Glenn LeDrew - Ron Blessin here. I'm glad I brought back some old memories. When I edited these old movies, I sent the DVD to just a few old DEWLine friends. Then, things escalated when Brian Jeffrey put it on the website. I can't believe how many views have been done. Even the CBC requested a copy and said they'd use some of the footage to add historical context to documentaries when needed. I was just a kid back then but I still enjoy taking pictures at age 80. I now live in Springfield, Missouri.
@ Ronald Blessin and @Brian Jeffery 26/08/19 and I am sure hoping this message finds you and your families well. What a small world...I just shake my head...but,in a good way. I have stories too..some questions. Ahhh cest la vie!!
My father Trevor Williams ns past a few year there.. do you know him... i have a lot of picture from him at these place... let me know if you already met him ! thank's On his paper , it's Dew Line Stations Fox 1 1961 and Fox 2
Again we thank you for this.....we have watched this.....and will be again.....God Bless you both Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Blessin......many thanks......Bernie Ward and Daniel
Hey thanks for taking the time to edit your film and putting it here on UA-cam. Yeah it's really odd to see the land Dad flew over before there was the Dew line. Years before I was a gleam in his eye.
Love the footage..my dad was there during construction..mostly as dozer operator..Just a young lad from miramichi NB Canada. Heard lots of story's about the adventures there from him..He passed in 2005..would have enjoyed this also.
A really fine video of a work you must be justly proud of! Thank you very much. My dad worked at a radar base as well, but I never got to see any pictures of his work there. He was killed while trying to do a little bit of fishing that was probably similar to what you showed in this video. To survive being posted to places like yours, a person has to be pretty smart and maybe a bit lucky too. Thanks again Sir!!!
I spent the summer of 1982 installing and splicing telephone cables up at about six AC&W sites in Alaska. We were sent there from Norton AFB, California. I was with the 1835th EIS , AFCC. When we lift Norton it was about 100 degrees . A few days later, We landed at Cape Lisburne AFS next to the Chukchi Sea. When we stepped off the C-130, The ice on the sea was braking up and it was about 28 degrees. What a shock. And to top it off, It did not get dark. The sun keep going around and around, up and down. MIND BLOWER. Loved It.
Enjoyed the movie! I did not get to the Dew Line, but did work for Federal Electric company beginning 1967 hired on at Vandenburg AFB CA, for a position on the then under-construction USNS Mercury in Fore River ship yard. The Mercury was one of three primary tracking ships developed for the Project Apollo Moon Landing. Brings back memories!
Yup. But eventually I went to Guam and stayed there for decades! Small business....And now, we are here in Philippines, with family. Wife Filipina and 3 kids, one adopted. Still warm! Though we got a typhoon arriving very soon, later today. Strongest of the year. We see how it goes!
Impressive excellent work on this film !. I spent 2 years at Fox main 87-89 handeling lateral air transport . Sen the guys often to Pin but never went myself. Lots of memories watching your great movie - thanks for sharing
Just say thanks . I was a radician on the DEW line for 18 months. I was at Liz 3, pow 3 and Bar Main, made a few friends with some Eskimos, one went to a school near where I grew up Schemawa a Indian school not too far from Silverton Oregon, we became drinking buddies. If I remember correctly this was 1965, I enjoyed Bar Main because of a larger crew, main entertainment movies whenever we could get them. Thanks for the memories. Ted Sweger
Hi. My dad,mum and uncle were on the Mid-Canada and DEW line in the 50s. I was brought up with stories of the Hudson's Bay Company and those tar paper shacks.
