Cultural Landscape of the World War II Battlefield of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. Findings of a Cultural Heritage Survey, Carried out in June 2009

摘要

During World War II, Japanese forces occupied Kiska and other Aleutian Islands off the Alaskan mainland. By taking the islands, the Japanese hoped to prevent a U.S. attack from the Northern Pacific. The U.S., fearing the islands would be used as a base for attacks against the West Coast, began a campaign to retake the Aleutians. The campaign ended with the recapture of Kiska Island. Even though Kiska Battlefield is in a remote location, its threatened by erosion, looting, and decay. In 2009 the National Park Services Alaska Regional Office, in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, was awarded an ABPP Battlefield grant to conduct a cultural landscape survey of the battlefield. The site, which had never been fully surveyed, has hundreds of historic features including the remains of buildings, defensive positions, and roads. The team surveyed the battlefield, collected GPS data and photographs, mapped the site, and prepared a site condition assessment.