People

The Unangax̂ People

Master seafarers, superb artists, accomplished surgeons, and skilled hunters. The Unangax̂ people have not only survived the fierce weather of the Bering Sea for over 10,000 years, they have thrived there, building a sophisticated culture interwoven with their unique environment. During and after the war they faced new challenges including imprisonment, relocation, and loss of their ancestral villages.

 

Aleutian Servicemen

Their most deadly enemy was the weather. Trapped at the edge of the world, the pilots of the Aleutian Campaign went out into the treacherous Aleutian skies repeatedly, flying thousands of miles to take the fight to the Japanese. Many flew into fog banks and mountainsides, never to return. Find out more about these brave men, their terrifying ordeals, their earthy humor, and sometimes tragic stories.

 

Written Memoirs

Reflecting on their experiences later in life, some of the Aleutian veterans have written about their time in the military and Alaska. Read these written histories, transcribed in to article format. The writers share not only their military work, but how life was changing during the war, where they were stationed, celebrities they met through the USO, and their combat experiences.