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Kodiak Alaska Military History

www.ka diak.org

The Official Web Site of the
Kodiak Military History Museum


National Historic Landmark

Kodiak Naval Operating Base and Forts Greely and Abercrombie, Kodiak

National Register Number: 85002731
Resource Type: Site
Property Type: Defense-military Facility
Designated: February 4, 1985

A joint operations center here directed Alaskan operations in 1942-1943. The principal advance naval base in Alaska and the North Pacific when World War II broke out, Kodiak’s ships and submarines played a critical role in the Aleutian campaign. Fort Greely, with its coast artillery and infantry troops, stood ready to repel an invader, but in the end the enemy did not come. In April 1943, the Army erected a permanent 8-inch gun battery north of Kodiak and established it as a sub-post of Fort Greely, naming it Fort Abercrombie.


Fort Kodiak was established in 1898. The US Navy established a radio facility on Woody Island in 1911. The CAA and later the FAA had extensive facilities on Woody Island. Construction on the Kodiak Navy Base began in 1939. The navy left in 1972.

The US Navy chose Kodiak for their principal base because of the ice-free waters. It was defended by the army. The same base today is the Coast Guard base. Part of one army gun battery has been partially restored and houses the Kodiak Military History Museum at Ft. Abercrombie State Historical Park.

Upon the launch of Sputnik on Oct 4, 1957, the US Air Force established a satellite tracking and control facility not far from WW II army guns at Chiniak. It operated until 1975.

This web site celebrates the remaining evidence of these endeavors. The value these things have is in their design, their place in our history, and in their relationship to the place where they stand.


The Russian ship Kad'yak sank at Kodiak in the latter days of the Russian era. Bradley G. Stevens wrote a very good book about that and the discovery of it's remains near Spruce Island. THE SHIP, THE SAINT AND THE SAILOR The Long Search for the Legendary Kad'yak
NEW March 2012

Holiday Beach, the MOVIE


See our Commsta page for more. updated 1/7/24


Here's the story of the star on Old Womens Mtn.

November 11 on PBS

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Museum main entry

Click for base pictures


Walter Dangel

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Click for UNITS page
250th California

Click for Swampy Acres Page

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Chiniak USAF Tracking Stn.


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Military Around the World Site #106
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www.ka diak.org