This was so interesting! Seeing the place a bit over 20 years before I got there, but not that different. I did two tours at Pin Main as a weather observer, between '83 and '92, for a total of 7 years. I shot lots of pics and video. Crawled inside those caves under the point, and fished the same lake a boat ride to the south. The Hudson's Bay store was long abandoned, and all natives had moved to Paulatuk. We had the enjoyment of TV, thanks to a sat dish, and picked up a couple of the movie networks (HBO and Cinemax). In '88 the place was officially made dry (no booze), but everyone snuck in shipments of their favorite libations. I think the working population was smaller than in the heydays of the early 60s. In winter, we were at about 35, and in summer near 80 at times. A number of the buildings (separate from the main 'H' structure) formerly used to house folk were essentially permanently empty, but kept in good condition. For the uninitiated, it would have been handy to preface the film with a map showing the locations of the sites featured. Other than that minor 'omission', an excellent doco! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a few good laughs, too.
Thanks for the comment Glenn. I returned to FOX Main in 2012, some 52 years after I first arrived at the station. You can read about my adventures at www.DEWLine.ca. If you haven't already discovered my other DEWLine website, check out www.lswilson.dewlineadventures.com.
Brian, Yep, I watched your video of your 2012 visit to Fox Main. I last passed through there in 1990, and the extended dining room didn't yet exist then. Otherwise pretty much the same. Except for the closed down weather station, which would have occurred in the later '90s, or 2000-ish. The reason for my passing through Fox Main, in spite of my being posted exclusively to Pin Main, is because the transport contract had weekly N-S flights going through, alternately, Cam Main and Fox Main, on 737s. E-W intra site travel was by turboprop jobs; initially Fokkers whose designation I've forgotten at the moment, and latterly Hawker-Siddley 748s.
I worked at Camp Lonely, Alaska, in the1980's for Husky Oil Co.When we want a drink we would drive down to DEW Line ,because they had a small bar, it was invitation only
I spent 76/77 on the DYE sector on Greenland, Worked on Dye 2,3 and 4. Did not do DYE 1 but heard there was a WW2 P-38 fighter plane there. It was finally recovered and the Discovery channel covered it.
I knew they had to have people on the DEWLine. Read several things on it. I saw another video on the DEWLine. Intresting. Hudson Bay company blankets are neat.
What a great record of the life at a Radar Base. I know there must have been many hours of work done but it looks like you had a lot of fun too. I have to admire people who take their occupations to the far ends of the earth and remain committed in what must be trying circumstances. Fantastic effort..... tell me the plane that crashed on takeoff, whatever happened to the RR merlin motors out of her?
Hi Ron my father John Liska worked up there from 58 to the end of 62. He was a diesel mechanic on construction equipment and reader station diesel powered generator. I think he worked around Frobisher bay and Tuktoyaktuk. Just wondering if you ever crossed paths with him. Thanks
My dad worked for Federal Electric on the DEW line about the same time you did. He was involved in maintaining the diesel generators. I always wondered why they called locations Bar-???. He never mentioned a location with Pin in the name. Like yourself, I enjoy the Phoenix weather.
The name BAR came from the geographical location, Point Barrow. Other Main stations were similarly named. FOX Main was named after Fox Basin, CAM Main was named after Cambridge Bay, etc.
Hi Bruce. Ron Blessin here. Are you in the Phoenix area? I live in Peoria just north of Sun City. PIN Sector was named after the Parry Penninsula where PIN-Main is located. I assume your dad was in Alaska?
I spent 1 yr at Unalakleet Alaska. Radar Repair I had 3 wks left to my 4 yrs when Kennedy turned on the Cuban Blockake in '62. I thought my tour would get extended. One thing that really surprised me was the Eskimos loved to play hillbilly music in their little coffee house. Many of the 'facts' about Alaska natives were just baloney. I was really ashamed to hear how badly the gi's treated the Eskimo women in the little village. My uncle was a mech at Elmendorf AFB (aAnchorage) and a bush pilot. He took me on a couple short hops while I was clearing into and out of the Alaskan Air Command.) We used to borrow signal generators from the nearby White Alice site. They looked like 2 drive in theater screens. Gramps Curtis Sharpsburg KY. ==
The mission of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line is to detect, identify, and report to NORAD. Building the two projects and uniting Canada and USA was and continues to be outstanding work. Now we have "The Space Force" hope it is based in Colorado Springs as well.
