Gerrit Gillespie Photography - Adak Alaska, 1981

Aug 14, 2004: My thanks to Joe Millward, who found this page and told me he grew up with "Wacky" Jackie (relaying they called her Wacky too) Pfeiffer. Itty-bitty world, isn't it? I'd tried to remember her last name for 22 years!

July 28, 2006: Thanks to Robert "Bob" Burkhart for sending me the Mt. Moffett transmitter site, 800 foot antenna shots and site pictures, which I've included at the bottom of the page along with some commentary.

Adak Island in the Aleutians: My First (and favorite ) Tour of Duty - 1981.

These pictures were taken during 1981. I arrived on Adak in early January 1981 for a one year tour. I'd spent almost two years in electronics training, was an E4, (Electronics Technician Third Class), and finally made it to my first duty station. I'd been to basic electricity/electronics school in San Diego, ET "A" in Great Lakes, then six months of "C" school at NSGA Northwest on the VA/NC border. Does anybody know why it was called "Northwest?" Northwest of what, Charleston? Anyway...

Situated 1200 miles west of mainland Alaska, Adak sits 2/3 of the way out the Aleutian chain of islands. The naval activities were closed around 1995, but the island remains a wildlife refuge, and still has very capable airfield and docks. Great runways: mountain at one end, ocean at the other, and two types of wind - strong and stronger. Windiest place I've ever been. One time me and Mitch were standing on a ridge over the Bering Sea watching the sun set during a rare calm. A Wiliwaw ("wind from nowhere") picked us both up and threw us, luckily, backward. At that time I weighed about 230. Tossed me like a half-full milk carton.

Of my 20+ years in the Navy, Adak was my favorite duty station. Why? I was single, making pretty good money due to Alaskan cost of living bonuses. I bought camping gear and two Canon A1 cameras, as well as a bag and lenses which I still have to this day. Practical VCR's didn't exist yet, and there was one government controlled AFRTS TV and radio station out of Elmendorf. It was best to make one's own entertainment. When I got back stateside I loved watching commercials - they'd bleeped them all on the island. When not working or partying, I was tundra stomping and taking pictures.

There used to be two bases: Naval Station Adak and Naval Security Group Activity. I worked at NSGA. We called NavSta "downtown" as it was eight miles south. I made that walk many a time. My job was boring, working in the Submarine Special Communications branch, but the island was wonderful - never got above 60 degrees F., but never got below zero.

We'd hike, fish, hunt (after a year and could claim residency) drink, work some, make improvements to the cabin, drink more. My work site (the old SPECCOM one on Adagdak) had a big kitchen where we'd experiment during watches. This was where I learned Terry's Killer Baked Beans, how to clean a fox pelt and prepare halibut steaks, except for the beans, all new stuff from a NM city boy.

Most of the really raucous times happened at the cabins. These were odd assortments of huts and such left over from WWII. Didn't need a refrigerator - the environment kept whatever was stored outside at just about the perfect temperature. The beer was always cold. Gasoline was about $1.75 a gallon then, but JP-5 in 55 gallon drums was easily accessible; that fuel was used mostly to light fires in the buoy stoves. Amazing that no cabins ever burned down from the forgotten JP5 drip.

You'll notice that almost all the pictures have an overcast sky - that's the way it was 97% of the time. On the rare occasions the sun did shine, everybody was let out of work to go and enjoy it, hence the term "Sunshine Liberty."

Above is the Adak National Forest. I thought it was the smallest "national" forest I'd seen until seeing the one on San Clemente Island. Still, it was a plucky assortment of barely surviving pines.

Below is one of my favorites of the rarely unsnowy Mt. Moffett.

I call this one the Adak Family. I don't remember many of the names, but there are a few I recall (in no order): Shannon Cooley, Tom Milton, Todd Corwin, (Wacky) Jackie Pfeiffer, Mitch and Kim. That's it! I really wish I'd put all the names on the pictures, but I was shooting slides most of the time.

Goofing around with B&W. I shot and developed all the black and white on the page This was an old bus, and behind it was some storage shed. I like the way it came out.

The Yield sign that, well, yielded!

Razorback.

Got lucky on a near cloudless night and was loaded with fast film. I'm not sure if the below one is Razorback, but it was in the vicinity.

Tom Milton moseying down the road to meet Paula. This was in July, the one month of "Summer." Below is Paula in a standard issue "welcome to Adak" parka.

Mount Moffett, the highest point on Adak. It's annoying to climb, as the upper ridges are made up of loose rock, made more treacherous with a snow covering. We made it to the top (when it had much less snow) and as you lean over the edge of what is collapsed volcano rim, 3200 ft. drop straight down to the ocean. Unfortunately, those pictures were lost when I dropped my camera and exposed the film. Oops.

During WWII when 100,000 or so men were staged on Adak, many of these low, screwed into the tundra fence posts were used in case of invasion. 38 years later, they were still there. For an island where it rained constantly, hardly anything rusted.

Finally got them to pose at the dump while I was packing black and white film.

Me in the department cabin. I think Tom Milton took this.

Mary something and "Wild" William "Bill" Bandy

Cabin entertainment revolved around music, beer, beer, whiskey and occasionally dancing. I have no clue who took the one below.

