24
1990 y1I I tI.P The Beauty of the Best
1990
y1I
I
tI.P
The Beauty of the Best
"I MUST GO DOWN TO THE SEA AGAIN,
TO THE VAGRANT GYPSY LIFE,
To THE GULL'S WAY AND THE WIND'S
WAY WHERE THE WIND'S LIKE A
WHETTED KNIFE;
AND ALL I ASK IS A MERRY YARN
FROM A LAUGHING FELLOW ROVER,
AND QUIET SLEEP AND A SWEET
DREAM WHEN THE LONG TRICK'S
OVER."
--JOHN MASEFIELD "SEA FEVER"
A CLUB
D NEWS JUNE 1990
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 E3
RANG IXIdN THE GRAND CANYON By John Booth #869
ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE - HOWARD E. GEE #738
14 11
N 8
A tribute by Keith Chase #664
by Keith Young #565 TIBET, YOU SAY. Which Tibet?
ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE - EMIL BARJAK #950 A tribute by three of his friends
A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
U 15 from George H. Lapenson A LEI TER - FROM A FRIEND OF FRED DF}IARA
"1500 MILE ESCAPE ACROSS CHINA" by Col. George Hanlon. The Program for
April 26, 1990
"ERITREA" by Ron Halbert #997. The Program E 20 for May 3, 1990
SPECIAL FEATURES
S Inside "Sea Fever" 20 Can You Believe This?
Front Inside Cover (John Masefield) Back
Another Request
14 A New Breed of Adventurer Cover From the Editor
(usPS 389-310)
The ADVENTURERS CLUB NEWS is the official publication of the Adventurers Club, Los Angeles, California
PUBLISHER - Robert Sandwick #909
EDITOR - Robert Williams #905
PRESIDENT Robert Sandwick #909
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Robert Silver #728
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Noble Trenham #694
SECRETARY Robert Perez #958
TREASURER Keith Chase #664
PAST PRESIDENT Frank Haigler #825
DIRECTOR - Bit Brown #708 DIRECTOR - Alan Siebert #932
DIRECTOR - Robert Sechrist #828 DIRECTOR - Milt Valois #974
DIRECTOR - Sven WahIroos #978 DIRECTOR - Art Poindexter #984
[ PROGRAM CHAIRMAN - Robert Silver #728
[ (Res) 213-472-2062 (FAX) 213-478-3390
The ADVENTURERS CLUB NEWS (USPS 389-310) is published monthly by The Adventurers Club, P. 0. Box 15791, Los Angeles, Calif., 90015
Subscription $15.00 per year
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P. 0. Box 15791, Los Angeles California 90015.
§
Manuscripts and other items intended for publication by the mem-bers of the Club should be sent to the Publication Office, 1735 Avalon Bay Road, Lake Havasu City, Arizona 86403. Phone is 1-602 453-3996. Hours 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Lead time for publication is a minimum of three months. Adventure stories, human interest stories, or other items submitted by the author are always wel-come.
THE GRAND CANYON, THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE .
Rafting Down Grand Canyon John Nicholls Booth *869
EDITOR'S NOTE: Several members of the
Adventurers Club have rafted down the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. On the
991-h anniversary of Major Charles Wes-
ley Powell's historic first exploration of this mighty river in 1869, member John Booth #869 duplicated the most
dangerous 300 miles of this original
journey. We reprint here the story he wrote at that time for the Long Beach Press Telegram, through the courtesy of
that newspaper.
Lying in Indian Territory, the Grand Canyon was a chasm of mystery back in 1869. Custer's "last stand" still lay in the future. Only an occasional trapper had undertaken the per-ilous climb down into those depths.
The churning, thundering river knifing through ageless stone fascinated 36-year-old Major John Wesley Powell, the Midwestern geology professor and explorer. Despite having lost one arm at the Battle of Shiloh in the Civil War, he set out in three heavy, wooden boats to explore that rushing river's course.
Powell's great feat of shoo-
Dr. Booth
ting the unknown boulder-strewn rapids and delineating the can-yon's features successfully, and his later scientific expe-ditions through our midwest, caused the National Geographic's Melville Bell Grosvenor to term him "the complete explorer. we may never see his like again." Powell's expedition cost three men dead from Indian arrows.
Shooting the most dangerous 300 miles though Marble Canyon and Grand Canyon is, today, a simple matter. White water techniques have been perfected, each rapid's dangerous spots are marked in rivermen's minds,
June 1990 Page 3
RAFTING THE GRAND CANYON
the water level is lower by more than 15 feet than in Pow-ell's day, and neoprene rafts, which are virtually unsinkable, are used.
The most unanticipated as-pect of our nine-day expedition I believe, was carrying on our two rafts dozens of fresh eggs and not breaking a single one.
At midday on Aug. 24, 1968, not long after the anniversary when Major Powell and his party had passed the very spot 99 years earlier, we put in at Lee's Ferry. In Marble Canyon, it is just below the huge Glen Canyon Dam that has the power
WWII RUBBER PONTOONS HAVE A TENDENCY TO LEAK!
to regulate the water level of the river to our disadvantage or benefit.
