'Castner's Cutthroats' recall Aleutian campaign in World War II

'Castner's Cutthroats' recall Aleutian campaign in World War II

James Halpin/Anchorage Daily News
Originally published Monday, September 29, 2008 at 9:42 a.m.
Updated Monday, September 29, 2008 at 10:22 a.m.

• 

Anchorage Daily News


ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In the early days of World War II, while most of the world's attention was focused on Europe and the South Pacific, a small band of scouts began patrolling the reaches of the far-flung Aleutian Islands to spy on invading Japanese forces.
Hard men, many of them Alaska Natives with skill as rugged outdoorsmen, formed the base of the unit that would later be known as "Castner's Cutthroats" - a tribute to their rough existence and appearances. Once there were 66 of them. Only three are still alive.
Those three met at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center on Sunday afternoon to tell their tales at the unveiling of a yearlong display, in collaboration with the Alaska Veterans Memorial Museum, to honor the unit and Aleutian campaign.
About 100 people showed up to hear Earl Acuff, William "Billy" Buck and Ed Walker tell about their service in the 1st Combat Intelligence Platoon, the creation of Col. Lawrence Castner, an officer who saw the need for a sly reconnaissance unit in the state's far reaches. At the gathering, the men - along with Buck Delkette, who recently died - were awarded the Alaska Veterans Honorable Service Medal.
The unit's first members were miners, trappers and Alaska Natives who had no combat training. But they knew the land, how to live off it unaided and how to move about undetected - a perfect fit for spying on the Japanese.
"I think we learned more from them than they did from us because they had all this experience in Alaska," said Acuff, 90, a Lower 48 officer who led the men. "The scouts were all very talented outdoorsmen. They could live and operate anywhere."
To the regular Army, the windswept Aleutians were miserable: a cold, wet, hilly land without fixed airstrips, roads or electricity. But the Cutthroats excelled.
"We learned Morse code and surveying," said Walker, also 90. "We didn't need to learn how to feed ourselves. We all knew how to do that."
The scouts fed on wild birds such as ptarmigan, ducks and geese, but their favorite dish was king crab. The soldiers didn't have crab traps. Instead, they would dive out of skiffs and pluck the crustaceans from the seabed by hand, he said.
When asked whether the unit had encountered any Japanese forces, Acuff said, "We killed a lot of them," to laughter from the audience.
He described at times getting pressed to capture prisoners of war. The only problem was whenever the Japanese soldiers were defeated they would hug a grenade and pull the pin, he said.
"I never saw soldiers like that," Acuff said. "I never saw anybody as idiot as that. They kill you, then they kill themselves."
The Battle of the Aleutian Islands effectively ended in May 1943, when American forces defeated the Japanese at Attu Island at the cost of about 550 American and 2,350 Japanese lives. The Army also stormed Kiska Island in August that year, but by that time the Japanese had already abandoned it. Walker said he was in the lead boat for that assault, the last major operation for the scouts.
They returned to Fort Richardson and helped survey Western Alaska until the unit was deactivated in 1946.

newsminer.com • 'Castner's Cutthroats' recall Aleutian campaign in World War II

 

why were they called that

 

Read this thread,

http://www.ww2f.com/war-pacific/266...-combat-intelligence-platoon-provisional.html

 

WW2: Report from the Aleutians (1943)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVLTrJmLdiM

 

Colonel Lawrence Varsi Castner
Birth: May 1, 1902
San Francisco
San Francisco County
California, USA
Death: Dec. 6, 1949
San Francisco
San Francisco County
California, USA
parents are Gen. Joseph C. Castner & Ada Aloysia (nee White) Castner.
A 3d generation Soldier. Enlisted into military service on 12 June 1923, he rose through the Officer ranks & went where duty called.
Stationed in Alaska, as an Intelligence Officer for the Alaska Defense Command, G2, when the front lines of the battlefield came knocking. It was Nov. 19th 1941, and COL Castner was under the directive of General Simon Bolivar Buckner he was ordered by Buckner to create a fully functional unit that required minimal outfitting, COL Castner chose men skilled in surviving Alaskan conditions; these included native Aleuts & Eskimos, sourdough prospectors, hunters, trappers & fisherman . Men who could survive off the land by hunting & fishing regardless of the weather and to defend Alaska & our homeland from the invading Japanese.
They were armed with a .22 caliber target pistol for small game & sniper rifles instead of standard military issued Springfield rifle or M1 Garand. Supplies were carried in Trapper Nelson packs which was lightweight & constructed of a wood frame & a canvas pack 24" in length. The men lived off of the land, using canoes to hunt salmon which they dried & stored for winter rations.

