Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
02/14/2017 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB33 | |
| SB46 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 33 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 46 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 46-OCT 25: AFR-AMER SOLDIERS AK HWY DAY
1:38:21 PM
CHAIR STEDMAN announced the consideration of SB 46.
SENATOR DAVID WILSON, sponsor of SB 46, Alaska State
Legislature, introduced SB 46. He paraphrased from the sponsor
statement:
Senate Bill 46 recognizes the contributions of
African American Soldiers in building the Alaska
Highway and commemorates those extraordinary efforts
by establishing October 25th as "African American
Soldiers' Contribution to Building the Alaska
Highway Day."
Why October 25th? On this day, African American Army
troops of the 93rd and 95th regiments constructing
the Alaska-Canadian (ALCAN) highway north from
Dawson Creek, met the white troops constructing the
ALCAN Highway heading south. The troops connected
the two segments on October 25, 1942, at Contact
Creek, near Mile Post 590 in the Yukon Territory. It
was a "Golden Spike" day.
Four regiments of African American Army Engineers
from the 93rd, 95th, and the 97th Engineer General
Services Regiments and the 388th Engineer Battalion
were deployed to Alaska to assist in building the
1,500 miles of road. The highway cost $138 million
to build at that time. The 10,607 men, of which a
third were African American, built the road in
eight months and 12 days. This extraordinary
accomplishment was compared to the construction of
the Panama Canal.
Little recognition has been given to the African
American soldiers for their contributions in
building the ALCAN Highway. For example, the
National Archives contains only a few dozen photos
of the African American troops among the hundreds
taken of the ALCAN Highway construction; African
Americans were edited out of a 1991 National
Geographic feature on the ALCAN highway, despite the
fact that the magazine obtained interviews of seven
men who served building the ALCAN; And, the official
759-page U.S. Army history of the Corps of Engineers
covers African Americans' involvement with a one-
sentence footnote.
1:42:08 PM
SENATOR WILSON stated that this year, 2017, marks the 75th
anniversary of the ALCAN Highway. He shared a story of how he
and his dad did not understand the history of the road. He said
SB 46 provides the recognition that is due the men who helped
contribute to the construction of the ALCAN Highway.
1:43:06 PM
GARY ZEPP, Staff, Senator David Wilson, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SB 46 on behalf of the sponsor. He set
the stage for the presentation by providing the history of the
Japanese invasion in Hawaii in 1941 and in Kiska in 1942.
America's reaction was to build an overland route across Alaska
and Canada in order to support U.S. troops and supplies. The
U.S. troops finished the Alaska Highway in eight months, a
remarkable feat. Most African American soldiers prior to this
were delegated to labor projects, not into battle. That changed
after the construction of the Alaska Highway.
1:44:40 PM
MR. ZEPP showed photos of the crews during the construction of
the Alaska Highway in 1942.
1:45:50 PM
MR. ZEPP said the Alaska Highway is considered one of the
biggest and most difficult construction projects ever completed
in the U.S.
1:46:36 PM
He showed a video on the "Alaska Highway - The Road to Civil
Rights."
1:51:00 PM
MR. ZEPP commented on the high quality of the African American
regiments, especially in the field of bridge building. Their
accomplishments were ignored by the media and the press. It took
decades for them to receive recognition for their achievements.
He spoke of the discrimination that took place during
construction.
He addressed why African American soldiers should be recognized.
He described the race relations in 1942 and the impact the
soldiers' accomplishments had on improving those relations.
1:53:10 PM
MR. ZEPP listed the Reconstruction Act of 1867, the ratification
of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States in 1870 for the
right to vote, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875 forbidding
racial segregation. However, in 1896 the Supreme Court upheld
Louisiana's requirement for separate, but equal accommodations
for white and black railroad passengers. For the next 35 years
equity in racial relations was lost and by 1910 segregation was
firmly established. In 1954, some progress was made when
segregation of schools was banned. In 1964, public segregation
was abolished by the Civil Rights Act, however, the American
troops remained segregated, including during the construction of
the Alaska Highway.
1:54:30 PM
MR. ZEPP noted that little publicity or notoriety has been given
to the African American soldiers for their efforts. He provided
examples. In 1948 President Truman signed a desegregation plan
for the armed services. In 1992, when Colin Powell, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, happened to be in Fairbanks and
viewed Ms. Lael Morgan's exhibit, he said he had no idea Black
men had ever done anything like that. He said they were
deserving of recognition. Mr. Zepp provided more quotations of
how the highway changed race relations.
