ALASKA

1) NUCLEAR TARGETS

Juneau, SS-N-17
Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, SS-18M1
Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, SS-17
Point Barrow, DEW Line HQ, Barrow, SS-17

Discretionary Nuclear Targets:
Yukon Command Training Center, Fairbanks, SS-N-17
Fort Wainwright Military Reservation, SS-18M1
Fort Greely Military Reservation, SS-18M1

2) MORROW PROJECT ASSETS

Recon Team AK-1: Inside Mount Hayes, southeast of Fairbanks in the Spur Glacier area.
Recon Team AK-2: Location and disposition unknown.
Mars Team AK-3: 10 men with 1 V300 w/90mm, 1 V150 w/20mm and a Armored Snow Cat. Team located somewhere in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska.
Science Team AK-4: 12 men with 2 BV-206 and a Gamma Goat cargo truck. Team was buried 15 miles east of Anchorage. Team awoke in 1992 and fled south to avoid the fighting, ending up in Juneau (see that entry).

3) ANCHORAGE

The War: Anchorage was destroyed by four MIRVs detonating on Elmendorf Air Force Base in the northeast part of the city, scorching most of the city away. The Soviet airborne and amphibious invasion of Anchorage took place four weeks after the nuking of that city. The Soviet invasion force just assumed the former City and surrounding area would be unoccupied. When the troops landed they were immediately attacked by the bulk of the 10th Mountain Division and two brigades of Canadian Rangers from hastily prepared positions along the beachhead. The 10th was warned of the invasion by a shadowing Los Angeles class attack sub that tracked the Soviet Amphibious force from Kamchatka to the Aleutians. While the airborne assault ensued on shore, the sub attacked the naval armada still at sea. The amphibious force was annihilated within hours, with the scant few survivors washing up in the Aleutians over the next few days, where their descendants remain to this day. Remnants of the US 3rd and 7th fleets, which were conducting fleet exercises at sea on the day of the initial strikes, were able to intercept the second wave of Soviet invasion forces in a furious sea and air battle some 500 miles south of Anchorage that left both fleets crippled. Though left on their own without reinforcements, the three Soviet Airborne Divisions were able to make some initial gains and advanced to the outskirts of Anchorage. The 10th Mountain Division along with their die hard Canadian allies were too few in number to stop the avalanche of troops, and losses were very heavy on both sides. Within weeks, the Soviets occupied the areas east and south of Anchorage and the remnants of the 10th Mountain Division occupied the west and north of the city. Anchorage would remain a free fire zone for years. Their Canadian allies eventually disengaged from combat and began the long march to White Horse and eventually home, as their country had problems of its own. Were it not for their faithful and outstand service, Anchorage would have fallen after the first week.

Today: About 900 people still live in and around Anchorage, with the majority of them involved in farming the coastal outskirts or scavenging in the thick ruins. There are two main groups, both of whom dislike the other. The descendants of the soldiers of the 10th continue to hold the Canadian Ranger forces in the highest esteem and to this day the occasional Ranger patrols to Anchorage drink free in the city for the duration of their stay.

The 10th Mountain Division: The forested hills and river cuts east of Anchorage have long been home to the ancestral remnants of the 10th Mountain Division. The entire division was originally forward deployed to Fort Wainwright, but the division was conducting REFORGER exercises in the countryside with two brigades of Canadian Rangers during the strikes and initially stayed to help with disaster relief. Naturally, they were on hand when the Soviet airborne and amphibious Invasion commenced. Although they stayed to fight the Soviets, the rapidly crumbling supply and communications network soon left them stranded and on their own. The 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division attempted to break out of their encirclement and make for Juneau for help, but it is unclear if they made it, as they were never heard from again. The 10th Mountain came here 150 years ago as a cohesive unit, but over the generations, the rigors of life in Alaska have morphed the unit into a community of farmers and hunters with a unique history. All that remains of their US Army heritage are some old uniforms, rusty guns and even rustier vehicles. Today there are about 170 people in their community, nearly all of them descendents of the soldiers and native Alaskan girls. They still see themselves as the defenders of America, though they have little concept of what America actually is anymore. They have some trade opportunities with the locals, a growing cottage industry making excellent inshore canoes. Much of their products go to the Inuit’s along the coasts and river valleys and to the Kodiak islanders, who prize the soldiers’ well-built boats.

