 Until recently, Americans have thought of Alaska as an area of arctic winds and sub-zero cold. But this picture is only partly true, for the face of our 49th state is as varied as it is large. Steep mountains fall away to river valleys and sweeping plains. And though much of Alaska is rocky and barren, there are also nearly a million acres of fertile plains, which during the almost endless sunlight of summer produce healthy crops. Modern Alaska is also an area of urban centers. The largest cities anchorage where new homes, hotels and businesses are rising rapidly to keep pace with the needs of a growing population. Many of Alaska's original citizens, the Eskimos, live as they have for centuries, earning their livelihood by fishing and trapping. The Eskimos maintain many of their past traditions. And yet skills of the 20th century come easily. The state's excellent vocational schools have played an important part in this transition. It is almost 70 years since the great Alaskan gold rush, but gold is still being mined in some parts of the state. One of Alaska's biggest gold mines has turned out to be the sea. The fishing industry brings 70 million dollars into the state each year, and her canneries provide two-thirds of all the canned salmon sold in the world. The King Crab, another important export, is also caught and processed along the Alaskan coast. Today the gas and oil industry is rapidly becoming the state's most important. Alaska has come a long way since its discovery in 1741 by Vitus Bering, a Danish sea captain in the service of the Russian Tsar. Russian fur traders and trappers followed, building scattered settlements along the coast. Traces of the Russian period still remain. By the middle of the 19th century, the Russians were anxious to be rid of the vast, distant land. And on March 30th, 1867, Secretary of State William Seward purchased the territory for seven and a quarter million dollars, or about two cents an acre. Even so, many Americans called it Seward's Folly, and suggested that he might now want to purchase Iceland and Greenland. They were not far off. Seward said that Alaska, Greenland and Iceland were all important to America's defense. He was the first to recognize the strategic importance of the polar region. In mid-October, with a Marine Honor Guard participating in the ceremonies at Sitka, General Lovell Rousseau accepted the territory for the United States. General Jefferson Columbus Davis became commander of the military district. For the next ten years, the Army had the responsibility of governing the land in the absence of civilian rule. With almost no communications and transportation facilities, such semblance of government as there was was exercised by the commanding general of the troops at Sitka. New garrisons were built and some exploration carried out, but Washington showed little interest in Alaska. Finally, in 1877, the Army troops were withdrawn. For the next few years, the Coast Guard patrolling the shores of the Northern land, and then the Navy took on the responsibility for control and administration. The successive commanders of the vessels stationed at Sitka were, for all practical purposes, the government of Alaska. Finally, in 1884, Congress passed a bill which placed a civil government over Alaska. Years passed with little happening to change the pattern of living in the remote region. The Army sponsored various expeditions to explore the interior, and men came back with much information concerning the geography and life of areas where few explorers had ever penetrated. During this period, marine shipboard detachments helped keep law and order in the new territory. In 1896, with a discovery of gold in the Yukon and other parts of Alaska, the nation's attitude toward the territory changed dramatically. From throughout the world, adventurers traveled north to strike it rich. Complete towns were built almost overnight. The Alaskan gold rush enriched folklore with new and colorful names and legends that still perpetuate the magic of the far north. Once again, the Army was called north to help in law enforcement and to provide relief and medical aid in emergencies. When a great storm destroyed large areas of Gnome in 1900, Army troops were essential in maintaining order, saving property, providing relief. Although interest in the territory waned with the passing of the gold rush, the Army signal corps under the leadership of such men as General Greeley and Lieutenant Mitchell pressed forward with an ambitious plan for establishing a communication system which brought the distant populated sections of the country together and linked it with the continental United States. Cable ships put to sea to complete the link with the United States. With the establishment of the complete system in 1904, one of the greatest barriers to the development of the territory was removed. In the early 1930s, destitute farmers from the northern United States arrived under a government sponsored resettlement program. Some became permanent residents, but Alaska remained primarily a forgotten neglected area. World War II changed that. Japanese troops occupied Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, the first enemy occupation of American soil since 1814. A year later, the United States struck back. At last, we understood the importance of Alaska. Seward had proved himself not only a shrewd statesman, but a firesighted strategic planner. America would never turn its back on its northern territory again. World War II brought great improvements in airfields and service, a key means of travel in this vast region. It also brought radio range stations, an increase in mapping and coastal charting, and Alaska's first road system linking it with the states. There was also an enormous increase in housing, schools, utilities and other projects. And most important of all, 300,000 young men of the Army, Air Force and Navy came to Alaska, many of whom would return to live permanently in the territory after the war. We came out of the war with a grim appreciation of Alaska's importance to us, an importance dramatically heightened by the polar concept of modern war. For Alaska lies astride the shortest route between Soviet Siberia's