Racism And The Civil Rights Movement - 2014 Words

Throughout the world, everyone makes remarks that may offend one’s character or race to distinguish him or her as inferior. Racism is a prominent epidemic that has especially affected African Americans in the development of America. Africans were torn away from their homes and brought to America in the 17th century to work as slaves, where they experienced various forms of chastisements and torture. Then in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president where he expressed his strong disposition against slavery, which then began the Civil War in America. Lincoln abolished slavery in 1863 in the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves. However, many of the freed slaves still lived in bad conditions and poverty. Whites saw African Americans as an inferior raced, and they discriminated against them, as they were not allowed to attend the same school or church as they did. In the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement grew as black activists made ground-breaking stands for their c ommunity including Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination in schools, jobs, or any public places. Despite these progressions throughout the years, about 25% of African Americans in the USA still live in poverty having a lower income and a higher unemployment rate than whites. Much of this inequality is due to the media’s portrayal of blacks in the community. The media uses negative stereotypes to depict untruthful and unpleasantShow MoreRelatedRacism, Racism And The Civil Rights Movement1009 Words   |  5 PagesRacism is Evident in American Society Today The history of the United States in regard to racism and discrimination is no secret. Children are taught about segregation, slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement like the events were purely in the past. In part the events were in the past; however, the results of said events are not. As Americans, we live in a nation with a rough history and, in order to keep growing together, we cannot forget what has happened. Granted, racism is not extinct, but itRead MoreRacism And The Civil Rights Movement984 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is racism? By definition racism is the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one s own race is superior. This is a big issue in America today. Many Americans believe that racism is over in this country because it had gone through a civil rights revolution but those people are more than wrong. Some people believe that just because America went through a civil rights movement that all racism is gone. That everything wasRead MoreDifference Between Racism And The Civil Rights Movement Essay1274 Words   |  6 Pagesbeings. However, changed started to hatch when Dr.Martin L. King first evoked the Civil Rights Movement initiating the end of racial disunion. Although the signs have been taken down, and separation has decreased, other adjustments have been made in current workforce, income, educational studies and the justice system. Comparing the two will allow us to determine the difference between racism today and racism from a little over sixty years ago. Referring back to six decades ago, education forRead More Racism versus Civil Rights Movement Essay examples1446 Words   |  6 PagesKing, page666 The 1960s were a time of great turmoil in America and throughout the world. One of the main topics that arouse was black civil rights. In my essay I plan to compare the difference of opinion between these particular writers and directors, towards racism and the civil rights movement in the 1960s The movement truly got underway with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X in the early 1960s. Students who wanted to bolt on the equality and protestRead MoreEssay on Changes Brought About by the Civil Rights Movement1095 Words   |  5 Pageswhich is racism. Racism happened a lot at United State, the whites treated the African-American badly and called them blacks or niggers. Despite the fact that racism occurred a lot, not everyone supported and followed racism, some protested, some stood up to fight. Many actions were done back then for the blacks to earn back their pride and their rights as americans. The Civil Right Movement improves the environment of the colored people in those small towns and earned them many rights, it also decreasedRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement : Martin Luther King, Jr. And Rosa Parks1546 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil Rights Movement is often remembered in American history as an era of unity and struggle. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are often the figures that get the most recognition from this period. However, there are many leade rs from the Civil Rights Movement that get overlooked. Even MLK toward the end of his life is glossed over for the â€Å"version† that gave the famous â€Å"I have a dream† speech. In truth, there was a fair amount of division between the Black Power Movement and the IntegrationRead MoreMichael Brown And The Anti Black Racism1270 Words   |  6 PagesMichael Brown and were not indicted. This movement was a response to the anti-black racism that exists in our society (Cullors, Tometi Garza, 2012). Foner and Garraty (1991) point out that the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was an initiative where Civil rights activists used nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to bring about change for freedom and equality. African American leaders risked their lives to speak out for change while participating in the movement. In 1964 legislation introduced byRead MoreRacism Is A Major Issue And Problem That Has Plagued The United States Of America1551 Words   |  7 PagesRacism is a major issue and problem that has plagued the United States of America for years. Racism has been around in our country since well before the Civil war and even today we still have people who are prejudice towards other races, but discrimination and other major issues had finally become illegal in the end of the 1960’s with the civil rights movement. During the civil rights movement we had many African American leaders and people who were fighting for civil rights within American. OneRead MoreA Brief Note On The Civil Rights Movement1269 Words   |  6 PagesThe civil rights movement accomplished much from 1954-1968. Faced with a wall of blatant racism and discrimination activist were still able to fight segregation, get African Americans in the South involved with the voting process, and be a starting point and a model for other social movements later in our country’s history. The most noteworthy parts of this movement are its successes when faced with systemic marginalization and violence. The first accomplishment of the civil rights movement involvedRead MoreRacism During The Civil War973 Words   |  4 Pages Racism is an issue that has plagued in country from the day it was declared the United States of America. Whether it comes in the form of slavery, forced segregation or political racism, it is still here. Racism can be seen throughout our history from slaves picking cotton in the south to Jim Crows laws preventing slaves from having equal rights to current days where we have things such as affirmative action and movements such as Black Lives Matter. In the beginning of our country, we began our

On Family Guy The Narrative and Postmodern Free Essays

string(178) " stories based upon popular culture to keep it unique from week to week, whereas flashbacks and flashforwards could be used as divergent plot elements in other television shows\." Introduction In the popular television show, Family Guy, which airs on a variety of different stations, a selection of different communication theories can be easily applied to the overall makeup of the thirty-minute animated episodes. The television show revolves around a similar concept to The Simpsons, albeit one that is highly focused on a very direct satire of contemporary culture and its impact on society, especially in terms of everyday American life. The show features a seemingly standard American family, consisting of Peter Griffin, the father, Lois Griffin, the mother, Chris Griffin, the son, Meg Griffin, the daughter, Stewie Griffin, the baby son, and Brian, the dog. We will write a custom essay sample on On Family Guy: The Narrative and Postmodern or any similar topic only for you Order Now Throughout the many seasons, the show focuses on exposing the ills of society in a funny, yet politically incorrect fashion. Peter Griffin, for example, works for a toy company owned by a tobacco conglomerate; even Brian, the family pet, has commented on society, which is especially apparent in the joint episodes where he becomes addicted to cocaine, spirals out of control, and eventually enters into a rehabilitation paradise in hopes of recovery. Two theories which will be applied to Family Guy are narrative theory and postmodern theory; despite the selection of only two theories, almost all well known theories can be applied as well. However, there are two key aspects that relate best with the show such as more traditional aspects of narrative, including the character development and the plot structures, as well as focusing on driving concept of the show and its embrace of postmodernism in its humor. As Jakob Lothe of Oxford University believes, â€Å"there are narratives not only in literature, but also in other cultural utterances that surround us† (3). In the case of our modern day culture, television is a thriving arena in which we can find solid narrative structures. The first method of analysis will focus on the narrative aspect of Family Guy through the understanding of the structure and usage of narrative elements. To begin with, the overall format of every episode of the show remains largely constant with only a small variation, often in the case of joint