It just dawned on me. Why is there an American Hunting Forum and an Alaskan Hunting Forum? Last time I checked, one of those stars on the flag was yours.

As a former Alaskan resident I can tell you it is such a unique place to hunt and fish it deserves a seperate forum. While some of the lower 48 has some of the hunting and fishing, none have all of the wildlife and fisheries Alaska has. It is every bit as unique to the US as Australia...and I have spent some glorious days Down Under!

They could make it simpler I guess and eliminate the Alaska, Canada and America hunting forums and create one called "North American" hunting forum.
I think part of the seperation is due to the differing types of hunting when comparing American hunting(lower 48) and Alaskan hunting.
Caribou, Alaska/Yukon Moose and all forms of grizzlies, Dall and Stone Sheep are hunted in Alaska and either don't exist or are not huntable in the lower 48.
Mountain Lions, Mule Deer, White tailed deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn and Desert Sheep, Antelope don't exist in Alaska (I know Afognak has elk but not widespread as elk are in the lower 48).
Besides although very friendly and great people Alaskans are a head strong lot and don't want to be included in anything to do with the lower 48, frankly I don't blame them!

The only things that seperates us from the rest of the U.S.A. is one of the largest nations in the world.

Alaska is a great state, and a great place to hunt.

However hunting there is much different than anywhere in the lower 48.

Mainly the difference is in transportation.

How you get to your hunting location, and how you get you and your game out is either plane or boat dependant, or both. Or maybe as snow mobile, and I mean a one hundred mile snowmobile ride.

I did one hunt where after I arrived in Dillingham I flew on 4 different planes [a seaplane, a boat, a floatplane, a 206,and a super cub, just to GET to the hunting camps. For ONE hunt.

So I do think Alaska does deserves a seperate forum.

Alaska is different country than most of the lower 48. Kinda multicultural in the cities, not a predominately White place. The suburbs (75 miles out of the cities) are more like rural USA, Once you get out of the urban areas, hunting is subsistence with special permits; but more importantly it is a seasonal way of life. Hunting isn't sport, sport hunting is seen somewhat as being immoral by the Indians and that translates to mostly all the rural people. Indians hunt all year long and they can't be stopped. Like now, the spring ducks are flying; people shoot 30 ducks a day; pass them out to locals to eat; everybody eats duck for a couple weeks. Indians see game management as not being mans domain; suppose to let nature take it's course. I believe the cultural aspects make it different than anywhere I've ever called home in lower 48, as far as hunting goes.

You would think that the rural hunters would wipe out the game populations pretty quick, but not so. Actually, the explosion in wolf numbers hit the moose harder. We have a caribou hunt when migration comes through. They want 800 killed; like shooting fish in the barrel. Our community is 100 Whites & 28 Indians, 200 miles from nx nearest town. Come caribou season, a couple thousand urban hunters come in for the hunt; and that's OK; they want to go hunting too. Trouble is, they shoot the 800 caribou in 1-2 days and then close season. The locals all kinda wait until somebody gets word out that thousands of caribou are on the road, then go up and shoot a few each. Trouble is with all the urban hunters willing to walk miles in to get a bou, the caribou never make it to the road, the urban hunters chase them back in. You see hunting is about fresh meat not sport in rural areas.

Don't mean to get off topic, but the subsistence culture makes everything different when it comes to hunting, has the state & feds fighting over control, and pits rural & urban hunters against each other. There's an unwritten law here that every family has the right to a moose for winter meat. As different as it is here; they could never run me out. I luv this country the mountains, freedom, & peace of mind sure speaks to me; hunting is just icing on the cake.

Oddly enough, in Dillingham many refer to the Lower 48 as "The States," or "America,".

Certainly there is no dis respect meant, and yes we are all very proud and appreciative of being one of the 50 and part of the Union, but at the same time, Y'all do seem to have such a different way of doing things down there. Yes I am aware of a distinct difference, I spent my formative years in SanFrancisco California.

Scott, yes I have heard the term "lower 48ers".

However I can say that everybody I have met in Alaska has been very nice to me.

Especially the native Alaskans in Nome.

Now my guide up there had a very good relationship with the Natives, which no doubt helped me on my introduction to them, but even when I was in Nome on my own, the Locals treated me very good. They were most friendly. I had a great time.

