The japanese did invade alaska, so it's not wholly without reason.

Wait…what??

https://www.nps.gov/places/japanese-occupation-site.htm#:~:text=Japanese%20Forces%20in%20Alaska&text=The%20initial%20Japanese%20landing%20took,5%2C640%20military%20and%201%2C170%20civilians.

Not the mainland, but several of the islands. Just before the Battle of Midway IIRC.

Thank you so much!

I thought it was the mainland, but still I’ve never heard they came this close to the US.

Yeah, some other redditor sent a link. Still - if they had a permanent hold there, they could have attempted to attack the mainland.

Yeah, we both learned something from this. I didn't realize Alaska extended so far westward either.

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It was the airbases that really spooked us. Planes didn’t have great range so having a daisy chain of airbases from Japan to the aleutians could potentially grow to be a bigger threat than one would think 🤣.

Oh yeah, pretty much Japan and the US’s strategy. Create a chain of supply lines towards your enemy so you can eventually deliver the decisive blow

Given how overextended they were already trying to hold their East Indian/South Pacific posessions, I doubt it would had been wise.

I was born and raised in Alaska. It baffles me that Only in Alaska this is taught in American history

Why did they have to be forcibly evacuated? Did they not realise how brutal the Japanese army was?