My great uncle was one of the Canadians who died during this campaign. Killed by a Japanese land mine. Thank you Mark for highlighting this rarely talked about military operation.

My dad fought in the Aleutian Islands. William Anderton, RM1C, USS Detroit. He’s 99 now living in Lenexa Kansas.

I knew a guy who fought there with the Navy. The weather was cold, foggy, and icy, the windchill was deadly, even the sea states were brutal. Ice formed on the ships and constantly had to be chipped off, and very few American ships were committed. The battle of Kormandosky was horrible. He felt unappreciated because no one remembered this campaign. Thanks for reminding us of these events.

No conspiracy theories, just forgotten facts. Love the channel

My great uncle was killed in the Battle of Attu. He was a Japanese military doctor. I attended a memorial service held at Yasukuni Shrine with the grandchildren of Colonel Yamazaki and the bereaved families in May. I hope that one day all the remains left on Attu Island will be returned to their homeland. But the Japanese government is reluctant to collect the remains of the war dead, so I honestly don't know how individuals can collect the remains of Attu Island, a U.S territory... There is no doubt that cooperation between the understanding American people and the American government is essential. May the friendship between Japan and the United States last forever.

Settling in tucked into bed under a warm quilt ready to enjoy this chilly tale of arctic warfare 🥶

My father is 92 and I was just showing him a youtube video of the sinking of Bismarck. He told me how he heard about the sinking on his grandfather's crystal radio. Then he wanted to know if there were any videos about the fighting in the Aleutians, which he had heard just a little bit about. And in ticks this great video from Mark Felton! He was elated.

Who else just clicks like while the opening music is still playing?

Thank you so much. My dad, SSGT Edward Gresham USAAC was on Adak. Not much is said about the North Pacific in documentary’s. He enlisted on Dec 8,1941. He was 17 turned 18 in January. He told me about the freezing cold and the horrible wind. He passed four years ago next month, my daddy is my hero.

My Grandfather served in this battle. Unfortunately, the women in my family hated him and disregarded his service. Thus, this part of our family's history was lost. Thank you for posting this video!

My Grandfather spent part of the war building airstrips on the Alutian islands. I am sure he would be pleased that his contribution to the war had not been forgotten.

My father-in-law served in Adak during WW2 as a signalman. He survived WW2, missed his homeward bound ship, which sank. Consequently, his mother got a telegram of his death. He boarded another ship, made it safely home. At 3 AM he knocked on his mother's door - at first his mom thought she was seeing a ghost! It was a very happy reunion.

My uncle Joe Hoffart was in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Rangers and was on Kiska. It was very windy and the Japanese left a lot of booby-traps. One of his lieutenants picked up a telephone in a cave that had been a strong point and it blew up, plastering him all over the ceiling. They were glad to leave that horrible island! He next went to Europe to fight the Germans and was there until 1946.

The friendly fire incident was caused by an optical aleutian.

Actor Charlton Heston, famous for his movies like the 1970 Midway, Ben-Hur, and playing Moses in the Ten Commandments. Was a radio operator on a B-25 with the 11th AF during this campaign

‘I was invalided out of the Pacific war’ -malaria? Heatstroke? No-frostbite

My pops spent a good part of the war in the Seabees building landing strips in the Aleutians. Being from Mississippi, he was duly impressed with the constant COLD.

Nothing like spending my Friday watching a high quality Felton video

It’s 1 am where I am, i’m drunk, i’m tired but I need to get my fix of Mark Felton

I know this campaign really was overshadowed by battle of midway and considered as a "background battle" but one can die just as easily. Pretty brutal conditions too.

Thank you Dr. Felton for an episode on the war in the Aleutians. My father’s Catalina went down during the Battle of Dutch Harbor, the opening salvo of the Battle of Midway. With his 30 days of Survivor’s Leave, he went home to Chicago to marry my Mom. Again, thank you.

Things do have an unfortunate way of sometimes going horribly wrong when Canadian and American forces attempt to work together in wars. On Sept. 4, 2006 two American A-10 Thunderbolts mistakenly fired on Canadian troops operating in Afghanistan killing four and injuring thirty.