missile and bomber bases and the industrial heartland of the United States. It is the United States area closest to Russian territory, only 56 miles across the Bering Sea from the Siberian Peninsula. The 49th state is a vital factor in our overall polar defense. The Alaska Air Command has the exclusive responsibility for due line, our distant early warning system. Alaska is the western anchor of this system, which provides early warning of any attack against North America. Every plane, both friendly and unknown, is spotted and its course plotted. Because of Alaska's strategic location, it is playing a growing role as a midpoint maintenance and refueling center along the polar circle air routes. The Navy in Alaska maintains surveillance over 2,800,000 square miles of navigable water in the area. Marine detachments are stationed at naval bases on ADAC and Kodiak. And at Fort Greeley, the Army maintains the Northern Warfare Training Center to provide combat-ready cold climate forces. During the winter, the troops learn to cope with extreme cold weather. Their schooling includes classroom work and long-range patrols. Although carried out chiefly for training purposes, these patrols frequently prove to be the most reliable and often the only source of information concerning the remote regions of the state. Marching in the sub-treasing cold, maintaining combat effectiveness, setting up tents, providing food and operating equipment, these are all situations which only can be learned through experience. During the summer, the students learn not only to survive in the wilderness, but also the precise sure methods of movement on sheer rock. They must learn to put their faith and place their lives in the ropes, which are essential to troop movement in this kind of country. The Alaskan Scouts, part of the Alaskan National Guard, are an effective operating force in the Northern region. Scouts comprised of Eskimos and Indians have the ability to function in extremely cold areas. The Alaskan Scouts are well suited for their mission of reconnaissance, surveillance and patrol. However, Alaska is primarily an air theater. The Alaskan Air Command is the largest component of our armed forces in the state. It is the hub of Alaska's defense against air attacks. At regular intervals, simulated attacks are made to test the response and fighting readiness of Air Force interceptor squadrons from Elmendorf and other bases, including Air Force and Army search and rescue efforts in Alaska's vast inland region. The Rescue Coordination Center at Elmendorf keeps busy the year round. In-flight laboratories furnish vital data for both military and civilian air activity, and weather conditions are recorded by complex technical equipment. Near Anchorage, the Army, Navy and Air Force share this building. The Unified Service Headquarters of the Alaskan Command, ALCOM. ALCOM is one of seven unified commands reporting directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It directs the efforts of all contributing to the nation's defense in Alaska. 650 miles to the southeast in the state capital of Juneau is the headquarters of the Coast Guard, an organization which has been serving in Alaska since the 1860s. Today, the Coast Guard performs a variety of functions essential to a region with almost 35,000 miles of coastline. It is, for example, responsible for maintaining thousands of navigational buoys. These markers, ranging widely in size, are set along the coastline and shipping lanes. The service also maintains lighthouses, which must be supplied throughout the year. It is often a difficult business, especially when the shoreline necessitates hauling supplies directly from launches onto rocks high above. The Coast Guard also provides search and rescue operations for all shipping in the area. Through coordination of ships and planes, the distress boat is quickly located and towed to safety. Among the many patrols carried out by the Coast Guard is an annual trip all the way to the Arctic Circle and back. During the long months of the voyage, the Coast Guard performs a variety of functions, including providing medical and dental care to the Eskimos in isolated villages. The mission of the Coast Guard in Alaska continues in the same spirit and tradition that has marked the involvement of all the services in the life of the land. This was never better illustrated than in the days and weeks that followed Good Friday, 1964. Two crewmen aboard a ship at Valdez recorded the incredible scene. 5.36 p.m., the worst earthquake in North American history, struck the state of Alaska. The quake brought enormous destruction. In anchorage, buildings and streets collapsed. Seward was in flames. Kodiak flooded. The tidal wave following the quake left a mass of beached ships, overturned railway cars and all the other after effects of a major disaster. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines rose to the challenge in the devastated area. They moved swiftly, saving lives and attacking the pressing needs of recovery and rescue work. Military personnel worked with civil defense officials in setting up a command headquarters. Troops were rushed by truck convoy and planes to the area's hardest hit. The homeless were taken to military bases. During the days that followed, field kitchens and hospitals were set up to cope with the emergency. In the anchorage area alone, over 1,000 troops took part in security and travel control. For many months, the armed forces continued the massive job of cleaning up. The Corps of Engineers helped to clear the debris, repair the key railroad and dock facilities and in the city of Valdez to plan its rebuilding on a new site. Within a few months, Alaska not only had recovered from the earthquake but was well on its way toward building for the future. William Seward's dream has become a reality. On its centennial anniversary, Alaska is a prosperous and booming state. The military has played an essential role in the development and growth of Alaska. And the Armed Forces military report takes pride in saluting this, the 49th of our United States. Today, America's fighting men still man the northern ramparts, carrying on and keeping bright the heritage of Alaska.