These men were the first to go ashore on every island occupied by allied forces during the Aleutian Campaign . The original group of scouts consisted of 66 men with nicknames such as ‘Bad Whiskey Red,' ‘Quicksilver', ‘Aleut Pete' & ‘Waterbucket Ben' , but officially recognized by the US Government as the 1st Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional) & by the rest of the world they were known as "Castner's Cutthroats". These scouts were responsible for conducting reconnaissance & intelligence gathering missions, & spearheading amphibious assaults during the campaign of the Aleutian Islands.

In John Dwyer's "Remembering the Alaska Scouts," American Thinker, November 12, 2005: "In their first missions, Scouts reconnoitered several islands, then traveled north to the Pribilofs to provide Gen. Buckner with early warning of enemy movements. When plans were finalized for recapturing the Aleutians, Scouts led the way—back to Attu & Kiska, on to Adak & Amchitka, to Semichi & Agattu, then on up to the far Pribilofs." These gallants, who never wore uniforms but just their roughies, had to show the way to Special Forces. "The assault on Kiska in August 1943 was the Scouts' last mission. Ten thousand Japanese were reportedly on the island. Nobody really knew how many there were—if any. The Scouts led troops from the 1st Special Service Force ‘Devil's Brigade' onto the island."

The History Channel's documentary "Alaska: Dangerous Territory" on Castner's Cutthroats described how this band of scouts was able to save numerous Army Soldiers from starvation & frostbite. While preparations were being made to invade Attu, Agattu & Kiska, Castner's group warned the US Army about its use of tracked wheel vehicles & how their Soldiers should be outfitted to be able to survive. The Army chose to ignore the words of advice & Soldiers found themselves hungry & ravaged by the effects of frostbite &/or hypothermia. Castner's men showed the Soldiers how to hunt, fish, & provision what clothing they had into garments that were suitable for the weather conditions they were living in.

Castner's greatest success in Alaska's defense was in the building of an airfield on Adak Island. The Army fighter planes had to fly a great distance of over 1,200 miles in order to combat the Japanese, Castner's airfield shortened this distance in half. To build the airfield the men had the daunting task of finding a suitable location in a mountainous terrain. They instead opted to dam a lagoon & drain it to use its sandy bottom floor as their landing strip. The Army Engineer Corps later improved on this area.

The band of scouts disbanded in 1946.

New York Times 8 Dec 1949, COL Castner Dies: Led Alaska Scouts; Army Officer Set up Combat Intelligence Platoon Known as ‘Castner's Cutthroats' read the headlines on the day COL Castner died. Castner had been wounded in the battle of Attu in 1944, which caused his early retirement from the Army & had eventually developed into the heart ailment that lead to his death in Oakland, California on 7 December 1949.

A marker on the east side of Bayshore Hwy, across from the former NAVAFAC complex states: On August 28, 1942, the U.S. Naval submarines, SS Triton & SS Tuna, surfaced 4 miles due east of this beach & disembarked a 37-man U.S. Army intelligence gathering unit lead by Colonel Lawrence V. Castner. The unit was known as "The Alaska Scout," or more affectionately as "Castner's Cutthroats." Their mission was to gather information about the Japanese troop strength on Adak & to report their findings to the landing force already on its way from Dutch Harbor. No enemy troops were found, & on August 30, a 17-ship landing force with 4,500 men & tons of heavy equipment arrived. Their mission: to build an airstrip & troop staging area in preparation for the retaking of the enemy-occupied Aleutian Islands of Attu & Kiska .

November 12, 2005
Remembering the Alaska Scouts
By John B. Dwyer

The word 'forgotten' applied to certain wars or veterans has become almost a clich? in recent years. The Korean war and those who fought it come to mind in this regard.

Veteran's Day yesterday was a time to remember those who fall into this category, distant in time, place and memory; to recall to mind their service and sacrifice.
The Alaskan scouts of WW2 certainly fit the definition of 'forgotten' veterans. They were organized through the initiative of General Simon Bolivar Buckner's Alaskan Defense Command's intelligence officer, Colonel Lawrence V. Castner (West Point 1932). This relatively small unit was comprised of Aleuts, Eskimos, sourdough prospectors, miners, hunters, trappers and fishermen. They had nicknames such as 'Bad Whiskey Red,' Quicksilver,' 'Aleut Pete' and 'Waterbucket Ben.' From 1941 through 1943 under their official designation of 1st Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional) these rugged outdoorsmen conducted reconnaissance and intelligence gathering missions and spearheaded amphibious assaults during the campaign in the Aleutian Islands.

