Halfway between the United States and Japan is Alaska’s Adak Island. It is one of the remote Aleutian islands. It is a place known for its natural beauty. The coast is home to rich wildlife. Purple lupine flowers can be seen along roads through grassy hills. Hot springs cover the landscape. Snow-topped mountains and the Great Sitkin volcano rise in the distance. It is also a strange place, with an important military history. Adak became a U.S. Army airbase during World War II to protect against a feared Japanese invasion of Alaska. The base was later used by the Navy. Because of its closeness to Russia, it remained an important military base and submarine look-out center throughout the Cold War. Adak Island is home to the native Aleut people. It is not easy to get to. It requires a four-hour plane trip from Anchorage. People visit Adak to hunt, watch birds, climb mountains, or examine one of the many abandoned military bases. American writer Nicole Evatt recently described her travels there for The Associated Press. She describes two Adaks: one filled with beautiful nature and one filled with Cold War military remains.