Sun and Flare - August 31, 1955

Aramcon John Lunde
Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Seal

John Lunde, Assistant to the Chief Engineer, is a veteran of 18 years of Company service and has spent a total of 12 1/2 years in Saudi Arabia. This U.C. graduate from Vallejo, California, was able to find other alumni here even in January 1939 when he arrived in the Field. The previous year Lunce wintered in Alaska while on a Socal wildcatting venture.

After two years in Dhahran doing hydrographic surveys and working with construction he returned to the U.S. and joined Socal, doing design for both Bapco and Aramco as well as for Socal refineries and the Government canal project.

In 1945, Abqaiq welcomed him as supervisor of construction and except for a 1947-48 stay in Dhahran, the Lundes lived in Abqaiq until 1952.

Halloween, 1946, John's wife Alice, and three children, David, Paul and Jan, joined him here in Saudi Arabia. Three-year-old Marcie is the family's most recent addition.

The Lundes are avid water sportsmen and have an outbound run-a-bout, aqua lung and spear fishing equipment.

He left August 23, on a short assignment in The Hague.

Sun and Flare - February 8, 1956

Aramcon H.B. Beckley
Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Seal

H.B. Beckley, general superintendent, Engineering and Mechanical Services department, telephones an order to one of the shops.

A 30-year man in the oil industry, Beckley started to work for Standard Oil of California in March, 1923, and came to Saudi Arabia on June 18, 1939, as construction foreman.

His wife May and daughter Luella were among the first families to come to the Field, arriving on the B1 boat in November, 1939. During the war, his family returned to the States, but came back to the Field in 1945, where they resided until 1949, when Beckley transferred to Tapline, Beirut, as general superintendent, Western Division, Construction. He returned to Dhahran Nov. 1, 1954, as relief general superintendent, Dhahran District. In August, 1955, Beckley assumed his present position.

His daughter Luella, who graduated from Skidmore College last June, is now employed as an assistant research dietician with the Virginia Medical College, Richmond, Va., while his son Jack now lives in Dhahran with his own family.

Sun and Flare - March 7, 1956

Aramcon Glen Sheets
Photograph by Aramco Photographer, Nasr

Glen Sheets, staff assistant to the director and the vice president, Concession Affairs, pauses at his desk in the Administration Building, Dhahran. "A third generation native Californian," as he proudly says, Sheets designed exhibits for the state's Golden Gate International Exhibition in February, 1939. He also worked as a technician for the National Park Service in California.

Sheets joined Aramco's predecessor, California Arabian Standard Oil Company, in San Francisco, on Aug. 8, 1939. Four months later, on Nov. 2, he began his work in Dhahran as a geological draftsman in the Geological division of the Production department (Exploration).

On his return to the United States, he spent a year preparing geological maps and reports and acting as liaison with the Army Map Service in San Francisco. Then, as an associate engineer, in 1942, he became attached as a civilian to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Army Map Service. He came back to Saudi Arabia on Feb. 23, 1944, on the famous SS Sharswood and joined Local Government Relations in July on that year. Before assuming his present position last July, Sheets served as Senior Representative in the Eastern Province.

His wife Goldie and his 13-year-old daughter merrily arrived in the Field in 1947, and Glen Scott Sheets, III, was born in Dhahran two-and-one-half years ago.

Sun and Flare published every Wednesday by the Public Relations Department, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia