| OCR Text |
Show COL. WILLIAM F. ROOS November 11, 2004 go on in to bomb the Russians. The tankers, without anything else, would have to come all the way back here to the United States, refuel, and then go back up and meet the bombers coming back, and then top them off again. So it was two top-offs, and a long strain for the tankers to refuel. So, somebody came up with a bright idea. Let's do something with this old base there in Greenland. And, so, that was what I was involved in. And, so, we had to- we were going to extend the runway and put in parking aprons, a rapid refueling system, a new lighting system; the whole works. We even put in a little chapel for them, and a barracks, and all that sort of stuff. So after the bombers would take off, the tankers would take off, and they would top them off. But, instead of coming all the way back here, they would just drop in-they were still up there north of the Arctic Circle-and get refueled. And then, at the proper time, they would take off and meet the bombers coming back. So that would save this long run clear on down there with all the tankers. So that was the purpose of our base up there. DAN: What was the name of that base? BILL: Sonderstrom, S 0 N D E R S T R 0 M. DAN: Okay. BILL: I believe it still is in operation, but whether it's for that purpose, or not, I just don't know. But I believe it's still in operation. Now the Danes own Greenland, you know. And we had to arrange with the Danes to allow us to build this airfield. And the Danes are real nice people to get along with. And when they heard that my dad was a Swede, and my mother was a Dane, why they thought, oh boy, this is one of us. 54 |