Whale Worshippers: The largest group in the Anchorage area is a fierce community of native Inuit’s known as the "Whale Worshippers", who came to the Anchorage bowl a century ago. The Whale Worshippers have been attempting to take control of the shores of Cook Inlet from the rest of the fishers and farmers in a low-grade war of attrition for three generations now. Local raids still occur between the Whale Worshippers, local farmers, and the soldiers as they all try to secure the limited food growing areas. These raids usually happen at the beginning of the spring, as any action during the winter is near impossible.

Wittier: This small town east along the coast from of the ruins of Anchorage is home to a small group of religious nuts ruled by "Apostle Nuukut". He is the leader of "The Church of Christ, Our Atomic Savior". The symbol of the Church is an image of Jesus crucified on the cross, painted black to signify radiation burns. The church's favorite hymns are versions of Ozzy Osborne's "Thank God for the Bomb" and the Louvin Brothers' "Great Atomic Power". Recently, word of this church has reached the Soldiers in Anchorage, who are not exactly thrilled about it.

Seward: This small fishing village is notable primarily for their post war edifice that makes fishing here fabulous. On a shoal two miles offshore lies the rusting remains of the former Soviet helicopter assault ship Moskava. The Moskava is the only surviving capitol ship from the first invasion, having been torpedoed and run herself aground on the shoal to prevent sinking. The vessel was stripped long ago of everything useful, but her leaking nuclear depth charges in her magazines have created a new species of Alaskan crab that is both massive and highly prized. The crabs thrive around the ancient wreck and though dangerous; are a highly prized delicacy as far away as Chile. Trawlers from Juneau trade with the Seward fisherman for every crab they can get, as the water around the wreck is too shallow for the trawlers and the Seward fisherman have mastered the dangerous job of lugging them ashore.

4) THE SOVIETS

The Soviets invaded Alaska in the first week of 1990, some six weeks after the nuclear exchanges. While they didn't accomplish much, their impact can still be felt 150 years later. They landed along the islands and coastlands of Lower Alaska, aiming to move down the coast to link up with Soviet airborne forces in Washington state. There were some battles, some victories, even more defeats, before the invasion force was stopped for good. Once the invasion was blunted, the surviving soldiers either scattered, some even heading back to Siberia, or they just put down stakes in the areas they occupied, marrying Alaskan girls and having children. Generations later, the enclave that survived has become just another immigrant community.

Today: The Soviets still in Alaska can be divided into two basic categories...those that are completely assimilated and concerned only with survival and those that are still loyal to "Mother Russia" and still dreaming of, or actively pursuing, conquest. Most of them fall into the first category, and are just pockets of people with mixed ancestry with strange customs and words, and very few seek to cause any trouble. The largest enclaves are listed throughout the rest of the entry.

Valdez: The largest Soviet settlement in Alaska and the most militant is centered on the port town of Valdez. In late 1990, the Soviets took this strategic port in a swift amphibious landing. 150 years later, they are still here, though without support from home, the Soviet invaders have been slowly assimilated into the local population just to survive. The town's large brick courthouse is still the headquarters of the grandly-named Soviet Alaskan Landing Command with nominal control over all Soviet forces in North America, though that is in name only, of course. There are now some 600 people living here, farmers, fishermen and their families, many of them descendents of the ethnic Russians. Clustered in small farms of three or four families each, they raise grain and vegetables or harvest fish from the lakes and rivers. The militia still parades and patrols the area, keeping a little bit of the Red Army alive in Alaska. The Russian leadership in Valdez has always been mixed in their opinion of what to do in the near future. Most want to just keep fishing and hunting and making babies, while some younger men want to carry on their forefather's war. Every generation goes through this same debate, but so far the community has always stayed put.