On my way back to Texas I stopped over in Anchorage and spent over a week with AKshooter. He took great care of me there as well. A couple of his buddies showed up from Florida, and we had loads of fun.

This was my third trip to Alaska, and I can say everybody I have met there has been good people.

I would certainly hope you were and will be treated nice!

All I was really trying to say was that to me at least there does seem to be a big difference between Alaska and the rest of the US. Even an outdoor opportunity as common as fishing or camping can be worlds apart.

On Mothers Day the Missus and I are planning to fly down to the beach out west of here and camp for three or four nights. We'll tent on the beach, day hike around and hunt some waterfowl. Other than the sand in my socks, I suspect there will be no similarities between my beach camping trip and any available in the Lower 48. Certainly we'll be the only two people for more or less 100 miles or so. There is no limit on any waterfowl. Brown bear is on the menu. Walrus ivory can be probably found and posessed.

Kinda different from Santa Cruz or Long Beach California. But the girls down there,.............oh my the girls.

Sorry Snellstrom, but Alaska has mountain lions and mule deer. Both occur in Southeast Alaska. Black-tails are a subspecies of mule deer and can readily interbreed with them producing viable offspring. Two mountain lions have been killed, one in Wrangell and the other on Kupreanof Island near Petersburg. Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
I would certainly hope you were and will be treated nice!

All I was really trying to say was that to me at least there does seem to be a big difference between Alaska and the rest of the US. Even an outdoor opportunity as common as fishing or camping can be worlds apart.

On Mothers Day the Missus and I are planning to fly down to the beach out west of here and camp for three or four nights. We'll tent on the beach, day hike around and hunt some waterfowl. Other than the sand in my socks, I suspect there will be no similarities between my beach camping trip and any available in the Lower 48. Certainly we'll be the only two people for more or less 100 miles or so. There is no limit on any waterfowl. Brown bear is on the menu. Walrus ivory can be probably found and posessed.

Kinda different from Santa Cruz or Long Beach California. But the girls down there,.............oh my the girls.

Scott I agree. Anything done outdoors in Alaska is a lot different than in the Lower 48.

As you have stated one of the biggest differences is its "remoteness" [if that is a word].

What would be a minor mishap in the lower 48 can be a major life or death deal in Alaska.

I don't recall how long the Alaska forum has existed on AR, maybe 10 years? I don't recall who suggested it, or the history behind it.

Most hunters in the lower 48 look at hunting Alaska as an expedition type, likely once in a lifetime hunt, similar to hunting Africa. Our species and terrain aren't that different from the Northern parts of the lower 48, but the remoteness and wilderness aspect to a degree are. More than anything else it's a mindset. Also there is sufficient interest in Alaskan hunts that a sepperate forum has been good to break out the questions regarding the hunts.

Hope that helps.

my birth certificate says territory of alaska
i would guess that "the states " comes from that era before 1959 , what does hawaii call us the upper 49
funny thing ever time i went south, if i met somebody from alaska we had a mutual friend from someplace in the state of alaska
and if you find yourself in some village 1000 miles from home you will meet somebody you know or know of

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
The only things that seperates us from the rest of the U.S.A. is one of the largest nations in the world.

.
.
. Well said AK..
.
. And as Puk said . Alaska is the biggest little place . It is still a place of the individual .Which I greatly advocate ....Why I get in so many arguments on here .... Too many people sticking their nose in others business.......

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Brainard:
Sorry Snellstrom, but Alaska has mountain lions and mule deer. Both occur in Southeast Alaska. Black-tails are a subspecies of mule deer and can readily interbreed with them producing viable offspring. Two mountain lions have been killed, one in Wrangell and the other on Kupreanof Island near Petersburg. Jim

Please Jim with everything I wrote you picked those two things to try to argue about?
I meant no disrespect to Alaska or Alaskans but the facts are you don't have Mule Deer you have Black Tailed Deer and you don't have huntable populations of Mountain Lions either.
I was pointing out differences from Alaska and other hunting in the lower 48.
I completely agree with the majority of the other posters that Alaska is unique and deserves a seperate forum, not only because of the difference in wildlife from the lower 48 but also because of the distances, remoteness, travel etc. that sets Alaska apart from the hunting down south.
No arguement here.

When I came to Alaska in 1965 the rest of America was almost always referred to as the "states" "the lower 48" or "down south". Alaska had only been a state for a few years by then and they were common phrases of reference. I plan on dieing here and like wild country. It's not the place it used to be, but it is still the best place for me and it beats living in America.