My grandfather fought there. A native Alaskan. He said the majority of the men came from down south. The clothing and equipment made most men succumb to that climate. You were more likely to face frozen feet than enemy. He made a sling once, from a dead soldier's boot tongue as they tried to advance. Cut it off with the laces. He grew up making hunting contraptions for necessity similar to the "David vs goliath" in rural Alaska. As men went to man a gun beneath a hill and all died trying. He made that one thing he knew the best he could. Slung it the best he could, and to his disbelief...it worked. They advanced and took that hill. He never told his kids about these events. He did tell my father who was his son in law. Who only told me after he passed away. He died on June 15 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska. Grandpa was born Sept. 26, 1919, in Marshall. He served in the U.S. Army's 317th Infantry Division during World War II in the Aleutians campaign. He was honorably discharged in 1947. He retired from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Alaska Railroad, on Sept. 23, 1977, after 31 years. Fred was married to Mary Goode Pete for 53 years until her death on May 6, 2006. They enjoyed the outdoors, going on family vacations, hunting, trapping, camping and picking berries. He also was a great carpenter. They lived in North Pole from 1952 until 1977, when they moved to Selawik. These men fought a good fight. Let us never forget their bravery and commitment to push through....regardless of the hellish cold and relentless enemy they faced.

Thanks. My Dad was at Attu and Kiska. He just missed being in the location of the last charge on Attu. Some of his friends survived by playing dead. The Japanese over ran hospital tents. Many Japanese were so exhausted and tired of the cold they killed themselves with Grenades . He was in a number of amphibious assaults in the Pacific. He said that the Assault on Kiska scared him the most as the landing sites were so open and rocky. He was glad the Japanese were gone. It's and interesting Campaign that should get more attention.

I spent many a dreary port call on many of those islands while in the service. However, I was fond of exploring the old fortifications, enjoying a beer and taking in the commanding views. Breathtaking during the summer. Another great video Mark. 👍

I'm a simple man, i see Dr. Felton and i click.

A (late) friend of mine served with the US Army in the Aleutians as a teenager. He didn't see combat, but remembers being freaked out by the northern lights. Nobody in command could explain what they were all seeing.

I live in Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula and I have to say it's great to hear you cover this Mark. It's a subject that isn't talked about in school or anywhere really. Thanks for covering this often forgotten part of the war.

I remember that campaign. It's when the Americans reconquered Anchorage from the Red Chinese in 2077.

My Grandpa's brother was a part of this. The jeep he was in flipped and he broke his back. My grandpa also served in the Pacific under MacArthur

Fantastic video as always Mark Felton! The Aleutian campaign is one of my personal favorite overlooked stories of WWII. A friend of my parents when they lived in Alaska was Charles “Muktuk” Marston who helped form Alaska’s Home Guard largely made up of Inuit soldiers in response Mio the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians. Later on he helped draft Alaska’s state constitution and to help secure civil rights for Native Alaskans. Also the Aleutians were the first campaign fought by my state, Colorado’s most celebrated unit, the 10th Mountain Division(at the time known as the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment).

I knew a fellow from my Regiment, the PPCLI, who was in the Aleutian Islands during the War. All he told me was, it was bloody cold. I live on Vancouver Island recognize names like Kiska.

My granddad Charlie Farmer was in this, wounded twice on Attu Island. RIP you old fart, we miss you

My grandfather was a USN Seabee that fought & built airstrips on Attu in 1943. I have his photo album which is full of great photographs from his time there, including a few captured Japanese photos.

My father ran a warehouse when I was a kid. He had a retired man who worked for him part time - his wife also worked for my dad and he wanted to keep busy. When I was a teenager we had a blizzard that shut down the roads. So the man and his wife stayed the night with us. He served in the Aleutian campaign. If anything this video understates the horrible conditions. Thank you for reminding people of these forgotten battles.

My Great Uncle served there. He said the ships were covered with ice and guys would slide off. He was a Tech Sgt and shared a tent with another Sergeant. He said the other Sergeant would make his men get out in the cold to drill. One day, one of the guys walked into their tent and shot the guy and walked back out. Nothing became of it.

I had a neighbor years ago who was stationed there. He told me all the miss fits were sent there. The winter gear was non existent and they were very unprepared. There were more casualties from frost bite than anything else.

I was just about to sleep. Damn you, Mark Felton!

If I remember right the Canadians on Kiska wore a combination of Canadian and American gear in hopes of avoiding friendly fire incidents, obviously, it didn't work.

The father of one of my boyhood friends, a neighbor just across the street, the was caught up in this. He was with a mechanized artillery outfit. Cold, foggy gray and dismal was how he put it. Many fellow veterans refused to believe that the US had fought in Alaska. ( The news witheld from the Public during the war.) One of his hobbies was to start fights at the many bars in town. The other to drive stock cars. Interesting guy, he always let us keep some of the change from cashing in the beer bottles for the bottle deposit, this back when the glass beer bottles were washed, sanitized and refilled.

That's soldiers were heroes ,alone of Fighting the could . I no imagine the soffering, here in Brazil climate tropical . Thanks Mr. Felton , great job .

Wow! I knew the Japanese invaded some islands in the Aleutian Islands, but i didn't know it was that important. This channel never ceases to amaze

My grandfather was a combat engineer during his time in service. He fucked up his leg falling in a snowed in hole while carrying a ammo crate (crate, not can) I had known lots of other campaigns and when i seen Mr. Felton upload something about it, i watch to get as close as i can to hearing his stories. Long story cut short, he brought home an officers sword and dog tags. That sword is beyond razor sharp. He passed June 6th, 2002. Few months after i was born and would only talk war stories to few, including my grandfather while fishing. Unfortunately, all stories are mostly forgotten.

Amazing to me that no one knew that the Japanese were not even there. Sir Mark as usual you never disappoint. 🇺🇸🇬🇧

The Americans lost twice as many men to disease then they did actual fighting on attu, with around 549 dying in combat and 1,814 from illness. Such a grim and sadly forgotten battle

Yet another little known, fascinating episode of WW2 revealed by the good doctor!

The evacuation of Kiska's Japanese personnel from under the nose of the USN is worth a video of its own. Quite an incredible story.

My father in law was a combat medic in the field hospital that got overrun. Only three men survived . He was one of them. it took me years to get him to tell me about it. He was also one of the few service men that served in all 4 theaters of war

The power of American and Canadian shelling of Kiska, drove the Japanese off the Island or the Japanese realised there was no strategic advantage for them to hold it and better to deploy their forces elsewhere. And perhaps the 'Friendly Fire' incident on Kiska, although tragic, was a good lesson on communications and identification that served to save lives in later battles. One would hope so.

Hey Mark, just wanna let you know how much we appreciate the work and effort that goes into these vids. Thank you for telling history and keeping it alive

Fact:Ha-Go tank is the only Axis Tank that land on American soil

I live in Alaska, so this comes close to home for me.

I don't know why but I still find myself amazed at the footage you are able to locate and present to us. How you keep doing it at the frequency you achieve is beyond my comprehension but please don't stop. I have become accustomed now to sitting on my lounge with my mouth open. Thank you just does not seem adequate.

My grandfather was in the navy and stationed at Dutch Harbor. He never spoke a word about it.

I worked on many of the Aleutian islands as a Field Geologist. You have never seen such stark beauty nor rugged landscape anywhere else in the world. I can't even imagine conducting a war effort out there - let alone in the winter where Incredible horizontal rain and snow prevail... Incredible...

A friend of my grandfather's fought in this campaign. As a child I remember asking him questions about what it was like. He said he was cold, clung against steep rocks, never saw the enemy, and one in his group got shot in the hand.

Video suggestion: The land battle on Greenland between secret German radio stations and the Greenland Dog Sleigh Patrol, guest starring Bernt Balchen with four US bombers.

10:16 mark Yes US and Canadian forces. This was the first deployment of the Devil's Brigade.

My 10th grade history teacher served with the US army at Dutch Harbor. It was he said, so boring many thought they were being punished for some unknown reason. Helping to man an Bofors gun felt like the most useless thing possible. Living conditions were primitive, the Quonset huts were cold, they had little kerosene stoves that were barely able to heat water for coffee. But he said, it was better then freezing to death on the other islands where the soldiers sometimes didn't even have tents and rarely ate hot food. Of course the Japanese had it even worse, but nobody felt any sympathy for them. In the end he and the others did as they were told, put up with the discomforts, and did their part to defeat the Japanese.

