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On this date American troops invaded Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands and, several weeks later, defeated occupying Japanese forces. The island was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on an incorporated territory of the United States.
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Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.
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There are still remnants of the battle on the island. But only the Coasties (Cozst Guard) has access to the island. Lots of WW2 stuff still in yhe Aleutions.Last edited by PWC; 05-12-2019, 10:21. -
Great story here about Attu. Video and transcript.
"The first gun that was fired at Fort Sumter sounded the death-knell of slavery. They who fired it were the greatest practical abolitionists this nation has produced." ~BG D. UllmanComment
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My last assignment in the USAF was Shemya, the next to last island in the Aleutions, Attu being the last. We used to say it isn't the end of the world, but you can see it from there. Shemya is 4 mi long and 2 mi wide; I have walked end to end and had sunshine, rain, snow and sleet, then sun again during that walk. Fog is the predominant weather condition. I walkef around that island every Sat and Sun for 16 months.
We had a C-5 crash land in 84, and the pilot didn't even know he sheared off the landing gear til he lost directional control and slid down the runway sideways.Comment
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When I was in the Coast Guard we did two seasons of Alaska fishery patrol. One year we went to Kiska and had a picnic on the Fourth of July. All that stuff was just sitting there - jeeps, deuce-and-a-halfs, rows of motorcycles .. one of the bosun mates found a Browning .50. I brought back a wright engine cylinder head, looked like off a giant motorcycle. Everything was rusted up of course. Pebble beach, lots of driftwood, quiet as the grave until we showed up
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