You'd be surprised--my wife's a full time travel agent and gets asked "what kind of money do you need and what the exchange rate is" every year!

I will say every hunt here tends to be an expedition. Every year someone's day-hike becomes a survival situation too....

Cheers,

Dan

While living in Alaska some 30 yrs. ago, interesting article in Anchorage Times regarding a young lady who had recently graduated from Univ. of Alaska/Anchorage and applied for employment with a major airlines for flight attendant training program. Resume was excellent, good student, and she received letter back from VP HR that even though her credentials were excellent, the airline only hired U.S. citizens!! Hopefully the airline managed their operations with more knowledge than their Human Resources group.

We have our own forum because we're special!!!!!

Simple, but accurate.

Alaska is what the rest of the lesser 48 used to be and what it wants to be again.

Once you get out into the rural areas, it is like going back in time.

No crime, no law enforcement (well, it's 200 miles away), no taxes, no organized local govt, no comprehensive planning or ordinances or regulations, no keys outta any vehicles or locked doors, and vast majority of federal regs are ignored and unenforceable (alot different than back east for sure). Imagine knowing all the people within 100 miles of your house. Imagine kids at school bus stops with rifles for bear protection come Spring.

Imagine meat & fish you get yourself providing most of what you eat; and no other alternatives.

Just imagine people having to deal with disagreements on their own rather than calling the cops on their neighbors or worse yet lawyers.

Imagine most everybody armed and no murders in the last 30 years.

Imagine the community leaders stopping any liberal attempts at taxation, govt growth, or cell towers being built.

Imagine enjoying the simple pleasures & life once again.

Imagine seeing thousands of caribou stretched out across the valley in migration or hearing wolves every few winter nights.

Then imagine stopping at a red light in Fairbanks looking to your right and left and all those people looking back at you and nobody knowing each other.

Wife and I get offers in urban Ak every summer, can't bring ourselves to leave. The dollar could collapse, govt go broke, unrest in the streets, stores empty, and I know I can make it here like nothing ever happened. Alaska really is another country (still part of America), yet just not another state. They couldn't starve or drive me outta this country; life is good.

I moved to Alaska in November of 1999 to Barrow, I loved Alaska, but was far too young and single to live someplace like Barrow.

So I quit my job with NSB Police and came back in the Navy. I often wonder how my life would be different over these years, but I have kept my residency and returned to enjoy the place as much as I can while being deployed all over the world.

Alaska is in many ways very similar to Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon just on a much bigger scale. Things that make living in the Rockies or in the Pacific Northwest "Western, wild and wooley" are just exacerbated in Alaska.

Big towns in the west like Casper, Billings, Boise, Cheyenne, and such are usually so far from a major city that they will tend to have more exotic things than comparable "big towns" in more populated areas. In this way Alaska is no different. Shoppes in Fairbansk, Anchorage, and Juneau have things that shops in towns that have a million people don't have.

Right now I am finishing the last month I have in Jacksonville Florida before I take another military assigment overseas, my chance my last one before I retire. There are more quality guns, optics, gun parts, good hunting clothes, and quality fly rods in Fairbanks than there are here in Jacksonville. I think that's pretty amazing. As a matter of fact, I can't even get a Loop fly rod here.

When wind blows for 80 days straight in Casper, Wyoming during the wintertime you kind of think to yourself this is a lot of wind. Then you realize that in SW Alaska especially on the Aleutians the wind can blow for 150 days in a row, and with this rain comes humidity and frozen rain. Casper's wind doesn't seem all that bad.

Alot of folks in the Rockies experience -20 weather at least a few times during a winter. 80% of Alaska experiences -20 weather for most of the winter. A winter that is 2-4 months longer than it is in the Rocky mountains.

Valdez get's the most snow of anyplace in North America. In Wyoming and Montana it is possible to drive 100 miles between towns without even a gas station. In Alaska it is possible to drive 250 miles.

Alaska is just the concept of "Western" multiplied by a factor of at least 4. It's a big place, twice as big as Texas with enough room to make a Wyoming on the side.

Here are the things I love about Alaska.

1. No need to apply for a special permit for mountain goat, dall sheep, grizzly bear, elk, moose, or most species excepting muskox and bison. And if you live in one of the muskox subsistance areas you can just go pick up your tag. Granted you can't keep the skull entact, but you can still shoot one.

