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In July 1915, official documents were signed creating Anchorage,
which remained very small and without a military presence until June
1940, when Nazi Germany conquered France, which prompted the
expedience of several military construction projects around Alaska,
including building Fort Richardson.
Fort Richardson included
land originally known as Elmendorf Field, which became Elmendorf Air
Force Base after World War II when the Air Force became a separate
service, then became Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2010.
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In July 1915, official documents were signed creating Anchorage. One hundred years later, Anchorage has grown and flourished. To celebrate the historic achievement, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce presented the 2015 Tent City Festival from July 25 to 26,
2015. Each era was presented and connected to various companies and organizations, including city's relationship with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which supported the event with military working dog demonstrations, an explosive ordnance disposal display, a smoke house from the 673rd Civil Engineer Squadron and more. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett)
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One significant event was a 9.2-magnitude earthquake
which struck Anchorage in 1964, resulting in the deaths of
133 people and $300 million in damages. During this natural
disaster, the military provided medical care, food, housing
and other supplies to Anchorage and surrounding communities.
One hundred years after its birth, Anchorage has grown
and flourished. To celebrate this history and look forward
to the future, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, with JBER
and multiple organizations throughout the community, hosted
the 2015 Tent City Festival.
Each era was represented in various
displays and tents, along with bouncy houses and other
family-related events.
“The purpose of this Tent
City celebration is to highlight Anchorage's 100th
anniversary,” said Bruce Bustamante, president of the
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. “It's an extremely important
story to tell. We've invited vendors from industries that
played a key role in the growth of Anchorage, and certainly
the military was one of the biggest components of our
history. It's extremely important for us to have base
support to come out here and be a part of this. We've worked
very closely, even in recent history, with the military. We
sure appreciate their cooperation.”
JBER was
represented with displays showcasing the Air Force's 673rd
Civil Engineer Group explosive ordnance disposal and smoke
house with fire prevention, as well as the Army's 549th
Military Working Dog Detachment, an Arctic living equipment
display and parachuting equipment from the 2nd Battalion,
377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.
“The messages inside here telling kids what to do when
there's a fire, and how to get out, what to do if they can't
get out – even if just one kid gets reached, that kid could
make a difference,” said John Burpee, 673rd Civil Engineer
Squadron fire department inspector, who was running the fire
prevention display. “Some were asking about the fire career
field, so we explained that. It's pretty cool to walk around
here and see the old stuff and new stuff, to know that JBER
has been a part of that. I think a lot of people of people
were surprised and excited to see us out here; it definitely
brought awareness.”
“What they do is amazing,” said
Mary Cresap, an Anchorage resident. “They'll do everything
they can so we'll be safe.”
A line quickly formed
with adults and children wanting to try on the parachuting
equipment, to experience what the jumpers wear.
“We're just interacting with the community, showing them
what we're a big part of it, and a bit of what we do on a
daily basis,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jessie Hobbs, 2-377
battalion air noncommissioned officer. “We're showing them
our airborne equipment because we jump a lot here in Alaska.
We're showing them our Arctic equipment like our tent,
pretty much our day-to-day life in the winter months here.
They seem to be enjoying it. A lot of kids are trying on the
parachute, going into the tent, looking around. A lot of the
outdoor guys who like to hunt want to use that type of
equipment for moose hunting. They've taken good interest in
it. It's always good to interact and let the community know
what we do, to show them we're here for them.”
The
military has played a significant role in Anchorage history,
celebrated on this birthday, Bustamante said.
“I
think our relationship with the military is great, and the
best judge of that are the people,” Bustamante said. “I'd
rather hear it from the military saying thanks for helping
us, thanks for helping our families while we're in
Anchorage. We just have a big passion for that. You'll see a
lot of military return to Anchorage and make it their home;
it's just a tremendous relationship. I don't know that we
give the military as much as they give us, we just do the
best we can.”
By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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