It is September of 1942 over the Aleutian Islands, and a P-40E has just taken a tiger's bite out of a Rufe - a float-equipped Zero fighter. This is just one incident in what has become known as the forgotten war.‚ Started as a diversionary attack by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - to turn American attention from Midway, the true focus of enemy forces - it failed to accomplish its intended purpose.‚ It will never be forgotten by the men who fought there. The importance of the battle for the Aleutians cannot be underestimated. Those islands were the only thing standing between the mainland and the Japanese. Based there was the 11th Fighter Squadron, otherwise known as the Aleutian Tigers. They fought amid the worst weather in the world. It was so cold that even the fog froze. The winds were so strong that they regularly overturned planes.‚ More than 2000 American men were listed as casualties just from exposure, shock and trench foot. Finally, one day in 1943, the fog lifted and the Tigers discovered that the enemy forces had evacuated. I really wanted to do this print because the Aleutians had some colorful flying, and colorful people who did a good job up there against all odds.‚ It was just barbaric for those guys, so I wanted to recognize them for their efforts. I don't want people to forget that they won the forgotten war. - CK