ALASKA'S DYSTOPIAN ABANDONED CITY (6000 people once lived here - over 99% are GONE)

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Welcome to America's modern-day ghost town - a place completely frozen in time.
Once a bustling city of 6000 residents, today only an estimated 77 year-round residents remain. Once home to one of America's most important Naval Air bases during the Cold War thanks to its strategic position at the edge of Asia (closer to Tokyo, Japan than Seattle, WA!) the city of Adak, Alaska now lies in ruin; its buildings forlorn and empty. The whole place feels like a dystopian ghost town right out of "The Last of Us" or "I am Legend".
In 1997, the United States Navy officially pulled out of Adak, closing this important Naval Air Base that was set up to monitor Soviet aggression during the Cold War. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the decision was made that the base was no longer necessary or viable, and the military abandoned its buildings and infrastructure here, recalling its servicemen and servicewomen to other stations. The land of Adak and its many buildings were then turned over to the local indigenous tribe for future stewardship.
Today, the mostly crumbling ruins of this once-massive military base dot its beautiful landscapes, which offer some of the best Caribout hunting, fishing, and hiking in the world. Adak is truly a bizarre place: a once-thriving society frozen in time and scattered with unexploded ordnance, its gritty military infrastructure juxtaposed against some of the most brilliant volcanic mountains and almost Jurassic Park-like scenery this side of Hawaii.
There are no hotels or other mainstream tourist services here. To help me explore this complex and nuanced island, I partnered with the amazing folks at Aleutian Outfitters to help me with the logistics of where to stay (their excellent lodges), how to get around (one of their trusted Ford Expeditions) and how to explore the land and the many historic buildings safely (they offer excellent guide services).
If you want to experience one of the most interesting places in North America, join me as I take you on the journey of a lifetime around this once-bustling city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Legal Disclaimers: The views expressed in this video are the sincerely-held, candid beliefs of the Producer and are not necessarily claimed to be objectively true or factually accurate, and may differ from the viewpoints of other entities who may disagree with their accuracy. As always, do your own research and form your own conclusions. Furthermore, the Producer of this video does not endorse or encourage urban exploration of Adak's buildings. Please ensure you seek permission and local advice before undertaking any urbexing in Adak, as doing so is at your own physical and legal risk.
00:00 Intro & Trip Overview
02:46 Flying to Adak
04:27 Aleutian Outfitters
07:42 Adak Townsite
09:58 Old Recreation Complex
14:25 Old McDonald's
16:16 Old Hospital
20:50 General Store
22:57 Tundra Tavern
25:01 Seven Doors of Doom
35:49 Bering Hill & Chapel
49:09 Finger Bay & Lake Betty Hike
54:14 Adak's "National Forest"
57:19 Clam Lagoon & Lake Andrew Recreation Area
58:21 NSGA Adak Radio Monitoring Station
62:54 Parcel 4 (Off-Limits)
63:39 Ptarmigan Hunting
64:33 Adak's Coastline
65:12 Thankyou Aleutian Outfitters!
65:58 Flying to Anchorage / Outro
Vlog Number 190 | #NorthAmerica #Alaska #Adak
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Special thanks to the sponsor of this video:
Aleutian Outfitters - aleutianoutfitters.com
Download the following music used in this episode with a free trial of Epidemic Sound! (www.epidemicsound.com/referra...)
Future Vibes by Qeeo
Morning Mist by Staffan Carlen
Not Blue (Instrumental Version) by Kylie Dailey
Stillness Within by Roots and Recognition
Through the Clouds by By Lotus.mp3
When We Were Friends by Amaranth Cove
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Thanks for Watching & Happy Drifting! 😎

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1 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 1,4 тыс.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

HEY ADAK FANS! If you liked this video, check out the neighbouring island of Dutch Harbor - an amazing place FILLED with WWII history! 😎 Watch it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--uNXq_XwRvw.html

@rp1645 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your ABANDON city tour. The big bay in Hospital could have been for Ambulance to be inside a closed bay because of COLD start and keep Ambulance warm.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@rp1645 Makes sense!!

@Wistful77 5 месяцев назад

I will check that out, just subbed. Thank you.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@Wistful77 Thanks for checking out my channel!

@lindajacquot5391 5 месяцев назад

Dutch Harbor is hardly "neighboring"!

@JWJ1960 4 месяца назад

LOL I can hardly believe this... At 4:04 the wooden sign you see in the airport, that says ADAK...I made that sign in High School in Mr. Vine's wood shop class when I was 15 years old! My dad was stationed there and I was a Navy dependent living there. That was 1975! I can't believe it's still there lol. Too freaking cool. It was awesome to see this. I actually questioned whether this could indeed be the same sign but seeing it now I'm positive as I remember being aggravated when I made it that the spacing wasn't consistent between the eagle and the letter A, lol. It is 2" mahogany that was cut by hand guiding the pieces through a band saw so not bad for a 15 year old. :)

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

What an amazing story! So cool that your handiwork still exists… I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon as it serves as the main welcome sign to all incoming passengers. Good job on the woodworking 👍 I was a teacher before I started this channel, so I can definitely say that I’m impressed that a 15-year-old created that. Well done, 10/10 😃

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

😁😇🙃🥳 Great 👍 Work buddy 😎😎 COOL 🆒 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@i_am_ava 4 месяца назад

Wow that’s so awesome! Great work it’s historic now!

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

@@i_am_ava Literally everyone arriving at the airport sees it! He should be very proud 👍

@paulgoble5678 4 месяца назад

Hope you took a screenshot of it lol. That's pretty awesome wow.

@naomivought9317 6 месяцев назад

My dad was stationed here in the Navy during the end of Vietnam for a year when he was 21. He saw some of these videos with me and he pointed out places he has been and how it all looks the same. My dad has some amazing stories and he has traveled so many places in the world when in the Navy. He says it’s crazy this is abandoned and time has stood still.

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

It's an incredible place that was truly mind-blowing to witness. it's incredible how much damage time, wind, rain, and earthquakes can do to a place. Please thank him for his service.

@LostBeagle 5 месяцев назад

My dad was there too. I bet he was friends with your dad

@LAppleDumpling 5 месяцев назад

You should get❤ a recorder and have it by you when you're chit chatting to keep the stories!!

@galeparker1067 5 месяцев назад

@@LAppleDumpling 👍👍🥰

@ruthhaught4296 5 месяцев назад

Thanks to your dad for his service and your family for their sacrifice. It was nice to hear feom someone who actually knew this place🇺🇲❤️🇺🇲❤️

@evolutionaryTom 6 месяцев назад

May be headed back there in August with a group of Marines who served there. The "7 doors of doom" compound was guarded by Marines. The MAUW (Marine Advanced Underwater Weapons) compound had nuclear depth charges that could be deployed by the P-3 Orion submarine hunting planes stationed there. All public knowledge now. The Reaction Force Facility was the building you saw the USMC graphics in. The RFF and the guard towers were all rebuilt in 1984 when I was there. During the construction we still had to guard the place 24/7/365 so they moved our quarters to the other Weapons Maintenance building near the guard tower at the main gate. There were also two Marines that patroled about a half mile or more of the land around the perimeter fence, again 24/7/365. That was the lowest post out there and you were there during white-outs, etc. The ACC on the wall stood for Alarm Control Center and that was the top post at the compound back then. The COG Hut was were the Corporals of the Guard could hang out a little bit away from all of the guard force. The whiteboard room was used as a classroom for training while you were at the compound. I think it was 3 days there, then you'd switch with the second section and they would go out there for 3 days, and so on. Just wanted to add some color to your awesome video. A lot of the Marines from there have a much better memory than I do. Thanks for posting and showcasing the island.