2. Fishing is superb. I think a lot of other states honestly have better hunting as a whole, but Alaska has good variety of hunting if you can access it. Most other places have a hard time holding a candle to Alaskan fishing.

3. Very few people. While I love people, I just don't like them enough to share a city with them, traffic, crime, smog, and all that BS.

4. Cold weather, I hate the heat.

5. Lots of mountains, I am not a fan of flat swampy places.

6. Red state! Go Palin!

I think one of the best things about Alaska is that you are far removed from the Lower-48. You don't have to worry about illegal immigrants bringing their culture to try to change your culture.

You're the last great U.S frontier. Do everything you can to preserve your hunting and fishing. The rest of the world has simply city-fied it. Don't let the first high-fence operation get established.

Don't over-fish or over-hunt anything. If the herds aren't growing they are disappearing.

I can go back fifty years and no place I've hunted is better today than it was then; and many of the places I hunted now have housing developments in them.

I can remember when deer hunting was an excused absence from school in Texas / New Mexico. You could drive down the main street in town with a dead deer visible, go home and butcher it while it hung from your basketball goal. Try that these days and see where it gets you.

I'll never get to live in Alaska, but that is one reason I want to hunt it. To me it is as big a deal as the first time I hunted Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
(sic) You don't have to worry about illegal immigrants bringing their culture to try to change your culture.

(sic)

Sadly that just isn't true.

The funny thing is the Ole Indians figure us Whites are the immigrants. They even pay less attention to state & fed regulation; ignore them.

Actually, it's a good thing. If us Whites did the same, things would be better for all.

To take a few words from Jeff Cooper...

Alaska is another Country, they do Things Differently There.

Alaska is the last place in the USA where substance living is not only possible, but done daily by a bunch of people...

It is "our" last frontier.

Lets hope the "Beaurocrats" do not mess it up.

You hear the same, every now and again, on the European Forum arguing that there should be a separate Bristish Shooting Forum. As "hunting" here in GB is quite a bit different from as done in Europe.

Wouldn't you all agree that no matter where you are the sport of hunting is becomming too much of a business proposition rather than just plain relaxation and recreation.

Many states and countries are now requiring guides, raising license fees, etc.

More and more people are going into the "hunting" business, or the businesses that support hunting.

Whatever happened to buying the license for $5.00, driving to your hunting destination, buying a map or two to figure out where you were goona go, and then just go hunting.

Now its $10,000 for this hunt, and $30,000 for that hunt, etc. etc. And of course, everyone trying to protect their own territory (county, state, province, or country), when in fact we live on one mother earth and all animals were provided for all people.

Oh well.

Ak somewhat supports the guides, special hunts designed for the guides through permits and outta staters are not supposed to hunt grizz without a guide, yet locals can have relatives up.

I can walk out my door and go hundreds of miles without crossing a dirt road. We all have subsistence tags but most figure it means they get a moose sometime from August till winter; and the local Indians ignore everything any govt tells them anyway. I'm sure laws are enforced in urban Ak, but not so much in rural areas for the locals. Actually most rural people never even buy licenses and there is an unwritten law here that says every family deserves a moose for winter meat.

We've been here 20 years, but remember hunting back east in rural Pennsylvania. I walked out my back door there too and didn't spend near as much on hunting. Up here, you got to get back in; but most have snowmachines, atvs, and a river boat; mainly for hunting.

I have buddies from down South who come to Alaska, have a small cabin here; spend 3-4 months a year here, mainly hunting. They tell me its harder to hunt back where they live than it was when they were kids and think keeping a place here, truck in Anch, and flying up is a good deal. Ya that buddy of mine from Georgia is pretty high class, all the locals like seeing him which is the number one way to get alot of shooting & killing game around here. Even the Indians keep asking me when he will be coming in, ha. As long as he keeps threatening all the old Indian women on making babies; they luv him to death.

Actually, I'm happy they don't start taxing guns like they do in Europe. We'd have to have ourselves a little war if that ever occurred though.

I don't want to live long enough to see Alaska change.

