\n \n \n \n \n This year marks the 75th anniversary of a road Alaskans are very familiar with\; the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Highway is more than just a road\, its legacy plays a vital role in the history of the United States and the nation'\;s civil rights movement. This presentation honors the strategic importance of the highway\, its connection to Lend-Lease\, and the 10\,000 soldiers who built it.
\n \;Did you know?\n\n \n - The bombing of Pearl Harbor led to construction of the Alaska Highway.
\n - Ladd Army Airfield\, now Ft. Wainwright\, served as the hand-over point for planes and supplies arriving in Alaska via both the higheat and the Alaska-Siberia Route as part of the Lend-Lease Program.
\n - Allen Army Airfield\, then Big Delta\, was constructed as a secondary airfield along the Alaska -Siberia Route\, the main supply line of the Lend-Lease Program.
\n - The road was built by 10\,000 soldiers in just over eight months. A third of these soldiers belonged to a segregated regiment whose contributions have been largely minimized. \;
\n - The successful construction of the road led to desegregation of the armed services\, which played a big role in the nation'\;s broader civil rights movement.
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\n Photo courtesy of Dennis &\; Chris McClure\, \;www.93regimentalcan.com
\n Special thanks to Explore Fairbanks\, Alaska Airlines for bringing Mr. Larkins to Alaska \;and Westmark Hotel and Conference Center for lodging. \;
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