Dad's Polar Bear

[GunnyGene]

Everyone likes pics, so thought I'd share this one.

This is my father with the polar bear he bagged on a trip to the Arctic on the USS Burton Island (ice breaker) in 1957. Used 30.06. Took 5 shots while the bear was charging before it dropped a few yards in front of him.

[JEBar]

a truly great piece of family history .... enjoyed the picture and your comments ... thanks for posting it

[GunnyGene]

a truly great piece of family history .... enjoyed the picture and your comments ... thanks for posting it

Here's a pic of the ship from that trip. 5" gun forward, used to break up thick ice if needed. They also carried a couple dog sleds, and a helo on these trips. This was in mid summer in the Bering Sea.

[PT7]

Cool photos and a great family story!!
Appreciate the very interesting post.
PT7

[GunnyGene]

Cool photos and a great family story!!
Appreciate the very interesting post.
PT7

Thanks. You and JEbar both. Boring Sunday. Too hot to go out back and shoot, so I was looking thru the big box of family mementos/history back to my many times removed Grandfather who landed on these shores in 1632 from England and settled in Ipswitch, Mass. to carve out a living. A lot of history between then and now that my line has been part of. But I digress.

[North Country Gal]

Love it. The world was a very different place, back then. Thanks for sharing.

[GunnyGene]

Love it. The world was a very different place, back then. Thanks for sharing.

Indeed it was, and you're very welcome.

[Mags]

.
That is awesome to know your family history back to the almost beginning of settlement in North America. Do you know any of your prior history in England?

.. back to my many times removed Grandfather who landed on these shores in 1632 from England and settled in Ipswitch, Mass.

[CT_Shooter]

This is my father with the polar bear he bagged on a trip to the Arctic on the USS Burton Island (ice breaker) in 1957. Used 30.06. Took 5 shots while the bear was charging before it dropped a few yards in front of him.

I wonder if he was on a hunting party to re-provision the ship. It looks like a second bear is hanging in the background.

They are great family photographs. Thanks for sharing them with us.

P.S. My wife's paternal lineage traces back to the Smith family that arrived on the Mayflower. I've got her complete family tree.

[GunnyGene]

.
That is awesome to know your family history back to the almost beginning of settlement in North America. Do you know any of your prior history in England?

.. back to my many times removed Grandfather who landed on these shores in 1632 from England and settled in Ipswitch, Mass.

Not really. The genealogist who put it all together about 25 years ago included what's called a "Pedigree" chart based on marriages, etc. which goes back to William the Conqueror, but the same chart would also fit a couple billion other people alive today.

[GunnyGene]

This is my father with the polar bear he bagged on a trip to the Arctic on the USS Burton Island (ice breaker) in 1957. Used 30.06. Took 5 shots while the bear was charging before it dropped a few yards in front of him.

I wonder if he was on a hunting party to re-provision the ship. It looks like a second bear is hanging in the background.

They are great family photographs. Thanks for sharing them with us.

P.S. My wife's paternal lineage traces back to the Smith family that arrived on the Mayflower. I've got her complete family tree.

I seriously doubt it was for provisions. As far as I know this was purely a sporting hunt, although they may have saved the meat for one of the native settlements on their way back to Seattle.

[Mags]

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Ya, William the Conqueror was a long time ago. So the billions of us are likely related. From my grandmother on my dad's side, while she was still alive, I pieced together from her, her side as far back as the 1830's New Jersey. No inkling further back. She was German decent and my granddad English decent, so there is the William the Conqueror connection.

.
... Do you know any of your prior history in England?

.. back to my many times removed Grandfather who landed on these shores in 1632 from England ...

Not really. The genealogist who put it all together about 25 years ago included what's called a "Pedigree" chart based on marriages, etc. which goes back to William the Conqueror, but the same chart would also fit a couple billion other people alive today.

[GunnyGene]

.
Ya, William the Conqueror was a long time ago. So the billions of us are likely related. From my grandmother on my dad's side, while she was still alive, I pieced together from her, her side as far back as the 1830's New Jersey. No inkling further back. She was German decent and my granddad English decent, so there is the William the Conqueror connection.

It's good to be the King.

[Dahliathemeh]

Wow awesome stuff! My mom's side of the family is from Weisboden, Germany. My dad's side is from Cocula, Mexico. My dad's side worked on gardens and other landscaping/farm land.
My mom's family makes coo coo clocks, when they came over my great great grandfather worked for the circus, I believe his job was with the tent pitching. I had the honor many years ago to go into the basement he built into his work area. It was clean and organized, he always tinkered and messed with things. I strongly believe that's where I get my tinkering talents from.