episodes or season ending cliffhangers. In each episode, there is a main story which is mixed into a group of smaller stories which will inevitably feed into the main story. In the story itself, the viewer is presented with a new variable being added to the static nature of the family and society in which it lives. For example, Peter happens to find out that the toy company that he works for is being bought out b y a huge tobacco conglomerate with the intent of making children aware of smoking and even possibly encouraging them to smoke cigarettes. However, in order to get to this situation, smaller events, like Peter’s rash decision to skip work and go to a baseball game where he happen to see his boss and is told to report to his office in the morning, must occur. As well, events that feed into the larger story include Brian realizing the supposed evils of the tobacco company and attempting to quit, thereby antagonizing the family with his frustration and nicotine addiction. Later in this episode, we find out that because Peter was in the right place at the right time, he has been given a raise and is expected to help lobby for tobacco companies in Congress. However, the concept of an equilibrium cycle plays a huge part in the end of this — and every other — episode: without this key element, the story would constantly be changing without returning to the status quo, meaning that missing a single show would lead the viewer to be very confused about the situation and how it has changed. This is extremely apparent in a show like Family Guy where its highly illogical nature changes the setting and situation almost constantly. To correct this potential problem, the equilibrium cycle comes to play a huge part of the story, especially in terms of the discourse. The cycle starts, obviously, with the introduction of Peter’s new position, interrupting the supposed equilibrium. Although many other smaller events occur throughout the process of this episode’s plot, they are events which do not affect the return to stasis negatively or contribute positively to the return. In this example episode, Stewie is caught smoking a cigarette, so Lois decides to bring back equilibrium by going to Washington to convince Peter to not lobby for tobacco companies. While he disagrees with Lois and continues his campaign, Peter hears Stewie coughing in the crowd and reconsiders his decision, going against the tobacco companies and therefore returning to the state of equilibrium. In each episode, a closely related, if not exactly the same, structure is followed without any exception except in rare cases. The physical organization of events in the episodes is also highly formulaic. The story is presented in a strictly beginning to end fashion; that is, the syntagm never has a divergence with actual flashbacks or flashforwards. Although â€Å"[many theorists] devise modes of analysis of the time structure of the story (order of events, temporal distortions such as flashbacks or flashforwards†¦)† (Landa 28), the distortions in Family Guy do not actually change the plot, and therefore do not impact the story in a traditional way. For example, Peter has a flashback to a dancing frog in one episode while he should be recalling important information that his wife told him earlier in the show. Flashbacks and flashforwards merely appear to serve the satirical element of the show, focusing on more postmodern concepts instead of furthering the discourse. No matter what â€Å"temporal distortion† appears in the episode, it is restricted to being a nonessential element and acts as an interruption in the actual discourse but still may somewhat contribute to the story as a whole. Despite being distinctly direct in its syntagm, Family Guy exhibits a wide variety of stories based upon popular culture to keep it unique from week to week, whereas flashbacks and flashforwards could be used as divergent plot elements in other television shows. You read "On Family Guy: The Narrative and Postmodern" in category "Essay examples" However, it appears that the major element which keeps the show intact is the large list of static characters. Of course, one of the key elements of a narrative is that â€Å"†¦[it] needs human characters† (Coste 28). Because of this, the characters play an incredibly prominent role in the show. While in most forms of literature at least one character is a dynamic entity, changing from the beginning to end, television largely relies upon static characters which do not change greatly – if at all – between episodes. This concept is put in place for the same reason as that of the equilibrium cycle: a viewer must not be confused about the nature of the overall story from episode to episode (or season to season). While gradual changes are phased in, a large change in one episode will usually not come to pass, unless that episode is the first or last episode of the season. For this reason, the characters play a huge part in the development of the weekly