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for this - there’s near-zero context provided when touring around Adak, so I was confused by a lot of what I saw. This all makes perfect sense. It’s incredible that they chose to close down the base - probably poor military judgment in retrospect, with Russian aggression rearing its ugly head again. I’m not sure the Cold War ever truly ended, even if we think it did. Thank you for your service 🙏

@donglenney944 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed at Adak, Alaska from May 1968 to May 1969. The Marines stayed in the Barracks on Bering Hill then. The AUW compound was part of the Weapons Department on Bering Hill. Sad to see such devastating damage all over the Island. We always felt sorry for the Marines that walked the dog run around the compound.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@donglenney944 Thank you for your service! 🙏

@imee8825 5 месяцев назад

It reminded me when the US left the military bases the Air Force and navy base in the Philippines but , not as isolated as this one . For all the serviceman and women thank you all for your service. And thank you Dave for this wonderful video.🤙

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@imee8825 Thank you for the kind words! 🙏

@johnmacdonald9748 5 месяцев назад

I was deployed to Adak with my Seabee battalion as a small unit in 87/88. It was the most majestic and peaceful place I have ever been. So beautiful but the environment was no joke. I believe that it was termed the birthplace of the winds. We were housed in the barracks up on the hill and used the underground steam tunnels to get around when going outside was not an option. We worked hard, ate good, and partied like rock stars! I would love to visit again. Thank you for your video, it brought back great memories!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing - I saw your SeaBees logo around the ruins! Those underground tunnels are now filled with water and a bit dangerous to explore, so we didn’t. Though people who have done so said that it’s pretty thrilling to wade through those passageways. Thank you for your service and for your kind words - I’m glad you enjoyed the video 🙏

@LostBeagle 5 месяцев назад

I had an uncle in the Seebee's who was there in 87. He's dead now but I bet you partied with him. He partied a lot. Died of an overdose of DMT. 😪

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I’m sorry for your loss!

@NAMCBEO 5 месяцев назад

I believe in 1968 when the Navy sent Seabees to Adak, the NAS was serviced by CBMU'S. it being December I requested my orders to be changed after receiving orders to Adak. Too cold for this southern boy. In doing this, I was told, " Well young man your going to Vietnam " and I said fine. I then got orders for MCB3 in Okinawa. The Navy knew I could cut blue top grade with a grader without a "B" school, plus I had two brothers in country and they did not want all of us in a combat zone at once. Don't know if you had heard the saying about Adak " There are 5 women behind every tree " - - - but then you know the why that was a lie !

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@NAMCBEO Thanks for sharing your story! Do you regret not going to Adak?

@dw7094 6 месяцев назад

The McDonald's was a concessionaire of the Navy Exchange. It officially closed in June of 1994. In September 1994 a crew came in and removed the arches that were adjacent to the main road. The arches were packaged and shipped off the island on a Sampson barge back to McDonald's Corp. MWR was going to open it up as a burger joint, but the Skipper said no to that idea as there was still the Raven's Roost, The Husky Club, The Pizza Shop and the Aleutian Steakhouse open for the sailors.

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Wow! Thanks for sharing that insight - I would have loved to see what it was like in the 1990s as it was preparing to be shut down. It must have been quite the change from the bustle during the Cold War. I think it's absolutely sad that the Aleut Corporation, who was gifted almost all of this real estate free of charge, doesn't run informative tours of the island. It's just left to rot and decay. The Navy should have never rid themselves of the property, as clearly they may need to buy it all back, given the state of the world. Worst US military decision of the 1990s - a total waste to give it up.

@The_ZeroLine 4 месяца назад

@@DrifterDaveNot even approaching the worst decision. Maybe you’ve heard of the LCS program just to name the most expensive blunder. This base is a rounding error. I appreciate that it was disappointing there was no context, but to operate a guided tour would be an automatic loss maker.

@TheIcetemp 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed here in 1979 as a Hospital Corpsman. Looks just like I remembered. I was so happy to leave. Even with 6000 people you still are in the middle of nowhere.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I lived in the far north of the Canadian Arctic for three years, so I can definitely relate!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

🤣😂🤔

@LostBeagle 5 месяцев назад

My dad was there too. I bet you met him. He knew everyone

@David-vd9up 5 месяцев назад

I was there in 1979 too (attached to public works). I was there from January 1979 - January 1980. I found it interesting to see blue sky in the video since those were extremely rare events. You're right it was on the edge of no where. None of the amenities like Mc Donald's or Baskin & Robbins was there in the late seventies. That all came later.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@David-vd9up I’m sure that would have been a wild time to live up there, in the base’s relative infancy. I couldn’t even imagine what that would have been like.

@debbiefox8351 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed there at the weather office from 1988-1990. Was the best duty station I had in my 13 1/2 year Navy career. It was a great place during it’s day.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing - I would have loved to check it out during the time when the base was fully operating. You definitely get the sense that it was a very liveable place back in its day.

@davebarber9510 5 месяцев назад

I watched a film on adac about buried treasure from pirates running from an American fleet only problem was that there is so much dumped live ordanance metal detectors were a danger lol looks like a great posting in its day

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@davebarber9510 Yes! I haven’t seen that Netflix documentary yet but I heard that they didn’t end up finding any gold. But the gold is definitely there - it’s just a nightmare to try to dig it up, with all the hazards.

@patrickbrownrigg1058 5 месяцев назад

Worked at Tin City at the Bering Straight 1977-78. I would always submit a request for Adak over the global military teletype network. The weather there I read would do the damage we see here 30 years later

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@patrickbrownrigg1058 It’s an incredibly harsh environment - not to mention the earthquakes. I experienced a small 5.4 magnitude quake while there - it shook the whole lodge like a rag doll. It’s an incredibly unforgiving island.

@tinabroadaway6512 6 месяцев назад

Was married in the Chapel on January 1978 when I was stationed there THANK YOU for the memories of that day,❤

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

You're more than welcome! 😃

@jereesmyth9160 5 месяцев назад

Was stationed there at the time of your marriage. We probably passed by each other many times. I was a postal clerk and spent a lot of time at the airport unloading the DC 3s. And a lot of time in the enlisted club 😊

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing that so many of you can reconnect and reminisce about your time in Adak through this video!

@sarahmihelich3195 4 месяца назад

Oh, how wonderful!

@tinabroadaway6512 4 месяца назад

@@jereesmyth9160 We probably did crossed paths. Did a few mail runs from the Naval Facility to the post office.

@boscopit 5 месяцев назад

Lived there from 90-92. Hung out at the Bering building all the time. Pool, arcade, theater, pizza place, and ice cream. I lived in the duplexes at the bottom of the hill across the street. It was weird place and very contaminated.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I would have loved to see what it was like to live there while the base was in full operation! I’m sure it’s changed a lot since your service there

@boscopit 5 месяцев назад

Well my dad's service. Haha

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@boscopit Please thank him on behalf of all of us!

@jenniferpomeroy2222 5 месяцев назад

I wonder if any of the contaminations causes cancer. I lost my husband to cancer. This was his first duty station in the early 90s. Looks like they finally let new cars on the island. My husband loved Adak!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@jenniferpomeroy2222 I’m sorry for your loss! I do believe that there are several carcinogenic contaminants on the island. I met several biologists who are tasked with monitoring contamination levels and organizing cleanup and disposal. Definitely not somewhere that you’d want to linger, especially inside those abandoned buildings

@louiselebow6643 5 месяцев назад

We lived on Adak from 1991 to 1995, It was beautiful, and wonderful. Your intro actually passes our home, it breaks my heart to see it as it is now.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I’m sorry that they let it become just so deteriorated and decayed over time. Most of that real estate is not salvageable. Last I heard they’re selling property there for $5000 per house.

