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Copper jewelry box and pendant and earrings from USCG in Alaska, c.1960


stratasfan
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Thought I'd share these, as I just unearthed them. These were brought back from Alaska by my Grampa when he was stationed for a year in Alaska. Around 1960. He was with a dental unit, and spent a year up there, as the only dental guy in a village of Eskimos. These were some things he brought back. The box didn't photograph well, so I must need better lighting. It looks streaky and dark in the pics, but it really is like hammered copper. It has four cone-shaped legs, also of copper. When you open it, it has red lining. The pendant and earrings match, and are sterling. I don't really know the story behind these, but thought I would share them, as it is pretty cool souvenir! :) I'd assume that he got these in a city/town and not from the Eskimos! -grin- Actually, my Gramma still has a pair of fur moccasins that he was given (and wore) by one of the Eskimo leaders.

 

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One more pic coming . . .

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice. I live in Alaska. Where was he stationed?

 

 

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Hi! I didn't get a notification of your post, so sorry for the tardy response! I looked at the paper Grampa wrote with the places he was stationed and it was Loran Station in Yukatat. Does that mean anything to you? :)

 

Personally, I'd really like to go to Elmendorf Field and then the Aleutians National PArk. Love to get to see North Head, off Kiska. My GGGUncle was an Engineer/Gunner from 1940-1943, and that's where he served and died.

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Thanks for the response! I spent quality time in Yakutat. Shot my first moose there. One of Alaska’s most beautiful places.

 

I presume your uncle was shot down in a B-24 over Kiska? Sorry to hear of his demise.

 

 

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Yes . . . he was shot down in a B-24 on 15 April 1943. Their second run of the day, hadn't had a scratch on the first mission. Just after dropping the bombs, they received a hit in the open bomb bay and fell 10,000 feet into Kiska Harbor. The pilot of the plane next to them was on the radio with the pilot the entire time and said he joked until the last moment, knowing it was the end.

 

They were never recovered, so are listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Punchbowl.

 

Actually, my GGGUncle has a memorial tombstone next to his father and grandparents in his home town, and we are thinking of driving their this September in honour of Harold's 100th birthday. :)

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