plot. Peter Griffin is an obese, moderately unintelligent oaf (similar to Homer Simpson); Lois Griffin acts as the voice of reason in keeping the family unit together; Chris Griffin serves to antagonize any conflict or to create one if there is not already a conflict (usually involving Meg as the subject); Meg Griffin acts as an entity which bows down to society in order to attempt (and fail) at fitting in with the social norms of the diegesis; Stewie Griffin is used to reinforce the stupidity of his family and the society in which he lives his life; and Brian is used in a variety of roles, usually to remark on the stupidity of Peter (and not society as a whole). Each of these characters, while acting as a family in the show, exhibits a large selection of different features. Yet, they are designed to fit with each other and take up a niche in the show, such as playing a hero, villain, false hero, donor, reward, and otherwise. Although each character can play a different role in a differen t discourse, their underlying character traits are made to dictate their actions with little variation (largely in aspects of morality and social conscience). Still, the characters revolve around the tenet of fitting into a special area of expertise. Without Peter, for instance, the show would have no central focus and nothing exceedingly illogical would occur for the other characters to critique. As whole, the family unit acts to preserve the underlying concept of the show: a humorous, yet decisively cynical viewpoint of the contemporary society in which we live in. All of these elements of the narrative are used in their particular ways for a very specific reason. Largely because of â€Å"the fact that most novels and short stories come to us through the voice of a narrator [which] gives authors a greater range and flexibility than filmmakers† (Mitchell 128), television shows such as Family Guy must rely on their consistent conventions to keep an audience understanding and supportive. Without a stable basis, or narration in the case of novels, a narrative would lack enough information to stand on its own. Simply stated, without the flexibility of a narrator in novels, creators of television series must rely on other aspects to convey a subject matter. In the case of Family Guy, this aspect includes the static, if not formulaic, approach to analyzing and critiquing our society. The creators focus on keeping a varied selection of characters to fulfill long term plot goals while still satisfying the simple, more direct plot changes. Althoug h the long term plot goals usually involve pointing out the flaws in everyday American culture, the traditional â€Å"narrative aspect is absolutely crucial both for the way the [show] functions and for its effect on the audience† (Lothe 8). Without the narrative base, the long term goals would not be expressed because the narrative is the story in which the problems needed to be addressed are shown to the audience. Still, this long term goal of the show is best analyzed through a different, if not a more contemporary way: postmodernism. The entire basis of Family Guy is in fact postmodernism. From every attack of our culture in which the show is founded upon, postmodernism is expressed; in fact, from nearly every underlying character design and situation, it can easily be seen as a postmodern school of thought, which both embraces and assaults â€Å"pessimism, disenchantment, and melancholy† (Turner 123) in the response to â€Å"the lack of stability in ethics and values† (Turner 123). As Turner describes it, the postmodern movement is a rethinking of all modern examples which stems from the dissatisfaction with the modern culture as a whole. Although shows such as The Simpsons attempted to exploit the postmodernist culture in more subtle, strictly plot based coincidences, Family Guy represents a more direct, in-your-face approach to postmodern reflection. Its use of blatant postm odern theory is especially apparent in both the writing and the overall style of the show; it embraces a viewpoint that postmodernism is a way to reflect upon our own mistakes as a united culture. The show plays upon the idea that â€Å"[o]ur commercialism†¦ mesmerizes us [and causes us to] lose our historical and social bearings† (O’ Neill 19). Basically, the show attempts to ridicule the past and the present, including ridiculing many postmodern aspects of society by the way of parody, irony, and satire. To begin with, the entire show as a whole can be viewed as a simulacrum; that is, it is based completely upon the fake real of an American family in seemingly everyday situations. Pastiche is used extensively throughout every episode: from the integration with 1980s music videos to the sudden appearance of, and borrowing of style, from characters in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, the amount of both subtle and direct pastiche is amazingly apparent in the show. Because of the easily mutable nature of animated