@nothingelse1520 4 месяца назад

I didn't live on Adak but Elmendorf in Anchorage. We used to spend countless hours in the woods, now the woods literally have ropes in front of them saying "Keep out on order of the base commander" sad being a kid in Alaska and not even being able to play in the woods.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

@@nothingelse1520 That is definitely sad to hear!

@grammysapeep9013 5 месяцев назад

My husband was stationed at Moffett Field, and his rotation was to Adak and Guam during the early 70s, as an aviation electrician. I will be showing him this.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing! Please thank him for his service, and I hope he enjoys the video of what Adak is like today

@getsmart9987 5 месяцев назад

Wow, sounds like he may have been there when my dad was! We lost him 2 years ago, but Adak left an impression on him, no question. Dad was at Moffett same time. VP 19.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@getsmart9987 I’m so grateful that this video has reconnected so many past servicemen and servicewomen and their families! It’s such a small world.

@larrykoslosky704 5 месяцев назад

Lived in Adak 20 years ago,ran the grocery store.At that time only 82 inhabitants.I really enjoyed the people,and the landscape.Rats were a big problem in my triplex housing

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I believe that rats are still a huge problem on Adak, though I didn't see any during my visit. My lodge was thoroughly rat-proofed and many traps were set, but none showed up, thankfully.

@David-gh6vp 5 месяцев назад

Rats? Will someone should have had the sense to send in the cats. My Norwegian Forest Cat takes them out often here in Oregon.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@David-gh6vp That’s a really good idea - I didn’t see any cats on Adak. Or many humans for that matter!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

🐀🐀🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🤣😂

@nickp1370 4 месяца назад

You know what the only problem would be with bringing in cats, eventually you would trade a rat problem for a cat problem! No joke, there are islands with hundreds of wild house cats because someone brought a few in for pest control. They breed like crazy! 😂

@cannon3267 5 месяцев назад

was stationed there 1973 to 1975. was suppose to be a 1 year tour, but i loved the hunting, fishing and hiking so much i extended 6 months. worked in the TSC, which is gone supporting the P-3s. looks like the earthquake proof barraks i lived in is gone too. went thru a 6.8 earthquake when great sitkan volcano blew its top. not a fun experiance watching a 10,000 foot runway undulating like waves on a lake. the only damage was two electrical/phone poles snapped off. oh...and a lot of soiled skivies.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

WOW! I actually experienced an earthquake while there, but it was the middle of the night and I didn't catch it on camera, so it didn't make the video. The entire house that I was staying in shook like a rag doll. Definitely unnerving as until then I'd only experienced earthquakes in Japan.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

🤣😂😅

@jereesmyth9160 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed in ADAK from the summer of 1977 til summer of 1978. Much more was added through the years after I left. This was my first duty station. A shame it’s just left to rot. Thanks for sharing.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your service 🙏 Definitely a shame that such a beautiful place has become so decayed and forlorn. Please share the video with any fellow veterans who might be interested in the content.

@chairlesnicol672 4 месяца назад

@@DrifterDaveWonder how much the pay was for working at McDonalds there was?

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

@@chairlesnicol672 Good question - I’m guessing in the range of five to seven dollars an hour? Somewhere in there, I’d say.

@kittdev 5 месяцев назад

Ran across this video while going down the rabbit hole! Boy, was I surprised! My husband was stationed at NSGA in 84-88. I have lots of great memories from living this experience. Thank you for sharing 😊

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You are most welcome! I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity to share Adak with everyone who has viewed this video so far 🙏

@akLeanne 3 месяца назад

When they clossed that base, all of the homes were still fully furnished. It's like the people just took themselves and left in a hurry. A friend of mine was sent there on a rescue rig. Told me all about it with pictures to verify.

@DrifterDave 3 месяца назад

Yeah, from my understanding it was way too costly for people to bring their stuff with them off of the island. Makes sense! But unfortunately, most of their belongings have been pilfered and scavanged since then (mostly by the local population).

@corvetteguy1980 5 месяцев назад

My dad was stationed there in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s. He flew on the P3s and we lived in the Eagle Bay housing.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Awesome! I hope it brought back some memories. Please thank him for his service.

@Errr717 5 месяцев назад

In the late 60's I went to sonar school in San Diego. On of the instructors had just spent 2 years in Adak where sonar technicians operated and maintained underwater listening devices in the Aleutians waters. Needless to say we heard a lot of stories about Adak ... good and bad. Having grown up in Hawaii, Adak was the last place I wanted to be. Two of my classmates who were from the NW requested to be stationed there and they got the assignment.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I can imagine it wouldn't be officers' first pick to be stationed in one of the most remote outposts in the Pacific. But my oh my what a fascinating little island.

@Hidden_Destinations 5 месяцев назад

One thing I noticed after watching so many urban exploring videos is that there is an absence of any graffiti. The remote location keeps it very authentic.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Definitely

@ryanworkman3032 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed on Adak in the 80’s. A little history. The Bering hill area was the marine corps section of the base. The rest was all navy

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Very good to know!! There is near zero information there to interpret what I was seeing.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

Damn right

@RussShawTV 5 месяцев назад

I was a teenager there 1n 83' I remember when we used to sneak under, in the tunnel to by smokes out of the Marine barracks vending machines

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@RussShawTV Naughty kids!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

🤣😂

@bernadettebarrett-nf8nb 5 месяцев назад

I just started to watch, about half way through,and I just keep saying WOW WOW , this is the first video I have watched on your channel, your narrative is excellent , I'm amazed at that McDonald's, and oh my yes the wrath of mother nature,, I imagine I will be wowing the rest of the way through the video, this is a great combo for me of abandoned places, ghost towns and the beauty of Alaska,Im retired medical so I was really WOWing at the hospital, recognize alot of the equipment, I really liked you explaining how got there...thank you , a good description of the remoteness, ill like share and subscribe, safe travels , I agree very hard to wrap your head around that its closer to Tokyo than Seattle

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for the kind words about the video! It was truly a mind-blowing destination that I knew I had to share with the world. Thank you for taking the time to like & share the video, and welcome to the channel! Enjoy the last half of your vicarious journey through Adak. Cheers.

@jtravis3354 5 месяцев назад

My husband was stationed there from 1964-65 as a fireman. He drove the Navy MB-1 Biederman crash truck which weighed 36,000 lbs. and which would occasionally get blown off the runway by the Adak winds! It was really interesting to see your video. Thanks.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@jtravis3354 You’re more than welcome!!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@jtravis3354 The winds are INCREDIBLE. Like nowhere else on Earth.

@miked451 6 месяцев назад

The best video I’ve seen of Adak. Thank you for the quality content!

