LORAN STATION SITKINAK
Station Information
| Site Survey: | AUG 1959 |
| Construction Date: | 1960 |
| Constructed by: | American Service Inc. $1,597,000 15 MAR 1960 |
| Established: Commissioned: |
1960 141930Z NOV 1960 |
| Decommissioned: Disestablished: |
JUL 1977 |
| Operated by: |
USCG |
| Station Project code name: | DOOR I |
| Station Unit Identifier: |
1960 - 17-350678 |
| Mail address: | 1966: Kodiak, Alaska 99697 FPO, Seattle, WA 98794 |
| AKA: | |
| HAM Call sign: |
KL7DND |
| Personnel Allowance: | JUL 1963 - 2 Officer; 27 Enlisted JUL 1967 - 2 Officer; 25 Enlisted JAN 1976 - 2 Officers; 27 Enlisted |
| Station Mascot: | 1966: Missy (21 OCT 1966 - 6 pups); Sloopy (24 NOV 1966 - 4 pups); Red Dog; BoBop; Diesel 1970: Blue & Cueball |
| Other information: | 27 MAR 1964: Station suffered a severe earthquake. 28 MAR 1964: Station off-air, buildings settled RM2 William Morgan comments: "Was present for the "Big RockNRoll" 1964 earthquake. Lots of fun. After the "quake" we were the only "Split level" LorSta in the CG. The Admin Section dropped 8 to 16 inches. We evacuated to the top of the island's highest peak for about 6 hours. Our tsumi was about 2 feet high." AUG 1965: Station personnel assisted in the transportation of an injured seaman from helicopter to plane. 1969: Station crew erected the arch on the runway. 19 AUG 1969: James I. Doughty wrote: (photo missing) I was the aircraft commander, and we slid the plane sideways down the runway at Sitkinak. The skid marks are the left main tires and the nose wheel. The right main came off the ground and that big white spot is where the left outboard propeller hit the runway. Quite a ride! Nobody hurt, and I flew back to Kodiak 2 weeks later. During takeoff, the wind went to 90 deg to the right and increased to 60 knots. 1970: Mail plane crashed JUN 1970: Trinity Island Inc. filed suit in Federal court seeking $39,000 for the loss of 500 sheep. The suit charged that USCG personnel abandoned their pets when transferred to other duty stations. 1971: CO and ETC spouses visited the station. District was not amused. *01 MAR 1977: Station operations transferred to LORSTA NARROW CAPE however SITKINAK transmitted as "W" until 30 JUN 1977. |
| Commanding Officers: | 1960 - 1961 LT Charles L. Frazier (14 NOV - 18 APR) 1961 - 1962 LTJG Bruce G. Lauther (18 APR - ?) 1962 - 1963 LTJG Bruce C. Skinner (? - 31 MAR) 1963 - 1964 LTJG Leroy G. Krumm (31 MAR - 01 APR) 1964 - 1965 LTJG Jon D. King (01 APR - 01 APR) 1965 - 1966 LTJG James C. McElroy (01 APR - APR) 1966 - 1967 LTJG Gill R. Goodman (APR - MAR) 1967 - 1968 LTJG Donald F. Potter (MAR - FEB) 1968 - 1968 LTJG Peter D. Lawson (FEB - NOV) 1968 - 1969 LTJG Anthony J. Pettit (NOV - ? 1969 - 1970 LTJG William W. Peterman 1970 - 1971 LTJG Mark E. Libby (? - APR) 1971 - 1972 LTJG Thomas Lynch (APR - APR) 1972 - 1973 LTJG Donald R. Dickmann (APR - 06 APR) 1973 - 1974 LTJG Donald E. Plake (06 APR - 02 APR) 1974 - 1975 LTJG John S. Merrill (02 APR - 02 APR) 1975 - 1976 LTJG John E. Veentjer (02 APR - ?) |