series, Family Guy is also easily to incorporate a strong sense of hybridity of style. As briefly mentioned, the show mixes a variety of animation styles, such as the generic 1980s music video or throwbacks to â€Å"classic† animation; the show has also mixed its animations with actual film footage to create dramatic effects. To go along with these common postmodern elements, intertextuality invariably follows suit. The creators assume that the viewing audience has a knowledge (or at least a basic, experienced understanding) of the different eras of American culture. While the creators generally relate their shows to contemporary information, there is also a considerable amount of focus placed upon modernist, romanticist, and other eras of thought. The show often addresses one certain era while subtlety exploiting another viewpoint. Still, the main focus has always been on exploiting the wrongs of the more modern and postmodern portions of American culture. It especially likes to critique the strength of big business in everyday life and explore the relationships of consumer culture. Through the use of the narrative portion of each episode, the characters are given the chance to relate their seemingly real life situations to those in other movies, television shows, and other popular media. However, one incredibly prominent feature of Family Guy is placed upon the combination of metacommunication and reflexivity. In several episodes, the characters in the show directly address the audiences, often in the forms of pseudo moral lessons at the end of the episode’s story. If the episode does not use that technique, there will be an interruption in the story in which the characters will acknowledge they are in a cartoon and being watched by an audience. Even still, in every episode, it is implied that metacommunication is nearly the entire dialogue as postmodern critiques are the focus of the show. Despite the fact that these are designed to be humorous shows, the actual concepts are expressed on a deep level, utilizing most elements in postmodern theory. Still, the largest amount of content comes from the knowledge that the cartoon is not supposed to just be a story but instead it is designed to represent a certain depiction of society and its interactions. Postmoder nism also attacks the bearer of culture, the institution, claiming â€Å"that institutions define the discourses† (Lash 164). Predictably, Family Guy is seen attacking the institutional forms of power, from the government to the media to the majority at large; of course, this largely depends upon current events and current trends, which happen to influence a significant amount of the show’s content. The overall goal of this postmodernist approach to a television series, as previously mentioned, is an interesting take on this medium as it opposes itself to some degree. It bases itself on a postmodern interpretation of society while using a postmodern style to create the interpretation of itself. In other words, it is attacking what it is also founded upon, as well as the concepts of modernism and other past theories. A prevalent part of the postmodern culture is the desire to get away from the structure of society, potentially in terms of our dependence on the idea of a consumer-based culture. Yet, in this attempt to escape from the social wrongs of consumerism, it remains abundantly clear that â€Å"the postmodern condition is integrally yoked with consumer capitalism† (Lyon 74). The show often strongly embraces consumer capitalism while selectively critiquing other unfavorable aspects of society. For example, the show will go after a range of different topics from aborti on to racism, but it will skip topics involving mass consumerism as they have become so ingrained into our culture, they no longer seem abnormal or misplaced. Simply stated that although the show tries to vary itself, it is a postmodern show created from the fruits of the postmodern era; therefore, it has no choice but to succumb, at least in some degree, to the same problems it is intending to critique. It can be argued that Family Guy is attempting toâ€Å"[e]scape the shackles of modernist assumptions and expectations† (Lyon 70) by â€Å"relaxing in a playground of irony and irreverent pastiche† (Lyon 70). Still, that energy expressed by a postmodernist interpretation is considered to be â€Å"frivolous and wasteful† (O’ Neill 16). Regardless, audiences have come to know and even respect the social commentary they receive from Family Guy as a form of higher, intelligent humor, despite its wasteful use of energy. The point of the show is probably not to completely tear down all aspects of our society, but the ones that are popularly discussed or ones that are clear in other media such as other television shows or magazines. In this way, postmodernism is unpredictable in its approach. It takes a casual view on what to select, largely because the structure of modernism is the main target of postmodern schools of