Do you know someone who served in the Alaska Territorial Guard? The Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs would like to hear from you so all ATG members can be recognized and honored for their service to our state and our country.
The Alaska Territorial Guard was a volunteer home guard formed in 1942 to protect Alaska during World War II. Organized by the US Army as a military reserve force, the 6,368 volunteer Guard members served without pay until 1947.
Besides protecting our communities, the Alaska Territorial Guard served many vital strategic purposes to the entire Allied effort during World War II including: safeguarding the only source of the strategic metal platinum in the Western Hemisphere against Japanese attack; securing the terrain around the vital Lend-Lease air route between the United States and Russia; and they placed and maintained survival caches primarily along transportation corridors and coastal regions.
It wasn’t until 2000 that Senator Ted Stevens pushed legislation through Congress that acknowledged the contribution of the Alaska Territorial Guard by granting them US veteran status for the first time. This allowed them to receive veteran’s benefits and apply for US Army honorable discharges. Since then, the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs has been trying to track down all Territorial Guard members whether they are living or deceased. This effort has proven difficult due to lack of written records and the passage of time. If you know someone who served in the Alaska Territorial Guard or if you are a family member of a deceased Guard member, please visit this website:
Here you will find a list of all Alaska Territorial Guard members by name and also by drill location as well as contact information for the Alaska Territorial Guard Research Team in the Office of Veterans Affairs. Help us spread the word about these patriotic Americans so they all receive the recognition they deserve.
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