My great grandpa fought in this campaign as well. They trained in warm weather and were sent here

Imagine being told that you’re being sent to the Pacific but instead of fighting on tropical islands against an unrelenting enemy you’re sent to a frozen hellhole to fight an unrelenting enemy. To be honest I don’t know what’s worse

Ohhh Happy Friday! Dr Felton is finally here to make my birthday complete ♥️ Peace Charlie 🇬🇧

A lot of people seem to have had family that served there and got forgotten. If it's any consolation, us Aleut never forgot you.

great -uncle was a pilot of an Army tugboat in the Aleutians - was active at the Battle of Dutch Harbor where the 1st Zero was brought down in one piece - by ground fire.

I had a teacher in high school who was stationed in the Aleutions in WWII. He told how the soldiers made alchohol using raisins. They called it 'raisin jack'.

There's a BC-based seine boat named for the battle of Attu. Its captained by a family friend, and I was just on her a few days ago as they were laid up in Nanaimo waiting for an opening. Fortuitous for you to post a video about the battle two days later.

According to my father, the FSSF was rather disappointed not to engage the enemy, but delighted that they left so many souvenirs and "toys" behind. Some managed to injury themselves by playing with the "toys", such as motorcycles. This mission acted as a very valuable learning tool that would be useful for the battles to come in Italy.

My Grandpa was crew on a B-25 Fickle Finger of Fate based in Adak and completed bombing runs over Kiska and Attu. He made it back but as a lot of WW2 vets he didn't share information or talk much about it. He passed away in 2005 living a full life with my Grandma and spending lots of time with his Grand Kids. I continue to research and maybe catch a glimpse of him in action on duty. I just wish that when I was a kid had known how much my Gramps and his fellow servicemen were such brave and fearless badasses and truly played such an important part in our Freedoms that we Americans take for granted . What an incredible generation he was from.

Nothing better than watching obscure epic Mark Felton videos 2 days before my birthday

This is the 3rd video I've seen today when I've showed up minutes after it came out. Nice

For anyone who's interested in more on this, I have to recommend the documentary Red, White, Black and Blue. It's a retelling of the taking of Attu through the eyes of two veterans who go back to the islands.

The 1st Special Service Force is infinitely interesting to me, and I had no idea they were a part of these operations. Great video sir!

A family member who is not biologically related but considered family was on DD475 USS Hudson up in the Aleutian islands He was a intelligence officer. We still have some of the orders including , orders for the surrender of the Japanese and he was at on point in charge of the guns onboard which we have the book he was given that explained all US naval guns inside and out. It was classified at the time. I want to know where I would go to learn more about him. His name was Edwin Ace Parker. Sadly he passed away four years ago.

Great work as always, Dr. Felton. Greetings from Uruguay.

I really appreciate every wartime documentary that Dr. Mark Felton makes, which are all historically relevant and factually presented. Way better than anything put forth by the history Channel. Congratulations Dr. Felton, for yet another fascinated and informative documentary! Watching them all every chance I get!

Looking at the old footage...its painfully obvious that doing anything must have been a grueling task . The weather being the worst part. God Bless these men!

I would not be surprised by this at all. Japanese on American soil not a well-known fact by Americans? This is also where we were able to get our hands on an almost intact Zero fighter for the first time. It was a small theater TBH.

Thank god. You saved me from Friday night tv. Thanks very much

My Dad was in the landing force on Attu, 7th Div 32nd Inf., he received his first Purple Heart there. Later found out that my Father-In-Law was in the Sea Bees on Attu after the invasion force left.

The father of a friend of mine flew B 24s from the alieutuans. He was shot down over Sakhalin island (which was one half Japanese territory), was interned by the soviets in Siberia, allowed to “escape” at some point, eventually made his way (along with the other survivors from the B24) down to Iran where they checked in with the US Embassy. The State department informed their family members that they were alive and eventually they made it back to the US after the war ended. I met this guy one time. He epitomized that “greatest generation”. He served when called up, went through an incredible odyssey to survive and get back home, and then just got on with his life. Didn’t try and capitalize on his experiences by writing a book or anything,

That’s really surprising that there was a battle against USA vs Japan in Alaska during world war 2 this is a really fascinating story as usual mark

