..May 2007 Aluetian Islands beneath my feet..
..With the Aluetian Islands beneath my feet. I’m leaving North America crossing into Asia. The Aluetian Islands feel like tentacles reaching from the West into the Northern Pacific and the the back door of the Far East.
The plane ride glides across Canada, hits an apex in Alaska, then slowly descends across Attu Island, spiraling past Siberia, and down to the Edge of the World.
Little know, but important front of WW II was fought on these stretch of islands reaching off Alaska. Japanese skipped across this backdoor. Took 2 years to get the small force off the islands. A Zero fighter crashed, found perfectly intact, to be studied…
You don’t think of it, the Aluetians are the last outpost of the US Empire. The furthest beacon away from the homeland. Completely unknown to 99% of the population. From this ocean perch, it’s a direct stare into Siberia and the entrance to Japan. I can see the red lights of Sapporo on the horizon.
Tags: Aluetian Islands, Japan, Sapporo, The Edge of the World