Did anyone ever pan for gold in those rivers? It may seem like an odd place to pan, but they do say "gold is where you find it!" The Arctic is well known for placer gold deposits, and the DEW facilities were always built in close proximity to large gravel deposits. You never know until you try!
Panning for gold? Not that I'm aware of but I woudn't be surprised if some of them didn't try it during the summer months just as a lark. The only gold we found up there was the gold in our pay cheques. :-)
I believe that Ron was on the DEWLine in the early 60's. Probably before your father's time. What was your dad's name and what did he do on the Line. His name may be on the DEWLiner's Contact List at lswilson.dewlineadventures.com/dewline-personnel-directory/. If not, maybe it should be on the list.
I’d hate to be that bush pilot who had to transport the natives to the station for chest X-rays to rule out tuberculosis. The last thing I’d do is be in an enclosed environment with limited air exchange with even a remote chance of TB exposure. I understand the times and the limits of the remote area,equipment etc....that sure wouldn’t happen today. Or maybe it would 😂😂
Glenn LeDrew - Ron Blessin here. I'm glad I brought back some old memories. When I edited these old movies, I sent the DVD to just a few old DEWLine friends. Then, things escalated when Brian Jeffrey put it on the website. I can't believe how many views have been done. Even the CBC requested a copy and said they'd use some of the footage to add historical context to documentaries when needed. I was just a kid back then but I still enjoy taking pictures at age 80. I now live in Springfield, Missouri.
Glenn:
I've passed your comment along to Ron. Contact me directly if you want Ron's email address.
Brian
Mr. Blessin - Why were you monitoring the dew in the Arctic? Was this some kind of environmental sustainability project?
@ Ronald Blessin and @Brian Jeffery 26/08/19 and I am sure hoping this message finds you and your families well. What a small world...I just shake my head...but,in a good way. I have stories too..some questions. Ahhh cest la vie!!
My father a radar operator for the DEW line and the Pine Tree Line, from 1957-61.
My father Trevor Williams ns past a few year there.. do you know him... i have a lot of picture from him at these place... let me know if you already met him ! thank's On his paper , it's Dew Line Stations Fox 1 1961 and Fox 2
Ron and Brian -- just can't thank you enough for the effort you've made here. Enjoyed this thoroughly -- especially the humor!
Many tanks for the thanks 🙂. DEWLiners are a dying breed and we're trying to keep the memory of these interesting times alive for a bit longer.
@@DEWLiner Sorry, Brian -- I wrote Jeffrey and have corrected it! Great to hear from you again, Friend.
Thank you for all the work you did, and thank you for coming back
What fond memories you must have. what a great video compilation. I enjoyed it tremendously. I will watch it again. Thank you. Scott
Thanks Ron. I enjoyed this. I was a Radar Tech at Bar-2, Bar-3, Pin-1, Pin-3, and Cam-1, 1967-1971.
Thanks for the comment David. I've passed it along to Ron.
Hi David - glad you enjoyed the video. My DEWLine experience helped me all my life up to my present 85 years of age. Thanks for your input. Ron
Great job! I’ve really enjoyed the detailed narrations. Thank you for taking the time to share this history with the world.
I have forwarded your kind words on to Ron.
Again we thank you for this.....we have watched this.....and will be again.....God Bless you both Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Blessin......many thanks......Bernie Ward and Daniel
Hey thanks for taking the time to edit your film and putting it here on UA-cam. Yeah it's really odd to see the land Dad flew over before there was the Dew line. Years before I was a gleam in his eye.
Really enjoyed this movie. Thanks for documenting life on the DEW Line. Great historical piece!
Love the footage..my dad was there during construction..mostly as dozer operator..Just a young lad from miramichi NB Canada. Heard lots of story's about the adventures there from him..He passed in 2005..would have enjoyed this also.
