North Shore Army Airfield

Military demobilization and strategic shift. Following the end of World War II, the massive military presence in the remote and inhospitable Aleutian Islands was no longer strategically necessary. The high cost of maintaining the base and airfield in the extreme weather conditions, coupled with its reduced military importance, led to its deactivation and eventual abandonment as part of a nationwide post-war drawdown.

The airfield is abandoned and unmaintained. The runways and taxiways, though heavily deteriorated and overgrown with vegetation, are still visible from the air. The site is littered with the ruins of WWII-era structures, including collapsed Quonset huts, aircraft revetments, and other military infrastructure. The land is now part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and is also used for private cattle ranching (Fort Glenn Ranch). The runways are not officially operational and are considered hazardous, though they have been used for occasional, unsanctioned landings by private aircraft. The entire area is a protected historical and archaeological site.

North Shore Army Airfield was a critical component of the Fort Glenn military complex on Umnak Island and played a pivotal role in the World War II Aleutian Islands Campaign. Constructed in secret in early 1942 under the cover story of a salmon cannery operation named the 'Blair Packing Company,' its existence was a strategic surprise to Japanese forces. When Japan attacked Dutch Harbor in June 1942, P-40 Warhawk fighters launched from this airfield and the nearby Cape Field to intercept the attackers, revealing the American presence and preventing a more successful assault. Throughout the campaign, the airfield served as a major forward operating base for the Eleventh Air Force, hosting fighter squadrons (P-40s) and bomber groups (B-26 Marauders, B-24 Liberators) that conducted missions against Japanese-held Kiska and Attu islands. Its strategic location and operational capability were instrumental in the eventual American victory in the Aleutians. The site is now part of the Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area, recognizing its significant contribution to the war effort.

None known. There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airfield for public or commercial use. The extreme remoteness, lack of a local population or economic driver, the prohibitive cost of restoring the infrastructure to modern standards, and its protected status as a National Historic Area and part of a wildlife refuge make any such project unfeasible.