As early as 1839, Captain Charles Wilkes led the first U.S. Naval expedition into Antarctic waters. In 1929, Admiral Richard E. Byrd established a naval base at Little America I; led an expedition to explore further inland, and conducted the first flight over the South Pole. From 1934–35, the Second Byrd Expedition explored much further inland and also “wintered over.” The third Byrd Expedition, in 1940, charted the Ross Sea.
After World War II, from 1946–1947, the Navy’s Operation Highjump charted most of the Antarctic coastline. In 1955-1956, Operation Deep Freeze I established a permanent research station, which has been manned ever since to conduct scientific research.
But, what is it like to live in the Antarctic in summer…and then winter over? Is it possible to go swimming on the glacier in nothing but a swimsuit? Join Host Gary Lillie and hear from his two guests, former Seabees, as they share the humor and drama of serving our country down at the bottom.
