Little Known Black History Fact: Black Soldiers Played an Integral Role in Building Alcan Alaskan Highway

Black history fact: Black troops in segregated units played integral role in the completion of Alcan Alaskan Highway & the Sikanni Chief Bridge, connecting Alaska to the rest of North America, and saw the breakdown of "segregation in the military" on October 28, 1942.

Little known black history fact: October 28, 1942, marked "the first step in the breakdown of segregation in the military," Dr. Ronald Myers told ADN.com . That is date when crews completed the highway -- the Alaska-Canadian Highway, or Alcan, that connects Alaska to the rest of North America. Thanks in great part to the black soldiers who played in role, working with hand tools, to make it a reality.

The story that astonished Myers involves the construction of the Sikanni Chief Bridge, 162 miles out of Dawson Creek. Black troops in segregated units worked on the road with minimal supplies in miserable conditions. They faced a fast-moving river 300 feet wide, but their heavy equipment had been sent to white divisions. The officers said there was no way the men could build a bridge across it on schedule.

The men thought otherwise. They bet their paychecks that they could finish the bridge in less than three days. With hand tools, saws and axes, they prepared the lumber from nearby trees. Tied to the shore with ropes, they plunged chest-deep into the rapid, freezing water and set the trestles. They sang work chants and chain-gang songs. They used the headlights of trucks to keep working in the dark. They finished the bridge ahead of schedule. Source

It is so important for us to learn about the achievements of the foot soldiers in the struggle for racial equality and justice in this country. Many fought for the rights some of us take for granted today.