Land Of Flatwater: Thinking The Unthinkable, and Acting On It
Lincoln, Nebraska November 9, 1983
The Governor's day began at Lincoln Municipal Airport at 730 am. A business jet just landed, carrying the Mayor of Scottsbluff.
"Governor, great to see you."
"Ted, glad you could make it."
"You have some coffee?
"In the car waiting nice and hot."
"Governor, why exactly did you bring me all the way East, are other folks coming."
"Oh yes," Governor answered. "The Mayors of North Platte, Grand Island, Hastings, Columbus, Norfolk, Kearney, Fremont, Lincoln, Bellevue and Omaha.
"Whoa...all the Mayors?"
"Yep." The Governor got in the drivers seat.
"Since when are you driving around yourself?"
"Since I'm trying to keep this out of the Journal-Star and the World Herald."
The Governor left a very strict set of instructions. Each Mayor and their emergency person was to drive their personal car. They were to dress casual, and that they would park in a public parking garage in downtown Lincoln a distance away from the capital. A state official van will pick up the Mayors and drive them to the Governor's mansion. Very secretive steps built to not attract attention.
By 10am, each of the Mayors and special assistants where in a state van..When the got inside. The Governor was there.
"Fellas, I have a place to show you," The Governor said. "Lets make one thing crystal clear gentlemen. WHAT YOU DO HERE. WHAT YOU LEARN HERE. IT WILL STAY HERE, WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE. No one can know about what was discussed. Not wives. Not children. Not other staff, and certainly not the press."
The Driver of the van, also the Commander of the Nebraska Army National Guard, put the van in drive and headed southwest out of the city along U.S. Highway 6 towards state Highway 33. The travelled for about an hour before they reach a small guard dirt road. A few minutes later They reached an access gate. A guard at the gate looked in and recognized the Commander. He snapped him a salute, the Commander return and drove into the compound.
The van came to a stop. "We're here," The Governor said tersely.
The Mayor and aides all got out of the van. They saw a building that looked like a small warehouse. When they got inside. The saw and empty room except for a door. The Commander punched a keypad and opened the door.
It led down a dark stairway toward a much heavier door. The Commander put in a second code, and the door opened. There was another stairway, which extended even deeper down to the next door.
The next door was the last leading downward to a what looked like any business often in Downtown Omaha or Lincoln. The men and women in attendance all walked to a huge conference room at the far end of the hall. There were no accoutrements here. Everything was purpose-built. It was all here for a reason.
When everybody took a seat, the Governor went up to the front of the room.
"Where you are," The Governor began, "Is the emergency state capital of Nebraska.
"Three points for the record."
"1. There are no Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Liberals or anything else in this room. We are all Americans. We are all Nebraskans. The only considerations that matter in this meeting are what is best for the survival of our nation, our state and our people. "
"2. If your city or town has not began to effect emergency procedures, start doing it now. Start preparing your local shelters now. Start prepping Civil Defense now. If you need assistance we can get it to you, but you need to get started now."
3. "Your city and town executives are forming the vital emergency authority for this state should the worst come to the worst. The duty is simple maintain order and control, and put the survival of the people within your area first."
"We are having meetings like this with legislators, medical, scientific and agricultural personnel in the coming days. You are first because you will make up the framework of the management of the state in form of being regional magistrates and governor. You will form a civilian links of the control vested here...Commander?"
"The surviving elements of the Army and Air National Guard will be available to assist and defend the state and help maintain order along side surviving law enforcement," the Commander said.
"The next priority you will have is making sure you each have a working place to function. I'm talking communications, workspace, living arrangements, everything. If you haven't taken inventory of it. Do it now."
"Any questions so far?"
"Hell yes," the Mayor of Columbus said. "Why are we even doing all this? Aren't the Russians pulling back from Berlin."
"Cmon' Vern," the Mayor of North Platte said. "That won't mean that wont try again. Even they don't, who to say they won't try something else."
"Well I for one don't like all these dictates coming from Lincoln," the Mayor of Kearney said. "It seems that you want to run a dictator if the bombs fall!"
"That's kind of silly, don't you think Phil?" The Governor answered calmly. "How am I going to run a dictatorship, when you all are my eyes and ears?""
"And what the hell is this about 'refugees', "The Mayor of Columbus asked.
"Its means exactly what it says, Vern" The Mayor of Omaha said. "We may have thousands fleeing the disaster. We're going to have hundreds-of-thousands of homeless people in this state should this happen. We'll need an open door and an open hand."
"You Omaha folks just need to burn up with Omaha!"
"Does that apply to me too?" The Mayor of Norfolk asked.
"Like anybody's going to hit damn Norfolk!"
"Norfolk is between two main targets. You have the SAC bases in South Dakota. You got missiles in South Dakota and there's Offutt to the south. We're in a fallout zone! If it really goes bad.. I'll evacuate Norfolk and not look back."
"You can evacuate your ass anywhere you want, but don't go nowhere near my town,"
"Oh Lord," Walt said distressingly. "What is exactly going on there Columbus???"
"Simple, my town isn't going to be a part of this. If you aren't from Columbus, keep moving on if those bombs hit. You might have looters coming into town. You might have criminals coming into town. I don't want certain types coming in. I have to residents of my town to think about."
The Nebraska ANG Commander eyed the Columbus chief executive hard. "This man's attitude may be a problem," He thought. He noticed the Governor's expression. It was blank on the surface. "Typical warrior" he thought. "
The Governor spoke slowly, "Mister Mayor," the Governor said. "Your fear is speaking right now. I can't use that fear. We need common sense right now."