thought. The overall conclusion that comes from this analysis is that Family Guy is definitely at the forefront of postmodern entertainment. Although the narrative exists in every episode, it primarily exists only to serve the purpose of aiding in the establishment of reasons to critique our society’s faults and wrongdoings. It appears that the show is a mixture of elements, but is generally concerned only with attacking the established norms. The established norms that are attacked are varied, but generally fall into a depiction of conglomerates interaction with consumer culture. While this show follows a very formulaic pattern in each episode, its connection to popular culture allows it to survive not only on simple plot twists and basic narrative structure but rather the underlying idea or concept that is behind the episode. Both theories are easily applied to the show but for different reasons: narrative theory is easy because the narrative only serves to establish a reason for the postmodern critique whereas postmodern theory is equally easy to apply because the entire show is distinctively based upon a postmodern approach and inherently draws from a vast assortment of postmodern concepts and ideas. Again, the narrative seems to just be a scaffolding of sorts in which the show is able to launch a series of hard-hitting assaults on our culture’s composition; in this way, it appears to be that the show is definitely a comedy which truly fits into the postmodern category the best, while the other categories would still work due to its encompassing discourse on the nature of our society. Overall, it appears that the â€Å"practices of looking† are completely apparent in this show. The show itself is a critique on culture, just as modern communication studies are also a critique on media and, in turn, culture itself. Simply stated, Family Guy is the ultimate definition of postmodern entertainment and a valid critique on today’s society. Works Cited (MLA) References Coste, Didier. Narrative as Communication. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1989. Landa, Jose Angel Garcia and Susana Onega. Narratology: An Introduction. New York: Longman Publishing, 1996. Lash, Scott. Sociology of Postmodernism. New York: Routledge, 1990. Lothe, Jakob. Narrative in Fiction and Film: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Lyon, David. Postmodernity. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1994. Mitchell, W J T. On Narrative. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981. O’ Neill, John. The Poverty of Postmodernism. New York: Routledge, 1995. Turner, Bryan S. Orientalism, Postmodernism and Globalism. New York: Routledge, 1994. Clay Chastain How to cite On Family Guy: The Narrative and Postmodern, Essays

ALASKAN AVIATION Essay Example For Students

ALASKAN AVIATION Essay ALASKAN AVIATIONHave you ever looked real close at themaps of Alaska? The next time you see a map look for the little airplanesymbol in every little town and village in Alaska. That symbol indicatesan airstrip. That symbol also means that that is were some unfortunatebush pilot crashed and said, This looks like a good place for an airstrip.In the early days of Alaskan aviation it was not possible to call aheadand determine if a community had a suitable landing strip. The pilotsimply flew to the village and looked for a open spot to land. Acontrolled crash into deep snow usually resulted. Once aviation becameroutine, the landing strips were refined and smoothed, but those firstfliers had to land by the seat of their pants. The tales of Alaska are real, they arebold, and they are tall. However, none is taller and truer then thetales of the Alaskan aviator. Many people have come to Alaska seekingtheir fortunes in gold or furs or lumber or oil. Many have come toseek the adventure of the great outdoors. The aviator of Alaska camefor none of the above. They came because that is what he or she did. A breed unto themselves, their actions have painted a portrait of forwardthinking men and women who stepped forward in time to see Alaskas future. That future being one in the air. Alaskan aviation has contributed significantlyto the lives of Alaskans. Many communities send and receive mail,receive groceries, provide emergency services, and maintain contact withthe outside world solely through the use of aircraft and the pilots whofly them. Alaskans have a unique relationship with the aircraft. Airplanes have enabled Alaskans to commute through their environment andconduct business in almost normal fashion. Alaska has benefited greatlythrough the use of aircraft and Alaskan aviators have contributed significantlyto the flying techniques used around the world. The aviation history in Alaska begins ironically,with a long, slow boat ride for an aircraft. After being off loadedat Skagway, the aircraft was hauled by the Yukon Narrow Gauge Railroadto Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. It then traveled down the Yukon riverand