Have you ever been under 'martial law' while living in the USA?

[Breeze54]

Poll question: Have you ever been under 'martial law' while living in the USA?

I was just wondering if any DU members have ever experienced 'Martial Law' in their place of residence and what were those experiences and how did they deal with it. I was in a disaster in 1988 and I was under martial law for about a week. The worst for me was being 5 months pregnant and not being able to go get my car or get home to my apartment. I wasn't allowed near the disaster site, even though my car was parked a mile or two away from the actual disaster site. That area was closed off and no one was allowed in the vicinity. That caused me a great deal of hardship and I was lucky that I had a friend that took me in for the week and fed me and gave me a safe place to sleep. I wasn't able to get to a phone to call my family and let them know I was okay. There weren't any/many cellphones back then and later on I found out that the national news had over blown the stats on how many were injured and killed and my family was freaking out for a week, thinking I was dead, until I called them. I wasn't aware of the national reports at that time, until later on in the week. What a nightmare!

So, what were your experiences under Martial Law like?

------------

MARTIAL LAW

http://members.tripod.com/~Sidlinger/ml.html

The following guide will help you plan, prepare, and get ready in the event that martial law threatens your safety and well being. It is divided into two parts. The first part describes the framework for martial law and the second part the actions to take in preparing for the actual declaration of martial law.

INTERESTING FACTS

* Martial law is defined as: military rule or authority imposed on a civilian population when the civil authorities cannot maintain law and order, as in a time of war or during an emergency.

* Martial law can be declared due to natural disasters, Y2k Crisis, Stock Market crash, no electricity, riots, biological attack, .... anything leading to the breakdown of law and order.


More....


SURVIVING MARTIAL LAW

* Prepare before any declaration of martial law by becoming self reliant.

You may become subject to a bureaucratic system and be prepared to stay one step ahead
of it which is easy to do if you are prepared and in a position to be self reliant.

You may also face mob rule, chaos, panic, or a complete breakdown in law and order.

Surival situations may be easier to handle in rural areas than urban.

* Avoid areas of marital law. Can be imposed due to natural disasters or man caused events.
Important to have a retreat or place in a rural area away from populated areas.

* Create alliances with like minded neighbors or community members that share your views.
Team work and numbers may help your situation.

* Become transparent in the sense that you do not draw attention to yourself or your family.
For instance, do not tell people that you are storing food just store food. Be prepared to
render assistance to neighbors if need be. You never know when you will need them.

* Remain calm! Do not panic.

* Avoid areas of civil unrest if possible. If caught in civil unrest take appropriate action.

* Get informed and stay informed. Understand martial law can be a temporary crisis or an extended one.
In extreme cases the shape of a whole nation can change.

* Declaration of martial law means your rights are suspended and it is government by decree.
Your constitutional rights may no longer apply. This could mean a state of National Emergency.

* People can be arrested and imprisoned indefinitely without charges.

* Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly can be suspended, and censorship of the media imposed.

* Gun ownership will also come under severe attack during marital law. We could see house to house searches by the military or National Guard looking for guns and seizing any they find along with stored food.

* Take a stand on issues and make a choice that fits your beliefs and the situation. Do you believe as Patrick Henry,
"Give me liberty or give me death?" Realize you may have some hard choices to make.

Understand you may have to sacrifice your principles on trivial matters or take a hard stand.

Always remember that you may have to come back and fight another day.

--------

I just happened on the above website doing a google search and some seems true and some seems pretty scary and hard core to me.

[Pavulon]

1. Enforced it.

when emergency was declared by the governor of North Carolina. This enforcement consisted of handing out water, moving people out of flooded areas, making sure civil works were not destroyed. Martial law does not mean shooting people, it was used to protect peoples homes and to prevent stuff from breaking during major problem.

Weapons were not issued, except to MP units, and they did not require them.

[Breeze54]

14. You were a rescuer.... that's got to feel good!

Thanks for being there for those that needed help! :hug:

[Jamastiene]

57. Which is the way it should be.

Not that crap that happened down in LA after Katrina hit.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. does that mean something like

a 'snow emergency', when people are told to stay off the roads n stay in their houses or face fines or arrest, can be defined as martial law?