Rubber pontoons, left over from World War II military bridges, were lashed side by side to create our rafts. Old age problems were compounded by rock-cut gashes to provide con-tinual slow leaks in the air chambers.
For over a week our party wore nothing but life jackets, swimming trunks, sun glasses and hats, to combat the 100+ temperatures and turbulent waters in the mile-deep canyon slot.
Our two Kon Tikis of the Colorado averaged about Seven miles an hour. In narrow gor-ges, the compressed leaping current accelerated to 25 miles per hour. From a short dis-tance away we looked like ruf-fians from a distant planet, swirling along on dilapidated flying saucers.
For days on end we moved through a solitude virtually deserted by mankind and its markings. No telephone wires, settlers' cabins, bridges or humans broke the spell of the wilderness. Vertical canyon walls a prison made, and we were happy because of it. Only an occasional vapor trail slashed across the blue ceiling of our world to remind us that we were not on an alien planet.
§ The rapids of the Grand Can-
yon are assigned numbers from one to ten on river charts, according to their violence or size. We shot 161 rapids, por-taging none, and lost no one overboard. This is a tribute either to our deathgrip on some strap or a sense of balance indicative of lingering monkey attributes.
Shooting rock-filled rapids, amidst 12-foot waves, dangerous cross-currents and 'holes' in the river, combines the quali-
Page 4 Adventurers Club News
RAFTING THE GRAND CANYON
ties of a roller coaster, merry go round and an over-Niagara-Falls-in-a-barrel experience... all on an open raft. We were struck with such violence, and hurled about so crashingly, in the king-of-them-all Lava Falls rapids, that water forced it-self inside the metal case of one of my light meters.
In late afternoon, with the boiling sun's direct rays mer-cifully blocked out by looming cliffs, our expedition of mo-dern day Tom Sawyers would stake out a tiny campsite on a sand-bar in a jumble of boulders. There, in heat that denied com-fort, we would sleep out the night to a lullaby of racing rapids.
We shared these refuges, locked in by thundering water on one side, a grim rock wall a few feet away on the other, with red ants, bats, scorpions and lizards. Bobcat tracks were found around the head of MY ground sheet one morning. He had sniffed around my sleeping form, disturbing no one, and then, finding me unappetizing, slunk away in seeming disgust. Actually, these regular inha-bitants of the canyon did not bite us and we, chivalrously, returned the compliment.
The intense heat melted ink out of my ballpoint pen. My
ankles became badly swollen. On peaceful stretches of the Colorado, a handful of us would leap into the refreshingly cold water. How soothing to shut out the unceasingly burning sun
THE CANYON, A STONE FAIRYLAND OF MULTI-HUED
ROCK FORMATIONS
as we swam along near our in-flated wieners.
At many moments we could lift our eyes and see a stone fairyland of multi-hued forma-tions. The difference in the canyon between a worm's eye view like ours, and that de-rived at the rim or in a plane, is indescribable. Some eroded towers defied imagination. Mu-sic temples? Oriental pagodas? Buttressed cathedrals? Regal palaces? All of these we wit-nessed. Imagine the effect, watching them soaring a mile upward into the sky, row on zu.i.
Nowhere on earth can the history of our planet's crust be deciphered so far back into time as in the canyon through which our tiny, fragile raft was wafting us. We could read in stone the picture of the land-scape here over a span of al-most two billion years.
NEXT MONTH man invades the Can-
yon with his machines...
June 1990 Page 5
ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE
HOWARD E. GEE #738
"SO LONG, IT'S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YOU"
A Tribute by Keith Chase #664
It was a warm Spring after-noon in Pacific Palisades and Tuck was softly strumming away on his guitar. I heard many fa-miliar tunes that brought back memories of the good times we had shared together. Some of the guests were looking through photo albums showing Howard and Wilma with their family while others were enjoying reminiscing about their sometimes precari-ous adventures at sea with the Gees voyaging somewhere in the South Pacific. This was the scene of celebration and every-one quietly dealt with the loss of a friend who had touched each
person's life who was there, in a unique and lasting way.
§
Howard Gee passed away on April 16 after a 7-month battle with cancer. His friends had gathered to pay tribute to How-ard in the best way they knew how-have a party! Howard would have wanted it that way.
In the 72 short years he was on this Earth, he had lived his life to the fullest. While he grew up in the Northwest, he settled in Southern California. He and Wilma had three fine Sons - Geoff, Greg and Whitney. Each
Page 6 Adventurers Club News
IN MEMORIAM - HOWARD GEE
has grown and settled into their own lives, but they blessed Ho-ward and Wilma with a lively brood of off-spring who have been a great joy.
Howard moved rapidly into a dynamic career within the com-puter industry. But his love of the sea was always calling. I don't believe he was ever with- out some kind of a boat to sail throughout his life. He took time off and spent nearly a year with his whole family cruising the South Pacific exploring sate 32 islands. They ended up near Tahiti where a frestorm caught them off guard and they were dismasted. Fortunately, they were able to jury rig enough sail to get them into Papeete a few days later.
The stories that the family and friends tell about their stay in Tahiti while waiting for a new mast are, I am sure, some of the great highlights in the lives of all who were aboard. I know Wilma used to talk about the boys going "native" and she was sure they would never want to go back home.
Howard was a good business man and rapidly rose in the IBM organization to a prominent po- sition in marketing. He was a part of the pioneering days at IBM and in on many historic events during the beginnings of the computer age.
All through his life, Howard Gee sought excellence and set high standards for himself and those around him. He inspired others and led his colleagues and friends through many exci-ting and sometimes dangerous times. The challenge was his pasture and he spent his life grazing in the wilderness of the unknown, seeking solutions. He walked a path that led to ADVEN-TURE at nearly every turn and would only ask others to share his path when he was sure the way was clear.
Upon retirement, Howard and Wilma moved back to the North-west and settled on Vashon Is-land just West of Seattle. They enjoyed some wonderful years cruising in the San Juans and made several trips up the inland passage to the Northern reaches of Alaska.
Suddenly, Wilma was stricken with cancer and passed away af- ter only a few months. Howard carried on for about another year in good health and then, ironically, he too was hit by this devastating disease. His last few weeks were spent in Los Angeles closer to family and expert medical attention.
Howard Gee was member number 738 and President of the Adven-turers Club in 1971. He inspired an active Board of Directors
(Concluded on page 14)
June 1990 Page 7
Keith's Ka!eidescope
Tibet, Wou U4, Which Tibet? by Keith Young #565
Nothing is permanent, even in the far-
off reaches of remote Tibet. Things do
change even for the die-hard adventurer.
§
There was a time in the fairly recent past when you could dine out for a fairly indefinite per-iod purely on the strength of a trip to Nepal, Bhutan, Timbuk-too, or Tibet, especially the latter. Hosts and their guests were generally panting to hear from your own lips your gripping account of the daring and adven-turous trip from which you have just returned. Through you they can vicariously journey also to the approaches to the mighty Himalayas. Even to the shadows of Mt. Everest. (Is it still 29,028 feet above sea level? Or was that above the surrounding terrain?)
No matter, whether Timbuktoo or Tibet, just actually being there was once the thing. Visi-ting those cliff-hanging lama-saries and talking to the monks observing the eternally spinning prayer wheels, hearing the omni-present mumble, "Om mani padme hum' (The jewel in the heart of
the lotus.) And the meals! My God, talk
about primitive. All those yak derivatives: Meat, milk, but-ter, cheese, etc. And prepared the Tibetan way. Along with a sort of pita bread. And who, having once sipped it, could forget the cha (tea?), slurped unsweetened but hot from heavy, handleless china cups each con-taining a heavy dollop of ghee (semi-fluid, clarified butter) for flavor.
Nor will you ever forget the kids all bundled up against the more or less permanent cold, the only part of their flesh showing being their hands and faces, both rosy, almost cherry red, from the chill but healthy looking nontheless.
But nothing remains the same. Not even once aptly-named Death Valley, California, which each day sees bus loads of tourists gliding over first class roads to Furnace Creek and its intro-duced greenery, lushness and luxurious airconditioned living with sumptuous cuisine tomatc}i. Oh yes, the bus will stop at va-rious points of interest en
Page 8 Adventurers Club News
MORE ON TIBET
route where the passengers will disembark in the almost over-powering heat, snap a few hasty pictures of a landacape that looks as if it was conceived in Hades, then replacing lens caps and sun-glasses, straggle back to their waiting bus. Air-con-ditioned, of course, and with toilet. They now have the pic-torial proof that they have in-deed risked their very lives in penetrating and crossing the cruel and unforgiving Death Val-ley.
On the other side of the world, it now seems that the Chinese, still maintaining their more than a quarter century of suzerainty over conquered and almost totally sealed off Tibet, are developing similar programs to attract wealthy tourists, mainly Americans, to the once almost impossible to reach and erstwhile Kingdom of Tibet. In-deed, those of you who, unable for physical, financial or po-litical reasons to visit the country personally and who may retain an image of the "Heavenly Kingdom" gathered from the pages of National Geographic or the first-hand accounts of intrepid explorers, may be astounded to learn that a 500-room --yes, that's Five HUNDRED, not a mere Fifty-- Holiday Inn Lhasa Hotel has just opened its doors for business. Among its attractions and comforts are piped-in music
Piped-in oxygen and fresh coffee, no less!
(heavy on violinsarx1 wood-winds I understand), television (Chi-nese AND American, but with En-glish sub-titles on the former) and, get this now, piped-in ox-ygen to counter the altitude. American-style meals are fea-tured, along with coffee, real coffee. The prices may be sky-high but then so is the estab-lishment.
The long-awaited opening of the mountain road between Kath-mandu and Lhasa was apparently the biggest factor in bringing about change in the ancient do-main of the lamas and their leader, the Dalai Lama. However like the wilder off-road parts of Death Valley, the accessibil-ity of this route dependscEi the weather, Death Valley claiming its victims with intolerable and murderous heat, with Tibet being the exact opposite. There you freeze as well as suffer, sometimes fatally, from the al-titude. Those who made the trip in the early days agree that it was not for the ailing or faint- hearted. This is particularly true for loners, and already some Europeans have been found frozen to death on the new road.
