Preliminary Operations
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| In the winter of 1969 the whole world
marvelled when man put a foot on the surface of the moon
and watched on television an advanced demonstration of science and technology,
but our Antarctic men didn't watch it because television emissions couldn't be sent so
far. The members of the Patrol (then called Soberanía) prepared their pickaxes, spades, tools, tents, communication equipment, supplies and other elements not more complex than |
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those taken to the moon which had amazed mankind. They arrived at an unexplored place with bravery and sacrifice where they planted a modest cane flag pole with the Argentine flag and started to live a legend on the ice. |
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When the operation was planned, they wanted to travel by land across the frozen sea to Teniente Matienzo Air Base and Island, but the
inconsistency of the ice layer of the channel which splits the island from the continent
made the operation highly dangerous, thus they started
to prepare the flight.
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| They prepared a small single-engine DHC-2 "Beaver" registration # P-03 for the expedition, which now lies on the Antarctic Corner of the National Air Force Museum, which was loaded with some tents, a modest generator set, tools, medicines, food and other elements necessary for survival. |
| Everything was decided. When meteorological conditions got better the "Beaver" took off from Matienzo Base with the usual equipment for that kind of ground: that is skis. It flew over the island looking for an appropriate place to land on the frozen sea. |  |
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Time and time again it flew over the selected place until it carefully landed on the frozen sea surface of López de Bertodano Bay with the valuable collaboration of another Beaver of the Argentine Naval Force, giving rise to Marambio. |
It was only the starting point of the hazardous and difficult plan. There was no time for delays. While the crew were carrying the equipment up to the plateau, the Beaver returned to Matienzo time and time again to look for new material and crew until the camp was built.