I share 22WRF's background. For $7.50 I was allowed a buck, a bear , and a turkey. Hunting on public land wasn't like downtown Baghdad. A kid could get a USGS map and start his hunt months before the hunt started. Few people had 4WD. You had as good a chance as anyone at getting a big one, if you had the legs and lungs to get where they lived. You could take a lot of pride in hunting hard, being successful, and hearing the older guys in camp talking about how that kid could hunt. When they nicknamed you Deerslayer, it made you hunt harder. You could look up at a mountain and feel where they were. You could feel them looking down at you, and know they better have a good escape route because you were coming.

Hunting like that is over, for most of us. We pay what money we can to tip the board in our favor. We rely on someone else to find them. Our part of the hunt becomes keeping-up, lay the cross-hairs on him, and squeeze. There is some pride in doing that well, but it doesn't make the hunt taste as sweet as it once did.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
It just dawned on me. Why is there an American Hunting Forum and an Alaskan Hunting Forum? Last time I checked, one of those stars on the flag was yours.

Cause the rest of the country is boring.

Grizz

I have a nephew who has visited us a few times over the last 7-8 years; riding snowmachine, shooting caribou, and just seeing our Alaska. He has been in the Air Force the last few years; never was able to get orders cut for Alaska. Then he got into para rescue and finally is on his way to Alaska for a 4 year stint. Ak Air National Guard plays an important role up here and you are always hearing them involved in rescues the State Police can't handle for this reason or that. Good to see a young guy get to Alaska with a decent job and interesting career.

Alaska is a great place, and even better for a young guy who will have the time and years to achieve everything & see it all. I came here when I was in my late 30's. Wish I would have been here at 18. I had a neighbor who just passed on at 96 years of age. He came to Ak before WWII at the age of 18. He told me stories about the old miners he knew as a young man. They were in AK during the gold rush and yet had the same freedom/wilderness connection people today have. Ak is some fine Country for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
(sic)

Whatever happened to buying the license for $5.00, driving to your hunting destination, buying a map or two to figure out where you were goona go, and then just go hunting.

Now its $10,000 for this hunt, and $30,000 for that hunt, etc. etc. And of course, everyone trying to protect their own territory (county, state, province, or country), when in fact we live on one mother earth and all animals were provided for all people.

Oh well.

Given Alaskas lack of road system, it's always been a major hurdle to hunt. $10k for a 4wheeler and trailer, $50k for a boat, $100k for a plane. Or dish out a $2-3k to be transported to a hunt. Ak has never been cheap to hunt, and will never be cheap to hunt.

Not necessarily a bad thing, just the way it is.

During my 20 year military career I had two tours in Alaska. The first was at Ft. Greely, 1974-77. Very isolated and remote, but a great assignment. I was there when the pipeline was built--the government gave Alyeska permission to bury the pipeline on installation property--we closed the main gate for 2 weeks while they excavated and laid the pipe. Pump Station 9 was just up the road, near Donnelly's Dome.

We always knew when the first snow would fly--it was a week after we saw dust on the top of Donnelly's Dome.

Military could hunt on resident license after a year on station. I hunted on horseback on the McComb Plateau, out of Dot Lake. My local guide, Jon Sumar, charged $100 a day.

I went back for a second tour 1984-86, and was stationed in Anchorage but often travelled NOR (that's North of the Range for you non-residents).

Most of the free-range land I had hunted just a few years earlier was closed--Carter had given it back to the natives and it was either by permit or just plain closed.

But there was still plenty of good hunting and fishing--that was over 25 years ago, so I have no recent experience.

I know that places on Ft. Richardson, like Cole Point where we used to hunt ducks, are closed, and I imagine also Bodenberg Butte (sp?) a few miles up the highway, where I hunted black bear.

Almost bought a house in Eagle River but had an opportunity for what I thought was a "great" assignment in the Lower 48 and left after 2 years--big mistake.

Wasilla was just starting to grow in the mid-80's and there was considerable construction--I also thought about a house there--I might have ended up being Sara Palin's next door neighbor

I knew guys who turned down command and a sure promotion to retire in Alaska--it was that enticing.

I sometimes wonder, "What if . . . ?"

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
They could make it simpler I guess and eliminate the Alaska, Canada and America hunting forums and create one called "North American" hunting forum.
I think part of the seperation is due to the differing types of hunting when comparing American hunting(lower 48) and Alaskan hunting.
Caribou, Alaska/Yukon Moose and all forms of grizzlies, Dall and Stone Sheep are hunted in Alaska and either don't exist or are not huntable in the lower 48.
Mountain Lions, Mule Deer, White tailed deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn and Desert Sheep, Antelope don't exist in Alaska (I know Afognak has elk but not widespread as elk are in the lower 48).
Besides although very friendly and great people Alaskans are a head strong lot and don't want to be included in anything to do with the lower 48, frankly I don't blame them!

