Local officials often proclaim Haines as boasting the highest number of veterans per capita in Alaska, but a report released last month by Alaska Economic Trends says that’s apparently not the case.
According to the report in the state-published magazine, which used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010-2014 American Community Survey, 230 veterans live in the Haines Borough. That’s equal to 9 percent of the population.
Other areas with higher per capita percentages of veterans included Anchorage (10 percent), Denali Borough (11 percent), Fairbanks North Star Borough (11 percent), Kenai Peninsula Borough (10 percent), Ketchikan Gateway Borough (10 percent), Matanuska-Susitna Borough (10 percent), Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (14 percent), and the City and Borough of Wrangell (16 percent).
The Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, City and Borough of Sitka and Valdez-Cordova Census Area all matched Haines at 9 percent.
Vietnam veteran and former House Rep. Bill Thomas said he doesn’t find the numbers surprising. “Haines has grown and the veterans haven’t,” Thomas said, referring to the ratio of veterans to the rest of the population.
Haines seems to have fewer veterans from more recent wars like in Afghanistan and Iraq, and veterans from the older wars are dying off, he said.
“People don’t volunteer like they used to, and the draft is gone,” Thomas said.
Statewide, one in every 10 Alaska residents is a veteran.