Russell Annabel - Kiska Mission

Soldiers of the press. This week, Kiska Mission. Oh, 500, 500, ours. Oh, four, two. He's off. He's off.

Signal bridge. Control to signal bridge. Signal bridge, I. Time check. Time check, I. Sir. 0, 5, 4, 500, less 15, less 10, less 5, check. And take over.

5, 5, 45 on the morning of a sultry day in August, the final phase of the American invasion of the island of Kiska had begun. Canadian and American troops by the thousands lined the sides of ships ready to leap aboard landing craft and swarm ashore at Broad Beach, Bamboo Bay, Quizzling Cove.

The greatest armada of naval vessels ever assembled in the war against Japan carried the load of fighting men and ammunition to this last, jap stronghold in the Aleutians. Slowly and steadily the mighty fleet approached the island.

On board one of the troop transports was Russell Annabel, United Press staff correspondent. Annabel, like all of the United Press men on the fighting fronts, was to go into battle Unarmed unprotected his job was to get an eyewitness account of that battle and here it is The story of the Allied invasion of Kiska by United Press correspondent Russell Annabelle

Annabelle Russell Annabelle yes You've been assigned to meet your workers before sir. I think you better join him now sure course which way Listen this way over this way I followed the tenant over to the side of the ship where a fair-sized group of men were standing huddled together.

All around us were similar groups. It was a weird scene. The men had smeared camouflage paint all over their faces. They looked like actors waiting for the queue. The queue to go out and killed or be killed.