One of the things that makes the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge so unique is that it is the only place in all of the United States on which a land battle was fought during WWII. In fact, it is the only place in the United States where any battle has been fought on refuge land!
Preparing for battle in the Aleutian islands.
The Aleutian Islands Refuge was established in 1913. In 1942, war broke out on these islands as the U.S. military fought off Japanese occupation of Kiska and Attu Islands – about as far west as you can get and still be on U.S. soil. In 1980, most of the Aleutian Island Refuge was designated as wilderness and combined with 11 other coastal Alaskan refuges to make the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the remnants of war remain in impeccable condition. Thanks to the extreme isolation and climate in this region, the military ordnance laid to waste throughout the refuge is said to be one of the best preserved WWII battle sites in the entire world.
This battlefield-refuge interaction has some very complex implications for wilderness character. How do you balance the immediate costs with the long term benefits of removing hazardous wastes that were left behind from the war when you consider the manpower, machinery and potential environmental destruction required to do so? What does the evidence of human history in a place as remote as the Aleutian Islands do for your sense of solitude? Some might argue that a dilapidated Quonset hut and abandoned artillery are cultural resources; that these things provoke thought about the sovereignty of the untamed wild. On the other hand, historical military access routes certainly degrade the opportunity for primitive recreation.
In some ways the battlefield adds a captivating third dimension to maritime Alaskan wilderness. However, it is at the same time a serious headache for wilderness managers.
Military artillery in the wilderness of Kiska Island (Photo Credit: Jeff Williams, 2007)
Kelly Pippins
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Fellow 2012
