Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land

by Walter R. Borneman

By Gruening’s own account, he was outraged at such logic. And what would happen, Gruening demanded, when the Soviets developed a bomber, as they surely would, that was capable of flying 3,600 miles? The air force representatives did not have a ready answer, but Gruening—never one to take a backseat—did. He proposed that rather than move the Boeing plant, the far better option was to strengthen Alaskan defenses with a comprehensive radar network capable of early detection of aggressor bombers. Squadrons of jet interceptors based in the territory could then be scrambled to shoot them down long before they crossed Alaska, let alone reached Seattle. If that was done, Gruening concluded with no lack of certitude, the only way for Russian bombers to attack Seattle successfully was by making a wide detour around the Aleutians. Secretary Symington and General Wolfe left the hearing red-faced, but a few days later the air force reversed its decision on the move.