Alaska Highway History - Andrew

Hello!!  We are on the Alcan Highway in Canada, and that’s what I have to talk about today.

                The Alcan (Alaska Canadian Highway) took 8 months to complete, and over 10,000 men helped make it.  The highway stretches for about 1,400 miles.  The road was built by the American Army to help connect Alaska to Canada and to the lower 48.  Roosevelt commissioned the road to be done February 11, 1942.  With the bombing of Pearl Harbor this road became a military need.  The United States agreed to pay for the road and turn it over to the Canadians after the war.  The Canadians agreed to supply the materials and give the right of way.  This road was necessary to help with transportation of supplies. 

To build the road they would have 3 men who would go out together.  The first man would stick a pole in ground and then the next person would walk as far as they could go and still see the first person and he would stick a stake in the ground.  Then the first person would go past the third person to stick another stake in the ground and they would continue to do this over and over again.  These were the stakes that would line the pathway for the road to be made.  These men would travel 10 to 15 miles on a good day.  For meals they would have for breakfast 3 pancakes and coffee, for lunch (if there was lunch) they would get 2 biscuits the size of quarters and they were as hard of rocks.  Dinner was fish and potatoes, and no cigarettes! 

The road was opened to the public in 1948, and was named an International Historical Engineering Landmark in 1996.

                So how is soccer going?  I have seen allot of cool stuff but I really miss soccer and you guys.  Can’t wait to come back.

                                                                                Andrew.