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Civilian War Work in Greenland?

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Civilian War Work in Greenland?

Posted: 12 Jun 2015 10:49PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Froberg
I found an "immigration" record for my husband's grandfather Everett C. Froberg, departing from Kagsiarsuk (Qassiarsuk), Greenland on 17 November 1942, arriving in Boston 11 December 1942. He was returning from travel there, it seems, as he was a native US citizen.

I know that the US had a military presence there (Coast Guard from 1940, Army after late 1941 or early 1942? per Wikipedia), but what kind of war work would a civilian be doing in Greenland?

He was 32 at the time, and was never in the military. He held various jobs throughout his life, mostly related to machinery, working for the railroad as a younger man, in 1940 as a service man at a garage, and in 1944 is listed in the Duluth city directory as "mach Marine Iron & Shipbldg Co" although he lived in Carlton, Carlton Co. Presumably he was doing something similar in Greenland, but it seems surprising to me that there would be non-military personnel involved.

I haven't yet found anything about the Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Co. that would indicate activity in Greenland, so that may be a red herring, or only related to Ev's talent as a machinist.

Any help would be appreciated -- this is not the usual genealogical mystery so I don't know where to look!

Thanks,
Jeanne Smith

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