My dad was stationed on Shemya in 1952. They had a fire destroy destroyed most of their food supplies, so dad and and another avid fishermen were ordered to fish for the cooks until more supplies arrived.

Remote duty!

OFF BASE FACILITIES MAINT. BEEN THERE 3 TIMES IN LATE 70s. Thanks, Frank C. Been 40 yrs but feel free to contact

This is when I was Shemya AK Sept 1966-August 1967

Me and our team were sent there in mid 1991 from McClellan AFB, California to install new telephone cables. What a strange and cold place . I would like to go back there one day. 1849th EIS, AFCC. 😐

Shit did I see paved roads?

1 year 64-65ish. Great quake8.2. Great year. Wouldn’t trade it.

Great post, thanks for sharing👍

Interesting video but I had to mute it.

I was in the ASA and we use to send our bad boy to Shemya (1961)

i was there in June of 68 to paint the big radome with a small crew.I remember Boozer in that same position.there was the Shemya National Forest and the chained phone pole windsock that brought a laugh.Thanks for posting !

My brother was there in the late 60's. Can't remember the exact year. He was a fuel specialist.

4/68 to 4/69 Civil Engineer Refer Shop. Capt Dukes was our Co

Hi! Curious if you were there anytime before Dec. 1966. My grandfather was stationed there, but left in '66. Richard Drain.

I was there from Nov 67 to Aug 68. Assigned to 16th Surveillance Squadron. There to start up a Satellite Communmication System. Enjoyed the tour kind of.

I overnighted on Shemya 50 years ago as a boy. Mom & I were adventurers, and the only civilian passengers on the Reeve Aleutian Electra. We wanted to go to the northern and westernmost points in the country. With Hawaii at the back end of this trip, we worked in the southernmost, too. I gotta do Maine, at some point.

I spent April 1964 till April 1965 in U.S. Air Force.ived in compound building. I knew Boozer the dog so sad that he died after I left Shemya!in February 1975 we suffered a major earthquake!.I was glad when my tour finished!😱

Nice video, thanks for the memories. Spent a few years there at the Power Plant

I was there July 1964 to August 1965. Great video of your pictures.

I was also there most of 1967. USAF pavements & grounds maint. Thanks for the memories.

James, my grandfather Richard E Drain was there in the mid 1960s. Did you ever meet him?

Ran across this by accident.. I was TDY there for a month in January/ Feb of 73.. I was stationed at Eielson AFB AK...I lived in the hangar with the aircraft there at Shemya. When the plane took off we had 4hrs to explore the island.. All the old Coke bottles, 50 cal. ammo shells, the glass balls from the Russian fishing boats.. One time I found an old bomb (about 3 ft long) and carried it back to the hangar and showed it to the commander.. I asked him if I could keep it.. He said if I could find a cardboard box to put it in, I could keep it.. maybe that was a way of saying " NO" cause I never did find a cardboard box.. Maybe he knew there wasn't any on the island.. So I hung it up n our room.. I wonder how many others found that bomb before me...Lots of memories...Nice to hear stories from people who had been there before and after me...

"Its not the end of the world, but you can see it from there!" Thanks for the pics & the stroll down memory lane. I flew the Cobra Ball RC-135S in & out of Shemya 1982-84. Great memories, challenging & rewarding mission, AWESOME PEOPLE! Cheers, <Salute> Lt Col Jet In an interesting side note: In World War ll, my future father-in-law fought the Japanese in the nearby Battle of Attu. It was a bloody, aweful, & gruesome battle ending with a final suicidal Banzi Charge. The battle lasted 19 days in May 1943 hindered by the typical Aleutian weather we know so well. Losses: 549 US KIA & 1,200 wounded. 2,351Japanese KIA & 28 POW. He never really got over it. Not many Americans realize the Japanese invaded and occupied US soil in WWII.

Was there in 81-82 and 87-88 was in the 5073 Transportation Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Was there from 1969 to 1970. Worked in the dispensary. I was known as Loach. The doctor was Dr. Richard Deucher. Anybody else there at the time?

I was there in 64-65, I loved it. I worked in the Fire Department, but did not live in the Composite Building

I spent the winter of 1981-82 in Adak. Loved it. Flew a lot in horrible God awful weather.

Thanks for the memories. I was stationed there Nov 72 - Nov 73. My first duty station. If there was a right way to things in the Air Force, I did it the wrong way. I can imagine that it would be a better place now with all the technology now.

Thanks for posting this!! Really neat stuff..

Yep...EXACTLY!! i was there at the same time!! Notice all the trees?? Uhhh--no,, I didn't think so!

anybody remember NAVY AWACS VQ-1 flying in and out of there 69 70?,looking for crew4 guys..

1974 at the weather station. Balloons. As I said I didn't like shemya but it was Unforgettable

I was stationed there Mar 1970-71. There was a monument to Boozer then and Penny took his place as our Island mascot. Thanks from an ASA member of Col Stockton’s Aleutian Chain Gang.

