Before World War II, Alaska was not considered strategically important to the U.S. Military. Only one military base, located at Port Alaska defended the territory. With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of the western Aleutian, both naval and army units were rushed into Alaska. By 1942 over 150,000 troops were in Alaska. The headquarters for the military command was established in Anchorage.
World War Ii activities in the Alaskan territory had a lasting impact on Alaska. The War Department spent over a bilion dollars on military construction and operations in Alaska during the war. Military personnel who were stationed in Alaska twice outnumbered the existing civilian Alaskan population. Many soldiers who were in Alaska during the war returned to make it their home after the war was over.
Some of the most lasting effects on Alaska was the new internal road system and its first road link to the rest of the United States via the Alaska Highway. Many airports, harbors, and communication facilities were also improved. The war also showed the rest of the world the strategic positon Alaska has in the Pacific Rim and assured a military presence that continued after 1945.