Interactive map at Alaska Veterans Museum

ANCHORAGE —Alaska Veterans Museum recently received an Atwood Foundation Grant to create an information system supporting the digitization, display and dissemination of currently available AVM information.

The basic system was installed May 8-9 and allows visitors to touch one of the 271 military sites/posts on the 42-inch plasma screen and have displayed the geographic coordinates, the service that operated it, when it operated, what its mission was and how many men/women were stationed there.

Phase 2, which is also almost completely funded, will support digitization of photos, artifacts and any oral histories the museum has of veterans serving at the sites. Funding is being sought for phase 3, which will place smartpads at local VFW, American Legion, AMVET and Disabled American Veterans posts for veterans to upload their remembrances of their duty at the sites/bases/posts.

The first two phases will also be uploaded to the website alaskaveterans.com. The interactive nature will allow visitors to display bases by service, by wartime era or even by current veteran demographics of Alaska.

AVM provides year-round educational exhibits of Alaska’s unique position in U.S. military history through the 133 oral histories collected and the artifacts gathered of its veterans past and present.

The museum also hosts lectures, celebrations and presentations such as the Alaska Territorial Guard exhibit and statue placement and dedication conducted on Veteran’s Day 2011 and the Winter 2011/2012 Lecture Series inviting outside lecturers, authors and historians to the museum.

“We are Anchorage’s newest museum and we like to say it’s mightiest for all we do with our hard-working, all volunteer board and staff,” Executive Director Suellyn Wright Novak said. “Come check us out at 333 W. 4th Ave. and you won’t be disappointed.”