Following is a bear story that I have told several times. In it I mentioned the NCOIC of the Kitchen. HIs name is Tom Roberts, a Tech Sgt at the time. I recently ran across a photo he sent that was attached to his version of the story. This is a recap of my tale, and then Tom's version. He graciously gave me permission to use both the photo and his story of the event.

MY STORY

Once at Cold Bay when I was walking down the hall, someone running from the Dining Hall stopped and told me that there was a bear in the room where the
garbage was stored before dumping. I immediately went back to that room and cautiously opened the door. Wow! I saw a huge bear sitting on the floor with its front legs in a garbage can that it had tilted over. Standing between the bear and me was the NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer-In-Charge) of the Kitchen. He was in the tiny room with a broom and that bear! Now that is guarding your area of responsibility! Deciding caution was the best option, we proceeded to shut the door and made the area off-limits until the bear had gone. I still can't believe he wasn't intimidated by that bear at all...one of several bear stories from Alaska I will never forget.

NCOIC TOM ROBERTS’ VERSION as written by him:

A few of us were playing cards in the dining room, and we heard the garbage cans being tipped over. I started to go and check and someone said it was just the dogs, so I continued to play. Well, it continued and I said I’m going to run the dogs out and be right back. I got to the screen door that led to the wash rack then to the garbage room, (and) yelled for the dogs to get out. About that time mama bear stood up and looked at me, and I yelled bear.( a big mistake) Next thing I knew I had half the site behind me, and no place to go. Mama grunted and one of the cubs backed out of the can and left, she done this a couple of more times and two more left. She grunted again and the fourth must have had something good because he did not move, she grunted again then swatted him or the can and he ran out the door, she turns toward us and like she is saying we’re leaving.
However, one of the best parts is a new person, came running into the dining room with a flash light, wanting to see the bears. We told him the bears had left, he goes outside, a couple of minutes later, he comes back in screaming the bears were after him, we went out to look and it was the dogs, he had shined the light and seen their eyes coming toward him and thought it was the bears, actually the bears were on the other side of the building.
(note- When bears were immediately outside of our building, we always could tell which side they were on. The dogs would always be making a racket on the opposite side!-RSW)