During World War II the remote Aleutian Islands, home to the Unangax̂ (Aleut) people for over 8,000 years, became a fiercely contested battleground in the Pacific. This thousand-mile-long archipelago saw invasion by Japanese forces, the occupation of two islands; a mass relocation of Unangax̂ civilians; a 15-month air war; and one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific Theater. Read More
When WWII broke out the Unangax̂ and Aleut people were caught in the crosshairs. Many were relocated. Learn more through these interviews.
The pilots, sailors, and soldiers of the Aleutian Campaign went out into the treacherous Aleutian waters and skies. Discover their stories.
Biorka, Kashega, and Makushin, three villages surviving centuries of change only to disappear during World War II.
The residents of Attu, the most remote Aleutian village, had a different and especially tragic wartime experience.
The wartime experiences of Nick Golodoff, a six-year-old Attuan boy who was taken prisoner by the Japanese in World War II. (pdf)
In the story of the Aleutians theater during World War II, there is a central theme - people being forcibly removed from their homes.
Read about the disappearance of the American submarine, the USS Grunion, last heard from July 30, 1942. The mystery was solved in 2006.
A graphic history written in the 1940s by the Intelligence Section of general headquarters on Adak, AK. (pdf)
Learn about the 80th Anniversary of the bombing of Dutch Harbor and Battle of Attu, as well as other stories from the Aleutians.
Lasting 18 days, the Battle of Attu was one of the deadliest battles of World War II, but it remains one of the least well-known.
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft struck at U.S. Army and Navy installations at Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island.
Last updated: July 2, 2023