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Wow, thank you! Please share it with anyone you might think would likewise be interested! 🙏

@johng3497 4 месяца назад

I was stationed on Adak from 1977 to 1979 as an enlisted man. Your lodge looks like a housing area called Kuluk I believe. One of my best friends and his wife and 2 kids lived there. The view of the living room gave me flashbacks! LOL The first area you visited around 9:07 of the video was a housing area known as Turnkey. It was almost new when I moved in. On the ground floor were the living room, kitchen and a half bathroom with laundry. Upstairs were 2 bedrooms and a full bath. The shop building you went to was the hub of the "town". My unit had a bowling team that played there, the Navy exchange ran the little restaurant. There was no McDonald's nor Baskin Robins at that time. We got Burger King flown in for the Fourth of July, but you had to place and pay for your order in late June. The "unidentified" cart at 19:05 is a cart that is used to load and unload autoclaves where surgical instruments are sterilized. The item you called a gurney at 19:18 is a folding stretcher as used in the field. The squarish feet on it actually fit into "pockets" on field hospital operating room tables so injured can be placed directly on the table without having to remove the patient from the stretcher. The Tundra Tavern was the Marine club. (Named after the founding site of the USMC). Their claim to fame was their Mexican food. Bering Hill was mainly a mainly barracks area. There were 2 clubs there, the Enlisted Men's club (in the main building) and the Petty Officers' Club (The Husky). The movie theater, library and small extension of the Navy exchange were in the main building as was the pool, gym and snack bar. The chow hall was across the street as I recall. The large beige building was not there when I was. The stream emptying to Finger Bay is a salmon run (Humpback) where we fished in the spring as they were on the way to spawn. There was a WWII vintage Quonset hut on the side of Mt Moffett that we used a s a ski lodge. Access was by snow mobile and if you had one you had a key to the lodge. There was an abandoned ski lift up there also. In my 23 years in the Navy, Adak was my absolutely favorite duty station. The Birthplace of the Winds, where the duty was great, but the liberty sucked!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

Thanks 😊 For Your Service !!! I Was Stationed On her right behind U NSGA 80-81. 395 days On The ROCK 🪨 ☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️🌨️🌨️🌨️🌨️💦💦❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️☃️☃️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨🇺🇸🇺🇸

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your memories of your time on the island, and for all of these clarifying insights that help me better understand what I was seeing and experiencing. It’s an incredible place and honestly a living museum of military history that I hope others will eventually get a chance to explore. Such an amazing place. Thank you for your service, and please share this video with other vets that might be interested in a tour of what Adak is like today 👍

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 3 месяца назад

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@debbiedugay8574 4 месяца назад

So many of us USNavy vets have wonderful memories of Adak. It was wonderful to see it again thru this video but also sad to see it so lifeless........

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Definitely! I’m sure it was a great place to serve during its time 👍

@longblacktrain777 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for doing this tour. As a resident of Adak Alaska living there until 91 4 years or around there. It sure takes me back. If you have any questions about what you saw my mother was the MWR director which is morale welfare and recreation the building that you were in with the bowling alley the kuluck building was where my mom's office was. She also took care of the pool in the bearing building. We lived in the ugly brown and yellow houses called turnkey right off of seal drive. I used to eat at that McDonald's regularly and go see my mom at work and bowl to my heart's content. I could go on for hours about Adak.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You’re more than welcome! I’ve always been fascinated with the island and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance to visit. Thanks also for the positive feedback about the video & I’m definitely glad that you enjoyed it!

@PlatinumIrishrose 5 месяцев назад

Write your stories down.

@RussShawTV 5 месяцев назад

Dude me too. I was a teen there 82-84

@sdriza 4 месяца назад

@PlatinumIrishrose you are so WRITE but seriously, I wished I had made my mother write things down

@elikapeka5905 5 месяцев назад

I once lived on this island, while serving in the military

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing! Did you enjoy it? What do you remember about your time there?

@longblacktrain777 5 месяцев назад

The restaurant in the bearing building was a Pizza Hut but unlike any other Pizza Hut I have ever seen. It was a white tablecloth restaurant that served Cherry's jubilee and Pizza Hut pizza as well as many other fine dining dishes. Caribou and halibut surf and turf. And many other things.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Nice! I came across an old menu that was laying under the dust and glass - it looked like it had quite the variety.

@kathleenmann7311 5 месяцев назад

My uncle was stationed there in the early sixties. He was a Chief Petty Officer. Never talked about his time in the Navy. It looks pretty gloomy 🙁

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Definitely a gloomy place! But beautiful in its own right 👍

@navyskaterdude 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed at NAS Adak in the mid 80s. Thanks for the look back bro

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Awesome - thank you for your service. Glad you enjoyed the video 👍

@billotto602 5 месяцев назад

One of my dearest friends served up there. It would break his heart to know what has happened to it now.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I’m sure it would - such a huge loss. It’s still an amazing island for outdoor pursuits, though - one of the best in the country

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

The otter painting was a reference to the Adak school mascot. The Adak otters. There was a bridge where you could watch the otters somewhere on the island. Took many field trips to that area

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Candlestick Bridge! Thanks for the insight about the otters logo - makes sense!!

@brockwalters5110 5 месяцев назад

I was there from 94-96, bowled in that alley many times!!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing! You’ll be happy to hear they’re trying to restore it to its former glory 👍

@longblacktrain777 5 месяцев назад

Kuluk building

@3beardsandaboss641 2 месяца назад

I was there 95 to 96 air ops

@user-lq1jq5iv5n 5 месяцев назад

Dave, it was amazing. We drove around in military 4x4’s and had access to everything. There was still a listening post with a few military. They left two 90’ ocean going tugs that looked so new I didn’t go on to them but a crab boat captain told me they had left them. They left about six new big school buses and four big aircraft fuel trucks. It was endless. There was so much heavy equipment including a mobile road building machine pulled by a Cat D9 that they just parked it all in the open. Ask about those signs in the fence. I can’t tell you here in the open. Safe travels.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Would LOVE to hear more of your story and insights - email me directly at the email address located in the “About” tab on my channel profile 👍

@LesMorrisracing 5 месяцев назад

When I was in the Navy we had one of our aircraft brake down and land there. I had to go and fix it. Was crazy it was 25 below zero and it did not feel like it. We got the airplane fixed and left. Was weird there the Barrack's had the chow hall and movie theater all together. You didn't have to walk out side

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Definitely a well thought-out complex, with several underground tunnels connecting the various buildings 👍

@lordgarak 4 месяца назад

Kind of reminds me of Stephenville Newfoundland where I grew up. The US base there closed in 1964, 20 years before I was born. But rather than being left to rot, everything was sold to locals. Many of my friends grew up living in the base housing. The hospital where I was born was once the base hospital. Many of the buildings have been torn down at this point but many have been maintained and renovated. The main difference is that 20 years later there were still 8000 people living in town and over 25,000 people living in the service area.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

That’s definitely an amazing success story! I’ve never been to Stephenville - are there any visible remnants of the US presence? Encampments / pillboxes / bunkers?