Change of Command relief documentation:
01 APR 1964 - Letter of Relief LTJG Krumm/LTJG King - pdf
01 APR 1965 - Letter of Relief LTJG King/LTJG McElroy - pdf
06 APR 1973 - Letter of Relief LTJG Dickmann/LTJG Plake- pdf
02 APR 1974 - Letter of Relief LTJG Plake/LTJG Merrill - pdf
021915Z APR 75 - LTJG Veentjer assumed command - pdf
Station Operations
LORAN-C
56 32.3 N 154 07.8 W (October 1, 1964)
56 32 22.80 N 154 07 37.37 W (WGS-72)
| Chain: | 1960: S6; SL-2 BERING SEA 1969: SH-7; 5930 NORTH PACIFIC |
| Radio Call sign: |
NRW-1 |
| Operational date: Declared Operation: |
101000Z JUL 1961 |
| Operations terminated: |
30 JUN 1977* |
| Station Operation: |
Single SLAVE/SECONDARY (SS) |
| Loran rate: Function: Baseline: |
S6; SL-2; SH-7; 5930; 9990* "X"; "Z"; ("W"*) M-X/Y: Approx. 531.5 Nautical miles |
| On-air testing date: | 08 DEC 1960 - S6 (X) |
| On-Air: | S6 (X) - 101000Z JUL 1961 S2 (X) - 15 DEC 1961 SH-7 (Z) - 150000Z JUN 1970 5930 (Z) - 25 FEB 1975 *9990 (W) - 01 MAR 1977 |
| Off-Air: |
S6 (X) - 15 DEC 1961 - Change of rate; Port Clarence on air S2 (X) - 150000Z JUN 1970 - Change of rate SH-7 (Z) - 25 FEB 1975 - Changed Identification of GRI 5930 (Z) - 01 MAR 1977 9990 (W) - 30 JUN 1977 - This was only temporary for the user - Service terminated |
| Equipment: | 1961 - AN/FPN-41/42 sn: 3 & 4; 300Kw (Timer AKA: Pete & Joe) FEB 1974 - AN/FPN-54 LRE installed; a AN/FPN-41 for monitoring SEP 1974 - AN/URT-23 Comms equipment installed |
| Radiator: | 1960 - 625ft TLM - Stainless Inc. Model 1300 25 MAY 1987 - Tower demolished |
Fred's Place Reunion Hall: OLD NEW
Reminiscing:
1972 - 1973 Bob Nahikian Memors - pdf
Awards:
Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation
09 MAR 1975 - 30 AUG 1975
17 APR 1976 - 22 AUG 1976
11 JAN 1977 - 01 MAR 1977
08 APR 1977 - 06 JUN 1977
Coast Guard Restricted Ribbon
Documents:
31 JAN 1963 - Relocation of LORSTA Spruce Cape to Sitkinak - pdf
1966 - Radio Beacon Installation Correspondence - pdf
01 MAR 1968 - General Information Book - pdf
JUL 1968 - Loran-C CG-2899 Report - pdf
24 FEB 1971 - Primary Power Failure - pdf
JUN - SEP 1973 Violation of Radio Regulations correspondence - pdf
05 JUL 1973 - Primary Loss of Power - pdf
13 AUG 1973 - Spruce Cape/Sitkinak D17 Trip Report - pdf
1974 - Bi-Monthly Reports - pdf (reports missing)
1974 - Bi-Weekly Reports - pdf
27 MAR 1974 - District 17 Trip Report - pdf
14 NOV 1974 - 1975/76 Project Planning - pdf
18 NOV - 9 DEC 1974 - Sitkinak Watch Standing Practices - pdf
21 NOV 1974 - 625 Foot Tower Replacement - pdf
21 DEC 1974 - Exchange Rebuttal - pdf
23 DEC 1974 - COCO Monthly Report - pdf
01 JAN 1976 - Station Organization Manual - pdf
25 MAR 1987 - Press Clip of 625 foot Tower Demolished - pdf
Newsletters:
1966 Christmas newsletter contributed by Rich Collier - pdf
Pictures:
Bill Lower 1969-70 photo collection
(courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard c./12 OCT 1966)