up the Tanana river to Fairbanks were the aircraft was flown for the1913, Fourth of July celebration (Mills and Phillips 13). Alaskahas never looked back from that first flight. In the summer of 1922, Clarence O. Prestdecided to fly from New York to Nome. All went well until Prest departedfrom Dawson City, Yukon Territory. After having engine trouble, Prestcrash landed on an isolated beach near Fort Yukon. Prest was transportedby a riverboat operator named Gilbert Cook to Tanana (Mills and Phillips16). Clarence O. Prest is the first name in a long and famous listof aviators that have crashed in the unforgiving terrain of Alaskas wilderness. Ben Eielson began the commercial use ofthe airplane in Alaska when on February 21, 1924, he flew the first officialair mail flight in Alaska from Fairbanks to McGrath. Eielson, asluck would have it, crashed on landing and returned to law studies at GeorgetownUniversity Washington, D. C.(Mills and Phillips 16). Eielson wouldlatter return to Alaska to renew his sense of adventure. The first flight across the Arctic tookplace in 1925. Noel Wien transported two mining operators who wantedto travel from Fairbanks to Wiseman, an arctic town some 80 miles northof the Arctic Circle (Potter 80). Numerous aviation companies sproutedin Alaska. These companies began to ferry supplies and passengersto the towns and villages of Alaska. Operating primarily form Weeksfield in Fairbanks and landing strips in Anchorage, these companies rackedup a significant amount of firsts. Joe Crosson of the Bennett-RodeboughCompany made the first commercial flight from Fairbanks to Point Barrowand the first flight over Mt. McKinleys 20,320 foot summit (Mills andPhillips 23). On April 16, 1928 Captains Carl Ben Eielson and anAustralian, George H. Wilkins, became the first aviators to successfullyfly over the North Pole. Their landing in Spitzbergen, Norway completeda 2,200 mile flight (Mills and Phillips 27). This also marked thefirst time that the knowledge of arctic aviation was used to specificallydesign an aircraft. The knowledge of Ben Eielson, which he had gainedon his previous flights in Alaska, contributed to the future design ofaircraft. Alaskan aviation matured quickly in 1929. The early barnstormers had had incredible luck walking away from crashafter crash, but in 1929, all that changed. In September of 1929,Russell Merrill departed on a flight from Anchorage to the Nyac mine nearBethel. He was never seen again. On November 9,1929 Ben Eielsonwas lost while enroute to Siberia. Ed Young was killed when his Fairchild71 crashed at Livengood. The last to find his fate was Ralph Wien. On October 12, 1930, Wien crashed at Kotzebue killing him and two priests. The Kotzebue airfield is named in his honor (Mills and Phillips 30). The tragic end of these great aviators marked the start of the great expansionof aviation in the Alaska territory. The demand for air travel continuedto grow and with that demand came better aircraft, safer airstrips, andmore experienced pilots. The 1930s were an era of growth for theaviation industry in Alaska. Aircraft became the sole means of reachingisolated villages and lonesome trappers. This development encouraged greatexpansion. Alaskan Airways was formed. The first flight trainingschool was established in Alaska, Star Air Service (Mills and Phillips34). The events of the previous two decades had served to prepareAlaska for the largest single event in U. S. history. W. W. II saw aviation pushed to theforefront of military planning. Its use would greatly determine theoutcome of the war. Whoever controlled the air would control theground, and whoever controlled the ground would win the war. Alaskanaviators were at the forefront. The years of experience gained flyingthrough, over, and around the most hazardous terrain, gave the Alaskanaviators key advantages in their fight with the Japanese. The Performing Arts and Inspiration: Mixtape EssayThe Japanese losses were 69 aircraft lost in combat and 200 lost due tofog or storm (Mills 104). July 10, 1943, saw a new development inthe war with Japan. Using Attu as a base to launch raids, the ArmyAir Force began to pound the Japanese Naval facilities in the Kuriles Islands. Bombing raids were limited, although the presence of hostile aircraft requiredthe Japanese to defend their islands with numerous aircraft and ships thatcould have been useful in other areas of the war. The bombing raidsconvinced the Japanese that the invasion of the Japanese mainland lie somewherein the near future. They attempted to prepare for an invasion whichnever materialized. A history of aviation in Alaska, especiallythe war era, can not be concluded without a detailed study of the contributionsto the war effort by the pilots and aircraft of the Navy PBY squadrons. These flying boats, were a reconnaissance platform which was used tolocate enemy forces. During the Aleutian campaign many of these aircraftbecame involved in offensive combat which they were ill