No
one asked me whether or not I wanted a shit load of new military personnel in
my hometown. One reason why I left
this town was because of this overt military presence. I, unlike the Baby Boomer’s, had no reason
to feel nostalgic about this presence.
It bypassed my generation.
I had no expired draft card.
I had no military pension.
I had no military benefits.
What I did have was a town that, because of this overt military presence,
was different than almost every other town in America. Other towns had colleges and
universities, but without the strange war like ruminations. This town does have a college and a
university, but they are not the same as other town’s colleges and
universities. It is not unusual
that our university is afro-centric.
There are other predominantly black schools in North Carolina, but none
are built around a railroad spur that services the largest military
installation in the United States.
Imagine being in class or at a classical concert when one of those fully
loaded military trains clanks by carrying tanks, howitzers, and Hum Vees. That image certainly would not instill
a sense of peace, prosperity, and artistry in aspiring students. Maybe it would. Maybe indigenous acclimation somehow
has shielded the minds and hearts of these students from this picture of
war. If their immediate family or
friends were involved in or associated with America’s military, they could and
would understand its purpose. They
might not be affected by the purely visceral effect of the world’s most
powerful locomotives hauling weapons of mass destruction past their
school. Believe me, it has an
effect on a town, and that is why our town is not the same as any other
American town.
Back
in the day veterans were heralded.
There was prestige and valor associated with military service. That changed during Viet Nam’s
tenure. I’m not sure about
military aesthetic during Desert Storm.
What I do know is the thousands of newly enlisted lower ranked G.I.’s
were not all to happy to be shipped off to active duty in the deserts of the
Middle East. They were more
content to absorb the paycheck without risking their lives in service of the U.S.
Military.
Possibly
because of the fatalities incurred during the War in Iraq, military salaries
have risen. In light of the recent
economic downturn in the United States, military personnel now are seen as
profitable citizens. What does
that mean? That means that the “locals”
in their host town probably are suffering more economically than they are. They are being taking care of with
health benefits, housing subsidies, and pensions. Locals are not, but that is not true of all locals. The prudent, mostly Republican,
influential ones used their familial old money to take advantage of this overt
military presence. In essence they
learned quickly how to take advantage of these beached military personnel. Along for the ride whether they want it
or not, the locals are subject to the same exploitation. Prices for vehicles are unusually
high. Shelves in stores often are
depleted. Ammunition for home armament is limited. Governmental services for citizens grossly are inferior to
areas where there is no pool of servicemen. Simply put a Department of Motor Vehicles serving a a
metropolitan population of 374,157 demands a larger facility than that of an
old 7/11 store in Eutaw Village.
This disservice to the community could be a metaphor for the continuing
exploitation of Fayetteville, North Carolina’s all ready fragile
infrastructure. While B.R.A.C
continues to tool away on base expansion at Ft. Bragg, local citizens are being
bullied by a government intent upon eliminating many small businesses deemed to
be unacceptable. Using Eminent Domain the city of
Fayetteville has begun taking small businesses sacrificing them for a plan
being implemented behind closed doors and not necessarily representing the best
interests of all economic classes.
Not unlike New York city’s Times Square, a clean up has been devised and
implemented unbeknownst to many of Fayetteville’s citizens. Who will benefit from this influx of military personnel,
elimination of small business, and implementation of a totalitarian
governmental process? There is
only one answer.
