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JefDickrellWorldWarIIintheAleutians6www.unalaska.info877.581.2612PhotobyKenWilsonTheimpactofWorldWarIIintheAleutanIslandsremainsoneofthemostvisiblefeaturesthatdotthisremotelandscapetoday.QuonsethutsbarracksandformergunemplacementsblendwithUnalaskasmodernphysicalfeaturesprovidingvisitorsandlocalsalikewithauniqueopportunitytoexplorethispartofUnitedStateshistory.FormoreonWorldWarIIintheAleutanspleasevisittheAleutanWorldWarIIVisitorCentertheOunalashkaCorporatonandtheMuseumoftheAleutans.TheUnitedStatesmilitarypaidlitleatentontotheAleutanIslandspriortoWWII.Anavalexercisein1938wasadisasterduetoweatherandNavyPBYairplaneswereallowedtofyoutonlyinsummer.AtreatywithJapanforbadethebuildingofbasesintheislandchain.Allofthischangedin1934whenJapanannounceditwouldabandonthetreaty.TheU.S.militarybeganlookinginearnestattheoptonsforbasebuilding.ThedecisiontouseDutchHarborasthemainnavalbasedidnotcomeeasily.Litlefatgroundandaharborthatwastoosmallforturninglargevesselswerebalancedbythefactthatthenavyalreadyhadaradiostatonandweatherobservatoryinplacehere.TheprivatebuildingsthatmadeupthevillageofDutchHarborwereboughtandconstructonbeganinthesummerof1940.SixmonthslatertheNavalSectonbasewascommissionedwithanairstatoncompletedbySeptember1941.WhenthewarbeganinDecemberofthatyearthebaseatDutchHarborwasilldefended.OnlyamajorartllerypositononBallyhooMountainwascompleted.InMay1942aJapanesenavalforceoftwoaircrafcarriersandseveralsmallershipssteamed180milessouthwestofUnalaskaIsland.TheirmissionwastoneutralizetheairbaseatDutchHarboranddestroyitsabilitytoatackJapan.InastrangecompromiseduetothelackoffatgroundAmericanairfeldshadbeenbuilt100mileseastatColdBayand80mileswestonUmnakIslandCapeField.OnJune3rdat6A.M.elevenKatebombersandsixZerofghtersatackedthebase.TheAmericanshavingbrokentheenemycodewereprepared.FindingnoairfeldtheplanesdroppedtheirbombsontheArmybarracksofFt.Mears.Thistghtlypackedclusterofwhitebuildingshousedmostofthe9000menontheisland.Morebombsfellonradiostatonsandant-aircrafpositons.NoJapaneseplaneswereshotdown.StrangelycommunicatonwiththeAmericanairfeldsfailedduringtheatacks.NoplanescametothedefenseofDutchHarbor.Overthenext24hoursAmericanaircrafsearchedfortheJapanese.Afewunsuccessfulatacksweremadeagainstthesmallfeet.OnJune4thDutchwasatackedagainbyelevenZerosnineKatesandanadditonalpunchofelevenValdive-bombers.HavingphotographedthebasethepreviousdaytheJapanesedroppedbombsthatdestroyedfueltanksandashipusedforpowergeneratontheNorthwesternaswellassmallerrandomtargets.Onceagaincommunicatonwiththeairfeldsfailed.Intotallessthanffymenwerekilledinacton.AstheJapanesesteamedawaywestwardtheAmericansmadetwoimportantdecisions.PriorityonewastobuildarunwayinDutchHarbor.Thiswasdoneinninedaysandisstllusedtoday.ThesecondwastoevacuatethenatveUnanganAleutpeoplefromtheentrechain.Thedecisionwasillplannedandcarriedoutwithnoregardforthevictmswellbeing.Eighthundredeighty-onepeoplefromeightvillagesweresenttomakeshifcampsinsoutheastAlaska.Therethediscomfortandlackofcareresultedinhighdeathratesamongtheyoungestandoldestoftheculturelossesthatarestllfelttoday.AweekafertheatacksonUnalaskatheAmericansdiscoveredthattheJapanesehadoccupiedtwoislandsonthewesternendofthechainAtuandKiska.Aconcentratedatempttobombtheenemyfromtheislandsfailedsoanewtactcwasdeveloped.Thiswasthebuildingofairfeldscloserandclosertotheenemy-heldislands.BytheendofAugust1942amajorbasewasopenedonAdakIsland.ThisshifedoperatonsfromUnalaskafurtherwest.ThebaseatDutchHarborsoonbecameaminorsupportcenter.AyearafertheJapaneseatacksonDutchHarbortheAmericansinvadedAtuandinnineteendaysofheavyfghtngcleareditoftheenemy.TwomonthslatertheAmericanslandedonKiskaexpectngthesamefanatcalresistance.InsteadtheydiscoveredtheJapanesehadevacuatedtheirentreforce.ThisendedtheAleutanCampaignbutnottheAmericanpresenceonUnalaskawhichlasteduntlthewarended.AuthorHistoryTeacherUnalaskaCityHighSchoolPhotosbyJefDay