Still, when adventure, real adventure, beckons, who is ever
(Concluded on page 14)
June 1990 Page 9
ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE
EMIL BARJAK #950
A tribute by three friends--
A tribute by David F. Yamada #969
Emil Barjak was a man dedicated to adventure. He loved to explore different lands; experience and interact with the inhabi-tants; analyze what motivated them; and sympathize with their plight when they were thrust into the 20th century.
The Third World was the place he could explore with his many friends. I became one of them. We were always a diverse group of men. Some from medicine, education, business, the law, all assem-bled by Emil. He knew what motivated each of us, our strength, our weakness, and somehow could predict thatthe blend would work.
During those trips we talked. We shared our philosophies of life, how each of us assessed our own lives, how we viewed our families and our expectations. These conversations took place in boats on the Niger River, by campfires in the Yucatan, bonfires in the Copper Canyon, wherever.
The spark of life another adventurer produces is in all of us, all it needs is a bit of fuel for ignition. I hope thoughts of Emil Barjak fuel that spark.
A quote from a mountain man, Wild Bill Atkinson, might best describe our next rendezvous:
Page 10 Adventurers Club News
EMIL BARJAK - ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE
Campfires we share, tho thousands of miles apart in time and space, old friend.....once again we will no doubt share that camp fire, and choice cuts of sizzling meat roasting to our taste in a wilder than imagined world of wilderness. Of this I am certain.
In reverence, David F. Yamada
-oOo - -
A tribute by David E. Reed
When I learned Emil had no more time, I took a middle of the night flight to Paseo Jurica 617, Jurica, Quertaro, Mexico hoping I wouldn't be too late to be with my wonderful friend. God gran-ted me Emil's last forty five minutes. I am so appreciative of my time with him.
I wish to sharethe following with my fellow adventurers which are the last lines Emil wrote:
"MY NEW RIfLES"
I'm happy, I'm optimistic, I'm not afraid, I love God, I love my home, my wife, my children, my dog, I love to sing, I love to be alive, I love to see lovers, I love sunshine in the morning, and stars at night, I love my wife, I'm happy, I love Vienna, I love to run into the wind, I love to shine my shoes, I love to look down on mountains, I love thunder storms, I love jungle noi-ses, I love to walk in Paris, I love my age, I love to sing and whistle, I love to be happy, I am an optimist again, I'm happy, happy, happy! I love the Adventurers Club, I can laugh, I can smile, I can walk, I love the roaring sea, I do love life.
Emil loved life, indeed, he could associate with all ages, all classes and nationalities and this, these last lines by Robt. Frost were found in his wallet.
"FROM THE ROAD NOT TAKEN"
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I chose the one less travelled by -
And that has made all the difference.
David E. Reed
June 1990 Page 11
EMIL BARJAK - ON THE GREAT ADVENTURE
A tribute by Al A. Adams
Friendship with an adventurer is the shadow at twilight - it finds strength with life's setting sun. This great friendship between man and man is immeasurable, it has no limitations.
Emil, the prudent adventurer is away on the beautiful adven-ture - away on the big one - the unknown. That is the kind Emil sought on this big blue sphere. He sought to be there first and if he couldn't be, then second.
He was a one-of-a-kind Adventurer and an Explorer. I will never forget his last time at the Adventurers Club. Emil posses-sed a special magnetic charm, tF charisma of a proven adventurer. His presence captivated the members that night. A deep silence swept over us before the electrification he presented broke out. Such a sincere response the Club gave to no one so deserving.
Emil, my great friend, paid me this wonderful approbation when he wrote, "My dear friend who has always been a great inspi-ration in my life." From this man of the world, I shall always be grateful for those words.
There can be no doubt that adventure was his life for he lived it, he loved it %-d he exuded his fascination for the world and its unbeaten paths.
Your Fellow Adventurers say
"Godward, Emil Barjak,
Adventurer's Adventurer."
Page 12 Adventurers Club News
A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT
§ From program Chairman Bob Silver--Please note my home telephone number (213) 472-2062 and my FAX number (213) 478-3390 in case you have an idea for a good program.....
§ From Ralph White--Just finished my third expedition aboard the R/V KELDYSH. The next expedition is to Lake Baikal and then a cruise across the North Pacific ending up in California in Septem-ber of 1990. See you all at the Night of High Adventure with my surprise guest .....
§ From our wandering adventurer Sven Wahiroos--Bob Silver told me you have taken advantage of my absence to vote women into the Club provided they are barebreasted (Sven's comment). Here is a picture (on a recent postcard) of my candidate. (Hm-m-m, very nice! Ed.) By the way, she is Henry vonSeyfried's former girlfriend and she has had many adventures! Incidentally, Tahiti is rapidly getting "Waikiki-inized" but you can still find the old beauty and spirit if you look for it .....
