Anna Maria Island woman on mission to spotlight Aleutians campaign

Karen Abel is on a mission to honor her grandfather and others who braved some of the world’s most hostile weather while fighting the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.

Because World War II was so vast, the U.S. battle against the invading Japanese who landed in the Aleutians is often forgotten, or overshadowed by larger campaigns. Even more obscure is the role Canadians played in stepping in to help defend American soil.

For several years, Abel, massage therapist and owner of Island Therapeutics in Holmes Beach, has been researching the service of her grandfather, Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot Robert W. Lynch and blogging her findings.

The blog, titled “Florida Beaches to the Bering Sea . . . 3 girls, 3 generations on a journey to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska to honor the legacy of their WW2 loved one,” refers to Abel, her mother, Kathie, and her daughter, Aly, 13.

During his lifetime, Lynch never spoke to Abel about his wartime service. When Kathie Abel suggested donating her father’s military memorabilia after his death to a museum, it spurred Karen Abel to learn more.

“None of us knew anything about his service until he died in 1996,” Karen Abel said. “I wished I had known about it earlier. It is important to note, that this blog started out as a tribute to my grandfather and as a place to educate and bring awareness to the Aleutian campaign. It pained me to discover that a majority of the people did not know it even took place, even World War II history buffs. The blog quickly developed into honoring all who served up in the cold harsh forgotten north, for all their stories need to be heard.”

The fighting in the Aleutians was primarily an air war, “where young men battled not only each other, but the terrible, unforgiving elements of the storm-lashed, primeval place,” writes John Haile Cloe in his book “The Aleutian Warriors.”

On North American soil

The battle to control the 1,000-mile-long Aleutian Island chain is the only campaign of World War II fought on North American soil, and the only time the Canadians set up a base on American soil, Abel said.

The first deployment of a Canadian flying unit to American soil was on Annette Island.

“By May 5, 1942, they were operational and flying anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Alaska,” Cloe says in his book.

A month later, the Japanese landed on the islands of Kiska and Attu. The United States would not launch a campaign to retake Attu until May 11, 1943.

Abel’s research has taken her through her grandfather’s logs and journals — he was a meticulous record keeper — and to Alaska and Washington, D.C., where the P-40 Kittyhawk fighter flown by Lynch in the Aleutians is included in the Smithsonian’s collection.

Eventually, the plane will be repainted in its original Royal Canadian Air Force colors, and be part of a hoped-for Aleutians exhibit in the Smithsonian, Abel said.

Determining that the plane in the Smithsonian was the same one flown by Lynch came through research by Ron Walker, who has compiled a database for hundreds of Royal Canadian Air Force planes.

“Recently, I was reminded of this information through Bill Eull's RCAF 111f squadron site. That triggered me to reach out to the Smithsonian with the information, which they were overjoyed to receive. I flew out a month later to meet with them and show them my grandfathers memorabilia. We are now working towards adding some new information to the plane’s long description as well as several other longer term projects surrounding the plane and the Aleutian campaign. Exciting stuff,” Abel said.

Lynch primarily flew defensive patrols during the war, but he did taken part in the first escorted bomber mission in the Aleutian campaign. During that mission, U.S. pilot Major Jack Chennault, son of Major Gen. Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers in China, and RCAF squadron leader Kenneth Boomer teamed up to shoot down two Japanese aircraft.

Lynch also walked away from a crash landing of his Kittyhawk during a fuel stop at NakNek, along the Aleutian chain. He did a ground loop where the propeller plowed into the ground, Abel said.

“He had stints in at Elmendof in Anchorage, Fort Glenn in Umnak, Fireplace Airfield on Adak and Fort Greely and Miller Airfield on Kodiak Island. The 111f Squadron spent eight months in defense of the Naval Air Station on Kodiak. It was the only fighter squadron on the island during that time, according to my grandfather,” Karen Abel said.

Kittyhawk on tour

Another Kittyhawk flown by Lynch during the war is still flying, and will be shown at an airshow this year in Oshkosh, Wis., she said.

On June 4, Abel will be taking part in a tour of historic locations in the Aleutians with stops in Attu, Kiska and Dutch Harbor. The tour is guided by Aleutians author Cloe.

During the liberation of Attu, the U.S. suffered heavy casualties: 580 killed, 1,148 wounded, and 1,200 cold injuries. The Japanese lost 2,035 men killed.

A massive allied force landed on Kiska on Aug. 15, 1943, to find that the Japanese had already evacuated the island.

After his service in the Aleutians, Lynch served as a flight instructor in Canada for the rest of the war.

“Most of his squadron went to Europe, and most did not come back,” Abel said. “We are blessed. We started the blog in 2012 and it keeps growing. It has become my mission to get the word out. I feel guided by something much stronger than myself. We are going to get these guys recognized.”

Kathie Abel said her daughter’s determination to tell the story of the Aleutians in World War II brings her to tears.

“When my father came home from the war, he didn’t speak about it. The war was very hard and people had lost their lives,” Kathie Abel said.

“Cherish your loved ones,” she added. “Time goes by so fast. What Karen is doing is bringing a lot to life. I am so proud of her.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Anna Maria Island woman on mission to spotlight Aleutians campaign."