World War 2 Alaska Timeline Project By namenonsa 1939 Panama-Hawaii-Alaska defense triangle established 1940 Construction of Ladd field 1941 United States enter WWII 1941 Construction begins on Whittier railroad tunnels Mar 11, 1941 Lend-Lease Act approved by congress Dec 7, 1941 Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor 1942 Alaskan Territorial Guard established Jun 3, 1942 Japanese bomb Dutch Harbor Jun 7, 1942 Japanese land on Kiska Jun 7, 1942 Japanese land on Attu Jun 15, 1942 Aleut evacuation of the Pribilofs Jun 21, 1942 Japanese bomb Fort Mear Sep 29, 1942 ALSIB established Nov 20, 1942 Alaska Highway completed May 11, 1943 U.S. forces land on Attu Jun 1, 1943 First train arrives in Whittier Aug 15, 1943 U.S. and Canadian forces land on Kiska Apr 27, 1944 Sinking of Japanese submarine I-180 off of Kodiak Island Sep 2, 1945 End of WW II 1948 Alaska Highway begins Jan 3, 1959 Alaska Statehood Apr 17, 1974 Sitka Naval Air Station was formally commissioned