That is true, but, because of all teh discussions, one would find it pretty hard to keep up with what is going on.

When we started AR, we had just one continuous thread going. It covered everything, regardless of whether it was hunting, reloading, gunsmithing and everything else.

That worked for a while when we had about 100 visitors a day.

The thread used to go for 500 posts, and as a new post is written, the one at the bottom disappeares.

We upgraded the software so we can have seperate forums. Generally in the same format as you see now.

thought about writing something nasty here but naaaa. thought about a funny but naaaa. even thought about some facts for ya but naaaa.

so ill just say that even tho this seems to go on forever...there is your answer. WE B SPECIAL!!!!!!!

Zhurh:
It didn't take long to figure out you lived in Eagle. I have been visiting Eagle most summers for (a few days since) 1983. Missed this year due to the washout of the road so I went on to Dawson. I had too good of a job in Anchorage to move from there but after retirement five years ago I moved between Willow and Talkeetna. Eagle has always been in my thoughts.

Tell me, what is the real estate situation in Eagle? Are there any listings? Any idea how long it takes for a home to sell. I drove past the Indian village, through the hardwood forest, and to a nice cabin on the bank of the Yukon River. A few pre-fab houses were in the area so I assume they are native homes from the government.

Three years ago I was at your July 4th shoot and tried a 7-bore double rifle just for giggles. I don't know if the 1620-grain slug made it across the river!

Cheers,
Cal

quote:

Cheers,

I talked to ya at the shoot. You got a bear up on the summit a few years back, right?

Indians have some land for sale; want more than worth I do believe, but you know how that goes. Those cabins are in poor shape and high priced too.

I always tell people that consider Eagle to live here a winter first, then buy. I know that you know the place but it has went down hill as far the folks here; so they all say. I see people come here, with all kinds of plans, ideas, and they can't wait till the road opens come Spring to get out. Wife and I have been here 9-10 years; kinda like the place now, but stay out of all the garbage, local power struggles, and politics. I really like the freedom we have here. no crime to speak of, and all the open country.

As far as the Indian land for sale, Tanana Chiefs have a guy (Haun) who handles it all. There is a 4 acre lot about a mile past dump and some larger ones that have river frontage but they want 3500-4000/acre I heard. No prop taxes, people hang onto land for best price.

Look us up nx time you are up. We live 4 miles out of town (park) towards new village. Ask where the teacher lives. I have a T bench on back porch and range; we'll shoot some guns. My one buddy is here now, and this time brought his 458 win mag; I like it.

Wife and I get calls every summer for teaching slots; think about it but stay put here. Pretty cheap living in Eagle and we feel secure no matter if the entire world comes crashing down. I can't stand the pressure & hordes in urban Ak, and I like hunting when I feel like it too.

Our road is pretty bad, made 2 trips to Fairbanks in last 4 days; shipped 2000 lbs of cans home and had a ton in both trk loads. I wouldn't be surprised if the state closed the Taylor for good nx year; going to cost big bucks to fix it for 100 White people & 30 Indians.

Willow always seemed the great place to call home to me. Now the road is closed, no outside hunters; might be a good year?

quote:

I knew guys who turned down command and a sure promotion to retire in Alaska--it was that enticing.

I sometimes wonder, "What if . . . ?"

You mean guys like Harry Froehle, the DEH during the mid 80s?

I was in Rich when you were. I commanded the 23 Eng Co from 86 to 87 and was the Bde Engr under Col James and Col Needham prior to that.

AnotherAZWriter:

I remember Needham; the CG there was Jerry Bethke, who later was DCG of 3rd Army here in Atlanta. I asked him to promote me to 0-5 when the time came and we were both in Atlanta & he was kind enough to do so.

Ken Wood was the PM & Cdr, LEC and I was his deputy.

Do you recall the scandal with Chaplain Tony Longval? I was his "keeper" while he awaited court-martial, then I personally escorted him to the DB at Leavenworth--got a side trip home out of the deal.

Alaska was an interesting assignment, both times.