"The 97th Army Corps Engineers, an African American unit, worked extensively on completing the Alaska/Canadian Highway, but the corps' substantial role in this project to defend North America from Japanese attack during World War II has received only scant attention.".

"With this book William E. Griggs, the official photographer for the battalion, amends the long-neglected history. Documenting the record of its service, he took almost a thousand photographs as the 97th traveled from Fort Eglin, Florida, to Seattle and then to Port Valdez and into the interior of Alaska.".

"Published here for the first time are more than a hundred of Griggs's black-and-white photographic images, along with captions he has written to explain the official work of the 97th battalion."--BOOK JACKET.