The commanding officer of these tough customers was a tough guy himself. Big, lantern—jawed Captain Robert H. Thompson hailed from Moccasin, Montana and was a track and football star at Montana State University. A strong bond of mutual trust and respect developed between Thompson and his men; between Thompson and Alaska. He was destined to live there as a guide, hunter and bush pilot until his accidental death in 1955. He was joined in early 1942 by LT Earl C. Acuff, a University of Idaho graduate who had faced Thompson across the line of scrimmage in their gridiron days. In charge of training, Acuff emphasized exercises that strengthened the legs of these men, who would have to carry everything they needed in Trapper Nelson packs for long—range patrols. In some cases, Scouts walked over 90 miles in three days over corrugated tundra.

Scout officers and enlisted men shared instructional duties and training was tailored to missions: camoflage, survival skills, security, small unit tactics and marksmanship. Scouts learned how to handle rubber boats so they could operate from PT boats, PBYs, destroyers and submarines When it came to weapons, personal preferences ruled, whether hunting rifles, pistols or knives. Al Brattain, a crack shot, preferred the M1 Garand because its reduced recoil didn't spoil his aim. On a normal mission, Scouts usually operated in 5—8 man teams.

The vital strategic value of the Aleutians was not realized fully by the U.S. until the 1930s. In 1935, even as Japanese ships were observed surveying the islands, military visionary Gen. Billy Mitchell was telling a House committee that 'he who holds Alaska holds the world. It is the jumping off place to smash Japan.' That country had its own plans for the Aleutians, and in June 1942 waves of Japanese bombers attacked Dutch Harbor on the island of Unalaska. It was a feint. 800 miles away to the southwest, Japanese troops landed on Kiska and Attu. Admiral Hosogaya's orders from Tokyo: 'Hold the western Aleutians at all cost.'
In their first missions, Scouts reconnoitered several islands, then traveled north to the Pribilofs to provide Gen. Buckner with early warning of enemy movements. When plans were finalized for recapturing the Aleutians, Scouts led the way — back to Attu and Kiska, on to Adak and Amchitka, to Semichi and Agattu, then on up to the far Pribilofs.

For the seizure of Attu, Scouts were landed from the submarines USS Narwhal, USS Nautilus and the destroyer USS Kane on May 11, 1943. Al Brattain was at Red Beach in a 25—man group under Capt. Thompson. He wrote me that

'We were sent in first to reconnoiter a suitable spot to land the main force. The fog was thick, visibility under 100 yards. Given a heading by the destroyer, we rowed to the beach. I was in the bow of the first boat to touch land. About 100 ft. inland was a low bank, maybe 2 ft. high. I reached it as fast as I could just in case there was a Japanese soldier waiting to dispute my right to be there. By the morning of the second day the fog had lifted, covering only the ridge tops where the enemy had dug in. They could see us; we couldn't see them. We were given the job of probing fog banks, working our way forward till we drew fire. On one of those trips I got a bullet in my collar.'

In another sector, Scout Cpl. Al Levorson from the South Dakota Badlands and former park ranger Theron Anderson were guiding a 50—man patrol from the 17th Infantry tasked with taking out an enemy machine gun position on the jagged slopes of Sarana Ridge. Having been informed by his scouts, who had crept forward, that the Japanese also had mortars, the patrol leader tried to radio his commander about the situation. The radio was dead, so he sent Anderson and Levorson back to the command post to relay the information. Through snow, over slick mossy rocks and down slippery ravines, the pair crept, crawled and skidded until the CP was in sight. Then the enemy opened fire. Soldiers at the CP returned it. The Scouts, hugging dirt, were pinned down for several hours until darkness allowed them to reach friendly lines.

The assault on Kiska in August 1943 was the Scouts' last mission. Ten thousand Japanese were reportedly on the island. Nobody really knew how many there were — if any. The Scouts led troops from the 1st Special Service Force 'Devil's Brigade' onto the island. Sgt. Clyde Petersen, who had fished the waters often, was first ashore. On the way in he whispered to his fellow Scouts 'Hear that? That's a kit fox bark, a good omen. If there were any Japs around, fox parents would kill their young.'