@grumpyolddwarf8953 4 месяца назад

I lived there from 79-83, all 4 yrs of high school...I really miss it and think of it often even after 40 yrs😊good memories for the most part..the lodging neighborhood was called Kuluk that's where I lived.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

That’s awesome! I hope this video brought back some good memories for you - please share the link with anyone else you lived with up there that might be interested in the video! Such an amazing island 👍

@Beachbum30 5 месяцев назад

I really appreciated you sharing this !My foster father who raised me from age 4,was stationed in the Alucian Islands as a young man.Ive seen many pics of his buddies and planes he worked on ,but not the landscape.He would just talk about how freezing cold it was.Very interesting to get to see it !Many years later ,but so interesting and even sad to see the life it once had.Thanks so much.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You are more than welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😎

@longblacktrain777 5 месяцев назад

I used to go out to finger Bay to go fishing all the time. You could literally catch salmon upstream with your bare hands. I have pictures of it in fact.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

That’s awesome. I wish I could have gotten out into nature a bit more - I was definitely preoccupied with the abandoned buildings. I plan to return to Adak at some point and focus on the outdoors, as I only grazed the surface of it on this trip.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

Yeah 👍 Some At NSGA including myself did The same thing a Couple of times !!!🐠🐠🐟🐟

@ggregory6611 4 месяца назад

Went to Adak after high school 1977…..worked at the AEFES military store…. Had to fly to Shimiya (sp) to leave from Adak….. flew on Reeves Aleutian Airways…. A modified DC3 three turbo props….. it’s weird to see Adak in this condition since 1977…. Been in most of the buildings that are in this video….there was a Burger King…..Did you visit the Alaska state forest…lol…..one tree in a square meter of fence…now it’s bigger!……Bowled in that bowling alley…..wow….did you find the submarine pens?……hellacious trip….lol thanks…!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

McDonald’s

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I didn’t find the submarine pens, but I did visit the Adak National Forest! if you want to check it out, it’s near the end of the video (see the video description for a direct link to jump to that chapter 👍). thanks for sharing your memories of Adak!

@robertballard8833 4 месяца назад

My brother was stationed at ADAK during the Vietnam war65- 6 7- Radio Survellience with the Navy. Too bad he didnt live to see this video.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I wish he could have watched it! It was the project I was most excited to produce in 2023, and I’m pretty happy with the result and the ability to share it all with you! I had no idea that it would go viral!

@MsDeenaBlue 6 месяцев назад

My first duty station was NAF Adak from Dec 1974 to Dec 1975. I was stationed at AIMD down in Birchwood barracks. Would loke to visit but realistically probably won't happen.

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Hopefully you'll have the chance to head back at some point, but until then, I hope this video helped you do so vicariously through my experiences.

@TheAKbob 5 месяцев назад

I was there also aimed Birchwood barracks worked gse shop

@samzavinful 5 месяцев назад

Turned down orders to Adak Ak in 1991 after getting back from Desert Storm... Kinda wish I hadn't 0 but its good to see the Adak National forest is still standing.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

That little forest is still alive and kicking! 🌲

@uponrequest449 5 месяцев назад

Did physical security on magazines in 1978 . White Alice was still up. Was able to explore all over after taking training as you could fall through tundra into crevice if not paying attention

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@uponrequest449 Crazy!!

@RussShawTV 5 месяцев назад

When I was the many would go mostly inner tubing and sledding on the hill behind Adak Forest. Many used Adak Forest at the time to do there business Told my wife about it. This is the first time she was able to see it. Thanks again 🙏

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@RussShawTV You’re more than welcome! Please share the video with any friends or former servicemen that you think might be interested!

@kathleenmartin7498 5 месяцев назад

This reminds me of an abandoned air force base I stayed at in 1979 near Glasgow, MT. I was told it used to house up to 10,000. They had a grocery store, movie theatre , schools etc. I don't know who actually owns the site, but I know you can buy houses there

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I read about that place! I may have to take a drive out there as it’s relatively close to where I live 👍

@ut561 4 месяца назад

I've never been to Adak but in 1976 after my military training in florida, we had choices of about a dozen duty stations for my line of work. One of those choices was Adak. Everyone turned in their top 3 choices and I ended up in Scotland.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Do you regret not going?

@jaymartin4166 5 месяцев назад

I was stationed on Adak while in the Navy. I can't believe you didn't show the Polar Bear at the Anchorage airport.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Was in a rush to get to my flight. Was fighting off a flu and slept in - but I’ll be back through there and will make a full Anchorage video 👍

@surf6009 5 месяцев назад

Wow! Thanks for the video. I'm sure glad you showed me this. Something I'd never do.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You're more than welcome! It's an incredibly bizarre and fascinating place & well worth a visit.

@HillbillyWhisperer63 4 месяца назад

I was stationed there in 90-92. I was a weather forecaster AG1

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thank you for your service 🙏

@Over50YearsOffgrid 4 месяца назад

As a boy my dad told stories of his naval time in WWII on the battleship Nevada, shelling Adak to retake it.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Amazing!! So much WWII history in the Aleutians - much that has been sorely forgotten as the years go by.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

WOW 😮 🚢🚢🚢🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@Over50YearsOffgrid 4 месяца назад

@@DrifterDave My dad always down played his role in that battle to the point I thought it was just a little engagement. Later after he died, I watched a documentary of the battle of the Aleutians and was surprised at the intensity of that battle.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Absolutely one of the most intense theatres of war. I learned a ton about the Battle for the Aleutians while on neighboring Unalaska-Dutch Harbour just before I filmed this video. That’s also an island FULL of World War II history, with bunkers and pillboxes galore.

@schristi69 5 месяцев назад

I was there 65-68 as a dependent. My father was with MCB 10. You should have seen what the winds did to the old quonset huts and wooden buidings. We used to play in them and came across some amazing stuff. The are all gone now. They removed them as part of the superfund cleanup. My dad and his crew paved the road from the airport terminal to the traffic circle and a lot of other infrastructure on the island during the 3 tours he did on Adak. It was a great place. The Bering building was not officers entertainment building. I was for the use of everyone. The library was upstairs. There was a gym right by the theatre. Bowling alley, sauna, hobby shop, ceramic shop and AFRTS studios in the basement The Williwa lounge was on the same floor as the theatre. Burger, fries and a coke. I spent so many hours in the Bering building. 1.00 movies and a free shuttle ride up the hill. We weren't there more than a couple of months before we had a tsunami alert and had to evacuate to Bering hill. The set off the nuke on Amchitka. Great memories.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing, thank you for sharing your insights of what Bering Hill once was. There’s literally zero information today, and even my guides were a bit fuzzy on some of the details. I don’t know if any former servicemen or servicewomen still live there (I don’t think so). The entire place is a living museum 👍

@ocsrc 5 месяцев назад

Knowing about a job that I was offered when I was young in the 80s for a base, not sure if this was the actual base, but it was obe of them in the islands in AK, I would bet Parcel 4 has the underground complex. The position that was offered to me was working on an island with a base and an underground complex and it was a 6 month on, 6 month off assignment. And it was made clear to me that I would be underground the entire time the whole 6 months. The underground complexes are never listed and the only people who know about them are the high level commanders and the people who work in these complexes. Incredibly I was going to be a cook. Nothing to do with anything military. They needed people who were cooks and I had passed the security clearance and background check and credit checks. I went on to work for the government directly and as an independent contractor for many years and for my State directly and as an independent contractor for many years. I really regret not taking the job in AK. It is the type of job you should take if you are young.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Absolutely agree - it’s a shame you didn’t get to experience it! And yes - Adak has an underground base from my understanding, though I’m not sure of its location. I read they had infrastructure for underwater missile deployment, so likely somewhere adjacent to the water?

@jayareparker 4 месяца назад

I bowled in that bowling alley and went through that McDonald's drive through in 1988 when our Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell pulled into port back in the day.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Amazing! Probably hasn't changed that much since your visit. None of the machines work anymore, but it's in otherwise pretty good condition.

@SuzanneDesign 4 месяца назад

My dad was with Seabees on Adak (WW II). I think they were building an airstrip. The island in this video sure looks different from the pictures my Dad took. Fascinating!

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Definitely a fascinating place 👍

@tmann9090 5 месяцев назад

My father was there in the early 40s and he toldme that the sun never came out the entire time he was there except once when he was sleeping and a buddy woke him up so he could see it. He refered to it happy valley because it was cold wet and miserable

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I’m sure it had its ups and downs! I lived in the Canadian Arctic for three years and I could only handle it in small doses. Being that isolated changes you.