§ From Keith Young--Am in Santiago, Chile as I write and am off to Valparaiso maiana. Enjoying this trip immensely although it had its moments .....
§ From the Los Angeles TIMES--In June, Californians will be asked to vote on Prop 117, the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990. This law, if passed, would declare mountain lions to be a specially protected animal and would prohibit sport hunting of the big cats, also called cougars, pumas, or panthers.
§ From Charlie Ross--Some of our members have moved. Please take note of these new addresses:
Dr. John Zane #951 James F. Clements #697 1111 E. Tahquitz Way #110 2806 Eucalyptus Place Palm Springs, CA 92262 Fullerton, CA 92635
James S. Ferris #868 2480 Fawn Hill Lane Auburn, CA 95603
§ Speaking of Sven Wahiroos, he is a very prolific writer. His ma-terial turns up in some rather unusual publications. Recently we have received articles from THE LOG (On Capt. Bligh) and LIFELINES (Arco's in-house publication).
June 1990 Page 13
TIBET (Concluded from page
deterred by risk? Few of the old-timers were. Even though not all of them survived. Some who did were to be found among the memberships of the Adventu-rers Clubs of both Chicago and New York. Not to mention a few, dead now for the most part, who belonged to the Adventurers Club of Los Angeles. We honor their courage and envy their deeds.
)iL•). .i'i 'lIJ
Seems like, more often than we would care to admit, modern adventurers turn up in the per-son of what we used to call The Weaker Sex--women. One who has achieved more than a normal mea-sure of notoriety in recent weeks is Susan Butcher.
A resident of Eureka, Alaska
(population 6), Susan has won the notorious Iditarod Dog Sled Race for the fourth time. Only one other person has won this gruelling 11-day, 2-hour race across 1,130 miles of some of Alaska's wildest country. She and her husband Dave live
in an 80-year old log cabin, some 140 miles up a dirt road north of Fairbanks. Her pride and joy is her Trail Breakers Kennel which numbers over 100 huskies, the best of which led her to her fourth Iditarod vic- tory. She is a renowned bree- der and trainer of sled dogs.
Her faith in her dogs and her gamble with the elements over this dangerous and rugged ter-rain eminently qualifies her for her successes in this 'off the beaten path' adventure.
--(Ed.)
I
IN MEMORIAM - HOWARD GEE
and those who served with him well remember the good year the Club had under Howard Gee.
All too soon the sun had set and the moon was rising on the horizon. It sort of reminds me of being taught to use a sextant by Howard and taking noon 'lat' shots at the sun while we were
in the Caribbean on a wonderful two week sail through the Wind-ward Islands. Tuck was playing his guitar again and everyone was joining in song. A last tribute to our friend "So Long, Its Been Good To Know You". And indeed it has. We'll miss you, but we'll remember good times and some of life's lessons you shared with us... H.K.C.
Page 14 Adventurers Club News
Once again, we hear from a fan of former member Fred DeNlara....
Ge.o/tge. H. Lape.non P. 0. Box. 943
Dayton, NV 89403
fan. 3, 1990 The EcWto'L The Ad n-take.&-6 Cub New
Ve.a'L A4. WUJ.am , I have noted, in the tateAt i zAue o6 the YANKEE MctgazLne youn
e.pe.a-tu!.L comme.nt4 about the -fate. Fe.&dnand PeMaiLa which wcvune.d my he.a&t. The.&e. a'.e. two 4ot-6 o6 £mpo4.to&6: the ckiminat type. and the adve.n-tu'te.ome. -type. that, by auming a new name and a p/to-e.si.on, ne.uvt ha/tm anyone. whAte. -e.apng -some bene~its 4kom the
-soaJe..ty o6 daiJ Lnd,ü,J.daat. Mk. Pe.Maka wao -oac.k a 9e.na6 who wa- abe. to b'tLng a g-te.a-t de.a!1 o' happne. to many with hiz daitLrig, aume.d 4/aAt5 and 4okm o4 p/te.-6e.n-tatLon.
In my opinion, I do not quaL-Ly çoit mernbe.'t6IvLp in the Advert- -twte.-'t-o Ctub o6 Lo-o angeJe.. 1 am a pke atwteiy ke..tL'te.d c.once.n v.Lofnit 4ae./LLng &xom the /LavaQe.-s o, -oome 6vLm o4 Spina-?1 Ma-PtL-piLe. SeiLe.-'to-sL-s and 6ind my 6 et6 Uvng now in 'te.dace.d ccumtanc.e.-o.
l-fowe.vvz., I te.caU -some dcutLng e.p--sodes in my e.a-'ttLe& LLi,e which have p-'wmp-te.d -some e.h&on-LciLvt to 'te.e.'t to me a-s an "adve.vt--twte./t", a titte that I 4e.4pe.e.-t but one that iLe.ave.-s me out o' the eL'tciLe. o4 the above..
