Aleutian Islands

This is a rugged isolated and incredibly stunning part of the world, we felt so fortunate to be able to cruise through this area.

I was assigned to Shemya AFB in '89, the second to the last island in the Aluetian chain. I did the polar bear club and lost my eyeglasses to the sea. I had to wear BCGs for an entire year before I could get to the lower 48 and see an eye Dr.

I was stationed at Segula island during WW2 as a young lad. It was a freezing day (as it always was) and it was rainy and windy. My compatriot and I stumbled upon an opening on the side of one of the many volcanoes dotting the islands. We explored the cave more thoroughly and found the entrance to the hollow Earth. Others have called me crazy but this is the truth! It was an otherworldly sight! There were trees and creates I had never seen on Earth. Dinosaurs and other extinct species. The truth must be heard!

My Dad was stationed at Attu during World War II. Not much has been recorded about that. I would love to understand more. I just know the trauma of war and extreme weather conditions caused him nightmares the rest of his life.

I was stationed on Adak. A small island on of the Aleutian chain. I spent 12 months on that island. I was assigned there with Naval Security Group. Nothing on that island but us Sailors. It was, all in all, secluded. On a clear day you could see the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia. It was an island on top of a series of coral pillars. Boy did that island move around during an earthquake. Great salmon fishing.

I also spent a year, almost to the day, on Adak. Windy as all get-out. Playing softball, if you hit a fly ball to left field, more often than not, the catcher would catch the ball...growing up in SW PA, coal miners son, seeing salmon make their way upstream to spawn was a beautiful sight. Also my first experience to tremors almost daily... All in all, the year went by fairly fast... then they shipped my 20 year old butt to Morocco...no more need be said....

My grandfather Ivan Peterson was a medic stationed here in wwii. He never told us kids much about it, but I’m interested anytime to learn more.

When recalled for the Korean war spent 27 months on Adak on the Aleutian chain of islands in Alaska doing communications surveillance of Russian, Chinese and Korean communications in morse code. The US military stopped using morse code at the end of WWII so WWII vets were recalled to intercept the enemy communications. With the Bering sea to the north and the warm Japanese current passing south of the Aleutian chain the weather systems these two apposing areas caused very severe weather events called williwas - high winds - rain, sleet, snow, mixed with frequent changes of precipitation. The USAF had a small detachment of about 130 men assigned to the primarily Navy island populated by about 4000 Navy, 1000 Marines.