@Wizwiz2112 5 месяцев назад

NSGA Adak 80-81. CTO3 worked at Zeto point. Lifetime ago. Sad to see it like this.

@thomasdymowski5848 5 месяцев назад

I was a ctm2 @ Adak. Very interesting duty. I like it. ITS ‘ THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE WIND’ The wind COMES DOWN FROM THE BERING SEA THEN DOWN TO THE LOWER 48. I WISH MY FELLOW SHIPMATES AFAIR WIND AND FOLLOWING SEAS’.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your service! 🫡 Definitely sad to see it like this

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

Adak NSGA 80-81 Myself !!!!! 🇺🇸

@ron_m255 2 месяца назад

My first duty station was at NSGA 76-77 CTOSN, I also alternated out at Zeto point.

@SkateCritic 5 месяцев назад

The Bering Gym in the Bering Building was also a Roller Rink

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Awesome! I would have loved to see what the entire place felt like back then. It seemed like they had plenty going on.

@SkateCritic 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your Awesome documentation of this piece of our past..🥰

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@SkateCritic You’re more than welcome!

@MrMikey4026 6 месяцев назад

I spent some time in that bowling alley, maybe ate pizza and drank a beer.

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Nice! I would have loved to see what Adak was like before its current state. I’m sure it was a fairly happening place.

@MrMikey4026 6 месяцев назад

@@DrifterDave it was a bit of civilization during long Bering sea patrols. They had more eagles in one place than I have ever seen.

@ronaldsnider8078 5 месяцев назад

Did you get to the beach where landing craft was training for wwii. I was station up there and flew all around the base. 1st Lt plot

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

There's so little information about anything in Adak, I very well might have, but would never have known. Do you have Google Maps coordinates for it? I wonder if I saw it without realizing. There literally ZERO information in Adak.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

✈️✈️✈️🌬️🌬️💨💨💨👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

@waynedavis7245 5 месяцев назад

The government should've had to clear all the contaminants up . But we see this all the time. The government walks off and abandons a facility. Companies are really bad about it too .

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Absolutely. The biologists that I interviewed (who didn’t want to appear on camera) agreed that the situation is horrible, and the island is beyond contaminated.

@johnmcnulty4425 5 месяцев назад

Much respect for traveling to this far flung location and giving us a great video tour!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You’re more than welcome! It was one of the highlights of 2023 for me, for sure - such an incredible experience 👍

@andrewdavis6917 4 месяца назад

I was in and out of there I do not know how many times.. the liquor store was just up from the pier.. man o man memories..

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I hope this video helped you relive a few of them! And the liquor store is now in a sea can 👍

@thisisme3238 5 месяцев назад

First time to see your channel was this video. Very good footage as well as very interesting content. Think I'll subscribe and look for more adventures from your videos.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Welcome to the channel! And thank you for the kind words 🙏

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 6 месяцев назад

Hey 👋 buddy talking about The Birthplace of The WINDS 💨 I’ve been gone from the Rock 🪨 42 years Now and still until this day if I hear 👂 a good enough Wind Strong and Whistling a long duration I will start to feel Depressed 😔 !!! I’ve read other Veterans 🇺🇸 that were Stationed there have the same issues !!!

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

It’s amazing how those things can affect one’s mood long term - the mind & our memories are powerful

@sgholt 4 месяца назад

I was 11 when we lived in Adak in 1969 -70 my Navy Commander dad ran the airfield tower, we landed in a full on blizzard at that very airport(that was where my Dad worked)....We lived on Kresta (Circle or Loop?, it was a long time ago) It was a street across from the Middle/High School. If there was any left over ammo or shells we found very little as kids :p Those houses look a little better than the ones we had, but very similar. There are a lot more buildings now, also falling apart. We went through many gale force storms on the island. Didn't they have a slot car track there by the bowling alley? We also spent a lot of time up the hill at the Bering Building...Movies, bowling and cafeteria...Yup, the barracks and church and all the other stuff. we lived down the hill ....Never knew they had a nuclear storage :o, I did see the DEW radar arrays , with the same signs...there was a underground hospital from way back, to the north of the island(?) Is the Adak Natl Forrest still there? and I hear now, it now is a Pet Cemetery...It was certainly beautiful, but I was a kid out exploring...I remember Caribou getting on the runway, they used shotguns(in the air) to scare them off the field. I saw several otter in a inlet like that...we caught trout in those creeks...there are a lot of hidden gun nests around the hills we discovered on our hikes....Sitkin is the volcanic one, not Moffet...I think our pet was the buierd behind the house

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing your memories of the island! Yes, I did visit the National Forest/Pet Cemetary - check out the chapters listed in the video description and you’ll find it if you want to check it out!

@Thuddster 4 месяца назад

That Mickey-D drive thru menu was a trip - and those prices were for the most remote mcdonalds in the US (if not the world)! I've spent many hours checking out Adak (and Attu) on Google Earth, in great detail. Quite a few abandonded and overgrown airfields and hardstands can be seen, if you look closely. Fascinating! Lots of open trash pits are visible scattered around the area though, on both islands. Much to clean up, someday... Great video blog, thank you sir. Now I need to put travel to Adak on my bucket list.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

DO IT! Fascinating island & one of the most beautiful regions in Alaska

@marciakipp3633 5 месяцев назад

Storage ? That could be a home for someone!!! 😮

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

It’s a very interesting place - but probably a bit too far to use any of the vacant homes for the homeless. It’s closer to Japan than the mainland USA!

@kimlarso 5 месяцев назад

Right?!

@mdv2043 5 месяцев назад

There were nuclear bombs ,nuclear depth charges and nuclear subs stationed on/at Adak no nuclear war heads...

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Good to know - I was flying blind with no cellular data, limited on-the-ground information, and could only interpret what I was seeing through context. Though I’m loving the chance to go through all these comments to learn a lot more and put the entire trip in better context 👍

@mdv2043 5 месяцев назад

@DrifterDave it's a pretty cool place been there a few times. Usually go to Alaska every three yrs.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@mdv2043 awesome!!

@briantruck2284 4 месяца назад

Sure

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

Bering hill, houses the bookstore, a pool, and skating rinc, also pizza place

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

It definitely had a lot going on!!

@anitacoco7542 4 месяца назад

Was stationed there 79-82. It was an amazing place and my favorite place to live in my life. The friendships we made are still going strong. I was an air traffic controller and worked in the control tower seen in this video, and also in a radar trailer next to the runway. Weather was nice in this video but it was bleak, windy, rainy with low ceilings most of the time. At times very difficult for aircraft to land.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thank you so much for sharing your memories of your time on Adak Island. It is definitely a special place. I can’t wait to return there to further explore it - I only scratched the surface.

