Sea Scout Johnson, polar explorer with Byrd, turns 100 (FL)

[RememberSchiff 3655]

At 19, Johnson was the youngest member of Adm. Richard Byrd’s 1939 expedition to Antarctica aboard the USS Bear, a 19th-century, thick-hulled wooden ship with sails and diesel.

He went back with Byrd in 1946 for Operation High Jump, then joined another U.S. Navy expedition there, Operation Windmill, in 1948.

Harvey Morrissey, 16, a Sea Scout from Ocala, also came up for [Johnson's 100th] party. He had done a podcast with Johnson and was struck by his vivid stories of Antarctica and of his teenage sailing journey on the Pacific Queen.

He [Johnson] recalls that on the first expedition, their transport on the ice was sleds and dogs. To feed the dogs, they would shoot a seal — and that would be the dogs’ lunch.

More details at source:

https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/retirement/centenarian-believed-last-survivor-of-byrd-s-antarctica-trip-1.46973825

Scout Salute and Happy Birthday,

Note:  @mashmaster

[skeptic 991]

There are four books in my collection on Antarctic Scouting participation.  Three relate to Paul Siple, and one to Richard Chappell.  All are interesting and representative of Scouting involvement in some very advanced and challenging activities over the years.  Others include the African safari told about in Three Scouts in Africa; another, included one of those African participants in Alaska, A Boy Scout in Grizzley Country; there is one about scouts working with rangers in a National park, another about a hike of some scouts on the Oregon trail to Independence Rock for its hundredth anniversary, and another about a group of Eagles that spent weeks hiking in the Highlands of Scotland interacting with the local Scouts and communities.  A few others relate to Sea Scouting adventures in those earlier days, and there are small mentions here and there of lesser known and less dramatic Scouting adventure activities in other anthologies.  But, the idea that this is no longer an option is wrong.  

the NESA world explorer program continues to nurture such things, but few are really aware of this.  Take a look; https://nesa.org/for-eagle-scouts/scholarships/nesa-world-explorer/