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Crossing the Heli Pad Traditional Cache

Hidden : 5/31/2010
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This Cache is located at an old Helicopter pad. A short walk across the heli pad will lead you to ground zero.

Welcome to West Bay Site.

This Helicopter pad was created as a part of the establishment of an American air base in Stephenville during the Second World War.

In 1940, under its Leased Bases Agreement with Britain, the United States had obtained rights to build the Stephenville air base and other small locations around the Western coast of Newfoundland.

Shortly after posting this cache, I was contacted by a wonderful gentleman (pvcsamebday). I am happy to share some information and history he told me about of his time stationed at the site in West Bay in 1957 to 1960.

"As far as the West Bay Site is concerned, it was manned by 20 to 30 men from 1955 to about 1968. West Bay was the transmitter site and Jerry's Nose was the receiver site. They were both matched for communications via microwave from Earnest Harmon AFB in Stephenville";- is what he could tell me about the location.

"Site life was not bad. They had a day room for showing 16mm movies, pool tables, ping pong etc. Sports came into the picture with fast pitch softball at the base during the summer. There was also a so-called-bar at the site where you could buy and drink beer or soda."

Hoping to keep history in the area alive, I also wanted to share this quote: "We also had two civilians who did all the handyman work. They were Mr. Bill O'Quinn from West Bay and Mr. Alf Peters from Lourdes. Many of us went to dances where fiddles and spoons were the music. Dances were contra style where everyone danced in a circle. Many site personnel from both sites married many of the girls from the area."

I would love to learn more about the history of this area
and would love to hear from you. Please feel free to drop me a
message

Please cover the cache as found to avoid it being muggled or destroyed by the weather.

*~*~*~*~*~* Congrats to Burgeogull with the FTF!!! *~*~*~*~*~*

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

terra gerr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)