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

Adak NSGA 80-81 🪨🇺🇸🇺🇸

@lancebon2931 5 месяцев назад

In 1892 Russian pirate Gregory Dwargstof buried over $300 million worth of gold coins in 150 tin cans throughout the island of Adak, which is located in the southwestern part of the Aleutian Islands. Since then, only two cans have been found (.Feb 17, 2023)

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

They have a documentary about this on Netflix! Turns out they didn’t find anything but a few coins due to the huge amount of unexploded ordinance that made the search impossible

@lancebon2931 5 месяцев назад

@@DrifterDave Yes I saw parts of it. I was interested in the mineral resources on the Island. I had a shipmate on the RV Robert D Conrad, in 1967. He was talking about the job he had as a powder monkey in Adak and other places in Alaska. He lived in (if I remember right Seward or Sitka). He was sent all over Alaska to work for mining companies and government contractors. He apparently had fond memories of those days in the late 1940s. When I was sailing on the BOBBY D (what the crew called her), I worked as an oilier in the engine room.. A note; and shout out to him, he was the finest seaman that I ever sailed with. He had been a bosun on the Yankee owned by Capt. Johnson. Our ship that year 1967, was doing research work in the South Pacific, testing for radiation effects on sea life and the radiation levels of the seawater. As well as plate tectonics. Danny S. (his name) had sailed these waters before on the Yankee. Once on another sailboat, he was grounded on the Island of Nuku Hiva for two weeks. So Adak has always fascinated me. In fact one of the church windows I was designing for a church here in Puerto Rico inspired the design I did, even though it doesn't look like the one in Adak, it was the rhythmic quality of light and line that impressed me.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing! It’s definitely a fascinating part of the world 👍

@diane9247 5 месяцев назад

This was so great to see! My dad was there in the '80s as a civilian contractor, working on the Naval communication system. It's so strange to think he would have lived for months in one of those abandoned buildings. Thanks for a great tour! Greetings from Oregon.😊 P.S.: He loved it there for the landscape and said the "grub" was pretty good.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Amazing! Thanks for sharing your Dad’s experiences - and the grub is still pretty good today! (even if they’re only open three nights a week 🤦‍♂️)

@robertholmberg3139 4 месяца назад

Was out in Adak ak in 1998-1999 that house is an older on then the two stories are newer had awesome sunrooms and older is the ones falling apart also loved that high school building had an gaming room workout gym and pool there is also mc Donald's and Boling Allie I been there while I was there on the island and live mines out in the tundra awesome to see all again

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Glad to share it all again with you 🙏 I hope you enjoyed the video!

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

My Dad was stationed in Adak, we lived there from 86'-88'. I have indoor photos of that McDonalds, from my 6th or 7th birthday party. Also, we lived directly across the road from that Mcdonald. I have pictures of Bald Egale on and around their dumpsters and utility vehicles in the parking lot.

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

Aviation Ordinanceman First Class Paul "lindensky" Lind.

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

Use to fish salmon at finger bay, or thumbay I don't remember

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

GO OTTERS!

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

The only trees on the island, idk if they are still there, was called pet cemetery

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@paullind3267 it’s in the video - check the chapters in the video description if you want to watch 👍

@deepbludude4697 5 месяцев назад

I worked at Attu, Shemya, and Adak TDY all the islands pretty damn cool. IIRC the old church on bearing hill was built buy USACE in 1944 then moved to where you saw it. I was there in 91 and they started restoring it but was a huge undertaking and it might not have been finished I know PCS people might have more info on it.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Very interesting! And I agree that the Aleutians are incredible 👍

@noonecareswhenalltheydo 4 месяца назад

If it wasn't so expensive to live in such a remote area, I would be one of the ones wanting to live there. Not to mention that I would probably be the guy being seen occasionally on a zero turn mower running around mowing some of that high grass!!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 4 месяца назад

🤣😂 TUNDRA

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

It's definitely overgrown in many places! lol

@toddgibson1599 4 месяца назад

Dave, thank you for sharing this. I thoroughly enjoyed and felt like I was visiting Adak right along side you. What a beautiful, historic, and mysterious place all in one. Please keep doing what you do best.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the kind words 🙏 I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

Hey 👋 Drifter Dave you have not heard the last of me yet !!!! 😁😄😃😆 I bet I’m still The only Sailor NSGA WW2 and beyond that by Mistake during an Adak : I want to say blizzard 🥶 but that doesn’t even Capture it the Weather !!! 🤣 Raised and Tied off The COLORS 🇺🇸🇺🇸 Don’t think 🤔 I told you this Story Drifter Dave !!! Well I had been at NSGA maybe a Week before I went to the XO’s Office. I was Ordered The next morning to Raise Colors 🇺🇸 So Come the NeXT morning I Retrieved the Flag 🇺🇸 and Went Outside To The flagpole same flagpole in your Video!!! 🤣😂 Like I said earlier damn Snowing 🌨️ SIDEWAYS !!! 😅 with all The Top 🔝 Brass Looking 👀 on for Colors including The XO. So in a Hurricane 🌀 I begin raising The Flag 🇺🇸 and it gets to the top and I tie it off and pace back to Salute 🫡 Colors and I got the Flag Upside down 🙃 with All the Top 🔝 Brass inside of the galley walkway looking 👀 on through the Windows 🪟 and a Upside Down 🙃 American 🇺🇸 Flag represents The Fort is under Siege !!! So I quickly in the damn hurricane 🌀 just arrived there week ago Knew Knowone but they was all fixing to know me !!! Maybe 🤔 that’s the reason they called me while I was Stationed there Downtown Mitch Brown !!! 😆😁 My Ship 🚢 also !! Unbelievable Ran to the flagpole and lowered and raised the right way !! Embarrassing as hell !! But to me funny 😄 as hell now!! I was Stationed there after that incident another 387 more days and I was Never 👎 Ordered to Raise Colors Again !! Even tho it was a Mistake !! Maybe 🤔 I just figured out Why The XO Hated me so in my last Comment Drifter Dave !!!!! PTSD is a funny thing. I’ve been out of the Military 41 years and The VA just started paying me benefits 2018 and I got out 1983. Had to fight them for years still fighting them for benefits I Earned 🇺🇸 got one ☝️ Appeal To a VA Judge 👩‍⚖️ In Washington DC Now for 3 years 4 Months and 5 days so far he hasn’t even Looked at it yet !! And I’m a Low Income Veteran!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 Since Oct 8 2020. Claim first put in to the VA before Appeal July 19 2019. I didn’t mean 😭 to go off on this tangent but A Lot of Other Honorable Veterans that Served this Country are Still fighting for their benefits also 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I'm sure that's a mistake you'd never want to make again! And I'm glad they've finally given you recognition of your service. Thanks for sharing!

@CaptTony107 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for showing this to the country. It's a perfect example of why military budgets are out of control and shows how recklessly they spend TAXPAYER MONEY! Disgusting is the only word I have for how they abandoned this and allowed it to rot away. (It's like what they did in Afghanistan!!!) It's time someone calls out those in charge of military budgets and shows this film every time they request more money!!!

@kimlarso 5 месяцев назад

Right?!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

It’s absolutely shocking to see the amount of infrastructure that was abandoned by the military. When they pulled out, they deeded the land titles over to the local Native corporation…and now there’s talking of BUYING BACK the land from them. Absolutely maddening, in my opinion!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

😳😂🪨🙃🧐😩😡🤬🤯😱😳👺👹👍👋

@frankiegee8656 5 месяцев назад

That wasted money protected people like you from the Russians. It's ironic how some people think their democracy is a birthright out of thin air.

@pilsplease7561 5 месяцев назад

They should have kept it because it cost more to abandon than to maintain it. @@DrifterDave

@moepow8160 4 месяца назад

How could you spend 4 days there and not pick up a fishing pole ! Some people like chicken, and some people don't. Thanks for showing us around. I was stationed on an island out in the Atlantic Ocean. A thousand miles from the closest land. It wasn't abandoned, but there is something about small isolated places, very peaceful.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I had a pretty limited time there & we all regret not getting out on the boat. BUT - I plan to return to Adak at some point to focus on the outdoors & hiking. My time on this trip was primarily focused on the abandoned base 👍

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

PS - where were you stationed?!