Yakutat: Home to a small group of steadfastly loyal Soviets (8 young men) who moved here last week from the Valdez enclave. They are the most militant of the younger generation of Soviets there, and took to the old stories about the glory of Mother Russia strongly. The splinter packed up and left in the middle of the night, taking with them their weapons and an ancient Soviet flag. Here in Yakutat, they have been stomping around threatening the local Inuit fishermen. They have standing plans to march on Seattle, but about half of them are already homesick and missing their families.

5) SOUTHWESTERN COAST

The densely forested Kenai Peninsula lies to the south of Anchorage. The oil storage and shipping facilities at the southern terminus of the Alaska Pipeline in the Cook Inlet and along the Valdez Bay were destroyed during the war and are still rusting today. Further along, the wind-swept Aleutian Chain is mostly abandoned.

Kodiak: On Kodiak Island, the town of Kodiak is a trading center known for its smoked fish and flintlock rifles. An antique arms museum in Fort Abercrombie State Park was emptied by the locals right after the war, and some of the operational long rifles (several over 300 years old now) are still used as militia weapons. Also thanks to the displays in the museum, they have some basic gun manufacturing and reloading capability. They can produce flintlock rifles, pistols and the ammunition they need for those weapons. 300 people live in and across Kodiak Island, their efforts making the town self-sufficient in most daily needs. They trade with the rare trawler from the Principality of Juneau for down coats and rubberized fishing gear of pre war quality.

King Salmon: Currently occupied by what is certainly the most militant and dangerous force of Soviets in Alaska. King Salmon was captured just this summer by an amphibious assault, organized by a resurgent military government in Siberia. This government, centered north of the ruins of Vladivostok, has become that region's strongest military power and has begun sending expeditions across the eastern sea. The first landing attempt was nine years ago on the coast of Japan, which was unfortunately destroyed by a typhoon just offshore. Despite the loss of men and material, the Siberians scraped enough together to launch a second expedition, this one to Alaska. 250 men landed here with big dreams of marching on Juneau, but have decided to winter here first and head along the coast next spring. If they encounter the other Soviet enclaves along the way, they will be very surprised by their lack of fervor for the Soviet cause. Equipment includes several large cannons of recent manufacture and a dozen trucks. They are manufacturing their own alcohol based fuel to run their vehicles, though they utilize skis and dog sleds for perimeter patrols. Most curiously, they have a nice PRC-68 radio (maybe Project?) that they use to spout Communist propaganda to anyone listening. The few surviving Inuit’s are surly and only half-subdued.

Aleutian Chain: The Aleutian chain is mostly abandoned except for seasonal fishing camps. The military bases scattered along the chain received numerous hits from tactical nuclear weapons, destroying most settlements of any size. There are also some few small settlements made up of the descendants of the survivors of the Soviet invasion destroyed south of her long ago. On at least three islands are the rusting remains of burnt out Soviet warships that beached themselves here after that ancient battle.

6) LOWER ALASKA

The chain of islands and strip of land along the coast of British Columbia, including the former capital of Juneau, were the sight of some fierce conventional action during the war.

Juneau: The nuclear missile meant for Juneau malfunctioned soon after leaving the submarine and spiraled off into the sea, sparing the city and assuring its place in the new world. The Soviets captured the city in 1990, but abandoned it soon after, choosing instead to march south on Vancouver and Seattle. Behind them they left a lot of smoking wreckage for the surviving locals to clean up and rebuild.

Today: The capitol of the Principality of Juneau, Juneau is a city reborn. While not remotely a utopia, it is a shining example of what hard work, determination and vision can produce.

See THIS PAGE for a complete detailed description of the Principality of Juneau.

Skagway: This unfortunate city was the scene of a massive battle in the first year of the war. The city was captured by the Soviets early in the war and was being used as a supply and logistical hub in their invasion. Three Soviet Divisions occupied the small city and were preparing to march south when the Army Brigade from Anchorage stumbled upon them. A battle royal ensued for two straight days. The 10th Mountain, 3rd Brigade fought heroically but there were just too many Russians. One of the last surviving soldiers detonated their stockpile of nerve gas mortar rounds with a LAW. Within three hours, every living soul within 15 miles of Skagway was dead.

