-Caveat Lector-
an excerpt from:
>From Major Jordan's Diaries
George Racey Jordan©1952 All rights reserved
Western Islands
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont. Massachusetts 02178
PRINTING HISTORY
Harcourt, Brace edition published 1952
Free Enterprise edition published 1958
American Opinion edition published 1961
The Americanist Library edition published 1965
--[3]--
CHAPTER THREE
We Move to Montana
It was the coldest weather in 25 years when the route was mapped out. First
of all, Major General Follette Bradley flew experimentally by way of the old
gold-field airstrips of Canada. With the Russians he scratched out a route
from Great Falls through Fairbanks, Alaska and across Siberia to Kuibyshev
and Moscow. It is the coldest airway in the world across the Yukon to Alaska
and through the "Pole of Cold" in Siberia, but it worked.
Colonel (then Captain) Gardner, our trouble-shooter at Newark, was one of the
first to go ahead to Montana. Then Lieutenant Thomas J. Cockrell arrived at
Great Falls in charge of an advance cadre to make arrangements for the
housing and quartering of troops of the 7th Ferrying Group of the Air
Transport Command, which was moving from Seattle.
Gore Field was at that time known as the Municipal Airport of Great Falls.
Although it had been selected as the home of the 7th, actual construction of
barracks and other accommodations had not been started. The Great Falls Civic
Center was therefore selected as a temporary home, with headquarters,
barracks, mess-hall and other facilities combined under the roof of the huge
municipal structure. The Ice Arena was also used as a combination barracks
and messhall and temporary headquarters were established in the office of
Mayor Ed Shields and the offices of other city officials.
For nearly four months, the Civic Center remained the home of the 7th
Ferrying Group, while contractors rushed construction of the barracks,
hangars and other buildings which were to make up the post on Gore Field. The
group completed its move up to Gore Hill early in November, 1942. The 7th
Group continued to supervise all stations and operations along the Northwest
Route until November 17, 1942, when the Alaskan Wing of the Air Transport
Command was established to take over the operations of the route to the north
through Canada to Fairbanks, where hundreds of Russian pilots were waiting to
take over.
Major Alexander Cohn arrived from Spokane to establish the 34th Sub-Depot for
the Air Service Command. It was this depot that supervised the mountains of
air freight that originated from all over the United States and poured into
the funnel of this end of the Pipeline.
Colonel Gardner arranged for my transfer from Newark to Great Falls. My
orders designated me as "United Nations Representative." Few people realize
that although the United Nations Organization was not set up in San Francisco
until September, 1945, the name "United Nations" was being used in the
Lend-Lease organization as early as 1942, as in my original orders to Newark.
For the record, I want to quote my orders to Great Falls, with one phrase
italicized. One reason for this is that in 1949 the New York Times printed
the following statement of a "spokesman" for the United Nations: "Jordan
never worked for the United Nations." I thereupon took the original copy of
my orders in person to the Times, explained that this was an Army designation
as early as 1942, and asked them in fairness to run a correction (which they
did not do), since I never claimed to have "worked for the United Nations"
and their story left the impression that I was lying. Here are my orders,
with the original Army abbreviations:
Army Air Forces
Headquarters, 34th Sub Depot
Air Service Command
Office of the Commanding Officer
Capt GEORGE R. JORDAN, 0468248, AC, having re-
ported for duty this sta per Par 1, SO No. 50, AAF,
ASC, Hq New York Air Serv Port Area Comd, Newark
Airport, N.J., dated 2 January 43, is hereby asgd United
Nations Representative, 34th Sub Depot, Great Falls, Montana, effective this
date.
By order of
Lt. Colonel MEREDITH.
These official orders activating my post were preceded on January first by a
Presidential directive. This directive was addressed to the Commanding
Generals of the Air Transport, Material, and Air Service Commands, through
Colonel H. Ray Paige, Chief, International Section, Air Staff, who worked
directly under General Arnold. This directive *gave first priority for the
planes passing through our station, even over the planes of the United States
Air Force! It was extremely important in all my work. I quote the crucial
first paragraph:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY AIR
FORCES
WASHINGTON
January 1, 1943.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE COMMANDING GENERAL, AIR SERVICE COMMAND:
Subject: Movement of Russian
Airplanes.
I. The President has directed that "airplanes be delivered in accordance with
protocol schedules by the most expeditious means." To implement these
directives, the modification, equipment and movement of Russian planes have
been given first priority, even over planes for U.S. Army Air Forces ...
