![]() Courtesy National Archives, Pacific Alaska Region. World War II on the Aleutian FrontIn 1940, anticipating the spread of the war in Europe to the Pacific Theater, the U.S. military began construction of forward-operating bases in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. By 1943, American troops were stationed throughout this remote, 1,200-mile-long archipelago. From airfields at Adak, Dutch Harbor, and Fort Glenn, U.S. pilots flew patrol bombers, fighter-bombers, and observation aircraft on combat and reconnaissance missions over the Aleutians. PlacesFrom Japan, along the Aleutian chain, to Southeast Alaska, the Aleutian theater of war spanned thousands of miles. Dive into a sequence of maps illustrating this remote part of the world or explore the National Historic Landmarks associated with the war effort in the Aleutians. CollectionsHere you will find a collection of snapshots of the past. Saved newspaper clippings illustrating the triumphs and tragedies of World War II as felt by its participants; diaries and journals, of Americans and Japanese servicemen recording their feelings and experiences; donated works of non-fiction looking at the details of the Forgotten War in the Aleutians; and more. PeopleThe 1943 Battle of Attu reclaimed the island; however, its residents would never reclaim their homeland. Captured by the Japanese and held prisoners of war for three years, the Attuans survived horrific conditions. The Unangax̂ from nine other villages were relocated to substandard cannery and mining buildings in Southeast Alaska by the federal government, their homes and villages vandalized by U.S. troops, their beloved churches neglected, and their archeological sites looted for recreation. Of the 880 Unangax̂ who were removed or captured, nearly 100 died. Learn more about the Unangax̂ and the service-members of the Aleutians theater. ![]() Unangax̂ (Aleut) Experience
During and after the war the Unangax̂ faced new challenges including imprisonment, relocation, and loss of their ancestral villages. ![]() Aleutian Servicemen
The pilots, sailors, and soldiers of the Aleutian Campaign went out into the treacherous Aleutian waters and skies. Discover their stories. StoriesKnown to historians as the "Forgotten War," the Aleutian Campaign began on June 3rd, 1942 when Japanese planes bombed Unalaska and Amaknak Islands. Tens of thousands of troops mobilized to the Aleutians to defend the backdoor to the United States as the Japanese Northern Garrison occupied the western islands of Attu and Kiska. ![]() The Lost Villages
Biorka, Kashega, and Makushin, three villages surviving centuries of change only to disappear during World War II. ![]() The Aleutian Campaign
The Aleutian Campaign claimed thousands of lives and culminated in a particularly bloody battle. Military History
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Last updated: September 18, 2023