Today: Skagway is a snow bound graveyard littered with thousands of frozen, mummified military and civilian corpses. An astonishing amount of military hardware is frozen in the snow around the ruined city, but the area is shunned by humans and wildlife alike to this day. A permanent outpost is located three miles northeast of Skagway and is the northern most outpost of the Principality. For the last 30 years, for two weeks in July a trade delegation from White Horse meets here to trade goods and news.

Hoonah at Port Frederick: The Tlingit village of Hoonah was a sleepy little wilderness port and airstrip before the war. The Soviets landed here briefly and after destroying the sea planes and fish packing company in the tiny port, they moved south. The few surviving Inuit rebuilt as best they could until help came from Juneau.

Today: The northern-most village of the Principality of Juneau contains the Hoonah Tackle Company. The HTC is in full operation and a quarter of the Juneau fishing fleet is docked here at any given time. This bustling little community of 800 produces the highest quality and most highly regarded fishing nets and equipment in the Western Hemisphere. Their nets are traded in Sitka and are used by fishermen as far away as Australia and Chile as well as all along the former US West Coast. A few surreptitiously purchased nets are even used in Vladivostok.

Sitka: The western-most city of the Principality of Juneau, Sitka has carefully preserved the appearance of a simple but thriving post WWIII city. Sitka is the trade “Face” of the Principality, and as such trades with the few visitors to the city. There are no motor vehicles here (the APC’s are kept on the far side of the city in a guarded warehouse and only come out in emergencies) and by all appearances (to foreign merchants and visitors) is a large but simple fishing village with some very impressive trade items. This is intentional as the leadership of the Principality wants to keep the truth of their success a secret for the time being. At present, some 700 fishermen and 100 merchants now live in the town, along with their families. They often make the trip to Juneau, and trawlers from there occasionally dock at Sitka to drop off finished gods and pick up traded goods for shipment to Juneau. The historic Baranof Castle is now the citadel of the town and doubles as both a safe retreat from the occasional severe storm and the headquarters of the “Scout Group”.

Militia: Sitka’s militia consists of 200 part-time militiamen equipped with re manufactured pre war weapons. There is also the "Scout Group". With a heritage passed down from an Alaska National Guard regiment, the Scout Group (in reality, three squads of Red Berets from Juneau) is made up of mostly native Inuit’s and has a sterling reputation for prowess in battle with bandits and mutant wildlife alike. The Scout Group has 30 men with ancient, rusty pre war weapons (their ultra modern weapons are never far away) and two Juneau APC’s. While Sitka is an "open city", strangers, either traveling alone or in groups will be scrutinized carefully by undercover “Scouts” and quickly tossed out if they cause trouble.

Economy: Operating industries include a fish processing plant and a boat works producing the best small fishing vessels available in Alaska. The Port of Sitka has been a haven of trade for 300 years and the tradition continues, albeit in a somewhat muted capacity. Trade vessels from as far south as Chile and as far west as Japan occasionally pull in to trade with the kindly and simple locals. The road system and most of the bridges in the city remain in decent shape, though their primary traffic is horse-drawn. Fishing is king here, and a large fishing fleet has been the pride of Sitka for many generations. Sitka is also home to a covertly disguised weather radar recently installed by Juneau. It scans the sea for approaching storms and visitors alike. Every boat in the Sitka fleet is equipped with a small, battery powered, AM radio built in Juneau. These are used to communicate weather reports and news to the fisherman as they ply their trade in the dangerous, unpredictable Pacific Ocean.

Kake: The southern-most village of the Principality, this coastal village is home to F.I.S.H., the marine broadcast tower and communications relay facility. Broadcasting on the low AM dial, this facility relays news and weather reports to the fishing fleets and (atmospherics permitting) can be heard up to 200 miles away. The former wilderness runway and support buildings were long ago scavenged of everything useful (including the asphalt) and the only remnant is the small, dilapidated looking control tower, which is now the home of FISH. The radio staff and their families live at the former coastal village and enjoy the same basic standard of living as the citizens of Juneau. A supply boat from Sitka comes once a week. Transport on the island consists of one ancient flatbed truck and some bicycles.

