208: The Pacific War, 1942–43: Guadalcanal, the Aleutians, and Operation Vengeance
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What happened during the brutal May 28–29, 1943 attack on Attu Island?
It's the evening of May 28th, 1943. Captain Albert Pence and his men of the 32nd Infantry Regiment's B Company are wearily keeping their eyes peeled for Japanese soldiers as they trudge across a snow-covered valley on Alaska's minuscule island of Attu. Yes, you heard all of that correctly. American soldiers watching for the enemy on American soil. Lost American soil. Let me explain as we trudge right alongside Albert. This chapter of the war is largely forgotten, but as I trust you recall from episode 198, Japan's commander of the combined fleet, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, didn't only send his ships to attack Midway last summer, he simultaneously sent forces to grab at the Aleutian Islands, a 1,200 mile long trail of American soil dotting the Pacific, running from Alaska toward Japan.
though seemingly little more than frozen specks of earth. The most western of these islands are closer to Japan than they are to Seattle, Washington. Something not to be ignored in a world of long-distance aircraft. And between June 3rd and 7th, just as the Americans were snatching victory from the Japanese at Midway, the Japanese were nonetheless still squinting victory and doing a little snatching of their own. They took the far western Aleutian Islands of Kiska and Attu. And so, almost one year later, reversing that loss is what brings Captain Albert Pence and B Company to this frozen isle in the North Pacific. They are part of the 12,000-strong 7th Infantry Division that, for the past few weeks, has been waging a hard fight against the 2,300 or so Japanese soldiers holding Atu.
That is, the poorly mapped, ridge and valley filled, snow-covered island of Atu. And tonight, the captain and his men have orders to move down Jim Fish Valley and fill a gap between some of the boys from the 17th Regiment. But just as this snowy march under a setting sun approaches its end, Albert hears a shot ring out. It's his first platoon. They stumbled upon Japanese soldiers. Realizing they're pinned, Albert brings the third platoon around on the right flank to come to their rescue, only to spot more of the enemy hiding out in foxholes. With Sergeant Fred Boginoff and a couple others, the brave D Company captain slithers through a snow-filled village right between the Japanese lines. And once within range, they lob a grenade at the first foxhole.
It's a hit. A Japanese soldier springs to his feet and runs for his life. Albert pulls his gun. The man drops dead. Nice shooting, Captain, Fred says as he stands up, confident the threat has passed. Wrong move. Fred falls in the snow. Every bit as gone as the Japanese man before him. In this same moment, Albert turns and sees the foe who shot his sergeant and puts three bullets in him. He too drops, gone from this world. The remaining trio of Americans crawl on but a few more feet when a Japanese soldier suddenly lunges at the captain. Struggling against one another in the dark, Albert's bayonet somehow bends rather than pierces his attacker. Yelling, swearing, he pulls the trigger. The Japanese man falls, dead.
The snow, the cold, hand-to-hand combat. Captain Albert Pence is absolutely exhausted as he pushes up a hill and collapses between two of his men. He catches his breath. It's getting dark. The Japanese seem to be falling back. Albert turns to the man next to him and tells him it's time to move out and rejoin the company. No response. The captain feels for a pulse. Nothing.
Nothing.
This unnamed soldier was alive a minute ago. Oh God, is there a sniper? Turning to a young soldier only identified as Johnson, Albert hollers, let's get out of here. Okay. But just as they start to move, a bullet tears through Johnson. Running on fumes and adrenaline, Albert grabs the soldier and drags him to a more secluded, safer spot. But the captain can tell. This man's done for. He sues the groaning young soldier the only way he can. With morphine. Albert doesn't record Johnson's last words. Only... that he begs the captain to stay. Albert does and listens as the bleeding, gasping infantryman speaks.
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Chapters
3 chaptersSpeakers
1 identifiedMore from History That Doesn't Suck
15 (Second Edition): “We the People:” Constitution Making in Philly
211: Pacific Theater Epilogue with Capt. Mac Caldwell
210: The Pacific War 1944: From the Cairo Conference to the Marianas Turkey Shoot
209: The Pacific War 1943: Operation Cartwheel, Tarawa, & Eleanor Roosevelt's Pacific Tour
Introducing: Government That Doesn't Suck! with Professors Greg Jackson and Lindsey Cormack
The Declaration of Independence at 250