Battle for the Aleutians

Date: August 5, 2011
Contact: Benjamin Hayes, 671-333-4052

Imagine a group of bitterly cold islands cloaked in perpetual fog where unrelenting winds howl through snowcapped mountains spread across 1,200 miles of the world’s most treacherous seas. This harsh environment describes the Aleutians, a chain of more than 300 U.S. islands of southwest Alaska and home to the Unangan people. Many mistakenly believe that Guam was the only U.S. territory captured by Japan. In 1942, however, Japan invaded the Aleutians and for over a year these islands became brutal battlefields where thousands perished.  

You can explore this fascinating story in a special exhibit on display at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center beginning August 2. The exhibit includes dozens of photographs, vivid pictures, and the heartbreaking saga of Unangan people who lost their island homes forever.

The story of the Aleutian Islands is a tragic but forgotten chapter of the Pacific War. See this free exhibit on display from August through December. The T. Stell Newman Visitor Center is located in Sumay and open daily 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 333-4050 or visit www.nps.gov/wapa.