From the time humans began pushing the boundaries of polar exploration in the early twentieth century, concerned nation-states have sought to translate polar presence into strategic advantage. Sargent takes statements made by Byrd about the potentially rich resources of Antarctica and the subsequent Antarctic Treaty, where nations agreed to restrict the military and commercial uses of the continent, as proof that the supposed true nature of the South Pole was being hidden from the public. Despite the Arctics prominence in American defense planning, policymakers and planners justified Americas presence in Antarctica in similar economic, political, military, and scientific terms. The Next Big Thing in Antarctic Treaty Admiral Byrd. It is the last great challengedown there lies the greatest adventure left in exploring and aviation.9)Rose L (2008) The Life of Richard E. Byrd. Report of the Adjutant General of Rhode Island. [34] To increase the interest of youth in arctic exploration, a 19-year-old American Boy Scout, Paul Allman Siple, was chosen to accompany the expedition. Byrd also received numerous other awards from governmental and private entities in the United States. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. In 1929, Byrd received the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America. Memorials to Byrd can be found in two cities in New Zealand (Wellington and Dunedin). For years rumors have persisted that on his historic flight to the North Pole, Admiral Byrd flew beyond the Pole into an opening leading inside the Earth. Instead, Ive chosen to demonstrate by using real world examples in hopefully low-harm topics, such as lost civilizations in Antarctica.. Blue Screen; Apa. Great heroism was displayed, especially by the men who lost their lives rescuing the wounded." [8] Byrd's last assignment before forced retirement was to the presidential yacht USS Mayflower. A battery of tests helped Naval personnel determine optimal cold weather gear, electronics, avionics, radio equipment, medicine, mechanized transport, food storage, cooking techniques, and polar sea and land survival techniques for future polar expeditions. This statement was made as part of a recapitulation of his own polar experience, in an exclusive interview with International News Service. This distinction was given to "American citizens whose achievements in outdoor activity, exploration, and worthwhile adventure are of such an exceptional character as to capture the imagination of boys ".[50]. The Institute of Polar Studies at the Ohio State University officially changed its name to the Byrd Polar Research Center (BPRC) on January 21, 1987, after it acquired Byrd's expeditionary records, personal papers, and other memorabilia in 1985 from the estate of Marie A. Byrd, the late wife of Admiral Byrd. On March 15, 1916, Byrd, much to his frustration, was medically retired on three-quarters pay for an ankle injury he suffered on board Mayflower. Social media users are sharing images which they claim show top secret photographs from Admiral Byrds Antarctic expedition where traces of a lost ancient civilization can be seen. One example is the Hollow Earth theory, which believes that the center of the Earth houses a secret civilization as discussed (here), (here). This suggestion has been challenged by Dennis Rawlins, who adds that the sextant data in the long-unavailable original official typewritten report are all expressed to 1 second, a precision not possible on Navy sextants of 1926 and not the precision of the sextant data in Byrd's diary for 1925 or the 1926 flight, which was normal (half or quarter of a minute of arc). In recognition of his service during World War II, Byrd received two awards of the Legion of Merit.[41]. Made 5 Polar Expeditions. [1] He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. None of us wants to take a chance on unnecessarily losing thousands of lives, Byrd warned, I urge you in the strongest terms not to allow to be thrown away months of preparation and the large quantity of cold weather technical equipment that has been assembled.30)Letter, Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews (1949) 20 September, Box 206, Folder 7328, Byrd Papers. [16], When he returned to the United States from the Arctic, Byrd became a national hero. Someone At For; Jerry Book; Marketing; Requests. Key Australian legislation applying Antarctic Treaty System decisions include the Antarctic Treaty Act 1960, the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 and the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981. Admiral Richard E. Byrd was a U.S. naval officer, aviator and explorer who went on several Antarctic expeditions between 1928 and 1956 ( here ). The expedition continued in Antarctica without him until the last of its participants left Antarctica on March 22, 1941. ATS 13 of 1938. [8] In 1949, Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom signed a Tripartite Naval Declaration committing not to send warships south of the 60th parallel