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> Birthplace of wind... 8-4-05, Dutch Harbor, AK & Unalaska,AK
Ute_Kaden
post Aug 4 2005, 11:24 PM
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8-4-05
Dutch Harbor & Unalaska
Birthplace of wind…Cradle of Storms


We were told that it is a good idea to fly early to Dutch Harbor. The weather is rainy and foggy over 200 days a year in Unalaska and airplanes may not be able to land. I was lucky-no delays. This gave me time to explore Unalaska & Dutch Harbor.
Geography
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City of Unalaska, AK

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Beautiful Nature

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Green coastlines

For centuries, the Aleutians have been a magnet for fishermen, historians and adventurers. Like precarious stepping stones, the Aleutian Islands span the seas from the Alaska Peninsula to within 500 miles of the Asian Peninsula of Kamchatka. This 1100 mile long archipelago continues to be the locus of climatic and tectonic events, situated between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean, along the seam of the Pacific and American geologic plates. Shifting geologic plates result in active volcanism and earthquakes-the birth process of the islands themselves. Conflicting weather systems are responsible for severe cyclonic storms, heavy rain and dense, impenetrable fog. The Aleutian Islands are among the world’s richest fishing grounds. Natives still fish along the shore line.
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Fishing is hard work
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Fish cleaning
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Clearly a female Salmon

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Great Catch!

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Pink Salmons-Humpies
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Bald Eagles watch...

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...and get the leftovers

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Friends are fishing
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Fishing is a family business since generations

“The sea was full of fish, the beaches were full of sea lions, the hot lava and the air was full of birds. Thus life and deadly volcanism lived together.”
Thomas Jagger, 1906

Unalaska is best known as the location for Dutch Harbor, the No.1 fishing port in the nation. The City of Unalaska and Dutch Harbor are connected by a bridge. In other words the Healy is at the city dock of Dutch Harbor on the Amaknak Island. Connected by a small bridge the city of Unalaska is on the Unalaska Island. Driving time to the city 10 minutes on a dirty road.

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Maintaining Main Street by spraying water on it

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Maintaining main street part 2


History

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World war II bunker as a reminder of history

By 9000 years ago, the ancestors of today’s Aleuts, or Unangan people, settled along the shores of this deep natural harbor. The seagoing people developed an elaborate artistic, spiritual and material culture interwoven with the sea. From their skin boats, Aleut hunters harvested whales, sea lion, sea otter and seal. Women fished for spawning salmon and scoured the rich intertidal zone for shell fish seaweed and driftwood. The sophisticated technology the Aleut developed to harvest the ocean was unparalleled. Russian explorers in 1759 were the first to report on the existence of Unalaska and it became the first permanent Russian settlement in Russian America. In 1867, the US government purchased the Territory of Alaska.

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Russian Orthodox Cathedral Holy Ascension

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Built in 1896

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Unalaska Grave yard

“The forgotten war” or “The other Harbor bombed by the Japanese” during World War II

The Aleutians Islands played a strategic role in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Six months after Pearl Harbor on June 3 and June 4, 1942, the Dutch Harbor Naval Base was attacked by Japanese bombers and fighter planes. A few days later, the islands of Kiska and Attu were attacked by Japanese forces and occupied. Native Aleuts were forced to relocation camps in South East Alaska. Only half of them would return, with many lost to death from disease and poor living conditions.
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Bunker World War II

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Memorial for the forgotten war

Battle of Attu 1943

The war in the pacific was costly and brutal, like all wars. On May 11, 1943, 12500 U.S. soldiers landed on Attu and began pressing toward Japanese strongholds. In the end, after fierce fighting 549 American numbered dead with at least twice the number wounded. From the approximately 2300 Japanese troops that were not killed by the Americans most took their own lives. In the end, less than 30 Japanese soldiers were alive, many ashamed that they had dishonored themselves by surrender.
Final diary entry of the Japanese soldier, Paul Nobu Tatsoguchi, before his death:

“Only 33 years of living and I am to die here. I have no regrets. Banzi to the Emperor. I am grateful that I could have kept peace of my soul…Goodbye, Taeko, my beloved wife, Midaka who just became four years old will grow up unhindered. I feel sorry for you Matsuko, born February of this tear and never will see your father. Well, be good… goodbye.”

I wrote down this story as a reminder that wars are costly for everybody involved.


Dutch Harbor & Unalaska Today

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Healy the small red dot

Today Unalaska’s protected deep harbor, ice free port and location near some of the best fishing grounds in the world make it a center of Bering Sea industry. It is the biggest fishing port of the US. The docks are always busy. Today the population of Unalaska is about 4200 residents, with several thousand transient fishermen and fish processing workers.
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School Unalaska, AK very well supported

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Unalaska main street



We all are quite happy that our Healy cruise starts here in Unalaska, AK. I hope it was interesting for you as well. Check out the two vido clips in the attachment.

Best regards,
Ute
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Steve_Marshall
post Aug 5 2005, 03:39 AM
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Awesome pictures and stories, Ute! I get a little jealous at all the extra time you have had to explore different parts of Alaska, but your pictures and descriptions are the next best thing to being there in person, so thanks for sharing them.

Steve
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Janet_Warburton
post Aug 5 2005, 06:46 PM
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Wonderful journal entry Ute! You captured the essence of the area very nicely. I've always loved that part of Alaska - it's so dramatic!

Thanks for sharing!
Janet
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Robert_Oddo
post Aug 7 2005, 04:13 AM
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Sounds like an interesting place. Enjoy the adventure!!!
Bob
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