Richard Woods: Growing up Alaskan

I was born May 28th, 1949.  My great grandparents came to Alaska in 1902. I was born in Anchorage but lived in Portage until I was five, which is now pretty much underwater after the ‘64 earthquake. The few memories I have of living in Portage were looking out in the backyard and seeing fifty moose at a time. My mom has a picture of a moose sticking its head in the kitchen window and taking a drink out of the sink.

My parents were Jack and Rosalyn Ward Woods. My dad worked for the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) which is now the FAA. He was an electronics engineer. He was transferred to Nome in 1954, just after my sister was born.

We lived at the CAA compound which was just outside of the city n...

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