By Command of
Lieutenant General ARNOLD,
Richard H. Ballard
Colonel, G.S.C.
Assistant Chief of Air Staff,
A-4
The following story illustrates the importance of "first priority" and
indicates how few people, even in the armed services, were aware of it. One
day a flying Colonel arrived at Great Falls and asked for clearance to
Fairbanks, Alaska.
He was told that his plane could not leave for the four days it would take to
comply with the winterization orders enabling his plane to fly the cold
route. He immediately demanded sufficient mechanics to do the job in a few
hours. I pointed out that this would require mechanics who were working on
Russian planes. "I know I'm just an Air Force Colonel," he muttered, "and I
hate to discommode Uncle Joe, but I'm afraid, Captain, that this American
plane will have to take precedence over the Russian planes."
It isn't often that a Captain can contradict a Colonel. When I showed him the
foregoing directive and he read the words, "the President has directed," and
"first priority," he was positively speechless. We suggested that he could
borrow some mechanics from Pocatello (Idaho) and Ogden (Utah) to facilitate
the winterization of his plane. But he went around with a puzzled look,
muttering "First priority! I'll be damned." He asked me whether many Air
Force pilots knew about this. I told him that they found it out when they hit
Great Falls and tried to enter the Pipeline.
To complete my dossier there was an order from the headquarters of the Air
Service Command which outlined my duties in detail. I think it important
enough to quote in full:
ARMY AIR FORCES
HEADQUARTERS
AIR SERVICE COMMAND
PATTERSON FIELD
FAIRFIELD, OHIO
1-7-43.
SUBJECT: Duties in Connection
with Movement of
Russian Airplanes.
TO: Commanding Officer
34th Sub Depot
Great Falls Municipal
Airport
Great Falls, Montana
1. In connection with the movement of aircraft to
U.S.S.R. through your station, it is directed that you
appoint an officer who will be charged with the follow-ing duties:
a. Inspect aircraft upon arrival, to determine
(1) Condition
(2) Status of regular equipment
b. Install special flight equipment as requested by Russia.
C. Receive and store special fight equipment furnished for this movement.
d. Report any shortages of regular equipment to United Nations Branch,
Overseas Section, and take necessary action to have them supplied.
e. Furnish United Nations Branch, Overseas Section, with daily report
covering arrivals and departure of these aircraft and status of those held on
field.
Coordinate activities of Air Service Command, Air Transport Command and
Material Command which affect this entire movement of aircraft.
g. Receive and transmit messages and requisitions from
Fairbanks.
h. Coordinate and expedite air freight movements for
U.S.S.R. from Great Falls and Edmonton.
2. It is recommended that Captain Jordan who was recently assigned to your
station be appointed for this purpose.
By Command of Major General FRANK: a/C. P. Kane, Col. A.C. for LESTER T.
MILLER BRIGADIER GENERAL, U.S.A. Chief, Supply Division
The temperatures were ranging from zero to 70 de below zero along the route
where the williwaws blow between Great Falls and Fairbanks. The williwaws
don't get down as far as Gore Field, but gales up to I 10 miles an hour moved
one Pilot to say, "If we used a 500-pound bomb as a windsock, it would blow
around too much." Despite the cold, Engineer Corps were rebuilding the old
Canadian airstrips and were getting the airway really started as a line.
The Russian staff had moved from Newark, to Great Falls, with Colonel Kotikov
still at their head. By this time I was on a very friendly personal basis
with the Colonel. As human beings, we got on very well together. From the
viewpoint of the usual Russian behavior toward Americans, it could even be
said that we were on intimate terms.
Colonel Gardner decided that it would expedite matters if I took a trip
to Fairbanks, visiting the various airports route to familiarize myself with
conditions and with the Russian personnel. I was to return and report back to
Colonel Winters and Colonel Doty in Dayton the type of accessories that were
needed to expedite the deliveries of the cannon-firing P-39 Airacobras, the
small fighting planes that were being flown by contact pilots to Ladd Field,
Fairbanks. The medium bombers and the transports could, of course, be flown
by instrument pilots. The Russians nicknamed the Bell Airacobras the
Cobrastochkas ("dear little cobras"), and reported that they were able to
perform successfully all sorts of vertical maneuvers, particularly the
chandelle, and held a very definite advantage over the Messerschmitt 109. If
bought in lots of one thousand, the Airacobras cost U.S. taxpayers only
$85,465.45 each.
On February first, 1943, I departed from Great Falls for Fairbanks.
pps. 18-23
--[cont]--
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
Omnia Bona Bonis,
All My Relations.
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
Kris
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