Artifact of the Month
LTC (R) Antero Havola, born in Finland, sought political asylum in the United States as a cold weather instructor in the US Army after fleeing from Finland in 1946. Among the accomplishments of his career in the U.S. Army were his days as trail operation officer, Naval Support Force, Antarctica, where his service as Commander of the first American over-ice expedition to the South Pole won him the Legion of Merit, and his service in Pusan during the Korean War, during which he helped to rebuild an orphanage.
Using knowledge and technology learned in Operation Lead Dog in the arctic, Deep Freeze 1961 (Byrd-Pole, Task group-43.4) consisted of two Operation Lead Dog alumni: Major Antero Havola, TC, USA and George W. Fowler-Chief Warrant Officer, USA Navigator along with 7 navy soldiers, and 2 USARP scientists, who moved two low ground pressure, D-8 Caterpillar tractors, two weasels (M29-C), 2 wanigans, (One mess, one crew on 20 ton sleds), two 20 ton cargo sleds, one 10 ton and one 1 ton sleds across the southern polar ice cap. Havola was chosen because of his demonstrated cold weather leadership. They departed Byrd Station on December 8, 1960, and arrived at the South pole on January 10, 1961, after 33 days 10 hours, having covered on average 24.1 miles per day. The overall mission was to deliver military tractors to South Pole for future construction work and to establish geographical fixes in the Horlick Mountain area for Cartographic purposes. At the completion of the mission, TG 43.4 was flown back by air to McMurdo station. TG 43.4 were the fourth group of explorers to reach the south pole overland and the first Americans to do so.
This hat is a traditional Laplander/Sami four wind hat that Major Havola wore during his time in Antarctica to show his Finnish roots.