@sdriza 4 месяца назад

there was a small discotheque upstairs from an apartment called Crosswinds - super fun time... ~40 years ago

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

So many memories! I hope this video continues to be viewed by those who served there, as I love hearing about what life was like in Adak back then 🙏

@sarahmckenzie7989 5 месяцев назад

Really enjoyed your trip and narration! Wish it still had a purpose--such a shame to see it all deteriorate...

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Definitely a shame! Thank you for the kind words 🙏

@papasmodelcarroom8450 5 месяцев назад

First, AMAZING AMAZING video thanks for sharing. Second, it was so cool reading the comments of service men that were stationed there and people who lived there.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for the kind words!! I had a lot of fun filming and producing this video. After 50 hours of production time, and the video stuck at 3000 views for over a month, I was beginning to wonder if anyone cared about this little island. It turns out, many people do. It’s been great to connect all of these servicemen and servicewomen again through this video 👍

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

Thanks 😊 again my friend

@rialbbe 4 месяца назад

It's so awesome to know this places exist and how beautiful it is that we taken for granted to visit this natural beauty. How I wish I could visit this someday even a slim change to be a reality. To all Americans out there, please preserve and admire your countries natural heritage that you have. How I wish I was an American citizen that could travel in this natural beauty.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

I hope you get to visit someday!

@rialbbe 4 месяца назад

@@DrifterDave Thanks. Keep the great videos up.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Thank you - I’ll try! 🙏

@covercalls88 5 месяцев назад

Last year I visited Alaska and stayed in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Seward. Outside the cities Alaska is a very harsh environment and seeing some of abandoned buildings reminds me of how quick land reclaims everything.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Definitely! And in Adak’s case, the vandalism and intentional destruction has only sped that process along

@gregwhite7957 5 месяцев назад

Great video Dave. First timer here. Former Alaskan of 33 years. I worked with a guy up in Fairbanks that was stationed out on shemya island, the last island on the chain, as a radio operator. Airplane in, airplane out. He had stories that would make you shiver. Ropes that tied buildings together in the winter so that you could go between because the wind blew so hard. Food was rationed because the planes couldn’t get in. Just imagine that. Crazy. I worked for two different all cargo airlines over the years out of Fairbanks. I missed my one chance to go to Adak. It was a beautiful winter day out there at that time so I was told. I always regretted not going on that trip. Thanks for your content. Take care and stay safe.

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I would love to visit what's left of Shemya - probably will never get the chance, as the cost would be five figures minimum. I can't imagine living up there during those days with the storms they had. And I thought the Canadian Arctic was bad! Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to check out my channel!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 6 месяцев назад

Thanks 😊 so much for this Video

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

My pleasure - it was a fascinating island to explore & I'm grateful that I had the chance to experience it.

@SAMOS-ts5vy 5 месяцев назад

Very glad i discovered your channel, amazing content and so well and respectfully presented! Keep up the great work and all the best!!!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for the kind words! Welcome to the channel 😎

@ajediknight 4 месяца назад

Stopped over in Adak twice on the way to Japan while in the Marines. Makes me feel old to see it an abandoned site falling apart.

@DrifterDave 4 месяца назад

Definitely a sad turn of events for what was once a nice little community

@markshietze4783 6 месяцев назад

outstanding ! what a great video ❤😊

@DrifterDave 6 месяцев назад

Thanks! Feel free to share it with those who might be interested. Such a mind-blowing place 🤯

@paulknightsmokey73 5 месяцев назад

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.. I really appreciate your efforts to make this video i watch lots of urban explorer type stuff but nothing on this level, i enjoyed reading all the comments from the service men that served there.... 5 * s ☮️👍🇬🇧

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You’re more than welcome! It was a great experience filming in Adak and putting this short film together. Thanks for the kind words 🙏

@longblacktrain777 5 месяцев назад

We used to go out to candlestick bridge and watch the otters at the bay. Several miles after national Forest. We would get hours of entertainment fishing for Dolly varden from the lakes and watching the otters play and catch their dinner

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I spotted a few otters in the clam lagoon but couldn’t get out to Candlestick Bridge as the road was washed out!

@RussShawTV 5 месяцев назад

Caught so many Dolly Varden! Good eatin' too! Do you Remember Candle Fish? 🕯

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I wonder if they're still around in the waters up there? Likely!

@megret1808 5 месяцев назад

Just two years after the 1964 quake I was in that area. A priceless experience

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

I’m sure you formed many memories there!

@theresamckenna3176 5 месяцев назад

There’s enough material from that church that is about to fall to build a green house to grow vegetables 🥕 I think it would be an awesome place to just get away from the city life and do some hunting and fishing I’d want to stay for a couple weeks

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

DO IT! It’s an amazing place all around 👍

@markriche1594 5 месяцев назад

All the boxing smokers were set up @ bering hill gym i want to come up !I was stationed there 1976 boxer 5 for 5 - and 4 k.os they shipped me off to Seattle and watched rocky 1 I loved going to the bering hill pizza & bowling alley!the 7doors of doom was known as - A.U.W. ADVANCED UNDERWATER WEAPONS 👍many sea otters in that area I worked on tug boat "&" 6 most. Ran inter office mail "Guard mail " around island 2 times daily , thanks for this video ❤️ it !!!

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

You are most welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed the video as it was one of my favourite projects of 2023. Definitely grateful to have visited such a mind-blowing place. I’ll never forget my short time on Adak Island.

@RussShawTV 5 месяцев назад

I lived on Adak Island as a teenager. My dad was an electrical engineer. It would be around 1983. I saw our old residence in your opener. We were the duplex unit underneath the number one in your episode number. 😅 Thanks for sharing. Interesting to see the island now. Interesting to see the old church, the way the wood would Silver like that we called it “Adak wood“ people use it for making picture frames and different crafts back in the day. As a teenager, I remember friends from the mainland would send VHS tapes of MTV. Recorded on the slowest speed crappy video but it was six hours of music videos and concerts like the us festival. Spent so much time in that swimming pool. I think I had ice cream with Bono, my first girlfriends at that ice cream parlor. Memorable times. I also recall it being dystopian when I was there too, because 40 years earlier was World War II and there was a lot of old Quonset huts and debris left over from when the military was there for the war. More than likely that’s what you stumbled across at around 53:00. In the video the bunkers you were asking what were those used for. Odds are it’s old stuff from World War II military occupation of the island. We used to go hiking with snowshoes, and there were still foxholes on the island in the 80s. He had to be careful not to fall in. I remember hiking with friends and they would fall into Fox hole up to their neck. I also remember seeing an old military recruitment poster, where it said “come to Adak Alaska, where there’s a woman behind every tree”. 😂

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

So many memories - thanks for sharing your experiences. I bet it was an incredible place to grow up. I couldn’t even imagine living there full time - you’re very lucky. Thanks for the insights about the WWII history there - I should have put two and two together, as I had just come from Unalaska/Dutch Harbour which is FULL of WWII bunkers and pillboxes. Fascinating region of the world that I hope so many more people get to discover!

@MitchellBrown-su9dc 5 месяцев назад

🌲🌲🌳🌳🙈🙈🤣😂😂

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

We saw Top Gun, and He-Man at the Bering Theater

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

That’s awesome!

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

@@DrifterDave i can send you pictures of us at shadyak Bay and the McDonald's if you'd like

@paullind3267 5 месяцев назад

Maybe even me in the otter annual

@DrifterDave 5 месяцев назад

@@paullind3267 That would be great! My email is in my About tab 👍