Fairbanks, Alaska: Lend-Lease Monument

Downtown Fairbanks has a nice walkway along the Chena River. It offers a good vantage point to see the city, and is the logical place to honor historical moments in city history.

Consider this something of a crash course in an important part of World War II's outcome. Ooh, maybe crash course isn't the best phrase.

Planes and parts were shipped from the United States up to Alaska, which wasn't a state at that point. There they met up with Soviet pilots, who flew them back to their homeland for use on the Eastern Front. It wasn't exactly a short cut, but it was safe.

The monument made its debut in Fairbanks in 2006, according to alaska.org. A variety of officials from the old Allies came back together for the ceremony.

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