[Pavulon]

6. Yes, you can be arrested

after a curfew expires or for being in a place where movement is controlled. IE in a persons home after they evacuate.

[Breeze54]

7. Yes. During the Blizzard of '78 in the North East, Martial Law was declared for a week.

My sister was 'rescued' from her 2nd floor apartment by the National Guard
as the snow drifts were blocking all entrances and exits and she, as a nurse,
had to get into Boston and they took her in a National Guard truck. Due to the
snow accumulations and martial law, she couldn't drive there, obviously! :P

No one, except essential personnel, were allowed on the roads or they'd be arrested.

[cbayer]

Katrina - 'nuf said.

I have to have a few cocktails before I can go into more detail.

[Breeze54]

8. 'nuff said....

:hug:

:toast:

[cbayer]

13. Thanks.

See there, I am starting to tear up.

:hug:

[Breeze54]

15. That's OK....so do many of us that weren't there....

Just let it out, spill it. We are here with you.

It's OK to talk about it. :hug:

:(

[uppityperson]

19. Glad you got through it and glad are sailing away in a nice place.

[cbayer]

20. Thanks.

I decided I needed to be a citizen of the water instead a victim of it.

:hi:

[Breeze54]

23. Wow! What courage and what a way to face your demons!

Admirable! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I hope you had a stiff drink and are ok now. :hug:

If not? I had one for you!! :P

:toast:

[cbayer]

25. I really appreciate you putting up this OP.

People that have had these experiences don't talk about them very much and often feel isolated. I met someone recently who was in a fire in a subway station. Can you imagine? We both knew that the other understood and if felt very good.

I am drinking a vodka/grapefruit now and waiting for 60 minutes to come on.

Thank you very much for your question and your support.

:toast:

[Breeze54]

29. That is so true... people do seem to 'keep it to themselves' and curl up

as a defense, so to speak, when talking about it. I still feel the panic of that day in 1988! I was terrified! Everything was blowing up and there were 'ground shock waves' and chaos and I got thrown off my friends truck when we stopped to look back and the ground wave(?) hit us! It was just mind blowing and the fear... the fear that sets in with the 'not knowing'... Not knowing how many are dead or injured and not knowing if the chemicals in the explosion will effect you and you're afraid to breath the air and you can't leave the area and there's a chemical cloud they're tracking and it's looming over your head, that has 'funny colors' and all you hear on the radio is to "take cover" and that no one seems to know what the 'fall out' will cause to those below who have to breath it in and yikes! Pretty scary stuff! The fear unites us, doesn't it? We all felt it at the time of 'our' disaster. I guess it still freaks me out. :hug:

[cbayer]

34. I read about your experience and could only listen.

I think that is what we understand about each other. We sometimes just need someone to listen. There is nothing anyone can say to make it better, but just listening can be the best others can do.

And you were pregnant - worried for two. I can't imagine.

Do you talk to others who went through it with you? I find that most difficult. Too much pain in the room. But I think that beginning to talk a little about it here is most helpful to me.

:hug:

[Breeze54]

38. I did talk with them back then but I've moved far away from there now and yes...

carrying a baby and having that happen scared me to death and I think may have affected my son.

With his ADD and all... and I have an unconfirmed hearing loss in my left ear since that day.

But trying to get others to understand how freaky it was, is a problem.

They weren't there.... Do you know what I mean?

They'll never understand it like you do your disaster or I do mine. They just won't.

Here's what happened...

The PEPCON Disaster
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=800

The first blast


The mushroom cloud from the second major blast

Can you see the ground wave? It's whitish.

PEPCON rocket fuel plant disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJVOUgCm5Jk

The plant manufactured an oxidizer called Ammonium Perchlorate.
Ammonium Perchlorate is not in itself a fuel but a key component.
It will however explode if heated to a high temperature in a confined space.
Henderson, Nevada - May 4, 1988

The Pepcon Detonation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8RY_ibNq3c
The Pepcon blast disaster was compared to a 15 kiloton nuclear blast,
and was by far, the single biggest chemical explosion ever.

