Memories of Thule, Greenland

If you ask me where I left my car keys last night I doubt I could tell you. But if you were to ask me where I was in December of 1984 (or maybe it was ’83) I wouldn’t miss a beat: Thule, Greenland – better known as the “Top of the World” by those stationed there. I enjoyed an all-expenses-paid, 12 month assignment on this slab of ice called Thule, Greenland courtesy of the United States Air Force, and even now more than two decades later I remember it like it was yesterday.

I. Home is Where the Cold Wind Blows (and there was a lot it blowing)….

Never in my life would have thought to call Thule, Greenland “home.” In fact, I’d wager to say that unless you’re an Eskimo, you be hard-pressed to even know that Thule exits. Until I got assigned there I’d never heard of the place. But exist is does: according to the Thule Air Base website, Thule is the United States Air Force’s northernmost base (76 32′ North latitude, 68 50′ West longitude). And it is still in operation.

According to bookrags.com The military installations at Thule were first constructed during World War II, when the U.S. in 1941 established ties with a Greenland left essentially autonomous by the Nazi German occupation of Greenland’s colonial power Denmark. By 1951 sufficient improvements to the infrastructure had been made to station some bombers here during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

Thule Air Base was (and still is) something special: a “remote” tour-of-duty where families could not come. The installation – such that is was – only had room for a couple of hundred military personnel and another couple hundred Danish and American contractors. If there were more than 500-600 men and women on Thule I sure don’t remember seeing them. There used to be an old saying that at Thule, Greenland

There’s a woman behind every tree!” I don’t think that phrase is bandied about much now in these politically correct times, but I always got a chuckle out of it. (And if I have to spell it out to you, there ARE no trees in Thule, Greenland).

Thule Air Base maintained a series of radar sites that were crucial back in the days of the cold war: if someone in the former Soviet Union had an itchy trigger finger for nuking the US, we’d know about it first at Thule. During my year on the rock an at-the-time advanced radar site was constructed called BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning System). It must have done its job because I don’t recall any missiles ever making it to the US.

II. Growing Up in the Great White North

Thule, Greenland was unique is a variety of ways: weather foremost among them. At Thule we had three seasons: 5 months of continuous night, 2 months of twilight and 5 months of continuous daylight. In between that there was sub-zero temperatures, snow-storms that ranged from mild to total white-out conditions and a heck of lot of ice, sleet and cold wind that would freeze the tip of your nose in a heart beat.

I contend that if you ever want to learn about yourself, life and your fellow man a place like Thule, Greenland is made to order. Put yourself in an environment where you’re surrounded by glaciers, don’t have much of an option on who your neighbors are or what you can do in your free time and you tend to look for the best in things. Come to think of it, there were a lot of similarities between Thule, Greenland and Boys Town. I spent about 12 months there as well. But that’s a story for another time. Anyway, it’s no wonder I tend to think that my time spent “remote” in places like Greenland, Korea and Turkey were some of the best times of my life.

III. Arctic Foxes, Golf and Frostbite

The arctic fox is about the cutest little thing you ever laid eyes on — unless you got too close and there in lies the problem. Several arctic fox would hang out in front of the Thule Dining Facility hoping for a handout, or two or three fox might even follow a few steps behind you behind you licking their lips. More than one individual would fall prey to the “Oh look how cute they are” temptation of trying to feed an Arctic Fox only to lose a finger tip to these bad boys of the Arctic tundra. By the way, the arctic fox carried rabbies and that was another good reason to stay away from them.

A few kilometers outside of the base perimeter was historic Mt. Dundas. Mother Nature must have been having a bad hair day because if you look at the photo you’ll see that the top of Mt. Dundas got cleaved right off by a glacier. Every “summer” during one of those brief moments when you could actually step outside without freezing your noodle off, the base would organize the Mt. Dundas Invitational Golf Tournament: a hike up to the top of the mountain and then 18 holes of mini-golf when you got there. Like I said, in a place like Thule, Greenland you create your own diversions.

Speaking of cold weather, because it was so cold you didn’t generally walk around on foot. At least not during “winter.” The base “taxi service” had a fleet of heavy-duty four-wheel drive vehicles that would take us to-and-from work or play. While at the same time a base-wide public-address system announced abrupt weather changes – which seemed to happen every hour or so. You sure didn’t want to be outside if a “white out” condition was called.

IV. The Legend of Mr. Whipple

I mentioned earlier that several hundred American and Danish contractors worked in Thule, Greenland. One of them – an American I referred to as “Mr. Whipple” (a character in the old Charmin toilet-paper TV commercials.) had been there since almost the first day Thule Air Base officially opened. When I got there Mr. Whipple had been at Thule for over 30 years and had taken few if any days off. In case you don’t know, civilian contractors – especially in remote locations – accrue quite a few days of paid vacation as an incentive. The story goes, that Mr. Whipple had earned several hundred days of paid vacation and took very few of them. He was finally forced to fly back to the US for a vacation. As legend has it, when he arrived in the United States, poor old Mr. Whipple took one step outside the air terminal, looked around at all the chaos and confusion staring back at him and promptly turned around and flew back to Thule, Greenland where he worked for the rest of his life. I often wonder what ever happened to the guy: he was already in his late 60’s when I was there and I wonder if they didn’t just bury him in the ice or something when he finally called it quits.

Yep – the Air Force still sends people to Thule, Greenland and because of it we all share a special bond. I’m not sure exactly what that bond is – but I can tell you not many people have been there and fewer still will ever go back.

Reference:

• www.thulegreenlandsite.com