Houses line up in rows before the mountain at Adak Army Base and Naval Operating Base. I have a strong interest in the island's WWII history (I have written a play, currently in revision, which takes place on Adak Army Air Base in March 1944---you can learn more at www.windblownanddripping.com, a site in need of an update). Adak, Amchatka, Attu, Shemya and the other airfields were cold, damp, and had very few recreational diversions; or things to do. Forty photos of people and scenes from around the island, hunting, hiking, camping, snowshoeing, skiing and exploring. With the movement of combat operations to Adak, Fort Glenn and also Fort Randall AAF at Cold Bay became support and staging airfields supporting the front line. The set of bases was declared a National Historic … At one time Adak was the 6th largest city in Alaska. Adak became the ACS Headquarters and the largest Army and Navy base in the Aleutians. On May 11th, 1943, American soldiers landed on Attu Island and successfully defeated the Japanese Army garrison. Instead of coming in at high altitudes, the attack was a low-level sweep over the water that caught the Japanese defenses off-guard. [3], The establishment of Adak Army Airfield (Code Name A-2, also "Longview") on 30 August 1942 gave the United States Army Air Forces a forward base to attack the Japanese forces on Kiska Island. Adak Island sits midway between the United States and Russia, where the Bering Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. [9][10], Of some note was the detection of highly classified U.S. submarine operations off the Soviet submarine base at Petropavlovsk despite a belief among some submariners the system could not pick up U.S. submarines. Its remote locality proved to be ideal for the United States military during both World War II and the Cold War, causing the area to grow rapidly in a very short amount of time. Previously, only the long-range P-38s had been able to reach Kiska from Fort Glenn AAF, and only with great difficulty. Ordnance The Navy has aggressively investigated and addressed ordnance issues on Adak. Maurer, Maurer (1983). Our prime location and strategic assets, transferred as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process, make Adak a strong area for future growth and economic activity in relation to the Arctic. Adak used to house the Adak Army Base and Adak Naval Operating Base from 1942 to 1997. This former World War II military base was used to fight the Japanese in the Aleutian battles at Kiska, Attu, and Dutch Harbor, and was converted to a U.S. naval base after the war. With passage of Public Laws 100-256 and 101-510 in 1988 and 1990, the Secretary of Defense created the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) to provide a fair process that would result in timely closure and realignment of military installations. I have a strong interest in the island's WWII history (I have written a play, currently in revision, which takes place on Adak Army Air Base in March 1944---you can learn more at www.windblownanddripping.com, a site in need of an update). The array at Adak twice caused significant awareness SOSUS could. Now, the base and housing facilities are largely abandoned. Adak’s air base was a key player in the campaign that occurred in the island chain. All of Adak Island is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. I live in Anchorage and have visited Adak three times, including twice this year. The southern half of Adak Island is also a federal wilderness area. Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda CA. At the height of the War more than 100,000 American and Canadian soldiers were stationed in Alaska. 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