I find it interesting that Canadian troops when fighting in Europe were outfitted in British equipment, most notably wearing the soup-bowl helmets. During the invasion of Kiska, Canadian troops were outfitted in American-style infantry gear. It is also interesting to note the Japanese troops that were evacuated out of Kiska were members of the Japanese Army 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. Ironically, the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division who invaded Kiska - as well as Attu - would later meet the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade during the Battle of Okinawa less than two years later. The 7th Infantry Division was being trained in the early days of the war in the Mojave desert in preparation for deployment for an Allied invasion of North Africa, which became known as Operation Torch. Imagine the surprise of the 7th Division troops when they were sent - not to fight the Germans in the sands of North Africa, but rather fight the Japanese in the sub-Arctic Aleutian Islands! Of all of the division-sized combat forces in the Pacific Theater, the 7th Division certainly had the most interesting combat history; trained for desert warfare, its first combat was in the sub-Arctic Aleutians Islands in mid-1943. Next, the Division was part of the invasion of Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the tropical Marshall Islands in the Winter of 1944. Then the 7th Division was one of the units involved the invasion of Leyte in the Phillipines in October 1944. In the spring of 1945, the "Hourglass" Division was involved in the murderous Battle of Okinawa. Hats off to the men of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division - they quite literally fought the entire scope of the Pacific War, from top to bottom and in between!

A mixed American/Canadian commando unit? Awesome! I love to see that level of cooperation between allies. It says a lot.

My dad and 5 uncles all fought in WW2. They never spoke until at 7 yrs old with my cousins asked again. Found out my dad was pilot shot down over Belgium , an uncle who drove a jeep for an officer and Uncke Fran legs were blown off by a land mine in France on night patrol . We just kept asking and I think they were glad to get it off their chests

My grandfather was in the Aleutian island campaign. Aircraft mechanic

-Americans fighting Japanese in the Aleutians: 1:4 casualty rate. -Americans fighting Canadians in the Aleutians: 4:1 casualty rate. -The moral: be extra polite to our neighbors to the north!

My Grandfather fought on these very beaches and mountain's. Thank you Mark for making a video on this 😎 He was 355th infantry 🇺🇸

You sir have uncanny way of putting WW2 in perspective like you were present and my great uncle participated in the Mexican campaign. Thanks Mark.

I suggest doing something on the “Liberated” US ,British , French POW’s in Eastern Europe by the Red Army.

Ah yes! Mark Felton on a Friday! 👍

My dad's father fought in the Aleutian Campaign. He was an Engineer. As a kid my dad asked about a scar and his dad told him he was stabbed with a bayonet in the armpit and it popped out under his collarbone. I wonder if that Banzai attack you spoke of was it. Thank you for making a video about this often forgotten battle. RIP Sgt. Charles Wierzbowski.

Nothing like getting up on a Saturday morning and watching these hidden gems. This particular reel was so tragic regarding the blue on blue fighting, such a waste of life.

A new video from Dr. Felton?? Tea time!! ;)

Fun fact one of the only times a German soldier set foot on the Americas was in the islands of Martinique which was under Vichy french control the story is that a German submarine was forced to dock in the island due to some of its crew being extremely sick they were somewhat allowed to get supplies and medicine but only secretly as to not alert the Americans also there was combat in French Guiana via an American invasion and a free French uprising so the aluetian islands campaign wasn’t the only battle in the Americas

Many years ago I discussed with my neighbour who was present at Kiska with the canadian contingent. He also told me that his brother died in the atlantic ocean. Life today seems so easy when you look at all what that generation went through.

I had a school teacher who was wounded at Attu . From the time he was drafted then wounded and returned back home disabled was only a five months from beginning to end.

Mark, u should do a vid on the "ALCAN" highway. Prior to the war their was no road running all the way from the lower 48 to Alaska. It is one of the bigger engineering projects of the war.

I love the Red Orchestra 2 banzai sound effects

I love how Mark lets the old dramatic film reels play without interruption during his videos. It makes it so much better.

Thank you Dr. Felton for reminding us all just how far north the battle of the Pacific went. Easy to remember Guadalcanal or Leyte Gulf when thinking about the pacific campaign, little harder to remember the Aleutians.