south, which was renewed annually until 1961 when it was deemed unnecessary when the treaty entered into force. [3], On January 20, 1915, Richard married Marie Donaldson Ames (d. 1974). [46] He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. p. 187. He also was one of a very few individuals to receive all three Antarctic expedition medals issued for expeditions prior to the Second World War. As geopolitical tensions throughout the earths polar regions continue to build, the strategic questions of Byrds day remain strikingly relevant. The total number of personnel involved was over 4,000. [11], Shortly after the entry of the United States into the First World War in April 1917, Byrd oversaw the mobilization of the Rhode Island Naval Militia. Several sailors died while trying to save their shipmates. On This Episode, We're back again with Mike Potts taking a deeper dive into his journey to he Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, International Council of Scientific Unions, Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora, Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, South African Citizens in Antarctica Act, 1962, "ATS Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty", "Falkland Islands Dependencies (Hope Bay Incident)", "Historia y Arqueologa Martima. Register of Commissiond and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy, 1915. p. 64. The decision-making participants are the Consultative Parties and, in addition to the 12 original signatories, including 17 countries that have demonstrated their interest in Antarctica by carrying out substantial scientific activity there. However, in February 1958, the United States proposed that the Antarctic investigations should be extended for another year, and the Soviet Union reported that it would maintain its scientific bases until the studies being carried out had been completed. Seven months of intensive preparation and fundraising preceded the projects official Naval review. False. Our Source: "Byrd Gets CBS Award." Byrd, along with Machinist Floyd Bennett, was presented with the Medal of Honor by President Calvin Coolidge on March 5, 1927. As I see it, he wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, insofar as preparedness of our own forces is concerned, we have to assume that we may have war with Russia. In the case Byrds presupposition came true, he argued there would be hundreds of detached units in the Arctic, each expected to possess the highly technical knowledge of polar travel both on foot and in mechanized vehicles.28)Letter, Admiral Richard E. Byrd to Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews (1949) 20 September, Box 206, Folder 7328, Byrd Papers. Brought to you by Robert Byrd Breyer, Admiral Byrd's oldest grandson. It was decided that only men who had not served overseas would be allowed on the mission. The main objectives of the expedition, according to the Navy report, were essentially to: train personnel and test equipment in frigid conditions, consolidate areas over the Antarctic, determine feasibility of developing . Departing for Antarctica one last time in December 1955 as part of Operation Deep Freeze I, Byrd and his men laid the groundwork for future naval support of American Antarctic scientific operations by constructing three permanent research bases and passing their polar knowledge on to a new generation of civilian scientists and Navy personnel.36)Byrd R (1957) Antarctica: The Last Frontier: The Annual Report of the Officer in Charge, United States Antarctic Programs, Fiscal Year 1956. It was not long before plans were in the works for another Antarctic Development ProjectOperation Highjump II. In 1948, the U.S. Navy produced a documentary about Operation Highjump named The Secret Land. Additional bases were constructed throughout U.S. and Canadian Arctic territory.14)Doel R, Friedman R, Lajus J, Srlin S & Wrkberg U (2014) Strategic Arctic Science: National Interests in Building Natural KnowledgeInterwar Era Through the Cold War. He received the society's War Service Medal for his service during the First World War. He carried the society's flag during his first Antarctic expedition to dramatize the spirit of adventure into the unknown, characterizing both the natural and social sciences.[36][37]. Byrd, by then an internationally recognized, pioneering American polar explorer and aviator, served for a time as Honorary National President (19311935) of Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor society in the social sciences. What happened on that flight? Highjump IIs cancellation infuriated Byrd, prompting a barrage of telegrams, memos, and letters to Washington. Providing and disseminating public information about the Antarctic Treaty system and Antarctic activities. In Hemmings A, Rothwell D & Scott K (eds. Personnel present on Antarctica at any time are always citizens or nationals of some sovereignty outside Antarctica, as there is no Antarctic sovereignty. 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