TIGHAR

Amelia Earhart Search Forum => News, Views, Books, Archival Data & Interviews on AE => Topic started by: Sheila Shigley on October 13, 2011, 10:07:33 AM

Title: Itasca CRO's grandson selling "unique copy of Itasca radio log"
Post by: Sheila Shigley on October 13, 2011, 10:07:33 AM

(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/AMELIA-EARHART-Disappearance-Radio-Log-USCGC-ITASCA-School-Projects-Reports-/01/!BgjvB4wBmk~$(KGrHqYH-CoEsM-1yLsNBLFvlCUeY!~~_3.JPG)

"This is a Photocopy of the Original Radio Log (Three pages) which was in my Grandfathers possession until his death in 1974.  My Grandfather was the Chief Radio Officer aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter, ITASCA stationed off Howland Island during the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.  After his death, the original copies were donated to the Smithsonian by my family and are available now on microfilm.

Since the movie "Amelia" was released,  I have had several requests for the copies of this log since few people want to spend the money to buy the whole roll of microfilm. 

Here's the story -- My Grandfather was instructed to secure the original copy and a re-typed copy was entered into the official record.  Since the official report was in order, nobody came and asked for the original.  So - he kept it!   That's why this is the ONLY copy with ALL THREE signatures of the Radiomen on board the ITASCA. "

Title: Re: Itasca CRO's grandson selling "unique copy of Itasca radio log"
Post by: Ric Gillespie on October 14, 2011, 06:47:29 AM

It was standard practice to retype the logs (known as "smoothing") and throw out the original. It's really fortunate that Leo Bellarts saved a few pages of the original radio log.   The cross-outs and overstrikes contain important clues and tell a poignant tale of the confusion and anxiety that reigned in the Itasca radio room.  If Dave Bellarts can sell photocopies on eBay more power to him but the pages are public domain and freely available on the TIGHAR website (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Logs/ItascaRawLogs.pdf).