Officers Eating Thanksgiving Dinner at Alexai Point Airbase
11/25/1943
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The original caption for this photograph reads: At Alexai Point, Attu, Aleutian Islands, officers of the 28th Bomb Group and the 54th Fighter Group do justice to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner - the first one celebrated by military personnel on former American territory recaptured from the Japanese.
Japanese forces had moved onto the Alaskan territorial island of Attu—an Aleutian Island closer to Japan than to mainland Alaska – on June 7, 1942. This set the stage for the only WWII land battle that would take place on U.S. soil.
When the Japanese invaded, there were less than 50 people on the island. Japanese forces took the Aleut/Unangax̂ people from Attu hostage, sending them to Japan as prisoners of war. By 1943, the population on Attu had swelled to over 2,300 Japanese soldiers settling in to defend the island. On May 11, 1943, the Battle of Attu began.
The island was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting in the Pacific campaign. American forces landed uncontested while the Japanese dug in at higher ground. When the Japanese attacked, 549 American troops were killed, as well as 2,351 Japanese. On May 29, the battle ended with one of the largest banzai charges in the Pacific campaign by the remaining Japanese forces, many detonating grenades against their chests instead of facing surrender. Only 28 Japanese survived and the Americans reclaimed the territory.
Japanese forces had moved onto the Alaskan territorial island of Attu—an Aleutian Island closer to Japan than to mainland Alaska – on June 7, 1942. This set the stage for the only WWII land battle that would take place on U.S. soil.
When the Japanese invaded, there were less than 50 people on the island. Japanese forces took the Aleut/Unangax̂ people from Attu hostage, sending them to Japan as prisoners of war. By 1943, the population on Attu had swelled to over 2,300 Japanese soldiers settling in to defend the island. On May 11, 1943, the Battle of Attu began.
The island was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting in the Pacific campaign. American forces landed uncontested while the Japanese dug in at higher ground. When the Japanese attacked, 549 American troops were killed, as well as 2,351 Japanese. On May 29, the battle ended with one of the largest banzai charges in the Pacific campaign by the remaining Japanese forces, many detonating grenades against their chests instead of facing surrender. Only 28 Japanese survived and the Americans reclaimed the territory.
This primary source comes from the Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations.
National Archives Identifier: 193798600
Full Citation: Photograph 342-FH-3A29705-67292AC; At Alexai Point, Attu, Aleutian Islands, officers of the 28th Bomb Group and the 54th Fighter Group do justice to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.; 11/25/1943; Black and White and Color Photographs of U.S. Air Force and Predecessor Agencies Activities, Facilities and Personnel - World War II and Korean War, ca. 1940 - ca. 1980; Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, Record Group 342; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/alexai-point-thanksgiving, December 11, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.