This is how the hole in the ozone layer was closed in Antarctica 0:33
(CNN) -
Retired Navy meteorologist Paul Grisham had long forgotten the wallet he lost while stationed in Antarctica in 1968, so he was shocked when someone returned it to him two weeks ago, 53 years later.
He was also struck by how young his old identification card that was tucked inside looked.
"Oh yeah.
It brought back memories.
He had dark brown hair at the time, ”said the 91-year-old with a laugh.
Grisham said someone found the wallet while demolishing some old buildings at McMurdo Station, including the building where he lived from 1967 to 1968.
Paul Grisham's wallet still contained his identification card and other mementos from his service in Antarctica.
The spent wallet is a time capsule of the 13 long months that Grisham served in Antarctica or "The Ice" as they called it.
He had a beer ration card with 21 glasses still to be consumed, his driver's license, and a card with instructions on what to do in the event of a nuclear, chemical or biological attack.
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"Thank goodness it was never used," Grisham said, adding that this was in the middle of the Cold War.
He also had a handwritten recipe for making homemade Kahlua liqueur.
Graham never used that either (he likes gin martinis), but a lot of people have asked him after hearing his story.
Grisham holds the Navy ID card and wallet he lost 53 years ago.
Grisham was particularly busy during summer operations in Antarctica, monitoring the weather and providing reports for planes and ships delivering personnel, equipment and supplies.
"The entire station worked 12 (hours) and rested 12 hours over a five-month period because there was so much to do" to prepare for the long black winter, Grisham said.
There was a two-lane bowling alley, which was almost always in use, along with a small gym because it was too cold to exercise outside safely.
"McMurdo Station was in what we call the 'banana belt', the temperature went up to about 3 degrees and got as cold as -53 ° C," he said.
The temperature was lower the further away from the coast.
«It is almost inconceivable how cold it was.
It is almost impossible to describe the people who have not been there, "he said.
"In fact, we spend a lot of time trying to figure out 'how do we explain this to people at home?'
and we never came up with a good way to explain it. "
Grisham, left, was promoted to lieutenant while serving in Antarctica
.
He said it's about 10-15 degrees cooler there than the North Pole and if you need a more tangible example, a soda can would freeze and explode in 14 minutes if you left it outside.
"The only thing that really made life worth living there was the people who were there," Grisham said.
"We wintered 180 men and they were the nicest and kindest men I have ever had the pleasure of being with."
This is how they spent their free time in Antarctica
Grisham made a lot of money playing poker and the wallet had a number of money order receipts from when he sent his winnings to his wife and young children.
He was also good at chess, but he said there was a Russian scientist he couldn't beat.
He said they did not explore much outside the complex due to the extreme cold, but he was able to make the 1,300 km journey to the South Pole while there.
Grisham also met legendary explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, with whom he reflected on the weather for about two hours before setting out on an expedition.
After his tour, he was able to get an assignment in San Diego, California, and was later assigned to an aircraft carrier in Vietnam.
He retired in 1977 after 25 years of service.
Graham moved again to San Diego after marrying Carole Salazar, whom he met in Paris in 2001 after the death of his first wife.
They have been married for almost 18 years.
They said the family had as much fun as he was with this discovery.
Her granddaughter, Christina Salazar, said she was shocked when she first saw the wallet and thought it looked like she could still use it.
The 26-year-old said she enjoyed her stories about her time in the Navy since she was a child.
"Growing up, I always loved hearing him talk about the emperor penguins he encountered," he said.
Now, she listens to his adventures with one of his famous gin martinis.
"Every time he takes one today, he claims it brings him back to his days on 'The Ice'," he said.
"It's an honor to share a martini with him and hear him talk endlessly about his time there."
She said that she learns something new about her grandfather every time he tells a story.
"He's still our go-to man with any questions about the weather," Salazar said.
