AMCHITKA
aka Ostrove Amchitka
Don Meier’s Amchitka Scrapbook
1943
I am sending a few photos taken on Amchitka during WWII. My husband Donald W. Meier was stationed there.
Some of the photos have labels at the top. Donald passed away in 1991. Do you know how many bases there
were on Amchitka? Tech Sgt Donald W. Meier was stationed in the Aleutians with the Army Signal Corps. He is a
son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Meier of Walsh, and prior to his induction in June, 1941, he taught at the Campbell
school house east of Evansville. Do you recognize this base ,and if so, do you have information about it (ie.
Donald Meier)? Thank you!
Jon Meier and Elaine Meier Simpson
Notes From Harry Higgins: There were two airfields on Amchitka; a short fighter strip at sea level in Constantine Harbor and a long bomber strip up
on the hill south and east of the harbor. The 'hill' was about 400 feet high.
Amchitka, 1943+
#1. Our Quonset Hut. [Note from Harry Higgins: This is a large "Jamesway" hut. We slept in the small
version, four to a hut. We lived four men in a half size hut. I was on Amchitka in the summer of '43
and never saw any snow there but plenty on Adak and Attu. The Air Force had it pretty good on
Amchitka with huts like your pictures with wooden floors and kerosene stoves. The infantry had it
different. They lived in pyramidal tents with dirt floors and I don't know what for heat. The Navy didn't
have anything ashore on Amchitka but the only time I slept between sheets in eight months was on a
seaplane tender in Kiska Harbor. I also had a chocolate shake on that ship - really living.]
#2. The Mess Hall. [Note from Harry Higgins: This is exact. The only difference is we never had any
parties. They would hang a sheet half way down and project movies on the screen. The officers on
the side where the picture was right side up and the enlisted troops on the other side. I don't know
why they had such stupid division of ranks. Nobody saluted anybody less than general.]
#3. Our theater.
#4. The fishing on Amchitka was great (Novak on the left, Donald on the right). [Note from Harry
Higgins: Those are cod. We made spears and at night would take a flashlight and go down to the
south beach and these dumb cod were lying in the shallow water where we could snag them with our
spears. We would drop by the mess hall where the mess crew were eating steaks and scrounge
some butter. Back in the hut we would fry the cod in butter after digging out their worms. They tasted
great - much better than the lousy Vienna Sausage and Spam they fed us. 'Here I am, eating Spam,
for Uncle Sam." Dolly Varden trout would run in the streams but we never had any tackle and they
were much smarter than the cod.]
#5. Hughes and Donald doing a little combat training.
#6. Maszara, Hughes, unk., and Donald
#7. Here's a picture of our group.
#8. Amchitka musicians!
#9. Here's a newspaper article about Donald that appeared in our hometown paper.
Current Update: 31 October 2021 08:12
Last Updated: 25 July 2021 08:33
Originally published 27 May 2001.
Amchitka
aka Ostrove Amchitka
Don Meier’s Amchitka
Scrapbook
1943
I am sending a few photos taken on Amchitka
during WWII. My husband Donald W. Meier was
stationed there. Some of the photos have labels at
the top. Donald passed away in 1991. Do you know
how many bases there were on Amchitka? Tech Sgt
Donald W. Meier was stationed in the Aleutians with
the Army Signal Corps. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs.
Edgar J. Meier of Walsh, and prior to his induction
in June, 1941, he taught at the Campbell school
house east of Evansville. Do you recognize this
base ,and if so, do you have information about it (ie.
Donald Meier)? Thank you!
Jon Meier and Elaine Meier Simpson
[Notes From Harry Higgins: There were two airfields on Amchitka; a short fighter
strip at sea level in Constantine Harbor and a long bomber strip up on the hill south
and east of the harbor. The 'hill' was about 400 feet high.]
#1. Our Quonset Hut. [Note from Harry Higgins: This is a large
"Jamesway" hut. We slept in the small version, four to a hut. We lived
four men in a half size hut. I was on Amchitka in the summer of '43
and never saw any snow there but plenty on Adak and Attu. The Air
Force had it pretty good on Amchitka with huts like your pictures with
wooden floors and kerosene stoves. The infantry had it different.
They lived in pyramidal tents with dirt floors and I don't know what for
heat. The Navy didn't have anything ashore on Amchitka but the only
time I slept between sheets in eight months was on a seaplane tender
in Kiska Harbor. I also had a chocolate shake on that ship - really
living.]
#2. The Mess Hall. [Note from Harry Higgins: This is exact. The only
difference is we never had any parties. They would hang a sheet half
way down and project movies on the screen. The officers on the side
where the picture was right side up and the enlisted troops on the
other side. I don't know why they had such stupid division of ranks.
Nobody saluted anybody less than general.]
#3. Our theater.
#4. The fishing on Amchitka was great (Novak on the left, Donald on
the right). [Note from Harry Higgins: Those are cod. We made spears
and at night would take a flashlight and go down to the south beach
and these dumb cod were lying in the shallow water where we could
snag them with our spears. We would drop by the mess hall where
the mess crew were eating steaks and scrounge some butter. Back in
the hut we would fry the cod in butter after digging out their worms.
They tasted great - much better than the lousy Vienna Sausage and
Spam they fed us. ”Here I am, eating Spam, for Uncle Sam.” Dolly
Varden trout would run in the streams but we never had any tackle
and they were much smarter than the cod.]
#5. Hughes and Donald doing a little combat training.
#6. Maszara, Hughes, unk., and Donald
#7. Here's a picture of our group.
#8. Amchitka musicians!
#9. Here's a newspaper article about Donald that appeared in our
hometown paper.
Current Update: 31 October 2021 08:12
Last Updated: 25 July 2021 08:33
Originally published 27 May 2001.
