What Happened After 550 Japanese Troops Invaded Alaska—and Found Only 10 Americans
In June 1942, 550 Japanese naval troops landed on Kiska Island, Alaska, and found only ten Americans—a small Navy weather detail. What followed became the only World War II land campaign fought on American soil.
This documentary reconstructs the Aleutian campaign from Dutch Harbor and the occupation of Kiska and Attu to the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, the brutal fight for Engineer Hill, and the Allied landing on an island Japan had already abandoned. It follows William House’s 50 days in hiding, Castner’s Cutthroats building an impossible airfield, outgunned American warships, and engineers forced to stop Japan’s final charge.
Through archival records and firsthand accounts, discover why Japan invaded islands its own Army had not wanted, how Alaska’s weather became deadlier than enemy fire, and why this campaign shaped later battles across the Pacific.
This video uses archival materials and original terminology from the World War II era for historical research and educational purposes only. It is not intended to offend, glorify, or target any individual, group, nation, or organization.
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