Upcoming Book On The PN9E Saga And The Ongoing Duck Hunt

AFWhite · **Posted:** Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:39 pm

CoastieJohn wrote:

AFWhite wrote:

Interesting following the progress on this.

While flying with the Naval Research Lab, we assisted in finding the location while on a return trip from Iraq (2009?). We'd been in country using a ground penetrating RADAR to find IEDs and where asked to check out some coordinates up in Greenland on the way back.

A group of Coast Guard folks came to the squadron a few weeks later to brief us on the story of the lost Duck. John, you may have been one of the folks there?

That would be me. I still have the ppt from that presentation. I drafted the award for that mission. I understand the winds over the crash site were very strong and several of your crew got sick from the plane bouncing around. When we flew over in 2008 in our C-130J it was severe clear on the surface, mirror-like water, but a couple of thousand feet up there were horrible winds. The plane was knocked all over the place. On a couple of turns the auto-throttles kicked in to maintain altitude. Two of our guys in the back got sick. I went to the cockpit to ride it out.

lol...yeah, usually is when it comes to flying scientists and researchers around the cookies start getting tossed in the rough stuff. The profile needed to fly in order to get the most out of that particular RADAR required a tight orbit at a precise altitude. We had a CRT monitor in front of the pilots face displaying the track to fly with a yellow "box" to keep in the "groove". It look like Luke Skywalker's display in "Star Wars" making his run on the Death Star! Even on a good day it required lots of rudder and elevator input (autopilot off), really wore out the pilots. Anywhere aft of the wing and you really felt those oscillations and that will make anyone feel green. We'd brief that to the back enders (I was a flight engineer, so front of the bird) and tell them to come up front if they got feeling real bad.

groundpounder · **Posted:** Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:30 am

I read the book recently and found it very interesting. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

FYI for those who are following the ongoing Duck Hunt. The team is scheduled to leave on the 28th for Greenland.

Quote:

Hi:

I'm writing to share the exciting news that "Duck Hunt 2013" has been given a green light. We're returning to Greenland on Sunday, July 28, with the goal of recovering the remains of three World War II heroes featured in my new book, Frozen in Time.

Our targets are Lieutenant John Pritchard and Radioman Benjamin Bottoms of the Coast Guard, and Corporal Loren Howarth of the Army Air Forces. The three men disappeared November 29, 1942, when their Grumman Duck amphibious plane disappeared in a storm. We intend to dig, carve and melt through 70 million pounds of glacial ice to bring them home.

If you'd like to follow our progress, I'll be posting regular updates and photos live from the Koge Bay glacier on a blog being hosted by the Boston Globe's website, boston.com. Here's the link to the "Frozen in Time Recovery Mission" blog:

<http://live.boston.com/Event/Frozen_in_Time_Recovery_mission>

The mission is the result of a remarkable public-private partnership that includes the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC); the U.S. Coast Guard; and a private expedition company, North South Polar Inc. Many of the remarkable individuals featured in "Frozen in Time" will be back for this year's mission, along with some new faces whom I'll introduce along the way.

Wish us luck!

Best,
Mitch (Zuckoff)

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

FYI for those who are following the ongoing Duck Hunt. The team is scheduled to leave on the 28th for Greenland.

Quote:

Hi:

I'm writing to share the exciting news that "Duck Hunt 2013" has been given a green light. We're returning to Greenland on Sunday, July 28, with the goal of recovering the remains of three World War II heroes featured in my new book, Frozen in Time.

Our targets are Lieutenant John Pritchard and Radioman Benjamin Bottoms of the Coast Guard, and Corporal Loren Howarth of the Army Air Forces. The three men disappeared November 29, 1942, when their Grumman Duck amphibious plane disappeared in a storm. We intend to dig, carve and melt through 70 million pounds of glacial ice to bring them home.

If you'd like to follow our progress, I'll be posting regular updates and photos live from the Koge Bay glacier on a blog being hosted by the Boston Globe's website, boston.com. Here's the link to the "Frozen in Time Recovery Mission" blog:

<http://live.boston.com/Event/Frozen_in_Time_Recovery_mission>

The mission is the result of a remarkable public-private partnership that includes the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC); the U.S. Coast Guard; and a private expedition company, North South Polar Inc. Many of the remarkable individuals featured in "Frozen in Time" will be back for this year's mission, along with some new faces whom I'll introduce along the way.

Wish us luck!

Best,
Mitch (Zuckoff)

TAdan · **Posted:** Wed Jul 24, 2013 2:08 pm

Thanks for the update John. The book was a delightful read. I am very happy to hear that they will be returning this summer. I'll be following the blog.

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

Ya...the book is a pretty good read.

If the sched goes as planned and the weather cooperates, the team should be on the ice at the crash site on the 30th. They need to fly to Iceland first to drop off some heavy equipment for surface transport to Koge Bay. The team will then fly to Kulusuk for helo transport to the crash site.

AFWhite · **Posted:** Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:21 am

Good to hear. Best of luck in the hunt!

I'll be following along on the web site, Thanks for the link.

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

The blog is up and running. Mitch Zuckoff already made a few entries. The C-130 left today for Iceland to drop off some equipment and then tomorrow the schedule has the C-130 going to Kulusuk, GL. From Kulusuk it's staging to the crash site via helo.

I'm hearing at some point there may be live TV coverage on a national network but that is not confirmed yet.

http://live.boston.com/Event/Frozen_in_ ... ry_mission

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

The team is now in Kulusuk and staging via helo to the crash site.

http://live.boston.com/Event/Frozen_in_ ... ry_mission

AFWhite · **Posted:** Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:22 pm

Following along on the blog. Fascinating stuff. I'd love to be on an expedition like this!

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

This year's search is ongoing. The nearby Lost Squadron work maybe going on too.

http://www.wcax.com/story/26073151/vt-a ... -greenland

TAdan · **Posted:** Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:09 am

Thanks for the update John. I'm glad to see they are going back this year. I was glued to the updates during last seasons trip.

I hope things go well this year.

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