Very nice movie!...you did good!
A really fine video of a work you must be justly proud of! Thank you very much. My dad worked at a radar base as well, but I never got to see any pictures of his work there. He was killed while trying to do a little bit of fishing that was probably similar to what you showed in this video. To survive being posted to places like yours, a person has to be pretty smart and maybe a bit lucky too. Thanks again Sir!!!
Thanks for taking the time to watch Ron's video. Putting it together was a labour of love for him.
Historical awesomeness right here!! Thanks to everyone who made this possible!
Enjoying your old movie, well made, thanks.
Dad worked on the DEWline. We were SCARWAF - ARMY CORP Engineers, 56-58 . I kept pneumonia the whole time ... kept me out of Vietnam. :)
I spent the summer of 1982 installing and splicing telephone cables up at about six AC&W sites in Alaska. We were sent there from Norton AFB, California. I was with the 1835th EIS , AFCC. When we lift Norton it was about 100 degrees . A few days later, We landed at Cape Lisburne AFS next to the Chukchi Sea. When we stepped off the C-130, The ice on the sea was braking up and it was about 28 degrees. What a shock. And to top it off, It did not get dark. The sun keep going around and around, up and down. MIND BLOWER. Loved It.
Enjoyed the videos. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely fantastic, great job. Hats off to you.
Thanks for the kind words. I've passed them along to Ron Blessin.
Thank you, Ron for this video....So interesting...I spent about 9 months at Port Molar AFS in 1967-1968....It was a good tour.
excellent documentary!
Enjoyed the movie! I did not get to the Dew Line, but did work for Federal Electric company beginning 1967 hired on at Vandenburg AFB CA, for a position on the then under-construction USNS Mercury in Fore River ship yard. The Mercury was one of three primary tracking ships developed for the Project Apollo Moon Landing. Brings back memories!
Well, the temperature was probably a lot warmer where you ended up than where Ron and I were. :-)
Yup. But eventually I went to Guam and stayed there for decades! Small business....And now, we are here in Philippines, with family. Wife Filipina and 3 kids, one adopted. Still warm! Though we got a typhoon arriving very soon, later today. Strongest of the year. We see how it goes!
wow, thank you for this wonderful movie. Extremely interesting.
Impressive excellent work on this film !. I spent 2 years at Fox main 87-89 handeling lateral air transport . Sen the guys often to Pin but never went myself. Lots of memories watching your great movie - thanks for sharing
Great films, and thank you very much for posting them. Very interesting. I'll certainly be watching this again. Jack.
Did my 18 months at goose Bay
Thanks for the films
It's the perfect spot for pirate radio. We'll start off with top hits of 1957 through to 1960 for the midnight program.
Outstanding
Thank you Ron. It brings back lots of memories.
Just say thanks . I was a radician on the DEW line for 18 months. I was at Liz 3, pow 3 and Bar Main, made a few friends with some Eskimos, one went to a school near where I grew up Schemawa a Indian school not too far from Silverton Oregon, we became drinking buddies. If I remember correctly this was 1965, I enjoyed Bar Main because of a larger crew, main entertainment movies whenever we could get them. Thanks for the memories. Ted Sweger
thanks for the good movie ! im living in kuujjuarapik and trying to understand the history of the place . RCAF Great whale river site 400
Thank you for your comment. I've passed it along to Ron Blessin.
I'm glad I persisted with this film. I wasn't enthusiastic at the start. I thoroughly enjoyed this gentle reminiscence of life in the far North.
Fascinating! I had no idea what the Dew Line was. I’ve been spending all day watching documentaries on it. What an undertaking!
Really cool. what an experiece , thanks
It WAS cool. Cold, in fact. :-)
Hi. My dad,mum and uncle were on the Mid-Canada and DEW line in the 50s. I was brought up with stories of the Hudson's Bay Company and those tar paper shacks.