Fo't in,5tance, da4in2 the eiLo's-Lvtg ye.cvt-s og WWII, when 1 had my 6itt o6 va-,tiouz 4actionz, rnLiLLtaity powe.&-o og "&e.d" and "biLack" de.-vation4 o4 dabLou poitLcaL. -tke.nd-o (-the. Bot5he.v-Lk-s and the liLt-£e-te. in Eatvin Ewtope), I decided to -take 'Fke.nch Leave.' 6kom the Gviman-heiLd po't-t o W-Lndaa (Ventsp-Lt in Latvia) and -t'tcwel to fyie.e., newt'tct-t and demoe'ta-t-Lc. Sweden.
With the a s-Ltanee.o one p'tom.-Lne.n-t Latvian pciLnte.'t, we de- cided to obtain two canoe.-s, iLash them -tog ethe.'t and paddiLe one da-'tk night ac/to-s-s the 8aiL-t-Le, to the -LsiLe. o6 Go-tiLand, -some. 100 rn-lie-s away. My compad'te got co-ed 4eet and van-Lhe.d. I was -talae.riby a Ge.'tman ve.k4Lon o6 F-'te.e. Labo't and wa6 -tkan-opo't-te.d to the4 Vatvt-iLand to wo'th in a wa'i-e.o&-t 6actoty. in 8e.itL-Ln, I -took a. powde/t and -oe.cwte.d e.inp-eoyrne.n-t a a concek-trnate.k in -theik 6itm Lnduit&y.
F&om -thvie., -some month-s iLae.'t, by a-s-Lng at-te.'te.d -t/tavei docu-ments 7 'te.ache.d Ga&mL-seh-Pa't-tenk-'tke.n in Bava'tAa.. h'e.'te. 1 -oe.cwte.d
June 1990 Page 15
a b'tand new Ge'i.inan Ftemdenpa66 (ok o&e-Lgne'L6) and a genuine one. 7 atte-'ted on-ey my 6it.6t name, becoming 'Sven" -n-o-tead o6 Geo'ge and, 6ok the oake o4 authenticity, added ano.thvi. 'o', becoming Lapen64on Uiae a -t'Lue Nokweg..an!, bo.'tn in New Zea-and(?). Eventa-aUg 1 had enteked it az one pvtm-L.t-ted to -Uve. in the bonde' &e.-gLon4, a no&rnaUy unthinkabte .o-ta-tws by the fU-tZe-Jte ocats. I do not opeak a wo'td o6 tsIo.'twegLan and have neve& been to New Zea-.and eLthek. Ac.taaUy, I wa. bo'tn in Eng-Pand--Cha-tham, Kent.
Even-tuaUy I e-caped to SwJ-tze't..and wh-L.P.e the wa'r wa-o 4titt on, -then got to Eng.€and. A £egae document cavty-sng a 4at,6e name wa.o e.c.wLe.d by me 6ot a 6tiend who £_Lve.6, even now, ande'L -ths a.o-.umed identity that wa6 cke.aed in Geneva.
One mote time I -oho.'utened my name a-te-'r. coming to the US in o)Ldet to oue-'uLome Union 4et4.Lc-t-Lon4 and 6takted woitla-Lng and ea-n-Lng a -UvLng.
7 Aatute you, and aLe men with imagination!
You' -tku-ey,
GEORGE H. LAPENSON
This further comment on the life of Fred DeMara came in a subse-quent letter from Mr. Lapenson:
Fnank1y, 7 cLLd not seek any pubUe.L.ty o'r. 'tecognLtLon a I wa-s -tky..ng ony to exp4e5.o my £nLnJ..te adm-Lna-t.Lon to the 4e&e4h.Lng geniu,s o6 Fked Ve.ma'ta. One 6hou.ed keep in mind, that he wa6 and eJna-Ln4 a ma'weZ o6 -thL cen.tukg, a man who obtained the 'Lequk'ed
c4adent.Lae4 in one way o't anothe4 and -then aumed a to.taUy new pvionaLL-ty, name and p'toe-.o-Lon. In each o6 -thoe he dJp.eayed Ammene .ta.een-t and 5kitts that we'te on.y -&np'.oved a.s he went a1ong.
Then.e .L-s a tkemendou4 di 1 vence, -say between -type -e-Lke the pimp, 4o4get, coun-te'eLtek, 6ottune -te.Ue', magician and -'tobbek -Uke Cag-Ua.t&o, who aumed the -t.L-t.ee o5 "Count". That cha'a-tan who had mate'ted the cvt.t o6 eating without wo4k.Lng, managed even to gain the con-Ldence o4 Goe..tke and o.the-'t ittu6tkiouz pe'ton6, neve't-theLe, he wa4 onZy a cook. On the o-then. hand VeMa'ta wo'tked hakd on hi6 ne.wy acqu.L-'ed 6kitt6 and benetted lrczny o-the't-o making onZy a modet Living 6o4 hLme.t. G.H.L.
