Guide to the Alfred Virag World War II papers
1941-1943
Collection number: HMC-0338.
Creator: Virag, Alfred.
Title: Alfred Virag World War II papers.
Dates: 1941-1943.
Volume of collection: 0.2 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Commander of Battery D, 250th Coast Artillery Battalion, which served at Fort Greely on Kodiak Island.
Biographical note:
Captain (later Colonel) Alfred Virag was commander of D-Battery of the 250th Coast Artillery Battalion. He was stationed at Fort Greely on Kodiak Island in Alaska from 1941 to 1942.
Collection description:
The collection consists of photographs and military newspapers primarily from Alfred Virag’s period of service with the military in Alaska. The five photographs in the collection show the 250th Coast Artillery Band, Captain Virag, General Buckner’s “Yatch” off Kodiak, and other subjects. Included are copies of the Fort Greely Weekly Sun, the Kodiak Bear (Fort Greely), the Sourdough Sentinel, and Williwaws (Naval Air Station, Kodiak), which give information on the daily activities, events, and personnel of the military on Kodiak, 1941-1942. There are also copies of the military newspaper Overs and Shorts from Camp McQuaide, Watsonville, California and copies of the Register-Pajaronian from Watsonville, California.
Arrangement: Collection materials are arranged by type.
Digitized copies: The D-Battery Kodiak X-Mas newsletter has been digitized and is available on the Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies of other collection materials, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not own copyright to this collection. Some contents, particularly newspapers created by the military, are in the public domain.
Preferred citation: Alfred Virag World War II papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Related materials: For more Archives and Special Collections materials related to World War II, please view our World War II in Alaska research guide. More comprehensive collections of many of the newspaper titles in this collection are accessible on microfilm through libraries.
Acquisition note: The papers were presented to the archives by Kirk Kellogg, Lyman Woodman, and Alfred Virag in 1982.
Processing information: This collection was described by Dennis Walle in 1995. The guide was edited and updated by Arlene Schmuland in 2026, including the digitization of the newsletter.
Container list:
Series 1: Photographs; 1941-1942. 0.01 cubic feet.
| Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1 | General Bolivar Buckners “Yatch”, Kodiak, Alaska. | undated |
| 1 | Captain Alfred Virag, Chiniak, Alaska. | 1942 November |
| 1 | 250th CA Band, Camp McQuaide, California. | 1941 September |
| 1 | Alaska Department Patch. | undated |
| 1 | Captain John H. Fick, 250th CAC, Dutch Harbor, Alaska. | 1942 August |
Series 2: Newspapers and flyer; 1941-1943. 0.19 cubic feet. Oversized.
| Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2 | Valentine flier to premier TOJO. | undated |
| 2 | D-Battery Kodiak X-Mas. | 1941 December 25 |
| 2 | Fort Greely Weekly Sun; Fort Greely, Kodiak, Alaska. | 1941 November 7, 14, 21, 28 |
| 2 | Kodiak Bear; Fort Greely, Alaska. | 1941 December 15, 22 1942 February 10 1942 October 7, 14, 21 1942 December 9 1943 January 15 |
| 2 | Overs and Shorts; Camp McQuaide, Watsonville, California. | 1941 May 24 1941 June 7 1941 July 26 1941 August 2, 9, 16, 23 1941 September 6, 13, 20 |
| 2 | Register-Pajaronian; Watsonville, California. | 1941 September 10 |
| 2 | Sourdough Sentinel. | 1941 October 4, 11, 18 |
| 2 | Williwaws; Naval Air Station, Kodiak, Alaska. Includes 1941 April 4 extra edition. | 1942 February 7 1942 March 6, 7, 21 1942 April 1, 4 |