[uppityperson]

53. Those are amazing pictures.

[Xenotime]

36. Heard dat!

[cbayer]

37. Where yat? nt.

[Cleita]

3. Yeah, during one of the race riots in Los Angeles in the sixties.

It didn't affect me much as I was not living in one of the affected neighborhoods, but it did make going to work on the other side of town tricky what with the barricades on certain roads, detours and military type vehicles patrolling around. Also, while in the office we could hear the gun fire. It was very creepy and unsettling. One of my office mates was sniped in the bus she took to work. It really freaked her out.

Also, my apartment building was on the other side of the fence from the National Guard, so there was all kinds of activity night and day with vehicles, helicopters and other military type activity.

[Breeze54]

12. Sounds like you were effected by it... yikes!

"One of my office mates was sniped..." :scared:

I'm glad you were safe and your office mate was OK. :hug:

[notesdev]

4. In NYC on 9/11

no more explanation needed I presume

[Breeze54]

9. Not at all....

:hug:

We were all with you that fateful day. :(

[blm]

5. Yep - LA riots after Rodney King verdict. Everyone had to be off the streets by 7 pm.

IIRC it lasted a week.

[Breeze54]

11. Hell; I remember that clearly....frigging scary....

There were riots in North Las Vegas too.

I lived not far from there at the time.

That was a very leary week! :scared:

[magellan]

56. Me too. n/t

[supernova]

10. Semi ML

We haven't had any civil unrest or awful natural disasters here that would warrant full ML.

BUt there were a couple of times growing up, when convicts from the state pen escaped and they told people to stay close to home for the afternoon while they searched. That's been about the extent of it.

[leftofthedial]

16. in effect, everytime you go into an airport.

[Breeze54]

18. That would be a true statement!

I hate taking off my shoes, especially in winter! Ugh!

Being scrutinized that closely is unsettlimg, to say the least. :(

[uppityperson]

17. As a toddler after F5 tornado.

Stayed with grandparents while parents showed passes and went back home to repair it. I recently found my parent's police ID and story from then. They were glad that lookie-lou's were being kept away after the first day. If people got in the disaster zone and were willing to help they were appreciative. But just gawking? Stay away.

As far as other civil unrest, nope. And I don't want to either. Law enforcement have a hard enough time as it is, the decent ones, and the indecent ones are hyped enough to not want them to have that extra power.

[Breeze54]

21. Ugh, tornado's have to be one of the scariest natural disasters on earth...

I'm glad to hear your parents were able to repair it and make it better.

What a history to tell those younger than you, eh? With your parent's police ID!

I couldn't stand living in a tornado alley. I never want to do that again! :scared:

[uppityperson]

26. just sent you a pm link

[Breeze54]

30. Checking now... thanks!

;)

[SteveG]

22. Wilmington DE, 1968

after the assassination of MLK, the city erupted in violence. Gov. Terry, mobilized the National Guard and placed the city under martial law for 9 months. It wasn't lifted until Gov. Peterson took office in Jan. 1969.

[Breeze54]

24. 9 months... in Delaware?!? I didn't realize that even happened!

But in '68 I was 14, so... short attention span, I guess.

You must have some riveting stories to tell... wow.

:crazy:

[Atman]

27. Yes, in Boston after the Blizzard of 77-78

It was actually kind of nice. No one was allowed to go to work except for essential services and small neighborhood food stores (thankfully, we had a deli/package store at the end of our street. Cars weren't allowed on the road. Lasted about a week. The "very nice" part was that at the end of the week, the air in Boston was noticeably, remarkably clear. No factories or cars polluting. It was awesome. So, while it was technically, legally "martial law" it really wasn't much of a hardship, at least for us working class peons.

.

[Breeze54]

31. Tell that to the people stranded on 128 for a week! - I think they may differ on that!

That was just a crazy event!!

So close to food, warmth and shelter and yet... so far! :crazy:

Unbelievable event! "The perfect storm....."