Petersen's squad, led by LT Acuff, took the point and led !st SSF soldiers up a sharp ridge that rose from King's Cove. A few miles to the north, Sgt. Ed Walker was in the lead boat taking a 16—man Force team ashore. Towed behind was a rubber boat loaded with dynamite. A thousand yards inland they encountered and overcame their first obstacle — barbed wire. They proceeded stealthily until they could see enemy machine gun nests in the cliffs commanding the seaward approaches. Luckily for them they had been abandoned. After destroying the positions, Sgt. Walker and the others returned to the beach where they used the dynamite to blast gaps in the reefs blocking access to the beach. Now the main landing could get underway. Though unopposed, booby traps and mines set by departing Japanese took their toll of incautious or unlucky soldiers.

After that last operation the Alaska Scouts returned to their Ft. Richardson base by way of Adak. Earl Acuff, promoted to captain, took over command from Bob Thompson, who was was forced to retire due to injuries. The Scouts remained active until 1946, during which time Capt. Acuff led 20 survey patrols that covered the Alaskan coast from Naknek all the way north to Point Barrow, then inland, south to Fairbanks and west to Unalakleet. In existence for some 5 years, the Alaska Scouts, never nore than 66 strong, carried out numerous important missions with skill and courage in the fogs, winds and snows of the mostly forgotten Aleutians campaign.

Earl C. ACUFF Obituary

Earl C. Acuff, Colonel RA, of Blacksburg, United States Army Airborne Light Infantry, died Wednesday night, February 13, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary-Low Fahrenwald Acuff; and son, William Dean Acuff. Earl was born on July 24, 1918, to Walter and Agnes Patterson Acuff in Whiteburg, Iowa. Following the death of his mother at age three, Earl and his siblings lived with his older sister, Ollie Erickson. He learned to box as a young boy and, with his older brother Art, became a Golden Gloves champion in high school. Following high school graduation in Des Moines, Iowa, his family moved to Kellogg, Idaho where his father worked in the silver mines. Always a gifted and über competitive athlete, Earl was scouted by a coach while playing baseball with friends. He was offered a full football scholarship to the University of Idaho and enlisted in R.O.T.C.

While at the University he met Mary-Low Fahrenwald. They were married in Carmel, Calif. in 1941 while Earl trained in desert warfare at Ft. Ord with the 82nd Airborne. Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in typical Army fashion, Earl was secretly shipped to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. He was executive officer to the 1st Intelligence Combat Platoon, also known as Alaskan Scouts. His fondest memories were serving in this unique unit, that survived without resupply or personal contact with the outside world in order to scout Japanese forces in the Aleutians Islands. After the war, the Scouts mapped the entire Western coastline of Alaska and provided Earl with a lifetime of memories of the Alaskan bush.

Earl left the military in 1946, started a family and built his first home overlooking Cook Inlet. He was a bush pilot, big game guide and taught Physical Education at East High School in Anchorage until he was asked by the Army in 1949 to return to service and teach Arctic survival skills. This was the beginning of an Army career that spanned 33 years. In 1952, as CO, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, 7th Infantry Division, he fought for and defended hills 255 and 266-also known as Pork Chop and Old Baldy, earning a Purple Heart, his second Combat Infantryman Badge, a Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with four Oak Leaf Clusters and V for Valor. He was a Master Parachutist. In 1965, when the Army asked him to evaluate and recommend changes to the Ranger training program at Fort Benning, Georgia, at age 47 he became the oldest man to successfully graduate as a United States Army Ranger. In 1966, he received a Master's in International Policy from George Washington University and worked for the State Department on Central and South American affairs. In 1968, he served as Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Republic of Viet Nam and earned his 3rd Combat Infantryman Badge.

In 1969, he served as Deputy Post Commander at the U. S. Army Infantry School in Ft. Benning, Ga. In 1970, he was asked to teach Military Science at Virginia Tech. In 1974, he was promoted to Brigadier General and became the Commandant of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.

While at Virginia Tech, Earl and Mary-Low built their second home on their farm in Ellett Valley, Blacksburg, Virginia. Earl raised cattle with his border collie, Mack, gardened and began a competitive career in racquetball. He was inducted into the University of Idaho Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the National and World Champion Racquetball Hall of Fame after earning 20 gold medals at major national and international tournaments.

Earl truly loved people and was an incredible storyteller. His range and depth of knowledge was astounding-how many people know you shouldn't try to eat walrus meat? He had a rapier wit to the end, but he never stopped worrying about his eight children and 12 grandchildren.

