Maynard Chester Dahlstrom was born in Red Wing MN on Christmas Day 1920. His mother died when he was 12 and his father remarried several years later. He graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis, ca. 1937 and served in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) until he was 21. The CCC provided training in photography and mechanics. He was a mechanic for Northwest Airlines when World War II began. Maynard Dahlstrom was classified 4-F by his draft board but he wanted to support the war effort. The U.S. Army Air Force offered him the opportunity to serve as a civilian aircraft mechanic in either Alaska or Hawaii. He chose Alaska and was sent to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, ca. 1942. He worked at Elmendorf for about 30 years and lived in the Anchorage area until the 1970s. He was a charter member of the Alaskan Trails Club, a hiking and photography group. He also participated in activities of Alaskan Prospectors Society. Dahlstrom took early retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 1975 and soon thereafter moved back to Red Wing MN. He was a member of the Red Wing Camera Club. In his later years he regaled friends and acquaintances with stories and slide shows of his adventures in Alaska. He died June 2000 at age 79.
From the description of Maynard C. Dahlstrom collection, ca. 1945-1977. (Alaska State Library). WorldCat record id: 57513879
