Ft Riekarisoi Army Officer Recalls
Kodiak “Nay Rack Nkn” -1941
FORD RICHARDSON, Alaska—
“Kodiak was something out of a
wild west television show,” said
Captain Robert S. Arnold, remem
bering his former tour of Army
duty in Alaska. “There was one
dirt street, no street lights' little
law and many bars. Things really
got wild when the fishing fleet
came in."
Captain Arnold, the new U .S.
Army, Alaska, Headquarters Com
mand administration officer, first
came to Alaska in September, 1941.
He was the bugler, commander’s
orderly, messenger and sometimes
cook of Company C, 1st Battalion,
201st Infantry Regiment.
“I’m amazed at the change in
Alaska,” he said. “It has really
grown up. The Army is different
too. When we roughed it then,
which was most of the time, we
really roughed it. Our main source
of supply was the old B-18 airplane.
It just wasn’t satisfactory for
Alaskan weather. Most of the time
it couldn’t land at Kodiak and we’d
be without rations. The messhalls
kept a regular detail to go out
and fish for salmon and trap snow
shoe rabbits. Fortunately, there
was an abundance of fish and
game.”
The captain remembers one pa
trol when pebbles were usdtt for
seasoning. The beach pebbles were
porus and held accumulations of
salt. When they were pitched into
the pot, the salt dissolved out of
the rock and seasoned the soup.
Rough as training was in the
early weeks of Captain Arnold’s
stay in Alaska, it soon got rougher.
Just a couple of months after his
arrival, the Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor, and in June, the war
moved closer. Representatives
of the Rising Sun hit the Aleutians,
just up the chain from the cap
tain’s base on Kodiak Island. Attu,
Kiska, Dutch Harbor ... the little
wind-swept islands were stepping
stones leading the enemy to our
Pacific coast.
Soldiers on Kodiak built bunk
ers on the beach, carefully placing
and camouflaging telephone poles
to simulate coast artillery. Ther
they started up the Aleutians, de
termined to block Japan’s pathway
to North America.
Of the island campaign, Captain
Arnold most vividly remembers a
two week period on Amchitka Is
land when the American forces
were under constant enemy air at
tack. The Japanese held neighbor
ing Kiska, less than 100 miles away,
and were virtually unopposed yy
American naval or air power. As
the U.S. soldiers labored to drain
a lake and build an air strip so
American air power could help
push the Japanese out, they suf
fered as many as nine air attacks
in one day.
Then one day revenge was sweet.
The airstrip was finished. Under
cover of darkness a squadron of
P-40 and P-38 fighter planes were
brought in. When nine Japanese
Zeroes flew over the next morning
for the usual sunrise raid, our
fighter planes were ready. The un
suspecting Japanese were de
stroyed.
After his initial overseas duty in
Alaska, Captain Arnold served all
aver the world, but never forgot
the great North. His request for
duty here was granted. He now
lives on Fort Richardson with his
wife, Jacquelyn, and their two
daughters, Pamela, 13, and Peggy,
5 months.
A comrade-in-arms from the old
campaign in the Aleutians has re
mained a close friend and some
time business associate of Captain
Arnold. Ray Zaber, publisher and
editor of the Grand Prairie Ban
ner, Grand Prairie, Texas, was also
in Alaska. During a stint of civilian
life between World War II and
Korea, Captain Arnold was re
porter and later editor of the same
Texas newspaper.
Zaber is a name well known to
Army musicians as he composed
■j ! ^
Kodiak’s 200th
Anniversary Is
Parade Theme
Gene Sundberg, parade chair
man, wishes to remind everyone
i that this year’s parade theme will
be the 200th Anniversary for Ko
diak. All floats, costumes and etc.,
are to be based around this theme.
All organizations, groups that
will be participating in the parade
are urged to contact Gene for fur
ther details on this.
Baby Shower Time
For Joan Daniels
Joan Daniels was surprised with
a baby shower on Friday night,
April 19, at the home of Marla No
wak. Hostesses were Marla Nowak
and Adrienne Harris.
The favors, candy cups made of
miniature diapers and baby shirt
napkins, were the clever work of
Bev Pearson. Baby bingo was
played and the winner was Elaine
Locklair. Helen Luther also won a
prize. A beautifully decorated cake
and coffee were served.
Both hostesses and guests pre
sented Joan with many beautiful
gifts. Guests included Natalie Cros
sen, Joan Daniels, Helen Haynes,
Betty Hostetler, Norma Kee, Hose
marie Kennedy, Elaine Locklair,
Helen Luther, Bev Pearson, Louise
Stute, De Triplett, and Trudie
Woodring. Photos were taken by
Elaine Locklair.
some of our best known marches.
Among them is “Infantry, Queen
of Battle.” The captain recalls Za
ber strolling on the coast of Kodiak
Island, humming a tune which he
would later develop into a stirring
march.
Repair work on all motors.
Evinrude — Johnson — Gale
Owners try us for parts.
We have several good used
motors that were traded in on
our ’63 Evinrude models.
WE HAVE MOTORS FOR
! IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
PHONE 6-2663 or 6-2850
YOUR EVINRUDE DEALER
ISLAND
MOTOR SERVICE
South Shelikoff
r BOWLING LEAGOES
Cn’t Be Wreef!
(Actual Number That Chose HEGGEN Trophies Over All Other
Competitors In 1M2)
;
_
HEG6EN TROPHIES
For Day, Night or Sunday Appointment
PHONE BE 8-8351
fith A Fairbanks Anchorage
Kodiak Navy Boxers
Fighters of the Kodiak Naval Station Boxing Team look on approv
ingly as coach Donald D. Arnold, boatswain’s mate third class, pre
sents the second place trophy the team won in the Elk’s Fourth
Annual Alaska Golden Gloves Tournament held in Anchorage ia
February. Looking on (left to right) are: Lance Corporal Bob Hickey,
Tommy Woodruff, seaman; William Brown, seaman; John Create,
airman apprentice and Keith Willard, dental technician second class.
—(Official U.S. Navy Photo)
OPERATION PAPER BACK
The Coast Guard Officers Wives
Club is collecting discarded paper
back books for men at isolated Lo
ran Stations. The books will be
dropped off by the Coast Guard
Air Detachment in the course of
their regular flights.
If you have any paper back (or
hard cover) books to donate drop
them off at the Supply Office of
I'
the Air Detachment. For further
information call Jean McDonald at
62472 or Mrs. W. J. Davis at
7-5511.
SOMETHING NEW IN KODIAK!
UPHOLSTERING
CAR - BOAT - FURNITURE
Custom Made Foam Rubber Bunk
Mattresses For Fishing Boats
OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN
OUR NEW BUILDING
1 Block North of Montmartre Inn
Corner Mill Bay Road & Buxston Dr.
CALL 486-2332
Now Ready to Serve
You With TV, Radio, and
Appliance Repairs
MUCOM’S
486-2383
Iff no answer 486—2382
••••We are located In oar building formerly eccapled by
the Shoe Box — Across Hie street from Kraft’s Safer Market