Arneb (AKA 56) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

an U CAPT. EDWARD G. RIF ENBURGH . . . was born in New York City December 29, 1915. He entered the Navy in January 1941 from the Merchant Marine, in which he is a licensed Master Mariner. He was first assigned tothe Uss Arctic in the Pacific. After serving successively as gunnery of- ficer, navigator an-d executive officer of the Arctic he commissioned and commanded the USS Chehalis. Near the end of World War II Captain Rifenburgh took command of the commanldeered merchant ship Joseph, Holt. With a volunteer Navy crew he fitted her out as a guinea pig to locate and test safe chan- nels through mine fields in the Japanese home waters. After the War Captain Rifenburgh served in Washington and England. He was as- signed as operations officer of the cruiser Saint Paul when she was flagship for the 7th Fleet. He left the cruiser to command the USS Hailey, which operated in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. From the Hailey he returned to Washing- ton to become U, S. Foreign Liaison Officer for the Navy. Later, Captain Rifenburgh be- came the U. S. Naval Attache to France and Switzerland. On September 22, 1962, Captain Rifen- burgh relieved Captain Sigmund Bobczynski as Commanding Officer of the Arneb, CAPT. EDWARD G. RIF ENBURGH ii

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I 5 After sailing out of the ice of Antarctica this year I thought of the men who wouldn't leave until next season, the men for whom we carried supplies this year, the men who winter over . Ours is a long cruise, but the hardships and inconvenience.s these men live under far outweigh those of the Arneb, or any ship. And yet, each year Antarctica becomes a little more comfortable. Picture the explorers who ex- perienced man's first winter on the ice , Today Antarctica has air strips, well insulated shelters, modern scientific equipment including a nuclear power plant. Scott, Amundsen . . .started with noth- ing compared with the supplies we carry in only one of the Arneb's holds. What a thirst for discovery and exploration! Therefore, I ask that this book and all of our-effort be dedicated to these discoverers of the early century to the men we left behind this year, to every man who has lived through the Antarctic winter, We h . . ave only a few pages in the half-written book of Antarctica. E. G. RIFENBURGH

Page 10 text:

I 5 After sailing out of the ice of Antarctica this year I thought of the men who wouldn't leave until next season, the men for whom we carried supplies this year, the men who winter over . Ours is a long cruise, but the hardships and inconvenience.s these men live under far outweigh those of the Arneb, or any ship. And yet, each year Antarctica becomes a little more comfortable. Picture the explorers who ex- perienced man's first winter on the ice , Today Antarctica has air strips, well insulated shelters, modern scientific equipment including a nuclear power plant. Scott, Amundsen . . .started with noth- ing compared with the supplies we carry in only one of the Arneb's holds. What a thirst for discovery and exploration! Therefore, I ask that this book and all of our-effort be dedicated to these discoverers of the early century to the men we left behind this year, to every man who has lived through the Antarctic winter, We h . . ave only a few pages in the half-written book of Antarctica. E. G. RIFENBURGH