Comments on: Battle of the Aleutian Islands: Recapturing Attu http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:15:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Gerald Swick http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-787762 Gerald Swick Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:44 +0000 #comment-787762 Jim, you can find some images from Attu online that are part of the University of Alaska's archive. It's unlikely you'll find family members in them, but you may want to look at them anyway. There's also a more recent article about the fighting on Attu in the current (March/April 2012) issue of World War II magazine. It is available at many magazine retailers. The University of Alaska's digital images can be found by going to this link and doing a search; try multiple searches (Attu, World War II, etc). http://vilda.alaska.edu/ Jim, you can find some images from Attu online that are part of the University of Alaska's archive. It's unlikely you'll find family members in them, but you may want to look at them anyway.

There's also a more recent article about the fighting on Attu in the current (March/April 2012) issue of World War II magazine. It is available at many magazine retailers.

The University of Alaska's digital images can be found by going to this link and doing a search; try multiple searches (Attu, World War II, etc). http://vilda.alaska.edu/

]]> By: Jim Hules http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-787754 Jim Hules Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:41:58 +0000 #comment-787754 I am 70. I have just started ancestery web and found my mothers 2 brothers were in the army. I asked mom who is now 102 about this and she said they were Alaska. She thinks. Neither brother ever spoke of being in the Army. William Koenig and Joseph Koenig. Is there a way to find out if they were in the battles mentioned above. I would really like to see if there are pictures of them in the Aleutions, or anywhere. I apologize for my lack of knowledge, but I am very interested in this. Thanks I am 70. I have just started ancestery web and found my mothers 2 brothers were in the army. I asked mom who is now 102 about this and she said they were Alaska. She thinks. Neither brother ever spoke of being in the Army. William Koenig and Joseph Koenig. Is there a way to find out if they were in the battles mentioned above. I would really like to see if there are pictures of them in the Aleutions, or anywhere. I apologize for my lack of knowledge, but I am very interested in this. Thanks

]]> By: Bill Scott http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-787281 Bill Scott Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:06:11 +0000 #comment-787281 Mr. Jonas, Thank you for taking the time to mention this. Many thoughts and appreciation for an American Memorial. I think of my grandfather often and wish I could have known him. One day I hope too ... In a hope of heaven and he and I meeting. Bill Mr. Jonas,
Thank you for taking the time to mention this.
Many thoughts and appreciation for an American Memorial.
I think of my grandfather often and wish I could have known him. One day I hope too … In a hope of heaven and he and I meeting.
Bill

]]> By: ray archer http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-787203 ray archer Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:21:30 +0000 #comment-787203 i was looking for information on the 48th field artillery that was attached to the 7th infentry div on attu there is no mention of the artillery unit ,my father was in the 48th field artillery i would like to know if there is any photos or anything on them. his name was howard archer,.thank you ray archer i was looking for information on the 48th field artillery that was attached to the 7th infentry div on attu there is no mention of the artillery unit ,my father was in the 48th field artillery i would like to know if there is any photos or anything on them. his name was howard archer,.thank you ray archer

]]> By: Gary Lee http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-786434 Gary Lee Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:03:29 +0000 #comment-786434 Star- I have been looking at some things to see if I can find your father's name. My dad told me that after the Battle of Attu the chain was declared secure and most of the units up there were shipped back to the states for reassignment. The Battle of Attu was mostly fought with the 7th Infantry Division, some units from Canada, Russia, and Britain. A lot of the guys in the 7th were picked up by the 3rd Army under Patton. They ended up in the Battle of the Bulge. Of the 3rd, 10.000 went in, 300 came out. Very, very bloody. I will keep looking and if I find something I will let you know. One quick question: Did your dad ever mention which unit he was in or when exactly it was he got in-country? Let me know. All the best.-GL Star-
I have been looking at some things to see if I can find your father's name.
My dad told me that after the Battle of Attu the chain was declared secure and most of the units up there were shipped back to the states for reassignment. The Battle of Attu was mostly fought with the 7th Infantry Division, some units from Canada, Russia, and Britain.
A lot of the guys in the 7th were picked up by the 3rd Army under Patton. They ended up in the Battle of the Bulge. Of the 3rd, 10.000 went in, 300 came out. Very, very bloody.
I will keep looking and if I find something I will let you know.
One quick question: Did your dad ever mention which unit he was in or when exactly it was he got in-country?
Let me know.
All the best.-GL