Page 16 Adventurers Club News
Fl Recording Of History OUR THURSDAY NIGHT MEETINGS
April 19, 1990
Bob Aronoff Reporting
1 Keith Young has a girdle on the globe or is he girdling the globe? I think both. One of the Club's eminent plenipoten-tiary ambassadors tothe world's boundless areas, Keith just got back from Santiago wherehe wit-nessed the changing of political power in Chile. He also ducked a few bombs in Bogota and Lima not to mention stopping off in Panama City. Can't wait until this ne plus
ultra writer with a pen in hand fashions a few words on every-thing he took in as an observer on the scene. Keith sure can turn the English language inside and out to present his story, not to mention, by the time he interrogates a person from his professional background, he can turn them outside up or is it inside down or upside sideways or whatever. No, not jibberish but Keith is quite a loquacious elocution expert who has aptly demonstrated his skills to the Club on several occasions.
He reports his next journey will be taking him to London this May. He wants member Ralph DeLoach credited for helping him gain access to the new Imperial War Museum in London. Keith will also be visiting the Royal Geo-graphical Society as well as stopping by the Savage Club --Keith has stopped in so often these last 30 years they think he's a jolly ole member.
I Chet Wilczek continues his amazing recovery from a stroke. He's a terror with a walker in hand and an absolute flop upon abandoning it. He had a spill tossing the walker aside but after polishing -- or should it be said, demolishing--his brick walkway a mite, he went back to an orderly process of training on his walker. His ever engi-neering-sharp noodle is always in gear and I'll tell you some-thing, he's going to find a way to lick whatever roadblock gets in his way, walker or not! His dear wife Helaine, sure keeps good watch over him.
§
June 1990 Page 17
OUR THURSDAY NIGHT MEETINGS
1 Carroll Craig continues to make progress and reports that he's doing well. His amazing efforts to succeed in getting to the Club remain strong in everyone's mind for its sheer determination and love of the Club. Hey Carroll, you are the right stuff kind of member and you prove it every day.
April 26, 1990
Reported by Bob Aronoff #837
WE HEARD FROM. Nut Valois who reported on
his recent yachting experiences in Belize.
Bob Sechrist who spoke of the possibility of the Club having some genuine Titanic artifacts from the salvaged craft.
Postcards were received from Ralph White from Russia and Sven Wahiroos from Tahiti.
The Program
"1500 Mile Escape Across China"
Guest Adventurer Col. George Hanlon told us of his spinetin-gling exploits after having to bail out of a plane over China in the Fall of 1944. With a crew of 11, the plane dropped its bombs over the target. Hea-ding for home, enemy aircraft sprang out of the clouds with a vengence that saw Hanlon's plane
get its belly blown out. Figh-ting to control the plane, he guided it to the northern coast of China.
Finding some local peasant folk, pilot Hanlon showed the people the Army Air Force book-let which had a sentence in En- glish and Chinese. The first person the survivors showed the book to assumed that they un-derstood written Chinese and so responded to the Americans in Chinese! The first problem was to convince the villagers that they could not read Chinese.
The. villagers told the sur-vivors to head for the hills to be safe from the Japanese for they controlled much of the ter-ritory. They didn't know if the villagers would turn them in to the Japanese for extra rations, or if it would be their luck to run into a collaborator.
In a matter-of-fact recoun-ting, our guest told us of the seven survivors' quest to get back to US-controlled land. Af-ter 10 days of getting into some sort of physical shape, being handed from one group of villa- gers to another, to Chinese Com-munists (under a young Mao Tse- Tunq), wonderinq all the time if the Japanese would catch up with them.
Col. Hanlon reported that the most dangerous times were cros-sing railroad tracks. They were
Page 18 Adventurers Club News
OUR THURSDAY NIGHT MEETINGS
(April 26, continued) controlled by the Japanese and so were under constant patrol. By crossing the rails in the dead of night at the time of the
Finally, an outpost with a radio
temporary confusionof a train's passing, the survivors, with their Chinese guides, managed to outwit the patrols.
Finally the group made it to a Chinese military outpost with US OSS personnel with a radio. They then radioed to the survi-vors' parents reporting that they were alive. Then radio contact resulted in a B-25 drop-ping the group some supplies by air. They were now safely be- hind front lines and in Chinese controlled territory which could be reached by planes from the USAF. Finally the last hundred miles of the journey was by US forces in a jeep. Safely into Yunan Province, the heroic Amer-icans were given a special ban-quet by Chairman Mao and his top lieutenants.
After 10 days General Weide-mier flew in a C-146 to bring the boys out after four months of trooping the hills and dales of China.
Col. Hanlon displayed many of the gifts Chairman Mao and others gave them in appreciation
for fighting on behalf of China. In the question period, Col.
Hanlon said that the US sent Mao's forces three plane loads of medical supplies in appre-ciation for helping the men get out alive from China. The Col. said that Americans who fell in to the hands of Nationalist for-ces were not treated nearly as well as they were by Mao's for-ces.
In any case, the Americans were very upset with both the Communists and Nationalists be-cause they were more interested in fighting each other than the Japanese!
Thanks to Art Poindexter for bringing this program to our attention.
May 3, 1990
Bob Aronoff, Reporting
I Carroll Craig has undergone an operation on his left leg that has returned much of its mobility. And what did Carroll do next? Well, of course, know-ing this irrepresible adventurer as we do, he set forth sailing down to the Patagonian region of Argentina! How's that for sheer get up and go in a human spirit? Right on, Carroll! and then, getting that right leg back into gear what will an en-core be?
