Alaska Territorial Guard Eskimo Scouts

Does anyone know if they wore normal US Army issued uniforms or if they wore some sort of special (perhaps native dress)?

The Alaska Territorial Guard existed from 1942 until 1947 and was made up mainly of Eskimo scouts who patrolled the frozen tundra in defense against the Japanese.

I believe the reformed post WWII Alaska National Guard also contained some sort of special Eskimo Scout type unit that still existed as of 1988 when the New York Times did an article about them but I believe it was disbanded in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Scouts
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED9103CF933A15751C0A96E948260 (1988 article about the scouts)

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" Used to have Alaska Territorial Guard patches in my collection before I started giving them away to those who wrote and told me they needed my patches to complete their own collections, so I surrendered them all. One of my ATG patches was blue felt with stars embroidered like the atrological sign of the "Big Dipper," yellow stars on one and white stars on another and had several in twill cloth too. Its ironic that most volunteers were privates, same for many state guards also, with the few commissioned officers being former officers in World War One. Today the State Defense Forces are top-heavy with officers and few if any privates as I met men and women from Alaska who started as sergeant (E-5) and a woman started as a corporal (E-4), as for myself, I served as a chief Petty officer (E-7) in the Maryland Naval Militia and the other adults were commissioned officers except for one chief warrant officer. Served in the California State Military Reserve as a sergeant (E-5) and was promoted to staff sergeant (E-6). We had a full colonel who retired from the regular army and he was made a warrant officer and then made it to major, while former privates and NCOs came in as captains, majors, and colonels. One man was an enlistedman in the California Army National Guard, he came in as colonel and ended up as major general, commanding the SMR, believe it or not? But, I am sure the ATG or Alaska SDF has more enlisted again during the present Middle-East Wars. I served with Aleutian and Sitka Indians who came from the Alaska Army National Guard to Fort Ord, California in 1959 where I took advanced infantry training with them. To a man, all were Alsakan native American Indians. They did sometimes complain about the weather around Monterey and Carmel near Fort Ord; thought it was too cold and wet, ironic? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

Sarge! Glad to see you here, I hope all has been going well with you ... it's been time time since we last talked.

Very interesting recollection of the Alaska Guard and the "top heavyness" - that certainly seems to be the case with the NY State Guard and the NY State Naval Militia, it's my hope that 9/11 and the focus on homeland security will increase funding and better organization for the state defense forces. Correct me if I am wrong but most state defense forces are not even issued weapons are barely do more then traffic control and such right?

ChrisF202 wrote:Sarge! Glad to see you here, I hope all has been going well with you ... it's been time time since we last talked.

Very interesting recollection of the Alaska Guard and the "top heavyness" - that certainly seems to be the case with the NY State Guard and the NY State Naval Militia, it's my hope that 9/11 and the focus on homeland security will increase funding and better organization for the state defense forces. Correct me if I am wrong but most state defense forces are not even issued weapons are barely do more then traffic control and such right?

CHRIS: Quite right, Chris! 90% of the SMR members were officers and less than 10% were enlisted. Education, experience, and prior service matter not if one was in the "Old-Boys Network!" I redsigned the service ribbons for the Indiana Guard Reserve and created them for the Massachusetts State Guard based on those worn by the California State Military Reserve, in neither case did they credit this Californian, gave credit to some politically appointed officers, needless to say. If I am not in error, the New York Naval Militia is more popular than the New York Guard, is that correct? http://www.archive.org/ Have been sending scans of insignia from older books on insignia, medals, and uniforms to www.archive.com for others to enjoy also. No weapons are issued nor allowed to be used by State Defense Forces except for those who sign up for National Rifle Association classes, but that is held in authorized locations under the N.R.A., but to my knowledge, no S.D.F. parcels out service ribbons or medals for shooting skills? Some people fear the questionable militias running around in the woods, but I hold no opinion on such groups of men and women? "9-11" is like "Pearl Harbour" in that it may be just a one-time deal, God willing? I do not seea lot of state interest in supporting an S.D.F. even if they work free, people in power have less power over people will to volunteer and take no pay, its all about "power and control" over others! Besides, S.D.F.s will cease to exist as State Governors become irrelevent as the Federal Government takes over more and it remains to be seen if the Feds come up with a Federally-controlled "Home Guard" in the future? Haiti had a "Home Guard" and a :Rural Guard" some time ago, maybe they are simply criminal gangs with firepower now? Mexico has "Home Guards" called "Ruralistas." The difference between the police and the military in Central and South America is almost the same. COSTA RICA say they don't have a military, don't believe it, they do! Soldiers are world policemen and police are local soldiers - it remains to be seen if S.D.F. will evolve into something that can be used by those in the Capitols of States? "Power and Control!" Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