equipped to do. Throughout the remainder of the war the PBY squadrons continued aroundthe clock operations as the watchful eyes of the north. The pilotsand squadrons were awarded numerous citations for valor and heroism includingthe Flying Cross and Air Medals (Freeman 177). Brigadier General William Billy Mitchellsaid, Alaska is the most central place in the world for aircraft, andthis is true either of Europe, Asia or North America. I believe inthe future. He who holds Alaska will hold the world, and I thinkit is the most strategic place in the world. This was to hold truethroughout the war and into the 21st century. With the end to the war Alaskans quicklyturned back to their normal way of life. This included their continuedlove affair with the airplane. The wars residual effect was thatmany new innovations were left in place which encouraged and benefitedfuture fliers. These included but a not limited to airports, navigationalaids, radio communication, and up to date charts of most of Alaska, includingthe Aleutian chain (Mills 145). Tourism began to be a major economic resourcefor Alaskans. Aircraft allowed the sportsman, fisherman and explorersto reach places yet unexplored. Entirely new businesses began toemerge in and around the aircraft industry. Some of these new businesseswere flying schools, charter sightseeing flights, mechanics, parts andservices, fuel and oil sales. Anchorage soon became the air crossroads to the orient. International air carriers refueled for internationalflights over the pole or using the great circle route. In 1960, withthe dedication of the Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage becamethe countrys fifth busiest terminal for freight and passenger traffic(Mills 146). Alaskan aviation has also moved into thefuture with the introduction on the rocket. NASAs Jet propulsionLaboratories use the hangars of Ladd Field, now Ft. Wainwright, to conducttests of the upper atmosphere. The research conducted aids in thefuture understanding of upper atmospheric wind and weather conditions. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks launchesand retrieves data from launches at the Poker Flats Research Range, just30 miles north of Fairbanks. The Poker Flats facility is the only non-federal,university owned and operated range in the world and the only high-latitude,auroral-zone rocket launch facility in the United States. More than1,500 meteorologic missiles and 236 major high-altitude sounding rocketexperiments have been launched by scientists and technicians. Studies areconducted by universities and agencies from around the world on topicssuch as the aurora, ozone layer solar protons the electric and magneticfields and ultraviolet radiation (http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/PFRR/INDEX.HTM). These results enhance our understanding of the aurora borealis and theeffects that this phenomenon has on communication, navigation and otherflight related sciences. Alaskans have always had a deep love forthe aircraft and the people that fly them. With the invention ofthe plane, adventurers sought uncharted areas to explore and limits tobe pushed. This drive to go higher and faster has opened Alaska to thewhole of North America and the world. Today, thanks to the effortsof many pilots, Alaskas remote villages and communities have emergencyservices at their disposal. They purchase needed supplies that holdthem over for the winter. They communicate with the outside worldand travel to lobby state government for changes needed in their environmentand towns for their continued well being. Aviation has broughtnew sources of commerce to towns that would have long ago disappeared. Tourism, Alaskas third largest industry, is greatly indebted to the aircraft. Planes bring millions of travelers annually to the farthest reaches ofAlaska and with these travelers comes the needed income for thriving communities. BIBLIOGRAPHYFreeman, Elmer A.. Those NavyGuys and Their PBYs: The Aleutian Solution. Spokane, Washington: Kedging PublishingCo., 1984. Garfield, Brian. The ThousandMile War. N.Y.: Bantam Books, 1988. Levi, Steven, and OMeara, Jim. Bush Flying. United States: McGraw-Hill, 1992. MacLean, Robert Merrill, and Rossiter,Sean. Flying Gold: The Adventures of RussellMerrill, Pioneer Alaskan Aviator. Fairbanks, AK: Epicenter Press, 1994Mills, Stephen E., and Phillips,James W.. Sourdough Sky. Seattle, WA.: SuperiorPublishing Co., 1969. Mills, Stephen E.. ArcticWar Birds: Alaska Aviation of WWII. Seattle, WA: SuperiorPublishing Co., 1971. Potter, Jean. Flying Frontiersmen. N.Y.: The MacMillan Co., 1956Wachel, Pat. Oscar Winchell:Alaskas Flying Cowboy. Minneapolis: T. S. Denisonand Co. Inc., 1967. USAF Museum. Aleutian Islands1942-1943: The Aleutian Campaign. available Http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/Cp10.htm,July 1998. Poker Flat Research Range. General Information. availablehttp://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/PFRR/INDEX.HTM,July 1998