August 29, 2015
Rusted barrels and an assortment of metal wreckage appear starkly out of place in the beautiful landscape of the Ikateq Fjord in East Greenland. This is all that remains of the Bluie East II American Military Airbase. The site was established in 1942 when the U.S. was charged with defending Greenland after Denmark fell to the Germans. The base had the capacity to host up to 300 soldiers and was mostly used to store supplies and fuel for planes passing through the airspace.
In 1947, the base was abandoned, leaving behind full barrels of fuel, tanks and trucks. Locals call the debris “American Flowers.” Due to a clause in the initial contract, neither the U.S. nor Denmark has claimed responsibility for the cleanup. Today it is possible, though difficult, to hike through the precarious icy waters of the Ikateq Fjord to view this peculiar scene. Denmark has claimed responsibility for the cleanup.