The room was totally dark when I boozily aimed the camera toward the snoring... This was in my room with Paul (in the bed) and forgotten man in chair.

Me "tundra stomping" near the foot of Adagdak. One cannot simply walk through tundra, one must lift and plant the feet, and feel for sinkholes. Stomp.

Great Sitkin Island during one of those weird days when things looked much closer than they really were. Well, I did have a 400 mm lens when I took this, but the island, and active volcano, was 25 miles away.

Base of Mt. Moffett, with a view out the Aleutians. The weather had sucked for weeks, then one day it was beautiful, so Kim and I decided it was high time to scale Mt Moffett. Great views, but a treacherous climb with all the loose rock and annoying coat of snow.
Kim is to the right, me below shot by Kim.

Bald Eagles are everywhere on Adak. After time, the wonder of "Wow, eagles!" wears off. At dawn almost every morning, they'd perch on every pole and post outside the barracks and screech. It got annoying.

Ben Franklin was right - they're opportunists. They'd steal salmon off your hook, out of your bag or goodies out of the dump. While wandering the dump one day, I saw a dozen or so digging through the garbage. I wanted to shoo them away and yell "Go look regal - dammit, you're our national symbol!" Birds will be birds.

Tom Milton standing atop his creation, the coffin of beer which kicked off the "Drink 'Til You Die" party, which lasted three days. No one was permanently injured.

Below is Shannon Cooley in the planned double exposure, "CooleyFire!"

Tom Milton and his 79", 233 lb. halibut. A pooped but happy fisherman, this ugly bottom dweller became four big fish fries at the boathouse. It was caught between Adak and Kagalaska in the Kagalaska Strait. The record at the time was around 450 lbs., almost double this ones size.

Below: "Killer" moss. Step on that while hiking and away you would go!

Back in the old "mobile estate" trailer home in Albuquerque. The Adak tour was over, but the beard remained. I've not worn a beard since. Sure was practical in cold weather though.
April Hicks took this. Where are you April?

I've been racking my brain for years, but damned if I can remember Angela's last name. She commissioned me to take some pictures for her boyfriend.

"Wacky" Jackie Pfeiffer, symbolizing a sometimes common attitude. She was very fine, weird, but fine.

Quonset huts left over from WWII. The upper one is a wreck, the lower one was redone and used as a divisional cabin.

Below: Carol (blonde, well-endowed, NY accent) being one with the tundra.

Running dog of Kuluk housing, other housing, NSGA and airfield on clear and not so clear days.

Various shots around the cabin. I'm the guy in the rusty colored shirt on the teeter-totter with Tom Milton.

Sheila Mort, Tom Milton and Mitch Concerveza.

Various scenery shots that had to be from the summer month of July, when the temperatures soared into the mid 50's.

Below is the barest rainbow over the boulders, nets and driftwood, some other scenery and a Ptarmigan, which I think was Inuit for "stupid tasty bird."


Scott shooting on Adagdak
Former room mate Scott, who returned to ND to be a dentist.

Griff examing the beached (bouldered?) orca. Then me trying to keep from being blown off the boulders.

Adak airport

Below: Yee old antenna field, also known as a dinosaur cage or Wullenwebber antenna. We called the cluster of buildings in the middle "Bullseye".

SL105Adak Wullenwebber Series of	SL106 NSGA Adak from the south I think	SL107 NSGA Adak from across the water	SL108 Mount Moffett again Moffett, Adak Island, Alaska

View of the transmitter site from 75 feet up one of the 300 foot support towers, 1966. Photo courtesy of Robert L. Burkhart.	View of NAVFAC and "T" (transmitter) site from 800 feet up the 800 foot transmit antenna, 1966. Photo courtesy of Robert L. Burkhart.	View from the base up the 300 foot support towers, 1967. Photo courtesy of Robert L. Burkhart
Patchs from US Naval Radio Station, Mount Moffett, Adak Alaska and Naval Communications Station, Adak Alaska. Photos courtesy of Robert L. Burkhart.	Robert (Bob) Burkhart writes: "As a matter of clarification -- the 300' towers are just that, towers, they supported various antennas strung between the three towers -- they are not antennas themselves -- whereas the 800' antenna (from which I took the picture) is actually an antenna. The picture taken from 75' level of 300' tower is looking down over a garage and the "Foo's Bar" which was our club. There were about 35 people assigned to the "T" site at Mt. Moffett -- a group of SeaBee's who maintained the power plant -- a group of radioman who stood watch and did all the QSYs (frequency changes), a cadre of ETs who maintained the equipment -- and a cook -- the person in charge was a Navy LT (LDO) and we had a Senior Chief as our NCOIC -- the cook prepared lunch and dinner -- breakfast was something you prepared yourself and the chow hall was open 24/7 for various snacks (and mid-rations). We had a mascot (dog) named Ralph E. Foo (who was a Jr. -- his father had the same name but had died) -- the bar was named for the dog. The picture from the 800 ft level shows the NavRadSta (T) cite and, way off in the distance (where you see water) is where the NAVFAC was located. -- when you look at this picture the the "T" site the building that housed all the transmitters (mostly HF) is on the lower right -- across from this building is the garage and bar -- to the right is our power plant and on the lower right was the barracks -- we lived in little cubes formed by pushing lockers together."