Earl is survived by Thomas and Jan Davis Acuff, of Smiths, Ala. and their children, Michael Acuff, of Auburn, Ala., Dana and Kristin Acuff May, of Auburn, Ala., Katy Acuff, of Columbus, Ga., and Alex Acuff, of Atlanta, Ga.; Dan and Mary Ann Acuff Bowling, of Pearisburg and their sons, Russell and Jessica Nicole Bowling, of Stephens City and Evan Bowling, of Roanoke; Mike Schaas and Ardis Acuff, of Copper Hill and her sons, Nate Preston, of Portland, Ore. and Bill and Mikal Bohne Preston, of Anchorage, Alaska; Rodney Acuff and Bobbie Hanby, of Roanoke and his daughter, Lindsey Acuff, of Christiansburg; Janice Acuff and Mike Judkins, of Seattle, Wash. and her daughters, Kerry Low Beckman, of Atlanta, Ga. and Kim Beckman, of Seattle, Wash.; John and Teresa Acuff McMahon, of Asheville, N.C.; Larry and Dawn Acuff Connor, of Fairfaxand their young son, Callum Connor. It was our honor to love Earl and spend so much time with him.

The family would like to convey our deepest gratitude to Debra Kittinger and Brooke Lawson of Medi Home Health and Hospice in Christiansburg, and the entire staff at the Kroontje Center, Warm Hearth in Blacksburg, who honored our father with the finest, most loving care in a way that preserved his dignity to the end.
The family will receive friends at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at the War Memorial Chapel on the Virginia Tech campus. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m., and full military honors will be held graveside at the Memorial Gardens of New River Valley at 3:30 p.m.

Earl will be laid to rest beside the great love of his life, Mary-Low.

The last three surviving members of Castner's Cutthroats - Ed Walker (left), Earl Acuff (center), and Billy Buck at the Anchorage Museum in 2008.
Walker was stationed with the Army infantry at Chilkoot Barracks, also known as Fort William H. Seward, which was the only U.S. military base in the Territory of Alaska at the time he arrived.[1] Walker submitted several applications, before finally being transferred to Fort Richardson, now known as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.[1] There he joined a group of elite Alaskan Scouts called Castner's Cutthroats, named after Col. Lawrence Castner, an Army intelligence officer who formed the regiment.[1] Walker trained with Castner's Cutthroats, who carried their provisions and lived off what they could find in the Alaskan wilderness, such as seafood.[1] Walker was trained in surveying and Morse code.[3] The sixty-five men served in reconnaissance throughout the Aleutian Islands during World War II, including the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.

The Japanese forces occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska the day before Walker's 25th birthday in 1942, beginning the Aleutian Islands Campaign.[4] Walker and thirty-six of the scouts were stationed in Anchorage at the time, when they received erroneous reports of a Japanese attack on the city.[4] The next morning, the members of Castner's Cutthroats sailed on a yacht from Anchorage to the Aleutian Islands.[4] However, the United States Navy commandeered the yacht at Kodiak.[4] Walker and twenty-one other Alaskan Scouts then boarded a submarine, which they used to make their first landing at Adak Island.[4] Walker was armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle, which meant that he was among the first of the Cutthroats to make landfall at Adak and secure the surrounding beach.[4] However, a two-man American boat next to their submarine exploded just offshore from Adak. Walker recalled the accident in a 2008 interview, "We got about 200 yards from the submarine, and the boat blew up. It put both of us in the drink...The boat was about to go to the bottom, and we didn't want to go with it. We managed to stay afloat, and luckily the submarine, rather than turning to the left and going back into the Pacific, it turned inland," Walker continued, explaining a line was thrown to the scouts as it passed because the submarine was unable to stop. I hung on to that, and of course we were at the fantail of the sub, and there's a series of welded pipes that protect the propeller and we each got a hold of one of them, and every time we went through a wave, we just stopped breathing and closed our eyes and came back up...They sent a man out, and they had to crawl because everything on the submarine was slippery. They crawled out and helped us to get our gear, because we still had our packs and we went on in to the sub."[4]

Mary M. Rall
Alaska Post editor

When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in 1942, Alaska was prepared by way of the Alaska Scouts, nicknamed Castner's Cutthroats, who were stationed at Fort Richardson.

The last three surviving scouts gathered at the Anchorage Museum of Natural History Sunday to share their experiences during World War II and view the unveiling of the museum's newest display "Castner's Cutthroats – Forgotten Warriors."

The display, a joint venture with the Alaska Veterans Memorial Museum, will be featured for one year and offers the opportunity to examine artifacts, photographs and oral histories of the Alaska Scouts.

Although dozens turned out to view the display, the true education came in the form of the firsthand stories the last three surviving scouts, Ed Walker of Palmer; William "Billy" Buck of Glenallen; and retired Brig. Gen. Earl Acuff of Blacksburg, Va.; shared concerning their service as members of Castner's Cutthroats during World War II.

