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4.4.5.wavWith the Japanese occupation of Attu and Kiska, Alaska was now on the frontlines of the war. While the distance and isolated islands were on the periphery of the larger Pacific campaign, the U.S. could not risk leaving the Japanese bases there as a stepping stone for deeper attacks into Alaska. In addition, the occupation of American land was a significant symbolic victory for the Japanese and could not go unanswered.
The U.S. steadily built up its forces in Alaska to prepare for taking back the Aleutians. In January 1943, the Alaska Command had grown to 94,000 soldiers. By the summer of 1943, there were 150,000 troops, double Alaska's civilian population.
Just as significant as the increase in military personnel was the construction of new infrastructure. Dozens of new airfields were built around the territory. At Seward, Skagway, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, and Ketchikan, new ports were built, or existing ones were significantly upgraded. To provide an alternative port for Anchorage, a new port was built at Whittier with a tunnel and railroad to connect it to Anchorage. The Parks and Glenn Highways were built to connect the military bases at Anchorage and Fairbanks. The Alaska Railroad's tracks and trains were improved. Communication systems were also upgraded with new telegraph lines and radio transmitters.
The single largest project was the construction of the Alaska Highway to connect Alaska with the rest of the United States. Started in March 1942, the Aleutian invasion hastened its completion. In a major engineering achievement, the 1,700-mile road was completed by December. Over 10,000 army construction troops worked on the project. About a third were African-American soldiers who served in segregated units.
Soldiers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers meeting in the middle after completing construction of the Alaska Highway
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