Jan 68 to Jan 69 as the supply officer. Great bunch of guys. Still communicate with some. Arrived 3 months after marriage - wife not happy. From there they sent me to Panama (while a revolution was underway -- and that would prevent my wife from joining me.) We 'beat the system' by driving to Panama as that allowed us to be together. Eventually served 13 years active and 11 more with ANG and as an IMA in Reserves. Retired as Lt.Col.

Memories! I remember Boozer. Was there from Dec '66 through Mar '67 TDY with the 3rd Mobile Comm Group. We were running backup for the White Alice system and were billeted in one of the old WW 2 barracks. Not as cozy as the Composite, but a lot less BS to put up with. Thanks for the pics.

In 1961 I was offered a choice between Shemya, Sinop or Asmara because---get this--I had good teeth and those places didn't have a dentist. We had been told that top of the class would get first choice of postings and I was all ready to go to Bad Abling or Chitose but it was not to be. I chose Sinop because Asmara was 18 months. Soured my outlook on the Army and I got an early out to go to college in 63.

At 1.01, the radar with the 165 foot high reflectors was the FPS-17 detection radar capable of seeing deep into Russia. The 100 foot radome housed the antenna of the FPS-80 tracking radar also watching Russian missile and satellite activity.

Nice pictures, James - this must have been before the phased array radar was built; do you remember when that one was active?

My mom tells me of an Orion that crashed around 1967 in Shemya, just after my dad's enlistment. A few of our dedicated men passed away. I don't know their names, but I salute them nonetheless.

My dad was stationed in Shemya 1962-1966 flying the P-3 Orions.

WoW!! I was there 68/69 I think it was March to March. Time has passed me by a little. I was ASA, I really liked the tour, it was listed as a hardship, so the only other at that time was Nam. I worked both C-ops, and E- ops. Had lots of friends there but we didnt stay in touch. I cant say the money was that good for me:)) I did save my money , never got into the poker games, I went to Germany after that tour...then discharged...I almost stayed in the service and make a career , but changed my mind, sort of like, well I have done this may as well try something else.. roger shortt

video was outstanding---I was stationed there same time you were temporary duty out of adak , alaska-navy base.. I was a CT-- Have pictures of "Boozer" .. him and I on front step of barracks-- really brougt back memories.. Lou Dupilka ct3

James, Thanks for taking me down memory lane, I didn't arrive until February 1971 as a civilian contractor (GE) assigned to the FPS-80, we were called "Bubble Rats". This was the big white golf ball next to the 3 tall antennas on the FPS-17, they were called "fixed phase array", together they were part of the "DEW Line, or Defensive Early Warning. I stayed 18 months and left in December 1972, it was a hard tour as the work schedule was 12 hours a day 7 days a week, we were not allowed to be sick or hung over. But the money was so good I went back in Sept 1973 for another 12 months and left October 1974. After taking a 12 month vacation and spending all my money, I went back for a third time in October 1975 to December 1976. The FPS-80 tracked and identified every rocket/missile the Russians launched. SAC did have a special plane on the island, it took off to video record every large missile launch the Russians put up. Up until 1975, no pictures were allowed to be taken of this plane called "Snoopy"'. Thanks again!

James - arrived Shemya 9-1-66 and departed 8-15-67. Worked in printer intercept in C Ops on C-Trick. Special assignment on Mids gave me ample time in E-Ops where I made a number of friends who I cannot remember now. Assisted in some activities there but not position qualified at all. Recognize most locations in your presentation. Great duty assignment - lousy place to live. Spent last 2 years in Army in Nurnburg which was also good but not enough to re up.

there was a dog called boozer that used to wait for the bus around the island!!

I was there 1965 to 66 bloody awful dump!!!

i was stationed at Shemya jan 75 to Jan 76. i remember that the areas were 16th surveillance sq and Anders facility which was run by civilian contractors (ge). I do remember the earthquake that we went through in feb 75. That was ugly 7.5 on the Richter scale

James: ...I was there from Oct 1966 to Oct 1967...........was a tech for GE and worked on the FPS -17 (Black Pearl).......we worked 12 hour days 7 days a week.....could on;ly do something like that if you were in your 20's.....what memories of the ROCK......I left Shemya and moved on to our other site in Diyarbakir, Turkey for 2.5 years there........earned a lot of money doing that and it sure got me started in life..... Wally [email protected]

My cousins name was Ricky Ksiazkiewicz. He passed in 2004. His nick names were "Soup"( alphabet soup), KZ, and Alphabet. He got out, joined the Rangers, was in the 509th PIR in Vincenza Italy, was my brother in laws' nephews Drill Instructor at Ft Benning. He got out cause he didn't want to do a stint as a recreuter "I'd have to lie to all those kids". He gave me more self confidence than any ten other people.

My cousin was an SP on Shemya about 1976. Lots of strange stories! Very nice photos!!! Sort of my first real look at the place.