This was so interesting! Seeing the place a bit over 20 years before I got there, but not that different. I did two tours at Pin Main as a weather observer, between '83 and '92, for a total of 7 years. I shot lots of pics and video. Crawled inside those caves under the point, and fished the same lake a boat ride to the south.
The Hudson's Bay store was long abandoned, and all natives had moved to Paulatuk. We had the enjoyment of TV, thanks to a sat dish, and picked up a couple of the movie networks (HBO and Cinemax). In '88 the place was officially made dry (no booze), but everyone snuck in shipments of their favorite libations.
I think the working population was smaller than in the heydays of the early 60s. In winter, we were at about 35, and in summer near 80 at times. A number of the buildings (separate from the main 'H' structure) formerly used to house folk were essentially permanently empty, but kept in good condition.
For the uninitiated, it would have been handy to preface the film with a map showing the locations of the sites featured. Other than that minor 'omission', an excellent doco!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a few good laughs, too.
Thanks for the comment Glenn.
I returned to FOX Main in 2012, some 52 years after I first arrived at the station. You can read about my adventures at www.DEWLine.ca. If you haven't already discovered my other DEWLine website, check out www.lswilson.dewlineadventures.com.
Brian,
Yep, I watched your video of your 2012 visit to Fox Main. I last passed through there in 1990, and the extended dining room didn't yet exist then. Otherwise pretty much the same. Except for the closed down weather station, which would have occurred in the later '90s, or 2000-ish.
The reason for my passing through Fox Main, in spite of my being posted exclusively to Pin Main, is because the transport contract had weekly N-S flights going through, alternately, Cam Main and Fox Main, on 737s. E-W intra site travel was by turboprop jobs; initially Fokkers whose designation I've forgotten at the moment, and latterly Hawker-Siddley 748s.
I wish there were more of these great historic movies
Love the part about the beer being unloaded. A pallet of beer in a remote location.... Great way to pass time!
Priceless!!! Ty!!!
hi from Portugal, good video, thanks.
Great movie."..great narration. I was at Hopedale in 62 63. Would be nice to chat with you about experience
Thanks for the comment Dave. If you want to contact Ron, he can be reach at: af7a.ron@gmail.com. I can be reached at Brian@VE3UU.com.
Best thing I’ve watched on UA-cam in a month.
I worked at Camp Lonely, Alaska, in the1980's for Husky Oil Co.When we want a drink we would drive down to DEW Line ,because they had a small bar, it was invitation only
I spent 76/77 on the DYE sector on Greenland, Worked on Dye 2,3 and 4. Did not do DYE 1 but heard there was a WW2 P-38 fighter plane there. It was finally recovered and the Discovery channel covered it.
I knew they had to have people on the DEWLine. Read several things on it. I saw another video on the DEWLine.
Intresting.
Hudson Bay company blankets are neat.
Well done Sir...
My father was on detached service to the USAF, from the RCAF, during and after the creation of the DEW line. He was a radar operator.
Was he stationed/visit NORAD???
awsome!!!! love the narrator's style :)
Hi Ron, my dad was at the training facility in Streator, Illinois and then went up north to your area I believe.
My Dad flew in C-124s and helped deliver goods during the building of the dewline.
I take my hat off to your Dad, and others, who flew during those early years when times were tough.
Brian.
What a great record of the life at a Radar Base. I know there must have been many hours of work done but it looks like you had a lot of fun too. I have to admire people who take their occupations to the far ends of the earth and remain committed in what must be trying circumstances. Fantastic effort..... tell me the plane that crashed on takeoff, whatever happened to the RR merlin motors out of her?
Hi Ron my father John Liska worked up there from 58 to the end of 62. He was a diesel mechanic on construction equipment and reader station diesel powered generator. I think he worked around Frobisher bay and Tuktoyaktuk. Just wondering if you ever crossed paths with him. Thanks
I remember John Liska probably from my time at BAR-3 at Tuktoyaktuk. Ron
Great time capsule!
