Captain
Carl I. Aslakson
retired from the Coast and Geodetic Survey, U.S. Department
of 
Commerce,
on May 1, 1955, after an outstanding career of more than 30
years. Captain Aslakson has gained international recognition
in electronic applications in the field of geodetic surveying.
His last assignment prior to retirement was technical advisor
on electronic survey and geodesy at the Long-Range Proving Ground
guided missile range at Cocoa, Florida.
Captain Aslakson was born on April 23, 1896,
at Park River, North Dakota. He attended the South Dakota State
College in 1915 and received a degree in civil engineering from
the University of Minnesota in September 1923. While a student
at the university he worked part time for the Minnesota Highway
Department as a Material Testing Engineer. He was on active
duty with the 4th South Dakota Infantry during the Mexican Border
Campaign and in July 1917, joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He
saw 2 years of active duty in World War I, and attained the
rank of 2nd Lieutenant before being inactivated in June 1923.
Captain Aslakson entered on duty with the Coast and Geodetic
Survey on October 2, 1923. His first assignment was Deck Officer
and Observer in triangulation in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. As
he continued his career he specialized in field operations in
geodesy, geophysics, topography, and hydrography. He also served
on Bureau vessels in the coastal waters of the United States,
Alaska, and the Philippines and was later engaged on triangulation,
gravity, base measuring and levels in all parts of the United
States. In 1939, Captain Aslakson was technical advisor attached
to staff, Commanding Officer of the 1st Observation Battalion,
U.S. Field Artillery and later that same year established airplane
speed courses for the USAF, at Wright, Scott, and Lowry Fields.
He was also in charge of the U.S. delegation to the Commission
for Cooperative Gravimetric Observation in Peru and Columbia
in 1940-41.
Captain Aslakson was assigned to the Air Force
as Major in March 1942, and first worked on weather research.
From March to October of 1943, he was with the 311 Mapping and
Charting Wing, making maps for air navigation over South America.
His next assignment was the China-Burma-India Theater, doing
the same type of work after which he returned to Brazil. In
November 1945, he was assigned to a special Shoran project in
Colorado which is considered to be a far-reaching development
in Geodesy. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1946 and
the following year, Shoran research was completed in an extensive
project in Florida, Cuba, and the Bahama Islands.
Captain Aslakson returned to the Coast and
Geodetic Survey in July 1947. For the next 2 years he was engaged
in work with Shoran for hydrographic survey on shipboard and
the electronic position indicator for hydrographic surveying
in the Gulf of Mexico. He spent the summer of 1949 covering
the greater part of Alaska and the entire Arctic region for
the purpose of making plans for completing the geodetic control
of Alaska.
In late 1949, he was reassigned to the Air
Force for special work and attached to the 7th Geodetic Control
Squadron as observer and technical advisor. This assignment
involved testing new high-precision Shoran in Florida. Of recent
world-wide interest is the new value suggested by Captain Aslakson
for measuring the speed of light, science's most time-honored
measuring stick. This value is about 10 miles an hour greater
than the value currently in use. Captain Aslakson's value has
recently been corroborated by other observers in England and
Sweden.
Captain Aslakson is author of Instructions
to Lightkeepers on First-Order Triangulation; Precise Alinement;
Electronic Distance Measurements; Radio Meteorology; Radio Wave
Propagation; and subjects in geodesy published in various technical
magazines. He has given many addresses on these subjects before
military organizations and educational, civics, and businessmen's
organizations. In 1952, he was awarded the Department of Commerce's
Gold Medal by the Secretary of Commerce for outstanding service
to the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Department.
Among the organizations in which he holds membership,
are the Washington Academy of Sciences, American Society of
Civil Engineers, Washington Society of Engineers, Philosophical
Society of Washington, Society of American Military Engineers,
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The Buzzard,5/18/1955
Captain Carl Ingman Aslakson, NOAA (Retired) -
April 23, 1896 to March 11, 1982. Captain Aslakson was born
in Park River, North Dakota. He attended the South Dakota State
College in 1915 and received a degree in civil engineering from
the University of Minnesota in September 1923. He was on active
duty with the South Dakota Infantry during the Mexican Border
Campaign and in July 1917 joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He saw
2 years of active duty in World War I and attained the rank
of Second Lieutenant before being inactivated in June 1923.
Captain Aslakson entered on duty with the Coast and Geodetic
Survey on October 2, 1923. His first assignment was Deck Officer
and observer in triangulation in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. As
he continued his career he specialized in field operations in
geodesy, geophysics, topography, and hydrography. He also served
on NOAA vessels in the coastal waters of the United States,
Alaska, and the Philippines and was later engaged on triangulation,
gravity, base measuring and levels in all parts of the United
States.
In 1939 he was technical advisor attached to staff, commanding
officer of the First Observation Battalion, U.S. Field Artillery
and later established airplane speed courses for the U.S. Air
Force; from 1940-1941 he was in charge of the U.S. delegation
to the commission for cooperative gravimetric observation in
Peru and Columbia; in March 1942 he was assigned to the Air
Force as Major; from March to October 1943 he was with the 311
Mapping and Charting Wing, making maps for air navigation over
South America; and in November 1945 he was assigned to a special
Shoran project in Colorado and was promoted to Colonel in 1946.
Captain Aslakson returned to the Coast and Geodetic Survey in
July 1947. For the next 2 years he was engaged in work with
Shoran and the Electronic Position Indicator System for hydrographic
surveying in the Gulf of Mexico. He spent the summer of 1949
covering the greater part of Alaska and the entire Arctic region
for the purpose of making plans for completing the geodetic
control of Alaska.
Captain Aslakson retired on May 1, 1955, after an outstanding
career of more than 30 years. He gained international recognition
in electronic applications in the field of geodetic surveying.
His last assignment prior to retirement was technical advisor
on electronic survey and geodesy at the Long-Range Proving Ground
guided missile range at Cocoa, Florida. In 1952, he was awarded
the Department of Commerce's Gold Medal for outstanding service
to the Department of Commerce. Captain Aslakson is survived
by his wife, the former Marian Corbin of Savannah, Georgia,
and one son, Richard Corbin.
NOAA Corps Bulletin, 3/1/1982