"I don't agree with my friend from Columbus on everything," The mayor of Hastings said, "But he has a point. What about prisons, jails? There's a good amount of people i'd rather not deal with, and what could happen gives them a breeding ground."
The Governor paused. This is where the Commander comes into play.
"The National Guard will be there to buttress local law enforcement and surviving state law enforcement," The Commander said. "Once things get to that critical level, our remain units will mobilize. It would be no different than we would in a tornado or a flood. The difference is, we'll be there before. But this is why as the Governor has said you all have been contacted. You will be part of the chain in a larger sense."
"We are going to devolve a good deal of functions to the county and town levels." The Governor said. "I prefer to use the Mayors because you are closer to the communities, and being the mayors of the larger communities you can get the smaller towns better lined up someone up the chain at the county level."
"Governor," Hastings continues. "What about York? I don't think the Soviets are targetting York."
"The women's prison," The Governor thought. "A fair point. Memo to self. Make sure he makes the law enforcement meeting."
Walt broke in, "You know I just hope if they end up doing this, please have the war AFTER the Orange Bowl."
"The Orange Bowl," the Mayor of Grand Island, "YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GODDAMN FOOTBALL RIGHT NOW?"
"I have four tickets to the game," Walt said sheepishly.
Grand Island's mayor laughed. "I do too. I'm taking my wife to Miami for her birthday."
The tension broke some. It was a needed diversion, but the reality of the moment didn't take a powder for long.
Scottsbluff's mayor snapped the room back into the issue. "Mr. Mayor, Norfolk raised an important issue. To be honest. I'm not sure why I'm here."
"Mainly because between you, Kearney and North Platte, you will be immediate continuity in Western Nebraska."
"But Governor, who says Scottsbluff, Sidney or Imperial will even be around after those bombs hit. Remember, We have silos here in Nebraska. And never mind the SAC base at Cheyenne. You know the Russians are going to hit that base and those missile silos."
"In short Ted," Kearney's Mayor said. "Your going to have people fleeing the Panhandle and Cheyenne."
"You looking at somebody who would."
"That's another issue, North Platte said. "Roads. If an attack warning comes I-80 will be a mess. Major state roads will be a mess."
"Again that is where you come in. You'll have local police, state troopers and the Guard at the ready to help," Governor said.
"Well Governor," The Mayor of Fremont snapped. "Seems to me, you get the sit in a bunker having a cold one, while we get dirty, tired, radioactive and shot at!"
"That's a damn crock of shit," The Governor said. "I'm coordinating 100% of this. I have to make the decisions to get all this in motion. Nobody's going to be living in luxury should all this happen. What I am doing is allocating the resources the best way I know how. And the best course for us for more decisions handed down to the people closest to the situation. Now again, the resource you will need will be there. I'm not leaving anybody hanging out to dry."
"Excuse me Governor," the Commander said. "Look people, this situation should it happen, will not be easy. But lets get this clear, I work for you. Not the other way around. Guard troops will be at your command not the other way around."
"What about when this shit happens, I mean IF it happens," The Mayor of Columbus realized what he said...He was nearly in tears.
The Governor looked at the mayor, and even he had to pause. "Damn," he thought. "and this is only the first meeting. I have more of these to conduct."
The whole strategy session lasted more than 8 hours. There was some more fussing, fighting, a little laughter...and some more plans made. Not everybody was on board with everything, but they were at least on board enough to know what the plans for them would be. Plans all hoped would never be needed.
The left the bunker and headed back to Lincoln as quietly as they came. No Journal-Star. No World Herald. No 10-11. No Newswatch 7.
The uneasy quiet extended to the car rides home along Nebraska's highways and Interstates. All these people, among the most powerful in the state, were stunned at what they heard and decided. How does one think of unthinkable?
"Something on your mind, Walt?" The Mayor said as they cruised on I-80 East, just outside of Waverly.
"I'm thinking about a man at my meeting at Lil Vikes," Walt said. "I coached his kid. He said his kid is of the mindset that it doesn't matter what we do. Omaha won't be around for it to matter.
"Well, his kid probably watches too much TV," Omaha's mayor said.
"Actually, his kid is a member of Nebraskans For Peace," Walt said. "He was at the prayer vigil. One of the best I ever coached."
"Another one of Carolina's peace people," the Mayor groaned.
"I wouldn't dismiss that woman like that. She's has a serious point."
"C'mon Walt where is all this coming from."
"Mister Mayor its coming from the idea I've always believed...Eventually you can only bullshit people for so long, and you can't bullshit kids. I learned that coaching kids. Kids buy into you if your real, and we are living in a serious fantasyland right now."
"Walt, do you think anybody wants to think about this?"
"I don't think anybody really is thinking about this? Not in Washington. Not in Moscow. Not even here. Carolina may be the only person who really thinking about what this means."
"You know my little girl, Mike?"
"Yes,...Jill isn't it..."
"Yeah," Walt continued with a smile. "You know, she made head cheerleader this year? Cutest little thing you could see. And she a little crush on a kid on her team. You know that little boy I was just telling you about?"
"The little kid that was on your team?"
"Yes, that little kid. She doesn't know that I know about her crush. And I'm pretty sure he's has a little crush on her, too. I saw her hanging around him at this team banquet last saturday. Me and her mom saw it. I caught them kissing, Mike. It was cute and fun, the way growing up should be."
"Now Walt, that's a parent in you talking."
"Well I think it wouldn't be a bad idea if the people in the Kremlin and the White House started listening to the parent in themselves a little bit."
To be continued.
