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65:(which develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of all the U.S. armed forces) connected military posts with each other and with the rest of the continental United States. This system of thousands of miles of suspended landlines and submarine cable included the first successful long-distance radio operation in the world. The telegraph was also the first major contribution to Alaskan infrastructure provided by the U.S. federal government, marking the beginning of the government's central role in the development of Alaska.
50:. By 1904, ACS comprised some 2,100 miles (3,400 km) of undersea cable, over 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of land lines, and a wireless segment across at least 107 miles (172 km). On May 15, 1936 WAMCATS was renamed the U.S. Army Alaska Communication System. The Alaska Communication System remained under the control of the Army Signal Corps until 1962 when it was taken over by the
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Between 1900 and 1905, Army soldiers of the 59th Signal
Battalion (also known as the "Voice of the Arctic") constructed a telegraph line linking the U.S. Army posts across Alaska with each other, including a 107-mile (172 km) wireless system crossing Norton Sound on the west coast of Alaska. In
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The "prefix" USASPB associated with the vessel is an error. The Army's designation of self propelled barges was Barge, Self
Propelled (BSP). Smaller vessels simply had the designation "U.S. Army" and a number without being named. Some vessels were named but also bore the usual Army identification.
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Wired telephone poles eventually were put in place in Alaska, however, they were not reliable. One of the problems was that the heavy snow and ice typical in Alaska would cause the telephone poles to fall over, breaking the connections. During the winter there might be six feet of frozen snow that
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At the beginning of the 20th century, Alaska was a cold and inhospitable place where travel, let alone news, took a month or more to happen. In 1870, Alaska had just recently been sold to
America by the Russian Empire. In the U.S. that year, the
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At the start of the 20th century, when the United States was committing
American troops to military engagements around the world, the Signal Corps in Alaska worked to make sure military communications could flow. An important message, such as
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In 1900 the
Congress appropriated nearly a half a million dollars for the purpose of establishing a land and underwater communications system connecting the various military posts in Alaska with the rest of the United States.
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Signal Corps began to establish isolated forts (meteorological stations) throughout the
Western territories. These stations were usually not much more than cold, lonely huts manned by a single telegraph operator or soldier.
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The communications system was operated by signal soldiers assigned to the depot companies at the various forts around Alaska. WAMCATS soldiers reported directly to the Chief Signal
Officer of the United States Army.
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The ACS also provided a vital lifeline – sometimes quite literally – to the many remote and almost inaccessible communities across Alaska: it enabled the icebound city of
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and 2nd Signal
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could topple poles. Laying cable underwater would solve part of that problem, and would also help the military with ship to shore communications.
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473:"General MacArthur's Surrender Order To The Japanese", text by Janice Reynolds Cook, based on information provided by Charlie Burrow
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446:""Connecting Alaska: The Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System" by David Eric Jessup, University of Washington"
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This article is about the historical cable and telegraph system. For the contemporary telecommunications company, see
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From 1931 the Army Signal Corps did not own a cable ship and so the system deteriorated until the beginning of
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undertook the laying of a new submarine cable in 1924 between
Seattle and Alaska with a post at Ketchikan.
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532:"History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications: U.S. Armed Forces Cables" by Bill Glover
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Answers.com US Military
Dictionary "Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System" WAMCATS
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in 1899. Soon thereafter, underwater cable was first laid in Alaska in 1900, when the vessel CS
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undertaking the work. The cable came ashore at around 40-mile (64 km) intervals.
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The first submarine telegraph cable laid by the United States Signal Corps was in the
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The first submarine telephone cables were laid in 1956 with the Army cable ships
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General Information regarding the Territory of Alaska 1912
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By 1918, the 1st Signal Service Company was activated at
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in which "U.S. Army" is followed by "B.S.P. 2008" with
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The ACS was transferred to the Air Force in July 1962.
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Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System
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599:History of telecommunications in the United States
544:"Hot Super Bowl contest targeted for Alaska fans"
516:"The Alaska Communications System" by B. McCalley
431:Records of the office of the Chief Signal Officer
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73:'s World War II demand for the surrender of the
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16:Communications network in Alaska, 1900s-1960s
604:Military communications of the United States
609:Military radio systems of the United States
498:US Army lineage of Signal Service in Alaska
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365:Col. William. A. Glassford
264:Col. William. A. Glassford
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594:Communications in Alaska
372:underneath on the hull.
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86:1925 serum run to Nome
54:. The ACS handled the
44:U.S. Army Signal Corps
301:U.S. Navy cable ships
286:William H. G. Bullard
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182:U.S. Army cable ships
34:), also known as the
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503:2008-06-21 at the
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71:General MacArthur
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392:References
370:Glassford
363:photo of
348:Footnotes
323:USS
307:USS
258:Silverado
158:in 1941.
99:U.S. Army
501:Archived
476:Archived
380:See also
339:SS
333:Yamacraw
325:Portunus
252:Dellwood
222:Burnside
192:Burnside
149:Dellwood
75:Japanese
216:Romulus
204:Orizaba
135:Seattle
123:Orizaba
92:History
40:WAMCATS
309:Aeolus
228:Liscum
210:Hooker
48:Alaska
547:(PDF)
331:USS
317:Thor
315:USS
167:and
133:and
82:Nome
61:The
26:The
291:CS
275:CS
269:CS
256:CS
250:CS
244:CS
238:CS
232:CS
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176:RCA
32:ACS
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