]]> By: Star Theodore http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-786301 Star Theodore Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:55:45 +0000 #comment-786301 Could my fathers name possibly be in that book? Kenneth W. Heim. He would have signed up out of Minnesota, also. He passed in 1970. Could my fathers name possibly be in that book? Kenneth W. Heim. He would have signed up out of Minnesota, also. He passed in 1970.

]]> By: Star Theodore http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-786300 Star Theodore Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:42:37 +0000 #comment-786300 I am writing to find out if there is a good list of those that served in Alaska during WW11. My father, Kenneth Heim served, but his records were destroyed in a fire. I have no other records from his service. He was in Alaska during the first part of the war, and then later in Germany. He was killed at work, in an accident, on the North Slope of Alaska, in 1970, bringing oil to Alaska. He is truly a hero, 2 times over. Our family wants to know more about his service, but the government says the records were destroyed in the fire. Is there any other records? I am writing to find out if there is a good list of those that served in Alaska during WW11. My father, Kenneth Heim served, but his records were destroyed in a fire. I have no other records from his service. He was in Alaska during the first part of the war, and then later in Germany. He was killed at work, in an accident, on the North Slope of Alaska, in 1970, bringing oil to Alaska. He is truly a hero, 2 times over. Our family wants to know more about his service, but the government says the records were destroyed in the fire. Is there any other records?

]]> By: Myrl Thompson http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-785917 Myrl Thompson Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:32:41 +0000 #comment-785917 Jack Thank you for keeping this going. I just found this site in my research as I work to interview, record, and then write the stories of veterans in our area here in Big Rapids, Michigan. I often have to do research in order to piece together the memories of the veterans of various wars. . I am currently working with my 5th vet....as a volunteer who writes their stories up as articles for our local newspaper, the Pioneer. The current Vet is a wonderful, 83 year old WWII Vet named Milt Rackham....who survived 4 years of service on PT Boat 81....first in the Aleutians and then in the Pacific. I have really gotten caught up in all of this...as the only way I can think of to express my appreciation to these guys for what they did. Milt is stll active in his at-home upholstery business. As a sample of what we come up with, our discussion of his current situation ended up being written as.... "Some of my WWII scars have healed, while others still set off airport metal detectors when I travel....or wake in the quiet of the night". And the Stories unford from there.... Milt's goal is to resolve the night time dreams that still wake him in the nite. He is one of only three survivors of his 12 boat Squadron out of a total of close to 300 original and replacement PT crewman during his 4 year PT Boat Career. These stories have turned out to be an emotional experience for both Milt and myself....for him as he tells them....and for me both as he tells them and as I work to sort through the recordings and notes to type the stories for his review and approval. I can hardly imagine what they went through and what they sacrificed to save this country......and then live in a time when there are those that would throw it all away in the name of political idiocy. I would appreciate any pictures that may be available from the War Time Aleutians....or from South Pacific. Is there any info on other PT Boat Vets in the Aleutians.? It looks like Milt may end up with 20 articles of 1200 or more words and I would like to surprise him with some pictures. He recalls that the weather (the Willowaws) were so bad that his PT Boat Squadron was able to be a part of only one battle (the Battle of Attu) during his time in the Aleutians...where his sqaudron was used to attract enemy fire from shore so that The Minnesota and one other ship could use the enemy fire flashes as targets to "soften" up the beachhead area. He, like many of your other responders, remembers the agony of poorly dressed, poorly equiped U.S. troops....some of whom were found frozen in front of. dead campfires where they had tried to burn the butts of their rifles in an unsuccessful effort to survive the cold nite. He also speaks of ropes tied between a quonset barracks and the mess hall and the latrines....to keep from getting lost in willowaw winds of hurricane force with first blowing snow, then ice, and then dirt that reduced visibility to the length of your arm......and of the one crewman who refused to use the ropes and was found two days later....frozen within just yards of the barracks. My Email is ...... midmichigan.grassroots@yahoo.com Thanks again, Jack, for your service....and for this site. Myrl Thompson Jack

Thank you for keeping this going. I just found this site in my research as I work to interview, record, and then write the stories of veterans in our area here in Big Rapids, Michigan. I often have to do research in order to piece together the memories of the veterans
of various wars. .