According to Suellyn Wright Novak, the Alaska Veterans Memorial Museum board of directors president, the Alaska Scouts, officially the 1st Combat Intelligence Platoon (Provisional), were active at Fort Richardson from 1941 to 1946.

Lauretta Pepperworth, the niece of scout William "Billy" Buck of Glenallen, and Sherry Harmes view the "Castner's Cutthroats – Forgotten Warriors" display Sunday at the Anchorage Museum of Natural History."The scouts were born on the eve of the war when Col. Lawrence V. Castner, the Alaska Defense Command intelligence chief, realized that ordinary intelligence measures would fail if the Japanese attacked Alaska," Novak said.

Castner was an intelligence officer for Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, commander of the Alaska Defense Command, which was headquartered at Fort Richardson.
Castner saw a need for scouts who could live off the land, travel and scout without leaving a trace and return to their base. He sought out Native Alaskans, trappers, prospectors, dog mushers, hunting guides and commercial fishermen who knew how to survive in Alaska's harsh conditions, Novak said.

"We learned Morse code, and we learned surveying…They didn't have to teach us how to feed ourselves, we all knew that," 91-year-old Walker said. "The scouts were trained to do the work that needed to be done, surveying, estimating, reporting and able to operate…on the country."

Acuff, 90, said Castner recruited scouts from the Native Alaskan community, relying on their expertise on surviving in the state's harsh conditions to educate Soldiers.

"I think we learned more from them than they learned from us, because they had all the experience in Alaska, and the only reason, I think, they ever picked me to go in the scouts is because they were always sending me out because I was from northern Idaho and I'd lived a lot in the woods," Acuff said. "They were always sending me out to be on outpost and everything, and I was living and doing things myself without worrying about somebody supporting me."

Learning how to survive on what Alaska had to offer was essential, as Fort Richardson is very different today than it was during WWII.

"We didn't have any buildings at Fort Richardson yet," Walker said, explaining the scouts were housed by Green Lake on Elmendorf Air Force Base.
"We had a cabin to store our gear and our supplies, and we all lived under the trees," Walker said. "I had a very nice bed made from spruce boughs, and I cooked outside."

Although the Soldiers had their issued gear, they also made use of what Alaska had to offer.

"We made our own nets, and we fished and caught salmon," Walker said. "I ate salmon for three months. It was very healthy."
Acuff said he was able to survive quite well, even when he was posted at an outpost.

"We were living fat, dumb and happy over there," he said. "We were getting all the food we wanted out of the ocean and shooting a few birds and ducks and geese and some ptarmigan, so we had plenty to eat."

Such basic living gave the Soldiers a rugged appearance, which led to their "Castner's Cutthroats" nickname, by which they became known throughout the state.
"We didn't have any insignias, because the more insignias you have, then that's the first one to get shot, so none of us had anything on," Walker said. "One day, Col. Castner was down at Adak (Island). I had eight men down there on a special mission.

"He came to see how we were doing, and that night he went out to the crick to scour his frypan. All of us carried our own gear, cooked our own food and ate it," Walker continued, explaining a Soldier soon came across Castner scouring his pan.

Because the colonel wasn't wearing rank or any identifiers, the Soldier inquired what unit he was assigned to, Walker said. Castner told the Soldier he was with "Castner's scouts," to which the Soldier replied, "Castner's scouts? I saw a couple of them guys, looks like Castner's Cutthroats to me," thus spawning the indelible nickname for the scouts.

Although the nickname has stuck firmly to the scouts, it's one they dislike, even today.

"It sounded stupid," Acuff said. "The reason it stuck is because newspaper people like to have something to write."

Regardless of whether or not the scouts saw themselves as "cutthroats," they proved up to the task of defending the state when the Japanese occupied Attu and Kiska islands in 1942.

It was the eve of Walker's 25th birthday, and a day he said he will never forget.

"We wound up with 36 Alaska Scouts organized at the time that the Japanese landed in the Aleutians," he said, adding they had a Soldier stationed at Alyeska who erroneously reported the strafing and bombing was in Anchorage.

"We spent the night in our gear, ready to put bullets in the machine gun belts, and the next morning we went down to the harbor in Anchorage and got on a boat," Walker said. "We got as far as Kodiak, and the Navy took it away from us," he said of the yacht that had been commandeered by the government.
Walker and the 21 other scouts with him were then boarded onto a submarine that took them to Adak Island, where they made their first landing. At the time, Walker said he was carrying a Browning Automatic Rifle.