1:56:05 PM
MR. ZEPP commented that the legacy of the African American
soldiers wouldn't be known today, nor be officially recognized
by the military, if not for the works of many. He thanked the
U.S. Park Service, Keith Twitchell, James Eaton, Ted Stevens,
Andrew Molly, Colin Powell, Steven Cowen, John Virtue, Mike
Dunham, Cornelia Dean, Tim Ellis, Ricky Longfellow, Bill
Gifford, Connie Abu, Douglas Prindley, Jean Pollard, and the
University of Alaska-Fairbanks Professor Lael Morgan.
He concluded that he was proud to carry this legislation for
Senator Wilson.
1:57:21 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked if Mr. Zepp had talked to National
Geographic during his research to ask why they omitted the
report.
MR. ZEPP responded that Lael Morgan's interview of seven African
American soldiers was stripped out of the article, so she quit.
SENATOR BISHOP wished for a copy of the article.
1:58:18 PM
CHAIR STEDMAN opened public testimony.
1:58:35 PM
CLAUDIA ROLLINS, representing herself, presented information
related to SB 46. She said she is the daughter of Sergeant
Reginald A. Beverly, who was in the 95th Engineer Regiment in
1942. She said her dad was one of the 4,000-plus soldiers who
built the Alaskan section of the highway. These soldiers toiled
through inclement weather and other hardships to complete their
mission. She said she is very glad that Alaska will be honoring
these soldiers by making October 25 officially the Alaska
Highway Day. She noted that her dad celebrated his 102nd
birthday on January 31, 2017. She thanked the committee and
introduced her father.
1:59:32 PM
REGINALD A. BEVERLY, Surveyor, 95th Engineer Regiment, testified
in favor of SB 46. He thanked the committee for honoring the
soldiers who worked on the Alcan Highway by making October 25
Alaska Highway Day.
2:00:28 PM
SENATOR MACKINNON asked Ms. Rollins if she has any photos from
the building of the highway.
MS. ROLLINS said she did not.
2:01:13 PM
VERDIE BOWEN, Director, Veterans Affairs, Anchorage, testified
in favor of SB 46. He noted the major feat by President
Roosevelt to bring 11,000 to work on the Alaska Highway. He
described the discrimination and poor conditions the African-
American soldiers experienced during the building of the Alaska
Highway. He described the amazing feat the men accomplished.
They showed the world that the African-American soldier was
equal and capable. In 1948, the army was re-integrated due to
their accomplishments. He spoke in support of providing a day to
celebrate this accomplishment.
2:04:15 PM
DAVID NEES, representing himself, testified in support of SB 46.
He spoke in favor of recognizing these men and their
accomplishments made in spite of hardships. He provided
additional information about the hardships during the building
of the highway.
2:06:15 PM
JEAN POLLARD, Chair, Alaska Highway Memorial Project, testified
in support of SB 46. She described how she became interested in
this topic and how National Geographic denied Ms. Morgan's
story. She gave credit to Ms. Morgan for her important efforts.
MS. POLLARD related that she called Washington, D.C. to discuss
the story and was informed that the Alaska Highway was number 16
out of 46 events that promoted civil rights. Because of what
those men did, the military became integrated and the Territory
of Alaska became a part of the United States.
She told a story about then-Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer stating that
without the assistance of Black soldiers, the ALCAN would likely
have never been built in such record time. She concluded that it
is time to honor these men and she knows of three soldiers still
living. She suggested there be a statewide celebration. She
thanked the committee.
2:13:52 PM
SHALA DOBSON, Secretary, Alaska Highway Memorial Project,
testified in support of SB 46. She related her interest in the
Alaska Highway Project and the decision to provide curriculum to
students about this story. Having an Alaska Highway Day will
provide an occasion to discuss the story. She thanked the
committee.
CHAIR STEDMAN closed public testimony on SB 46.
2:16:21 PM
SENATOR WILSON thanked the committee.
SENATOR MACKINNON asked if Senator Wilson has reached out to the
public to find additional images.
SENATOR WILSON noted that this is a year-long project. He said
his staff has not reached out to the public yet.
SENATOR MACKINNON suggested doing an op-ed.
2:17:57 PM
SENATOR BISHOP also suggested reaching out to the British
Columbia Government.
CHAIR STEDMAN held SB 46 in committee.