BEACH, N.D. (AP) -- A preservation group in Beach wants to save a piece of World War II history scrawled on the inside wall of the old train depot in town.
The group is working with BNSF Railway to possibly save and stabilize a piece of the depot's brick interior wall where a railroad worker compelled to record a piece of startling news grabbed a paintbrush and wrote the words, "Japs Invade Alaska. June, 1942."
Despite the political incorrectness of the word "Japs" for "Japanese," the graffiti recalls the brief invasion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Jerry DeMartin with the Beach Historical Preservation Committee says the group would like to preserve the portion of the brick wall before the 100-year-old depot is demolished this summer.