"It was the best firing gun we had at the time, and the fact that I had that blasted gun designated me the first one to land and make the beach safe," he said.
However, the landing didn't go quite as planned.

"We sat along side the sub is this two-man boat," Walker said of himself and another Soldier.
He said he kept hearing a "hissing" noise and asked a sailor to figure out what it was. The search was to no avail, however, as they were the No. 1 boat and were promptly ordered to shove off.

"We got about 200 yards from the submarine, and the boat blew up. It put both of us in the drink," Walker said. "The boat was about to go to the bottom, and we didn't want to go with it.

"We managed to stay afloat, and luckily the submarine, rather than turning to the left and going back into the Pacific, it turned inland," Walker continued, explaining a line was thrown to the scouts as it passed because the submarine was unable to stop.

"I hung on to that, and of course we were at the fantail of the sub, and there's a series of welded pipes that protect the propeller and we each got a hold of one of them, and every time we went through a wave, we just stopped breathing and closed our eyes and came back up," he said. "They sent a man out, and they had to crawl because everything on the submarine was slippery. They crawled out and helped us to get our gear, because we still had our packs and we went on in to the sub."

Acuff said the scouts made contact with the enemy, despite such unexpected experiences. A veteran of WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, he said he never fought an enemy like the Japanese army.

"They kept saying, 'You gotta get us a prisoner. You gotta get us a prisoner,'" he said of his command, who didn't realize how determined the Japanese were to not be taken alive.

Acuff said he did his best to explain what they were up against by saying, "We want to be alive too. Every time you go up to get one, he blows himself up, hoping he'll kill you too.' I never saw soldiers like that."

Serving as an Alaska Scout made a lifelong impression on Acuff.

"It made a lot of difference in my life, because I was out of the Army and teaching and coaching, and the Army came back to me and said, 'We think we may be in trouble if we fight the Russians,' and they wanted me to come back in the Army and help train people so they could live and operate efficiently in extreme cold weather," he said of his experiences following WWII.

Acuff reenlisted, served for a total of 33 years and earned 54 medals and accommodations, to include three Combat Infantry badges.
In addition to witnessing the unveiling of the display and sharing their stories, the three scouts were also awarded the Alaska Veterans Service Medal, which is awarded for honorable service. Drafin "Buck" Delkettie, a scout who passed away in March 2007, also received the award posthumously through his son Gerald Delkettie.

"It was Buck's oral history that started our quest for presenting this reunion and display," Novak said.

Former scout Buck, 87, was mostly silent throughout the event, but said it was a great honor to attend and agreed with his fellow scouts that he hopes Sunday's reunion would not be their last.

Army Distinguished Service Medal
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Awarded for actions during the World War II

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Infantry), [then Major] Lawrence V. Castner (ASN: 0-15356), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility, as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, Alaska Defense Command, between 19 November 1940 and 3 September 1943. Through his untiring efforts, initiative, and knowledge of the territory of Alaska, he directed the development of and is largely responsible for the military intelligence system in the Alaskan mainland and in the Aleutians between 7 December 1941 and 3 September 1943, Colonel Castner demonstrated outstanding leadership and devotion to duty. He contributed greatly to the success of the operations to clear the enemy from the Aleutians by organizing the Alaskan Scouts, used for reconnaissance work in the Aleutians, and personally leading them in an advance landing at Adak, making a hazardous journey by submarine and landing in a rough, cold sea on a dangerous shore in small rubber boats. The distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Castner reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Army.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 11 (February 7, 1944)
Action Date: November 19, 1940 - September 3, 1943
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Assistant Chief of Starr, G-2
Division: Alaska Defense Command

