Artifact of the Month
This flag used by LTC James W. Sandridge Jr., commander of the US Army Transportation Environmental Operations Group (TREOG), who led Project Lead Dog in 1960. This type of flag was hung from the antennas of the vehicles that made up the expedition’s convoy.
The mission was to traverse North Greenland and perform an aerial and surface exploration of Peary Land and Crown Prince Christian Land from May to July 1960. This was performed in conjunction with several other scientific organizations and was a continuation of equipment and navigation testing the US Army Transportation Corps had been conducting in Greenland since 1952.
Its mission was to experiment with transportation equipment, map a safe route to the northernmost part of the world, and conduct weather studies. They also tested surface conditions on the ice cap, some of which were up to 19,000 feet deep. Additional tests included testing for movement of the ice caps and taking radiation readings. The team was supplied by H-19 Chickasaw helicopters, which also carried scientists to various locations for experiments. In the end the project covered over 600 miles.