You do bring up a good point, it seems that lately the fed gov wants more control over state matters .... actually I believe the National Guard call ups is now entirely controlled by Washington DC and not the state governors. Perry in Texas recently wanted to call up the TXARNG to patrol the Mexican border and Obama rejected his request. A nationally organized Home Guard sounds good in concept but in reality it would be a total failure due to the massive size of our country. I truly believe that we will see the day where the national government overrules all and becomes supreme - in direct violation of the beliefs of the Founding Fathers.

As for the NY State Guard vs the NY State Naval Militia, while their website says that they have units on Long Island I have never seen or heard of them except for their websites ... oh and when some local county legislator was given the rank of Brigadier General for no reason. Long Island for all intents and purposes is a seperate state as Albany basically ignores us in terms of state resources even though we generate a significant portion of the state revenue.

As for Latin America, I always assumed that the Public Force/Civil Guard was pretty much a military in all but name. It's organized into companies and battalions, has a totally military rank structure, is very heavily armed (beyond what you would expect of a police force) and is acknowledged to have military capabilities. I do believe though that San Jose has a civil police force.

ChrisF202 wrote:You do bring up a good point, it seems that lately the fed gov wants more control over state matters .... actually I believe the National Guard call ups is now entirely controlled by Washington DC and not the state governors. Perry in Texas recently wanted to call up the TXARNG to patrol the Mexican border and Obama rejected his request. A nationally organized Home Guard sounds good in concept but in reality it would be a total failure due to the massive size of our country. I truly believe that we will see the day where the national government overrules all and becomes supreme - in direct violation of the beliefs of the Founding Fathers.

As for the NY State Guard vs the NY State Naval Militia, while their website says that they have units on Long Island I have never seen or heard of them except for their websites ... oh and when some local county legislator was given the rank of Brigadier General for no reason. Long Island for all intents and purposes is a seperate state as Albany basically ignores us in terms of state resources even though we generate a significant portion of the state revenue.

As for Latin America, I always assumed that the Public Force/Civil Guard was pretty much a military in all but name. It's organized into companies and battalions, has a totally military rank structure, is very heavily armed (beyond what you would expect of a police force) and is acknowledged to have military capabilities. I do believe though that San Jose has a civil police force.

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" Costa Rica's civil police force remains a de facto army when they go into the rain forest and deal with both native Mayan Indians and non-Indian drug runners and really bad men on the run from the law and of course can always put down a rising of farm workers who refuse to work for a sub-standard wage by United Fruit Company. I know in Guatemala the army and police work together and they "recruit" Mayan Indians to pick coffee beans and some army or police colonel keeps the better part of their meager wages. I have to wonder what life was or is like for the Alaskan Indians and wondered why so many Alaska Army National Guardsmen seem to be Indians, maybe white soldiers might be scarce as the time spent on monthly drills and two-weeks summer camp might not appeal to "Ice Road Truckers" and others working on oil fields, etc.? Ah, but the Long Island branch of the New York Naval Militia do come out, to special functions where good food and hard-liquor drinks and life entertainment are going on so they can party weartiing Dress Blue Uniform, Mess Dress, etc. sporting their full size medals, some awarded for never having missed a military ball? Albany does not care a fig for New York City, why else did the U.S. Government bail out the "Big Apple" some many years ago? Barak Hussein Obama Junior, well he is now "Commander-in-Chief" and pulls the strings on the border states with the Republic of Mexico. Federalism is taking over as state controls are in name only! State Defense Forces are seen same as the "Militias" running around in the woods of Idaho, Mihcigan, Montana, and elsewhere! The news media drew those comparisons! Why do you think is bringing down newspapers? Why pay to read lies and distortions ans shameful one-sided propaganda. A German in the Third Reich said: "Hitler thinks for us!" And in Russia it would have been: "Stalin thinks for us!" Well, those stars are rewards to state legislatures, aren't they? Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

No offence gents but can we get back onto uniforms.

Sorry Sean, we were just catching up ... we will confine it to PM's now