Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is a picture of people
doing something that looks dangerous. I
don’t know how dangerous it was to serve in the Coast Guard in 1947, but just
about every photo in my father’s scrapbook of his tour of duty in Greenland smacks
of danger to me.
Cutting through ice and dodging icebergs
Leaving the Eastwind to go hunting in some desolate-looking territory
Lowering a truck into a smaller boat for delivery to one
of the bases in Thule
Climbing whatever he climbed to get this shot
At the very least, it surely looked dangerously COLD!
Take my advice:
Play it safe and just enjoy some good reading at Sepia Saturday.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
I'm sure by the look of these your father an his team would have had some near misses - living dangerously indeed, nice to have this photographic record.
ReplyDeleteMy dad has some wonderful pictures, and they're so neatly arranged in the album. No names or details though, darn it.
DeleteWendy, you are fortunate that your Dad snapped those great shots! How long did your Dad serve in the Coast Guard?
ReplyDeleteAbout 2 years. Long enough to get that GI bill and head to college.
DeleteAh, but he was young and adventurous and young is the time to do things like that before you become too sensible.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about that! Dangerous things don't look so dangerous when you're young.
DeleteOh my goodness...that second last shot is scary isn't it?
ReplyDeleteTo me, yes.
DeleteThe shot from the crane is particularly scary. I rather fancy visiting Greenland before global warming destroys all the glaciers.
ReplyDeleteI saw a show not long ago about glaciers breaking up. Sad and scary both.
DeleteLooks dangerous to me too.
ReplyDeleteGood! I was afraid I might not have hit the mark this week.
DeleteAmazing what was accomplished back then...amazing more people didn't die doing those things!! I am always amazed at what it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge and how few people died.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!
TGIF!
I was surprised to see that truck being lifted by a crane from one boat into the other.
DeleteI'd say a perfect match! I don't think there is much game to hunt on the land in Greenland, but on the sea ice there are seals and polar bears. That's some danger!
ReplyDeleteHmm, right -- maybe they were just doing target practice.
DeleteWhat a great series of photos. Each one is fantastic, and very exotic. How many of us will ever get to Greenland?
ReplyDeleteI know one person not going -- me!
DeleteMy husband was in the Coast Guard in the 1960s but he was in the Great Lakes and didn't have adventures like those. Although there was the guy that was electrocuted...
ReplyDeleteYikes -- electrocuted?!?! That's no fun.
Deletewe have seen more than our share of winter here this past, but no icebergs on the Mississippi, although there was an icebreaker barge several weeks back. I had a second cousin stationed in Greenland way back when...
ReplyDeleteWe've had more winter here too than we've had in years. I really don't care to see anynire snow in real life or in photos.
DeleteGreat to have these photos - I'm sure my fingers wouldn't work enough in that cold to press the button on the camera
ReplyDeleteMine probably wouldn't either. I never seem to dress warm enough in cold weather.
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ReplyDeleteWell that certainly fits MY definition of dangerous.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I would imagine working in the Coast Guard would involve a fair amount of rescuing people from situations that were dangerous for both the victims and the rescuers.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Daddy ever mentioning rescue missions. He was mostly supplying the bases in Greenland, I think.
DeleteThe hunting scene must have been on his time off from Coatguard work. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope he wasn't AWOL.
DeleteFantastic pictures - if a little unsettling. Well done to your Dad for capturing those moments.
ReplyDeleteOther than the "Greenland" part, I suppose your dad considered it "all in a day's work."
ReplyDeleteProbably so ~ Probably smart NOT to view it as "dangerous."
DeleteSo glad to see pics of Coast Guard in Greenland...that's super that he took them and you've got them to share with us!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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