Saving a Polar Explorer

A historic vessel that served as Admiral Richard Byrd's flagship during his last voyage to the South Pole and was the first ship to enter the Bellinghausen Sea in Antarctica, now has its own organization fighting to preserve it. The Glacier Society, a nonprofit foundation, is dedicated to the restoration and operation of the 310-foot icebreaker USS/USCGC Glacier.

In addition to her record-breaking deployments, the Glacier is one of only a few United States ships to serve under the colors of both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. She was the last Navy ship to explore uncharted waters. On Oct. 30, President Clinton signed a bill granting title of the Glacier to the Glacier Society and the group aims to put the ship back into service as a marine science, research, and education vehicle providing hands-on training and teaching the history of polar exploration. The ship, commissioned in 1955, is already undergoing work docked at Suisan Bay near San Francisco. Her home port will be Bridgeport, CT.

BoatU.S. member Bernard G. Koether is the group's chairman and says the latest news, volunteer opportunities and membership information can be found at www.glaciersocieyt.org or by writing to: Glacier Society, 905 Honeyspot Rd., Stratford, CT 06615.