illiam Jordan Verbeck Obituary
General William Jordan VerbeckGeneral Verbeck War Hero Dies
Post Standard of Syracuse, N.Y. undated
Maj. Gen. William J. Verbeck, native of Manlius, died Thursday in Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D. C. He resided at 2320 N. Florida St., in Arlington, Va.
He was a member of a distinguished military family, one whose name dots the history of The Manlius School and military service in the state and nation. He attended the Manlius School commencement last June and participated in the Old Boys' reunion.
Gen. Verbeck was the, son of the late Brig. Gen. William Verbeck, who was head of The Manlius School from 1888 until his death in 1930.
Maj. Gen. Verbeck retired June 30, 1963, after 41 years of outstanding Army service. At the time he retired he was commanding general of the XIII Army Corps and Ft. Devens, Mass.
He was born in Manlius on Jan. 20, 1904, and was graduated from the Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry on June 14, 1927. Prior to World War II, Gen. Verbeck handled several infantry assignments, including duty with the Philippine Scouts (Moro) at Zamboanga Philippine Islands, and put in a tour of duty as professor of military science and tactics at The Manlius School. He served with the U. S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
Gen Verbeck attended The Infantry School in 1933-34 and then assumed command of Co. D, 16th Infantry Regiment at Camp Dix, N. J., and Governor's Island, N.Y.
From November, 1941 to June, 1944, he served in Alaska, and for one year was commander of the Alaskan Scouts.
In July, 1944, he was assigned to X Corps in New Guinea. Later he was reassigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment as commanding officer. Subsequently he was chief of staff of the 24th Infantry Division and served in, the campaigns in Le y t e, Mindoro, Luzon and Mindanao in t h e Philippines.
In September, 1945, Gen. Verbeck was commanding officer of troops for a year at the U. S. Military Academy. Then he attended the War College, from which he graduated in June, 1947.
Thereafter he was assigned until December, 1948, on the Department of Army General Staff. After that he was appointed chief of the Army section, U. S. military mission in Brazil. In May, 1951, he was assigned as senior assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the National Security Council. He served in that capacity until reassigned to Korea in November, 1952. In Korea he was senior advisor to the G3, Republic of Korea Army. Subsequent assignments included those as commanding officer of the United Nations Command prisoner of war camp No. 6, and with headquarters of the 2nd Logistical Command.

Upon completion of Korean service, Gen. Verbeck again served on the Department of the Army General Staff and in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until November, 1954, when he became Chief of the Pennsylvania Military District. In November 1955, he was reassigned to Fort Brooke, Puerto Rico, as commanding general of the U. S. Army Forces, Antilles. He served there until February, 1957, when he became Chief of the Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Early in 1959, Gen Verbeck was reassigned to Washington, D. C., where he served on the Council of Army Review Boards.

On Sept. 1, 1959, he assumed command of the XIII United States Army Corps and Fort Devens and continued in that capacity until he retired.

Gen. Verbeck held 19 major decorations. They were: Distinguished Service M e d a 1, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal with valor device and two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal and Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster.

Also American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six battle stars, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with three battle stars, Philippine Liberation Ribbon and United Nations Service Medal. Also, Combat Infantryman Badge, Distinguished Unit Emblem, Presidential Unit Citation Badge (Republic of Korea), the General Staff of Defense Identification Badge.
Gen. Verbeck gained fame as a fierce front line fighter during World War II.

The Legion of Merit he received in 1944 was in recognition of the role he played in the expulsion of the Japanese from the Aleutian Islands.

Prior to the occupation of Amchitka by American forces, Gen. Verbeck, on his own initiative, knowing the lack of information concerning this terrain, personally led a reconnaissance party over the island at a time when it was not known whether it was occupied by the enemy. The subsequent occupation of this island was greatly assisted by the advance information he obtained.

During the battle of Attu, Gen. Verbeck displayed "marked energy, initiative and personal courage by accompanying the advanced elements under heavy fire," a citation said: "Through outstanding ability, resourcefulness and imitative he made an important contribution to the engagement and expulsion of the enemy from the Aleutian Islands." Gen. Verbeck was often praised during the Alaskan campaign because he used his knowledge and familiarity with the language and customs of the Japanese to trick and outwit the enemy.

Gen. Verbeck is survived by his wife, Margaret McDowell Verbeck, and two sons, William McDowell Verbeck, and Charles Henry Verbeck, both of Arlington, and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in the Fort Myer Chapel in Fort Myer, Va., with interment in Arlington National Cemetery. The family requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions might be made to the American Cancer Society.
The Taro Leaf, Vol 19(4) 1965-1966.

 

I spent a year on Attu, and have visited many other islands in the Aleutian chain. It would be surprisingly easy to live off the land out there, and people have done so for thousands of years. It is not an "arctic climate" or even close to it, even though many of the Aleutian war accounts describe it so. Temps rarely get below about 20 degrees (F), and even in the middle of winter it's almost always above freezing during the day. It's more often raining than snowing.
The Aleut's say "when the tide is out, the table is spread" and that's true. In a few minutes you could gather as many clams and mussels as you could carry. If you just walk along and look at the edges of rocks, you'll spot holes that give away octopus hiding spots.
Inland (and I used to do this), you can walk right up to ptarmigan and shoot their heads off with a .22. They have no fear of people out there. It's a good sized bird about the size of a Cornish game hen when dressed. Tasty. In summer, the streams are choked with salmon and you can catch char at any time of the year - just big trout that will hit anything you put on a hook.