Hello Friends,
Today I want to show you Attu Island in Alaska known as the most western point in America and join this week's drone contest.
Engineer Hill
This was by far my best shot. If you look at the mountain with the cloud cover, you can see it's significantly taller and has much more snow. We were on a high mountain ourselves, but it pales in comparison to the neighbouring ones.
In the morning you have lots of fog and you can't see anything.
But if you wait a few hours, you are greeted with these pristine views.
Peace monument (between Japan and America) planted here in 1978 made out of titanium making it look new.
Attu Island, once inhabited by the Aleut people, experienced major changes from the 18th century onwards. The island’s Aleut community lived traditionally until the Japanese invasion in 1942 during World War II when the residents were relocated to Japan. In 1943, U.S. forces recaptured Attu in a fierce battle, establishing a military base. After the war, the base was abandoned, and the island’s population did not return. Today, Attu remains uninhabited, part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, known for its wartime history and unique birding opportunities. We saw all this with our own eyes and you never fathom how bad this war was until you see it from above the picture below illustrates this well.
All the holes you see are the trenches that both Japanese and U.S. forces held. Over 2,500 Japanese soldiers and 500 American men died here. It feels like the war happened yesterday; ammunition lies around everywhere, abandoned with everything left inside. It's truly shocking what occurred on this island, and I'm glad I could share it with you all.
Since 2017, this station, which once housed approximately 20 personnel, has been abandoned. It is truly a lonely place. Attu Island looks beautiful now with the sun shining, and the living conditions are tolerable, but I can't even imagine the winter here. Snow poles up to 2 metres along the roads give an idea of how severe the conditions can get. This makes it difficult for any living thing, including humans, to survive on the island.
Two 5-mile airstrips are unavoidable on the island. They seem unused for a long time, with moss covering the concrete.
During the summer months, Attu Island comes alive, with birds nesting in the thick grass and snowmelt creating numerous rivers flowing down the mountains. The picture captures just one of these many rivers. Despite its summer vibrancy, the island lacks trees due to its harsh conditions, nutrient-poor soil, and limited sunlight.
Engineer Hill
We tried to make the most of every single sunny day. In fact, we stayed an extra day because when we woke up, it was such a beautiful day. There was no fog, and everything was clear, making it a perfect day to fly the drone and capture some amazing shots.
I hope you enjoyed this little blog. If you want to see similar content, feel free to check out my profile.
This weekly drone contest is going on, if you want to join feel free to join the Drone community.
Paul