What was the contribution of African American soldiers to the Alaska Highway?

• A. They organized support crews
• B. They funded the project
• C. They provided skilled labor in construction
• D. They designed the route

Answer: (C)

This item asks about the kind of work African American soldiers did on the Alaska Highway. The highway was built quickly during World War II by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Black troops contributed through skilled construction tasks. They performed work such as grading the road, laying pavement, building bridges, doing carpentry and metal work, and operating heavy equipment. These skilled labor tasks were essential to turning rugged terrain into a usable road.

Funding and the overall route design came from engineers and planners, not the soldiers performing the construction. While soldiers did organize support and logistics, the key contribution described here is the skilled construction work they provided, which directly enabled the highway to be completed.