Hello .. Just wondering if any of you knew my dad John Blackburn who worked during 12 years on the DewLine .. Hope to hear from you !! Danny
My dad worked for Federal Electric on the DEW line about the same time you did. He was involved in maintaining the diesel generators. I always wondered why they called locations Bar-???. He never mentioned a location with Pin in the name. Like yourself, I enjoy the Phoenix weather.
The name BAR came from the geographical location, Point Barrow. Other Main stations were similarly named. FOX Main was named after Fox Basin, CAM Main was named after Cambridge Bay, etc.
Hi Bruce. Ron Blessin here. Are you in the Phoenix area? I live in Peoria just north of Sun City. PIN Sector was named after the Parry Penninsula where PIN-Main is located. I assume your dad was in Alaska?
The Project Iceworm videos are good too.
I spent 1 yr at Unalakleet Alaska. Radar Repair I had 3 wks left to my 4 yrs when Kennedy turned on the Cuban Blockake in '62. I thought my tour would get extended. One thing that really surprised me was the Eskimos loved to play hillbilly music in their little coffee house. Many of the 'facts' about Alaska natives were just baloney. I was really ashamed to hear how badly the gi's treated the Eskimo women in the little village. My uncle was a mech at Elmendorf AFB (aAnchorage) and a bush pilot. He took me on a couple short hops while I was clearing into and out of the Alaskan Air Command.) We used to borrow signal generators from the nearby White Alice site. They looked like 2 drive in theater screens. Gramps Curtis Sharpsburg KY. ==
The mission of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line is to detect, identify, and report to NORAD. Building the two projects and uniting Canada and USA was and continues to be outstanding work. Now we have "The Space Force" hope it is based in Colorado Springs as well.
Awesome background music in the beginning, who is it?
Dave with Alvin and the Chipmunks would be swell for around Christmas time along with Brenda Lee And Elvis.
The antenna goes round and round. Does it come out here? That is probably a silly question.
GREAT
well done
has anybody found the worm project do you know please
All weather road to Tuktoyaktuk now!
Leaving next week for rotation 1 in 2023
Bon voyage! :-)
"Dew Line? More like tike a don't line." --MST3K, 'The Deadly Mantis"
Did anyone ever pan for gold in those rivers? It may seem like an odd place to pan, but they do say "gold is where you find it!" The Arctic is well known for placer gold deposits, and the DEW facilities were always built in close proximity to large gravel deposits. You never know until you try!
Panning for gold? Not that I'm aware of but I woudn't be surprised if some of them didn't try it during the summer months just as a lark. The only gold we found up there was the gold in our pay cheques. :-)
What year(s) is this ? My father was on the DEW Line in the 1970s
I believe that Ron was on the DEWLine in the early 60's. Probably before your father's time. What was your dad's name and what did he do on the Line. His name may be on the DEWLiner's Contact List at lswilson.dewlineadventures.com/dewline-personnel-directory/. If not, maybe it should be on the list.
AWESOME VIDEO. Best EVER. LOVE This old cold war shit- thank you for your service sir
Dad ( 1st Lt. Mearl A. Nichols ) was at Murphy Dome.
A couple of beers? If those aren't "root beer," then they are probably "Adult Beverages."
Wet suits are posslible by September.
"There was one behind every tree up there..." ;)
The problem was that there weren't any trees up there to hide behind!
Adult Beverages? Rush Limbaugh sometimes refers to them. Are "Adult Beverages" alcoholic beverages?
Yes
I’d hate to be that bush pilot who had to transport the natives to the station for chest X-rays to rule out tuberculosis. The last thing I’d do is be in an enclosed environment with limited air exchange with even a remote chance of TB exposure. I understand the times and the limits of the remote area,equipment etc....that sure wouldn’t happen today. Or maybe it would 😂😂
I know Bernie Ward.......seriously.....he is 91....how do we get a hold of you
He is going to pass this on to Les Rose as well....