Antartic Mayday - Stan Stokes Art Print

Stan Stokes. In late 1946, the USS Pine Island and three PBMs headed for Antarctica — a dangerous mission codenamed "Operation High Jump" — with the purpose of mapping the foreign terrain. On December 30, one of the aircraft (George-1) encountered a devastating winter storm and near whiteout conditions. As the aircraft attempted to return to the safety of its base, it slammed into a snowdrift and was ripped apart, killing three of the nine crew members. The remaining six men, battling brutal cold and a shortage of supplies, displayed signature American ingenuity and managed to help keep one another alive for 13 days before being spotted by the George-2, who instructed them to head for the coast for rescue. This print, a re-creation of the improbable rescue, comes signed by the artist. 16"x 11½".