Editing Operation Deep Freeze (section)

==Operation Deep Freeze I==
The impetus behind Operation Deep Freeze I was the [[International Geophysical Year]] 1957–58. IGY as it was known was a collaborative effort among forty nations to carry out earth science studies from the [[North Pole]] to the [[South Pole]] and at points in between. The [[United States]] along with [[New Zealand]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Japan]], [[Norway]], [[Chile]], [[Argentina]], and the [[U.S.S.R.]] agreed to go to the South Pole, the least explored area on Earth. Their goal was to advance world knowledge of Antarctic [[hydrography]] and [[weather|weather systems]], [[glacial motion|glacial movements]], and [[marine life]].

The [[U.S. Navy]] was charged with supporting the U.S. scientists for their portion of the IGY studies.  Rear Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]], a veteran of four previous Antarctic Expeditions, was appointed as officer in charge of the expedition.

In 1955, Task Force 43, commanded by Rear Admiral [[George J. Dufek]], was formed to provide logistical support for the expedition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navalhistory.org/2013/02/01/february-1-1955-task-force-43-commissioned-to-plan-and-execute-operation-deepfreeze|title=February 1, 1955: Task Force 43 Commissioned to Plan and Execute Operation Deepfreeze|work=Naval History Blog|date=February 2013}}</ref>  Operation Deep Freeze I prepared a permanent research station and paved the way for more exhaustive research in later Deep Freeze operations. The expedition transpired over the Antarctic summer of November 1955 to April 1956, and was filmed by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]].<ref><!--
https://d23.com/a-to-z/seven-cities-of-antarctica-film/
http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b769c590a
-->{{cite AV media|url=http://www.sfi.se/en-GB/Swedish-film-database/Item/?itemid=70574&type=MOVIE|title=Seven Cities of Antarctica|date=25 Dec 1958|people=[[Winston Hibler|Hibler, Winston]] (director); Beebe, Lloyd (cameraman); and Jones, Elmo G. (cameraman)|publisher=[[Walt Disney Productions]]|location=Los Angeles, California (USA)|series=[[People & Places|People and Places]]|oclc=85925436|medium=Motion picture}} Theatrical release which combines three [[List of Walt Disney anthology television series episodes#Season 3 (1956–1957)|Walt Disney anthology television series episodes]] filmed in Antarctica:<!--
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046593/episodes?season=3
http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/Walt/Disney_00_EpisodeTitleList.htm
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Walt_Disney_anthology_series_episode_list#Season_3
-->

*{{cite episode|last=Disney|first=Walt (host)|author-link=Walt Disney|title=Antarctica: Past and Present|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0908274/?ref_=ttep_ep1|series=Disneyland|series-link=Walt Disney anthology television series|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|date=12 Sep 1956|season=3|number=1 [48]}}
*{{cite episode|last=Disney|first=Walt (host)|author-link=Walt Disney|title=Antarctica: Operation Deepfreeze|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0908273/?ref_=ttep_ep26|series=Disneyland|series-link=Walt Disney anthology television series|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|date=5 Jun 1957|season=3|number=26 [73]}}
*{{cite episode|last=Disney|first=Walt (host)|author-link=Walt Disney|title=To the South Pole for Science|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0908303/?ref_=ttep_ep9|series=Disneyland|series-link=Walt Disney anthology television series|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|date=13 Nov 1957|season=4|number=9 [82]}}</ref> For having designed the emblem of Task Force 43, [[Walt Disney]] became an honorary member of the expedition.<ref>{{cite journal|author=United States Antarctic Projects Officer|date=Jan 1961|title=Operation Deep Freeze Plaque|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/Antarctica/POB/POBvIIn5.pdf#page=31|journal=Bulletin of the U.S. Antarctic Projects Officer|location=Washington, DC|publisher=USAPO|volume=2|issue=5|page=28|issn=0503-5392}}</ref>

{{clear|left}}
[[File:Richard-E-Byrd-6854e2.jpg|thumb|[[Richard E. Byrd|Admiral Richard Byrd]] on board [[USS Wyandot (AKA-92)|USS ''Wyandot'']] (Dec&nbsp;1955)]]
[[File:Operation-Deep-Freeze-Wyandot-KA92-6839.jpg|thumb|[[USS Wyandot (AKA-92)|USS ''Wyandot'']] mooring at [[McMurdo Station]] (Dec&nbsp;1955)]]
Task Force 43 consisted of the following ships:
*{{USS|Wyandot|AKA-92}}, freighter
*{{USS|Arneb|AKA-56}}, freighter
*{{USS|Edisto|AGB-2}}, ice breaker
*{{USS|Glacier|AGB-4}}, ice breaker
*{{USCGC|Eastwind|WAGB-279}}, ice breaker
*{{USS|Nespelen|AOG-55}}, gasoline tanker
*{{USNS|Greenville Victory|T-AK-237}}, [[merchant marine]] freighter
*USS ''YOG-34'', aviation fuel carrier
*USS ''YOG-70'', aviation fuel carrier
{{clear|left}}

The ships of the task force were supplemented by a specially trained Navy [[Construction Battalion]], formed at the Naval Construction Battalion Center at [[Davisville, Rhode Island]] and several aircraft.

On October 31, 1956, at 8:34 p.m. local time, the first aircraft ever to touch down at the South Pole skied to a halt atop the Antarctic ice sheet at 90 degrees South latitude. The U.S. Navy R4D, was piloted by Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Conrad C. "Gus" Shinn USN and included officer Frederick Ferrara. Immediately after the plane halted--with engines running to avoid a freeze-up (a practice still followed to this day)--U.S. Navy Adm. George J. Dufek., commander of Operation Deep Freeze, stepped out onto the ice, along with pilot Douglas Cordiner, to plant the stars and stripes at the Pole. They were the first to stand there since Briton Robert Falcon Scott did more than 40 years before. Norwegian Roald Amundsen had beaten Scott in his race to the Pole. Amundsen's party survived the 800-mile return trip, Scott's did not.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NSF Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of First Flight To Land at the South Pole |url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=108147 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.nsf.gov |language=English}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>  This flight was one part of the expeditions mounted for the IGY.  This was not only the first aircraft to land at the South Pole, it was also the first time that Americans had ever set foot on the South Pole.  The aircraft was named ''Que Sera, Sera'' after a [[Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)|popular song]] and is now on display at the [[National Naval Aviation Museum|Naval Aviation Museum]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]].  This marked the beginning of the establishment of the first permanent base, by airlift, at the South Pole (today known as the [[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]]) to support the International Geophysical Year. It was commissioned on January 1, 1957. The original station ("Old Byrd") lasted about four years before it began to collapse under the snow. Construction of a second underground station in a nearby location began in 1960, and it was used until 1972. The station was then converted into a summer-only field camp until it was abandoned in 2004–05. The mission's second base, [[Byrd Station]], was a (former) research station in West Antarctica established by the US Navy for Operation Deep Freeze II during the International Geophysical Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1793|title=The Antarctic Sun: News about Antarctica - Byrd History (page 1)|website=antarcticsun.usap.gov|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> The United States Antarctic Program airfield, built to service Operation Deep Freeze (first mission) was later named Williams Field or Willy Field.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coolantarctica.com/Community/OAE_williams_field.php|title=OAE's Williams Field Antarctica|website=www.coolantarctica.com|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Helmut P. Jaron.jpg|thumb|Helmut P. Jaron, Aurora Researcher at [[Byrd Station]] in 1961. The [[Jaron Cliffs]] are named for him.<ref>[https://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Jaron_Cliffs&params=76_23_S_112_10_W_source:GNIS MAP]</ref>]]