Relations note: The Principality of Juneau is aware of the Soviets on some of the southern islands. However, due to the deprivations Juneau and the Inuit suffered at their hands during the war, they will neither trade nor interact with them, but keep an eye on them just the same. The Inuit have long memories.

Ketchikan: The southern prong of the Soviet invasion effort landed here, and the area is littered with the rusty wreckage of tanks and sunken landing boats. A Soviet troop transport is still beached on a shoal just offshore, smashed by Canadian and American aircraft during the landings. It has been looted long ago and is now just a home for seals and gulls.

Annette Island: This large island has been a Soviet enclave for nearly 150 years, the residents mostly descendants of a Soviet Naval Infantry regiment that settled here following the aborted invasion. The only town of any note is Hydaburg on the southern tip of the island. There are about 250 people here total and they have long ago become simple fishermen and farmers. Their heaviest remaining weapons are two old creaky machine guns. As they are simple fishermen who have not have retained the skills to keep these weapons functional, they have them on display in the center of the village as non-functional souvenirs from the war of their ancestors. Hydaburg has no walls or large fortifications, as they have been at peace with the surrounding locals for generations.

7) THE GREAT WHITE NORTH

The new Ice Age has brought a permanent freeze to much of Alaska north of the Yukon River. The northern and central parts of the state are great stretches of evergreen forests, blinding white snow and ice hundreds of feet thick in places. Virtually no one lives in the interior of Alaska anymore, except some totally isolated Inuit families following the caribou herds. They have to contend with hungry mutant Polar bears as well as extreme snow storms and blizzards.

Fort Wainwright: This radioactive and flattened base has been picked over for a century by wanderers and locals alike. Currently a Recon Company of the "Army of the Yukon", here from Yellowknife, is poking around the glassed over western fringes looking for salvage (there is none).

The ruins of Fairbanks: Utterly vaporized when hit by the massive 25 megaton nuke over Fort Wainwright. Nothing remains of either location save radioactive rock. To this day, no matter how cold the weather, both snow and ice melt on contact with this highly radioactive dead zone.

Fort Greely: This base far to the southeast of Fairbanks was blasted by an SS-18M1, totally destroying anything manmade. Bits and pieces of salvage can still be picked up from these ruins, provided one is wary of wolves and the occasional bear.

Galena: Typical of the villages in the southern interior where all the white people left after the war, leaving only the native Inuit’s to revert to their old ways. Sitting on the Yukon River, Galena now hosts some 300 residents, mostly fishermen, hunters and their families.

Tok: Typical of medium sized villages in the southeast of the state, Tok avoided annihilation on War Day but was not meant to survive the aftermath. With the loss of electrical power due to EMP, the US military soon evacuated the area and headed south to Anchorage and east into British Columbia. The civilians were left to their own and suffered greatly from marauders and army deserters. Then the Ice Age came and the snows just didn't stop falling. Fairbanks has been unpopulated for decades now, but the rare scavenger still combs the rubble for useful equipment and material.

The DEW line: Few of the individual Distant Early Warning radar stations, spread about the state, were damaged by any weapons. Once the exchanges were over, the remaining Air Force personnel based at the stations evacuated south. Those that made the trek to Barrow were most likely killed by the locals. The other crews who ended up in Valdez or Anchorage, were soon given rifles and sent south to defend the lines against the Soviet invasion and were scattered. The storms came after that and buried many of them under permanent drifts. 150 years later, the DEW line stations still sit empty, full of expensive radar and communications equipment that would be a treasure to anyone who want to go to the effort to salvage them. Recently, a special long range recon party from Juneau stumbled upon these facilities and a plan is being formed to plunder the technology if a way to travel there by sub can found.

People who have contributed to this entry:
John Raner
Karl Zohler
Vince Tognarelli