New Exhibits
From the time he was a small boy growing up, William Lucas wanted to become a soldier. He became an accomplished Boy Scout and joined several military training schools in his high school years.
Born on the 21st of December in 1900 in Charleston, South Carolina - William went on to be appointed to the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1919. Upon graduating from the academy, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a Field Artillery Unit Commander assigned to the famous 7th Infantry Division, equipped with 105mm howitzers.
The advent of WWII found Col. Lucas taking the 48th Field Artillery Battalion ashore on the beach at Massacre Bay Attu Island, Alaska. The date was May 11,1943. The American troops arrived at the island after a storm-tossed journey across the turbulent North Pacific aboard troopships.
Col. Lucas artillery unit disembarked from the USS Heywood, loading their heavy cannon aboard small landing craft for the trip to the beach. Once there they struggled to move the heavy artillery over soft, muddy muskeg in order to provide critical support to the infantry fighting the Japanese Army garrison entrenched in the mountains of Attu. Wet winter conditions prevailed. For his gallant leadership and courage during the 3-week battle, William Lucas was awarded the second highest Army medal, the Silver Star, in August 1943.
Col. Lucas went on to serve in other famous Pacific War battles:
Saipan, Tinian, Leyte, and Okinawa. He received the prestigious Legion of Merit medal for his service during the battle of Okinawa.
He ended his career with the military on 30 September 1954. He passed from this world in October 1989.
The Japanese Type 99 light machine gun was a notorious weapon used throughout WWII by the Japanese military. Known as the “Nambu” after the name of the designer, the design was an improvement over previous models with a heavier, better performing 7.7 mm caliber round. A 2.5X telescopic sight with a 10 degree field of view could be attached at the right side of the gun. These were often issued to the best marksmen of the unit and occasionally employed like a sniper rifle. This feature caused a lot of casualties to American troops during the battle of Attu Island.
This weapon was captured during the battle of Attu and brought back to the United States during WWII by Lt. Col. William Lucas. It was demilitarized and made inoperable and kept by the Lucas family as a war souvenir. Family stories tell of the family children using it in a school play! This priceless historical relic has survived to this day in beautiful original condition.
Colonel Lucas, the Nambu, and the Battle of Attu
1939 Type 99 Nambu Machine Gun - Japanese Imperial Army
Katie Lucas McDonald, granddaughter of Col. Lucas and family heir, decided to donate this poignant WWII Alaskan artifact for display at the Prince William Sound Museum. Through invaluable assistance from the office of Senator Dan Sullivan and his talented staff, arrangements were made for the gun to be donated to the City of Whittier and to be transported back to Alaska by Andre Achee, the community’s Chief of Police. We are honored to present it on display.
The Whittier Tunnel exhibit features an archive of original photographs from the personal collection of Spencer (Jack) Shrode. Mr. Shrode served as the superintendent in charge of the construction of the tunnel. His images begin with his arrival at the head of the Passage Canal in 1941. The images correlate with the daily entries in the diary of Anton Anderson, chief engineer of the tunnel. Anderson's diary entries are also included within the exhibit. Two artifacts are on exhibit as well: the clock from the West Construction mess hall and a drill bit that was used to bore through the last wall of rock within the tunnel. West Construction Co. was the primary civilian contractor for the construction of the tunnel and the rail port of Whittier.
Dynamite Kings
The Building of the Whittier Tunnel
S.S. NORTHWESTERN
Demise at Dutch Harbor - June 1942
World War Two started in Alaska with the Japanese bombing attack on Dutch Harbor June 3, & 4th 1942. One of the casualties of the bombing was the venerable Alaska Steamship vessel, the S.S. Northwestern. The ship was built in 1889 for use in trade routes to Cuba. Purchased in 1905 by the Alaska Steamship Co., the steam liner transported passengers and freight between Alaskan ports and the mainland U.S. for decades.
The Northwestern ended up beached at Dutch Harbor to serve as a bunk house and power plant supporting the construction crews who were building the Naval Air Station at Dutch Harbor. She was heavily bombed and set afire by Japanese Navy Aichi D3A1 Val dive bombers on the 4th of June. Rendered unserviceable by the damage, the hull was moved to Captains Bay in preparation for towing to Seattle for salvaging. Left over the winter, the hull filled up with rainwater and sank. The bow of the ship can still be seen today protruding the surface of the bay. The wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to rare photos and ephemera, a highly detailed museum grade model of the Northwestern is currently on exhibit. The finished model is nearly 42" long.
Cold War at the Whittier Army Port
The Orlando Marin Collection - 1958-59
Another new exhibit originates from the rare archive of Private Orlando Marin. He was stationed at the Whittier Army Port in 1959 and lived in the colossal Buckner Building. His Cold War service in Whittier is illustrated with photos from his personal collection supplemented by an authentic field jacket and alpaca cold weather hat of the day.
The Burning of Atka Village
June 1942
The Burning of Atka Village is a new exhibit referencing the Aleutian Campaign. After the Japanese military occupied Kiska and a week after they twice bombed Dutch Harbor, the American Navy moved seaplane tenders to Atka's Nazan Bay.
The tenders supported missions by PBY Catalina flying boats whose crews flew around the clock to attack the Japanese.
After being overflown by Japanese scout planes and with indications that a Japanese task force was headed towards Atka Village the Navy evacuated the 62 native residents to the safety of a native village on Umnak.
The Exhibit includes rare photos, rare artifacts and excerpts from the USS Hulbert war diaries detailing the event.
