Attu Island

"Attu,the westernmost island of The Aleutian Islands.In fact,it is so far west,It's closer to Tokyo than to Anchorage.There are no hotels,no restaurants,no permanent residents and no toilets,not the flushing kind anyway.But for birders,Attu is paradise!If you plan to win the Big Year,you can't do it without going to Attu in May" -Fabia Higashiyama-Sheen 

Attu is an island located in the The Aleutian Islands of Alaska and the home to one of the most awful battles of World War ll.It is so far out west,it is closer to Tokyo than to Anchorage,Alaska.It is exactly 847 miles west of Dutch Harbor,Alaska,2,785 miles west of Seattle,Washington,2,695 miles west of Vancouver,British Columbia,2,475 miles west of Russia,1,486 miles west of Anchorage,Alaska and 1,997 miles southwest of Tokyo,Japan.As it is buffeted by the Kuroshio Current (warm) and the Alaska Current (cold),it suffers from some of the worst weather in the world.People call it names like the Cradle of Storms and The Birthplace of Winds.Here it rains or snows 250 days a year.The island is 17 miles long and 42 miles wide.Fabia's American and Japanese grandfathers fought in the Battle of Attu

The Battle of Attu May 1943
It has been since the War of 1812 that an enemy has held American territory.At the time,42 natives and a schoolteacher couple lived on the island.Japan hoped to gained a psychological foothold on U.S. soil and divert American attention,both plans have failed,The American generals were so underwhelmed by losing Attu and Kiska Islands,they let Japan keep both islands for the rest of 1942.Fabia's Japanese grandfather,Takehiko Higashiyama was one of the 2.500 Japanese Imperial Marines holed up in the fog of the mountains discovered by 12,500 U.S. Marines who arrived in Attu in May 1943.Takehiko,however wanted nothing to do with the war,He was in it for the birds and he recorded over 150 species across the island,But he,like his comrades,suffered from frostbite and respiratory sickness and a winter on Attu and after 18 days of air and ground bombardment,The Japanese were abandoned by the air force,which explains why they were left there.On the night of May 29,the Japanese decided to end it all.Armed only with bayonets and knives,the soldiers hurdled from the mountains and yelled "Banzai!!" at the top of their lungs and bludgeoned the American soldiers to death in hand-to-hand combat.Fabia's American grandfather,Corporal Austin Sheen was among those who were injured in the banzai attack.When capture seemed imminent,The Japanese pulled the pin from their hand grenade,pressed it to their chest and blew themselves up.In the end,549 Americans were killed,1100 were wounded and 1200 suffered exposure injuries from the blistering cold of Attu.Only 29 Japanese were captured,among them was Takehiko Higashiyama.Austin Sheen met him for the first time and found his journal that Takehiko kept during his time.He taught Austin all about the birds that lived on the island and they went birding together.They immediately became great friends.But the Japanese side suffered 1400 casualties.Attu became the first U.S. experience with Japanese suicide attacks and it was the first ground battle fought on American soil in World War ll.The Pacific War changed forever.

Locations on Attu

 * Th-1458111167.jpgcre Valley


 * Terrible Mountain
 * Massacre Bay
 * Alexei Point
 * Navy Town
 * Murder PointTh-1458111286.jpg
 * Krasni Point
 * Casco Cove
 * Fishhook Ridge
 * Etienne Bay
 * Abraham Bay
 * Stellar Cove
 * Auburn Cove
 * Temnac Bay
 * Chichagof Harbor
 * Sarang Bay
 * Point Hope
 * MvidskovTh-1458111502.jpg
 * Holtz Bay