WORLD WAR II
by Michael Hunter
ON DEC 7, 1941 JAPAN BOMBED PEARL HARBOR NAVAL BASE. THE NEXTDAY WE DECLARED WAR ON JAPAN AND THEN THREE DAYS LATER WE ALSODECLARED WAR ON GERMANY AND ITALY. THE WAR CAME TO ALASKA IN 1942,WHEN JAPAN ATTACKED THE UNITED STATES IN ALASKA. THE BATTLE INALASKA WAS IN THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN. THE ISLANDS THAT WERE OCCUPIEDBY THE JAPANESE WERE ATTU AND KISKA. DUTCH HARBOR WAS ALSO BOMBED.
The bombing of Dutch Harbor in Unalaska.
(Scanned photo from the archives of the
Anchorage Museum of History and Art)
THE JAPANESE BOMBED DUTCH HARBOR AND INVADED ATTU AND KISKA. THEREWERE 14 BASES BUILT IN ALASKA. THEALCAN HIGHWAY IS ONE OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS BUILT IN ALASKA.
AMERICAN SHIPS FOUGHT JAPANESE TROOPS AT ATTU FIRST AND THE JAPANESEFOUGHT BACK AND LEFT. THE U.S. ARMY WENT TO KISKA AND THEY WEREGONE. ALASKA RECEIVED WORD BY FAIRBANKS RADIO STATION. WE WENTTO ALERT WITHIN A FEW DAYS. IN ANCHORAGE 300 MEN WITH GUNS REPORTEDTO CITY HALL. ALASKA'S MILITARY PERSONNEL'S WOMEN AND CHILDRENWERE EVACUATED. ALL ALASKANS WITH JAPANESE BLOOD WAS SENT TO INTERNMENTCAMPS. IN THE SUMMER OF 1942 WHEN WEATHER PERMITTED IT WE BOMBEDATTU AND KISKA TO TRY TO RETAKE THEM. BY MAY 15 1943 AMERICANCOMMANDERS WERE DEMANDING MORE TROOPS AND ROAD BUILDING EQUIPMENT.ON JULY 7 1943 A SEAPLANE ON PATROL MADE RADAR CONTACT WITH 7VESSELS SOUTHWEST OF ATTU.
THE NAVY ORDERED A TASK FORCE INCLUDING TWO SHIPS TO GUARD THEHARBOR TO KISKA. THE WAY THE BATTLE OF THE ALEUTIANS ENDED ISTHE JAPANESE WERE WAITING ON THE SHIPS ON THE BEACH AND IN 55 MINUTESALL 5,183 JAPANESE MEN ON KISKA WERE GONE FROM THE ALEUTIANS FOREVER.