Puntzi Mountain, BC

My name is Stan Little. On turning 70 years old in July 2001, I have realized that the Chilcotin Plateau, Williams Lake and, particularly, Puntzi Mountain are very important places in my life.

I was a member of the 917th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, United States Air Force, and I participated in the initial staffing of the Puntzi Mountain radar site in November, 1952.

Who were the to initial members of the 917th? About half, including myself, were from the California Air National Guard (144th Aircraft Control Squadron) stationed on Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, California. I now believe that we were called to Federal active duty, from civilian life, to serve at Puntzi Mountain. When the 917th was created at Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington (now Spokane International) in the summer of 1952, the old 144th, then stationed there, was broken up and key personnel were assigned to the 917th. The balance of the initial Puntzi bunch were regular USAF personnel including one, our medic M/Sgt. Chamberlain, who was a survivor of the Bataan Death March.

(Note: Similar staffing happened for sites near Prince George BC, and Grand Prairie, Alberta, using activated California Air National Guard personnel from units in San Francisco and Sacramento).

What was our job? Puntzi Mountain was the westernmost of the initial radar sites that were the Pinetree Air Defense line, the first radar line across North America. We took over the base from Northern Construction and prepared for the final installation of technical equipment and staffing for operations. I've recently learned that the Pinetree Project was based on a 1948 US/Canadian Treaty.

What was our welcome to the area? Everyone was friendly. Soon after we arrived, a large party (dance) was held in our honour at the Catholic social hall in Williams Lake. Our instructions were to wear civilian clothes off base. Many a happy meal was had at the Famous Cafe (the place in Williams Lake) and many a happy hour was spent drinking beer at the bar across the street.

The base dedication: In January, 1953, we installed twin flagpoles and held a ceremony raising both the US and Canadian flags. We flew both flags from then on. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the RCAF, the RCMP and public relations people from McChord AFB.

Lud Fernandes has furnished a picture of the parade to the Pinetree Line web site. That's me, standing next to First Sgt. Will Barton in the back row. I can still remember the mothball smell on the red jackets that the Mounties wore for the ceremony.

Who's the boss? The 917th was directly assigned to an Air Division Headquarters at McChord AFB in Washington. However, we also reported to the Pinetree Project Office in Ottawa. Our support was provided by the RCAF in Vancouver, the II Supply Depot in Calgary, and very little from the USAF.

Miscellaneous: Everything on the base was RCAF, even to having Hudson Bay blankets. All of the equipment was Canadian or British. Our vehicles were RCAF. The base itself was a typical USAF radar base modified to RCAF practices for such as more rank-oriented mess facilities. Our PX (store and bar) was operated from the Pinetree Project Office and we used Canadian money. We initially were paid in Canadian currency but the varying exchange rate caused the finance officer to lose money from the time he made the initial exchange in Vancouver and the time he had to pay back (in US) monies he didn't pay out.

The first trip to Williams Lake to exchange pay: We had no need for US currency. Arrangements were made with a bank in Williams Lake to provide Canadian money. I sat next to the pay officer and each guy gave me the part of his pay he needed to be Canadian currency. I gave him a receipt. Whoa-boy! The First Sergeant and I set off to Williams Lake in the ambulance, which was the best four-wheel drive, with a briefcase containing over $10,000. We knew that we were going to be overnight, so we first went to the RCMP office and asked them to put the money in their safe. The RCMP honestly said that their safe wasn't good enough. They recommended the safe at the Famous Cafe. It worked out just fine and when the bank opened in the morning we were handed our briefcase after enjoying a great breakfast.

Public relations: Our Commanding Officer, Major John A Reding, quietly spent a lot of his own money and time getting to know local people. He apparently had no budget for the drinks and meals that he entertained with in the officer's wing of the mess hall. He did a good job.

The best story involved a call from the gate that a bearded guy in a beat-up pickup wanted to see him. Major Reding went down to the gate, greeted him and invited him in for a visit. The guy wondered if we were having any problems. Frankly, Reding told him that the only problem we had was that fishing licences were prohibitively expensive since we were not residents. It turned out that our visitor was the representative in Victoria. Within a week the law in BC was changed to treat permanently assigned US military personnel as residents for the purposes of fishing licences. Not many licences were issued but the individuals each saved a big part of a months pay.

The phone: We had one outside phone. It was in the Orderly Room. Someone was near it 24 hours a day. The day it was installed, the phone guy told us our number was a short, a long, and a short short short. All of us started dancing around singing "A short, a long and a short short short". It wasn't very military, but then all we were was a bunch of civilians-at-heart doing a job.

Random thoughts: We were issued excellent cold weather gear. Our coldest temperature was -50 degrees Fahrenheit in January, 1953. We also, for the first time in our lives, experienced a Chinook wind. One time a cold snap followed a Chinook before the snow all melted and we had ice covering the roads about 3 inches thick. The whole outfit turned-to with sledge hammers and picks.

A tragedy: We had an airstrip (still in use by fire bombers) that was over a mile long. Initially, supplies were flown in from time to time by the RCAF from Vancouver. Early on an RCAF plane crashed on the way to Puntzi, killing all aboard. From then on all supplies were trucked in.

A close shave? You may not think this is funny, but one of our guys had his appendix taken out at the Williams Lake hospital. After a couple of days, he wanted to shave. The nurses found a razor for him in the maternity ward.

Getting from Spokane to Puntzi! We had a choice of being flown or going in our cars. I drove. We weren't given money to make the trip. We were told that we would be reimbursed, but the rules for getting advance travel monies did not allow for travel outside the US. So - I borrowed the money from my dad! We spent the first night in Seattle, crossed the border at Blaine (we were expected by the Canadian officials), spent the next night in Vancouver, the next night in Williams Lake, and drove to Puntzi on the Chilcotin Road.

The Chilcotin Road: In 1952 the Chilcotin Road was rough and primitive. I found it hard to believe when I recently learned that it had been rebuilt out to Puntzi as part of the base construction. Today it is a paved highway, built to very high standards. There's a lot of readily available published material about the road, the Chilcotin Plateau, the Bella Coola connection, etc.

Classified Secret: Everything was classified information. The term "Puntzi Mountain" was not to be used. Our mailing address was simply Williams Lake.

Stanley W Little. e-mail: slittle@c-zone.net

PS - I left Puntzi in May 1953 and have no knowledge what happened while the base operated after I left. I first revisited Puntzi in 1984. The only major building left was the Motor Pool which was being used as the Chilanko Forks community center. I visited this year and that building is gone, but the entrance guard-house is still there. If anyone wants to know where the base was, just look in the road to the airstrip where it starts (a left turn off the Puntzi Mountain road). The manhole covers from the sewer system mark the territory!