Francis Champion Longworth was in Alaska with his brother Richard Doughty Longworth in the mid 1920s. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Francis was living in Moon Creek, Custer County, Montana. At 40, he was “too old for the military” so joined the Army Engineers. Their project was to cut the survey line from Dunbar, 33 miles southwest of Fairbanks, to Teller for the construction of a railroad. Said railroad would permit protection from invasion by the Axis onto North America. Dated April 20, 1943, the War Department issued a Citation for Merit for the extraordinary work done in temperatures as low as -70 degrees F. in the winter of 1942-1943.

Francis Longworth was an amateur photographer who shot motion picture and still film during the course of this work.

A Citation for Merit was issued to Francis Longworth:

WAR DEPARTMENT UNITED STATES ENGINEER-OFFICE SEATTLE WASHINGTON April 20, 1943 Subject: Citation for Merit To: Francis C. Longworth

1. I wish to express the appreciation of the Engineer Department to you and the other field employees engaged on the railroad location survey, Dunbar to Teller, Alaska, for the successful completion of a difficult and hazardous task.

2. The work was carried on during the winter months, 1942-43, in the most severe, weather in many years. Much of the work was done in temperatures of 40 and 50 degrees below zero in order to push the job through. Temperatures as low as 70 degrees, blizzards, and other extremes of weather were endured.

3. The successful accomplishment of this survey, in spite of the constant dangers of traveling over unknown ground, over treacherous river ice and overflows, with the possibility of entire parties being cut off from camp by sudden blizzards, must be attributed to the-alertness, courage and tenacity of all party members, as well as to the leadership furnished by the party chiefs.

4. It is my opinion that the difficulties and hardships experienced in carrying on this work were beyond the ordinary call of duty, and that you and your fellow employees deserve the highest commendation for seeing the-job through.

(s) R. Park R. Park, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer