Anchorage Area 1940-1949

Anchorage Area 1940-1949. . , In September 1940, Elmendorf Army Airfield was completed. Soldiers lived in tents while the remainder of the airbase and temporary facilities at Fort Richardson were built. The military build-up played a major role in the development of Anchorage., After Pearl Harbor, Anchorage appeared especially vulnerable to attaqck [sic]. Rumors were frequent; a rigid black out schedule was imposed; troops took up positions in anti-aircraft pillboxes on the bluffs near Anchorage. Overnight Anchorage was transformed into a city living under military rule. By late 1942, 3500 military construction workers, 20,000 soldiers and airmen and hundreds of government workers had transformed the city. The housing and office space shortage was extreme! Civilians lived in tents and garages; some businesses posted sentries at night to prevent office space poaching., In 1942 the Alaska-Canadian Highway, the only land route from the contiguous 48 states to Alaska, was completed in a record 8 months and 11 days. It opened to civilian use in 1947., [Photo captions, clockwise from bottom left, read] , A. Construction of the Alaskan [sic] Canadian [H]ighway. Still the only land route between Alaska and the contiguous 48 states., B. [Highway] construction camp, C. 1942. City Hall lawn, D. 4th Avenue, E. Elmendorf Army Air Base, F. 1945. Recreation on Elmendorf, G. 1946. USO 5th and G [S]treet, H. 1945. [V]ictory celebration, I. 1946. 4th of July parade