Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff arrived in Alaska in 1974 with a geography degree and plans to find work with the US Geological Survey or another employer. Instead, the California native became fascinated by the idea of building a life in the state's remote wilderness.

Kenneth Deardorff, a Vietnam veteran from California, moved to remote Alaska in 1974 and filed a homestead claim along the Stony River. After years of living and working on the…

Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff arrived in Alaska in 1974 with a geography degree and plans to find work with the US Geological Survey or another employer. Instead, the…