I am currently working with my 5th vet….as a volunteer who writes their stories up as articles for our local newspaper, the Pioneer. The current Vet is a wonderful, 83 year old WWII Vet named Milt Rackham….who survived 4 years of service on PT Boat 81….first in the Aleutians and then in the Pacific.

I have really gotten caught up in all of this…as the only way I can think of to express my appreciation to these guys for what they did. Milt is stll active in his at-home upholstery business. As a sample of what we come up with, our discussion of his current situation ended up being written as….

"Some of my WWII scars have healed, while others still
set off airport metal detectors when I travel….or wake in the
quiet of the night".

And the Stories unford from there….

Milt's goal is to resolve the night time dreams that still
wake him in the nite. He is one of only three survivors of his 12 boat Squadron out of a total of close to 300 original and replacement
PT crewman during his 4 year PT Boat Career.

These stories have turned out to be an emotional experience for
both Milt and myself….for him as he tells them….and for me both as
he tells them and as I work to sort through the recordings and notes
to type the stories for his review and approval. I can hardly imagine
what they went through and what they sacrificed to save this
country……and then live in a time when there are those that would
throw it all away in the name of political idiocy.

I would appreciate any pictures that may be available from
the War Time Aleutians….or from South Pacific.

Is there any info on other PT Boat Vets in the Aleutians.? It
looks like Milt may end up with 20 articles of 1200 or more
words and I would like to surprise him with some pictures.

He recalls that the weather (the Willowaws) were so bad that
his PT Boat Squadron was able to be a part of only one battle
(the Battle of Attu) during his time in the Aleutians…where his
sqaudron was used to attract enemy fire from shore so that
The Minnesota and one other ship could use the enemy fire
flashes as targets to "soften" up the beachhead area.

He, like many of your other responders, remembers the agony
of poorly dressed, poorly equiped U.S. troops….some of whom
were found frozen in front of. dead campfires where they had
tried to burn the butts of their rifles in an unsuccessful effort to
survive the cold nite. He also speaks of ropes tied between
a quonset barracks and the mess hall and the latrines….to keep
from getting lost in willowaw winds of hurricane force with first
blowing snow, then ice, and then dirt that reduced visibility to
the length of your arm……and of the one crewman who refused
to use the ropes and was found two days later….frozen within
just yards of the barracks.

My Email is ……

midmichigan.grassroots@yahoo.com

Thanks again, Jack, for your service….and for this site.

Myrl Thompson

]]> By: Gary Lee http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-784922 Gary Lee Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:59:06 +0000 #comment-784922 Richard- Go to this page and there is a list of all the KIA on Attu. http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/Attu/html/attu-kia.htm Hope you find what you are looking for. There were for sure Marines at Dutch Harbor on June 3. Sounds like they were there as a detachment of the Marine Defense Force 4 officers, 126 enlisted. Richard-
Go to this page and there is a list of all the KIA on Attu.

http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/Attu/html/attu-kia.htm

Hope you find what you are looking for.

There were for sure Marines at Dutch Harbor on June 3.
Sounds like they were there as a detachment of the Marine Defense Force
4 officers, 126 enlisted.

]]> By: Jack Jonas http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands-recapturing-attu.htm#comment-784790 Jack Jonas Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:35:21 +0000 #comment-784790 WE ALL WANT TO WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MANY MORE TO COME! You sir represent America's "Finest Generation" and we hold dear in our hearts for all that you sacrificed during WWII. WE ALL WANT TO WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MANY MORE TO COME!

You sir represent America's "Finest Generation" and we hold dear in our hearts for all that you sacrificed during WWII.

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