The Chronicle

In honor of Black History month, the Mary Lou Williams Center is hosting a small but moving photographic exhibit entitled "Miles and Miles."

This exhibit from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks honors the black veterans who built the Alcan highway. The photographs, taken during the building of the highway at the time of World War II, capture the grueling conditions that the workers faced.

"The Alaska section of the road was built by the all-black 97th division of the Corps of Engineers over the protests of the United States Army commander for Alaska, General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., son of a confederate general who had surrendered to Grant," writes guest curator of the exhibit Lael Morgan.

The construction process took the United States Army Corps of Engineers just eight months and 12 days, and much of the credit for this amazing feat belongs to the all-black regiments who helped to build the road. It is these forgotten heroes to whom the exhibit pays tribute.

Blacks were at first kept from participating in the Alcan mission due to objections similar to those of Buckner. When a desperate shortage of manpower occurred, however, military planners decided to send the 97th, 95th, 93rd and 388th regiments to Alaska.

Due to the prejudices that the black regiments faced, their living conditions were especially harsh. Since they were not permitted to visit the nearby settlements or towns, most of the men were forced to live in tents. The freezing winters and the inhospitable Alaskan climate pervade the black and white photographs and give the viewer a sense of the brutal environment these men faced.

Despite the weather, the tents and the lack of food, the men maintained their morale. For the 95th regiment, this was primarily through the efforts of Edward G. Carroll, a reverend who kept the men supplied with music, books and inspirational talks. Several of the photos were taken by Carroll himself.

The exhibit particularly highlights the accomplishments of this 95th regiment. When faced with the challenge of building a bridge, the men decided to place their salaries on the line by betting that they could finish the bridge in four days. Much to the surprise of seasoned engineers, the regiment did just that and completed the task in less than 84 hours, half the time it usually takes to build a bridge of those proportions.

Although the Alcan mission is remembered in the folklore of the area, one commonly overlooked detail is the remarkable work of the 10,607 black men who were originally deemed unfit for the task. When the road was formally dedicated, Brig. Gen. James A. O'Conner singled out the black troops for their hard work and dedication. "Some day the accomplishment of these colored soldiers--achievements accomplished far from their homes--will occupy a major place in the lore of the North country," he said.

As Morgan writes in the exhibit brochure, "They were forgotten. . . . The only tangible tribute to the black builders of the Alcan is the remarkable road they left behind them."

This exhibit attempts to correct this travesty of history. It honors the men who worked so hard at a task that was so monumental. The photographs and historical information presented in the exhibit are not only educational, but demonstrate the courage and strength of these unsung black heroes.

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