June 1990 Page 19
OUR THURSDAY NIGHT MEETINGS
May 3, 1990 - The Program
"ERITREA" By Ron Halbert #997
Adventurer, with MD in hand, Ron Halbert took his medical expertise with him as part of an organized group to review the human scene in the Horn of Af-rica. He came away with many sobering thoughts about human existence, as was seen in his video tape of the area. Poli-tics and ethnicity have combined to write a cruel chapteriri this area of the world, particularly the starvation by design as a weapon. Ron spent half of his program's time answering ques-tions from the members. Any one question could have occasioned a full article in a daily news-paper --so keen is the combined intellect of our Club.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS??!! A cubic mile of sea water
contains the following Oxygen 4,037,000,000 tons Hydrogen 509,000,000 Chlorine 89,500,000 Sodium 49,500,000 Magnesium 6,125,000 Sulphur 4,240,000 Calcium 1,880,000 Potassium 1,790,000 Bromine 306,000 Carbon 132,000 Strontium 37,700
Boron 22,600 tons Silicon 14,130 Fluorine 6,125 Argon 2,825 Nitrogen 2,350 Lithium 940 Rubidium 565 Phosphorus 330 Iodine 235 Indium 94 Zinc 47 Iron 47 Aluminum 47 Molybdenum 47 Barium 29 Lead 14 Tin 14 Copper 14 Arsenic 14 Protactinium 14 Selenium 14 Vanadium 9.4 tons Manganese 9.4 Titanium 4.7 Thorium 3.3 Cesium 2.4 Antimony 2.4 Cobalt 2.3 Nickel 2.3 Cerium 1.8 Silver 1.4 Neon 1.4 Tungsten 940 lbs. Chromium 470 Mercury 280 Helium 47 Gold 38 And NO secret ingredients!
Page 20 Adventurers Club News
ANOTHER REQUEST FROM THE EDITOR.
IT SEEMS LIKE I AM ALWAYS THROWING SUGGESTIONS AT YOU WHEN ASKING FOR STORY MANUSCRIPTS TO PUBLISH IN THE PAGES OF THE ADVEN-TURERS CLUB NEWS. CAN YOU TAKE ONE MORE?
PLEASE SHUT OFF THE RIGHT-HAND JUSTIFICATION SWITCH IN YOUR COMPU-TER WHEN YOU PREPARE MANUSCRIPTS.
FROM AN EDITOR'S STANDPOINT THERE IS ONLY ONE QUALIFICATION WHEN PREPARING YOUR copy: IT MUST BE LEGIBLE! THAT'S ALL. Jusi SO I CAN READ IT AND GET ALL THE WORDS SPELLED RIGHT.
MANUSCRIPTS MAY BE (1) HANDWRITTEN, (2) TYPED ON A TYPEWRITER OR (3) PRODUCED BY A COMPUTER PRINTER. WHAT YOU SUBMIT TO ME NEED NOT BE A WORK OF ART. I DO NOT LOOK AT THE MARGINS. I DO NOT COR-RECT YOUR SPELLING (UNTIL I TYPE THE FINAL co) AND I DO NOT WOR-RY ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE COPY.
BASICALLY, THE REASON FOR REQUESTING A 'RAGGED-EDGE' RIGHT MARGIN COPY IS THIS: MY FINAL COPY IS SET UP IN COLUMNS OF 31 CHARACTERS. IN ORDER TO BREAK UP YOUR COPY INTO 31-CHARACTER LINES I USE A SIMPLE HOME-MADE RULER THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS:
1234567890123456789012345678901 1 2 3
-__%___•_ - -k -
To SIMPLIFY THE JOB OF PREPARING COPY FOR FINAL TYPING, I LAY THIS HOME-MADE RULER UNDER EACH LINE OF TYPE IN YOUR MANUSCRIPT, MAKING A 'TICK' IN THE COPY AT THAT POINT. COMPUTER-PRINTED MANU-SCRIPTS, WITH THE RIGHT-HAND JUSTIFICATION BUTTON SWITCHED ON PUTS A LOT OF WEIRD SPACES BETWEEN WORDS AS IT 'STRETCHES' THE LINE TO COME OUT EVEN ON THE RIGHT-HAND EDGE. THIS TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF ADDED TIME AS IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR ME NOW TO COUNT THE LETTERS IN EVERY WORD SO THAT I DO NOT EXCEED 31 CHARACTERS.
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, MAKE YOURSELF A 'RULER' LIKE I DES-CRIBE ABOVE ON THE EDGE OF A 3x5 FILE CARD THEN LAY IT UNDER SOME OF YOUR COMPUTER COPY WITH THE STRETCHED LINES.
PLEASE, THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM--BUT RATHER A PLEA FOR HELP!
THANKS, BOB
ADVENTURERS CLUB NEWS P. 0. Box 15791 Los Angeles, CA 90015
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June 1990 issue
