(Research and Compilation by RMC Billy Ace 'Penguin' Baker USN (ret)
This casualty list is published to honour the brave men of the United States and New Zealand who served with Operatio Deep Freeze in the frozen wastes of Antarctica and lost their lives in the service of mankind at the bottom of the world
--- COURAGE - SACRIFICE - DEVOTION ---
--- --- ---
-- THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOREVER MORE --
Operation Highjump
Four USN personnel were killed during Operation Highjump. They were the first Americans killed in Antarctica after World War 2. Listed are the Op Highjump casualties, but this list mainly deals with those American and New Zealand personnel killed in Antarctica during the period when the Navy was in operational control of Operation Deep Freeze, that is from 1955 - 1999.
Ensign Maxwell A LOPEZ
ARM1 Wendell K HENDERSON
AMM1 Frederick W WILLIAMS
USN - USS Pine island 30 December 1946
SN Vance N WOODALL
USN - USS Yancey 1946-47
Ship unloading accident
Lt John P MOORE
USNR - USS Atka 22 June 1955
Helo pilot. Killed in helo crash at Kainan Bay nr Little America
CD3 Richard T WILLIAMS
USN CB Spec 1 January 1956
Tractor boke through Ice. Willams Field named in his Honour
CD3 Max R KIEL
USN CB Spec 5 March 1956
Tractor fell into crevasse en route to establish Byrd Station
Lt David W CAREY
Capt Rayburn A HUDMAN
AD1 Marian O MARZE
AT1 Charles S MILLER
P2V Crash at McMurdo in whiteout 18 October 1956
CD Ollie B BARTLEY
USN - CB Spec 14 January 1957
Weasel fell through ice at Hut Point
AD2 Nelson R COLE
USN - VX6 12 July 1957
Burns in helo crash , vicinity McMurdo during austral winter
SA Richard T OPPEGAARD
USN 8 Nov 1957
Shipboard accident
SSgt Leonard M PITKEVITCH
TSgt Iman E FENDLEY
TSgt Nathaniel WALLIS
A1C Richard De ANGELO
A2C Robert L BURNETTE
A2C Kelly SLOAN
US Air Force 52nd TCS 16 October 1958
C124 crash in Admiralty Mountains.
LtJg Lawrence J FARRELL
Lt Harvey E GARDNER
USN - VX6 4 january 1959
Otter take off at Marble Point
Lt Tom COUZENS
RNZAC 19 November 1959
Crevasse accident
BU Paul V O'LEARY
USNR - ASA 28 November 1959
Accidental poisoning
SW1 Orlan F JOHN
USN ASA 2 November 1960
Accidental Explosion at McMurdo
Civilian Edward C THIEL
Seismologist USARP 9 November 1961
P2V Neptune crash on take off from Wilkes Station
Lt Cdr William D COUNTS
USN - Pilot VX6 9 November 1961
LtJG Romauld P COMPTON
AMH1 William W CHASTAIN
ADR2 James L GRAY
USN - VX-6 9 Nov 1961
P2V Neptune crash on takeoff from Wilkes Station
Civilian Carl R DISCH
Atmospheric Phys USARP 8 May 1965
Disappeared at Byrd Station
Lt Cdr Ronald ROSENTHAL
Navigator
Lt Harold M MORRIS
Pilot
Lt William D FORDELL
Co-Pilot
AT1 Richard S SIMMONS
ADR2 Wayne M SHATTUCK
ADJ3 Charles C KELLEY
USN - VX-6 2 Feruary 1966
SK2 Andrew B MOULDER
USN - ASA 13 February 1966
Crushed between C130 ramp and cargo sled at South Pole
Civilian Jeremy SYKES
NZ Film director NZARP
Civilian Thomas E BERG
Geologist USARP 19 November 1969
VX-6 Helo crash near Mt McLennan
ADC William D DECKER
USN - VXE6 11 Octoer 1971
Died in his sleep at McMurdo
Civilian Wolf V VISHNIAC
Microbiologist USARP 11 December 1973
Fell off Mountain in Asgard Range
Civilian Greg NICKELL
Lab Manager USARP 15 May 1974
Truck accident between McMurdo and Scott Base
Civilian Jeffrey D RUDE
Oceanographer USARP 12 October 1975
Drowned when tracked vehicle broke through ice at McMurdo
SN Gerald E REILY Jr
USCG - USCGC Glacier 22 January 1976
Electrocuted aboard ship in Amundsen Sea
Raymond C PORTER
USCG 8 February 1979
Accident while offloading USNS Bland
(Shock due to exposure after a forklift accident).
Civilian Casey A JONES
H&N USARP 9 January 1980
Cook at S Pole Station. Trapped under icefall
BM1 Raymond T SMITH
USN - ChapGru 8 February 1982
Knocked overboard while offloading SS Southern Cross
Civilian Matthew M KAZ
Civilian John E SMITH
ITT Employees USARP 23 November 1986
Fell in crevasse 2 miles East of McMurdo
Cvilian Mark T MacMILLAN
Driver USARP 14 November 1987
Diving accident at McMurdo
Lt Cdr Bruce BAILEY
AK2 Donald M BEATTY
USN - VXE6 9 December 1987
Crash while landing at D-59
AMS1 Benjamin MICOU
USN - VXE-6
Civilian Garth VERCOE
Kiwi DSIR TSO NZARP
Civilian Terry NEWPORT
Kiwi DSIR GFE NZARP
Helo crash near Cape Royds, 13 October 1992
[They were thrown from a US Navy helicopter and killed
as it slid towards the rocks below. The pilot and co-pilot,
also of the US Navy, survived but lay waiting for help,
rescue efforts hampered by poor visibility.]
NAME AND DETAILS UNKNOWN
ChapGru 30 January 1995
TAD to NAVCHAPGRU for ship offloading
FCCM Charles GALLAGHER
USN (ret) ASA --May 1997
Heart attack with pnumonia and dehydration
