Page 27 - eseatg

the rest of the hotel guests, in shock. Our young
son pulled his first baby tooth that night, and
such an event we all made of this ordinary thing.
The next week, all the businesses placed heavy
black tarps on the outsides of their buildings.
The hotel solved the problem by painting the
windows black.
We found an apartment that an Army family
had vacated. We kept several packsacks full of
recommended necessities: food, clothing and
medicine. We had a special place in the woods
back of our apartment, and my son and I would
go there to wait for my husband. We never knew
if an alert was practice or real until we heard “all
clear.” The air raid alarm was a continuous blast
of all sirens and cold storage whistle; the all clear
In November l941, my five-year-old son The United States purchased Russian America signal was one short blast of the above. Life was
Robert and I left for Sitka to join my husband and on that day of transfer, it became Alaska. scary, but exciting also. Everyone on the island
Frank, who worked as a welder on the airbase. Sitka was a very busy town in 1941 as the was aware we had no place to go if we were
We spent six days on a cruise ship to reach Sitka. Army and Navy had literally taken over. The Navy invaded. We had six miles of road going one way
We sailed from Seattle, Washington on a Friday was building an airbase, which was opposite to and three miles the other way. Life settled into a
morning aboard the SS North Coast. The North the town of Sitka on Japonski Island, named by routine and I soon learned to shop for fresh fruits
Coast was 320 foot long and had a capacity of the Russians because a shipload of Japanese and vegetables on the days a boat arrived. There
150 first class passengers. The cost was $50 soldiers was shipwrecked there in 1805. It was are gentle rains in Sitka, some fog and snow in
one way or $100 round trip from Seattle. It was here on the air base where my husband worked. the winter, but the temperature has reached zero
a very luxurious ship with thick, richly colored Apartments were impossible to rent and we lived only four times in one hundred and fifty years.
carpets, harmonizing draperies and a baby in a hotel and took our meals in a restaurant The fishing was a dream-come-true to my
grand piano giving the observation lounge an for six weeks. We were living in the Sitka Hotel husband. We had many wonderful fishing
inviting, restful atmosphere. The dining room the Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, and trips. We lived in Sitka two years, and when we
was spacious with tables for parties of two, four learned of what happened at Pearl Harbor, were preparing to leave, the old timers, the
and six, and full course meals were served daily Hawaii. The Army and Navy families departed sourdoughs, told us we would never forget Sitka
and afternoon tea and bedtime snacks were on government ships, back to the States. That and we would someday return.
served between meals, all included in the cost Sunday of December 7, our little town went into Dorothy was the mother of the publisher,
of the fare. The ship’s orchestra provided an complete blackout because it was thought that Scott Graber. Her dream came true – at the age
appropriate musical background during lunch Sitka’s location could be the next target. Partial of 85, she returned to Sitka in the summer of
and dinner. We spent two uninterrupted days of blackout, 6:00 pm, no unnecessary lights such 2004 aboard a cruise ship.
cruising to reach Ketchikan. Mile after mile we as porch lights should be showing at any time.
cruised a unique water boulevard known as the Blinds should be drawn whenever lights are on.
“Inside Passage”; a succession of sounds, inlets, Homes and businesses must not be left with
passages, narrows and channels crested by the unattended lights. Complete blackout, 12:00
many islands that make the Alaska coastline. We midnight to 4:00 am, absolutely no lights must
arrived in Ketchikan on Sunday, Wrangell and be showing during this period. In June 1942, the
Petersburg on Monday and Juneau on Tuesday. Japanese were on the Aleutian Island at Kiska,
In each town, we stayed long enough to see one of three islands on which they landed. I’ll
and enjoy scenic and historical attractions. We never forget that night; the only lights we had
arrived in Sitka, our new home, on Wednesday. in the hotel were in the hallway and they were
We met several families on the ship who were very dim. We spent the night in the hall with
also moving to Sitka.; several were Navy wives
with children, joining their husbands who were
stationed there.
Sitka is located on Baranof Island and was
founded by a Russian, Alexander Baranov, in
l799. It is the oldest town in southeastern Alaska.
On the morning of October 18, 1867, the Russian
flag came down and the American flag went up.

305