Alice (Coord. O4)

20. This is why you don't drive a Cat off the asphalt when trying to knock down a bldg.

21. A Snowcat and thin ice don't mix

22. We did have flowers on both days of summer

23. We also had pets. North side of island

24. A few more pets. North side of island

25. And there were birds

26. Old shore defense gun

27. Shore defense gun mount and bunker

28. Old tanker truck

29. Old truck

30. Part of a WWII barracks, I think

31. Fuel storage and wrecked barge (Coord. D6)

32. Old wooden tanks (fuel?) (Coord. I3)

33. North side of island (Coord. O,P,R4 ?)

34. Old fuel drums. Somewhere along the SW end of the island I think

35. West end of island, the meeting of the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean

36. A lonely fire hydrant. Some where around the NE end of island (Coord. P5?)

37. My freedom bird. Reeve Aleutian Airways flew 2 flights a week to the island, Tuesday and Friday

38. Yes, we did have Winter when I was there. This is the Cobra Dane on the North end of the island looking from the dock area

39. Dock and Alcan harbor (Coord. C5)

40. Wrecked barge looking North. (Coord. D6)

41. Dock and wrecked barge

42. Angry water in the winter around the dock area

43. We had a Piper Cub that used to fly around the island when I was there. Can they be refueled in flight?

44. Here is our Piper Cub on the ground. Thats either a VERY big hangar or a very small plane.

 

Last Updated: 22 Nov 2008 13:07