[Atman]

42. I was actually helping them out...I got stuck at work at the Dedham Inn for three days.

None of the management could make it in, everything shut down early in the morning. People left their cars and walked up to the hotel, and we put them up and fed them until there wasn't any food left. Finally on the third day I walked home to Norwood. It was truly an incredible event.

Edited to add that I left my car there not so much because of the driving ban, I literally could not find it. The snow was so deep, the cars in the lot were completely buried.

.

[Breeze54]

44. You walked to Norwood? That's a hike and a half from there!

Yikes! :yourock: for staying and helping them all out!

I'm glad I missed that event! I was in IL dealing with
our own blizzard and being snowed in that year as well.
I can understand you not being able to find your car too!
I think many people were in that boat! At least you had
the hotel and hot food and a place to sleep, I hope!
I hate blizzards like that and being snowed in. It sucks!

:hi:

[galledgoblin]

28. if we're including snow emergencies, then yeah, a few times actually

but I think it stretches the definition

[Atman]

43. It wasn't a "snow emergency" in Boston. The governor declared Martial Law.

...and everything that goes with it.

.

[Two Americas]

32. Detroit in the 60's

The sound of tank treads on the pavement and constant gunfire. Total fear and chaos. We saw the police and the National Guard as dangerous and untrustworthy, and as the ones inciting things, not calming them down.

[Breeze54]

46. Not the kind of things one expects to hear in their own home town either!

Gheesh! "..tank treads on the pavement and constant gunfire..."
I'll bet it was constant fear and chaos. I may have even seen it on TV
but I'm not sure. The NG seemed to be used and put in those situations
a lot back then... Detroit, Chicago, Kent State... it's appalling.
I'm glad you made it out alive and in one piece. :hug:

[Swamp Rat]

33. Yes, after hurricane Katrina.

It was the first time I ever saw American citizens have their guns forcefully taken from them by National Guard and police, under threat of death.

We lost the 2nd Amendment, among others, during the GOP backed Bushler administration.

[Breeze54]

47. But you made it through the fire....

and I'm glad you did. :hug:

What happened there and is still happening there is just inexcusable! :grr:

[Leftist Agitator]

35. You left out the most important piece of advice...

Purchase a firearm, learn how to use it and care for it, purchase an ample supply of ammunition, and pray that it never comes to that.

I recommend the following:

[Breeze54]

49. I didn't 'give' any advice actually...

but having a way to defend ones self is always a good idea.

Thanks for reminding people. That's something to consider, for sure.

[Bluebear]

39. Detroit, 1967

[kickysnana]

40. Ft McCoy Anniston Alabama Nov 1971 Race Riot

Nothing moved after sundown including ambulances. We had a girl who was trying to hide epilepsy and became unstable and seized off and on all night. Rioters (the situation was so curr opt, a powder keg) were armed in the woods. MPs were armed. Shooting at each other at night. MPs shooting "stray dogs" during the day. Our platoon kept our cool despite the riot happening right outside our windows. Many of the others got totally hysterical I was in basic as a WAC and we got a get out of the Army free offer with Honorable Discharge. 10/11 from Wisconsin took it. 11/11 from Minnesota took it. It was written up in the local papers as a minor disturbance. We were ordered not to discuss it. It had been 10 days by the time I caught a bus to the airport. I thought I had gotten through it OK until most of my hair fell out two weeks later.

Changed my life forever.

[Breeze54]

45. Holy crap! You must have been pretty stressed out

to have your hair fallout weeks later and you only in basic at the time.
That must have really freaked you out! I would've been too. That sounds
like it was a pretty freaky experience! I hope your hair grew back for you! :hug:

[kickysnana]

58. Hair came back in fine, thanks. n/t

[mia]

41. Yes, Miami in 1992 - Hurricane Andrew

I had to go through a checkpoint to get to work and to help my daughter who was in the hardest hit area.
Having the National Guard around was reassuring. I also liked the idea of a curfew.

[Breeze54]

50. Hurricane Andrew was the worst in US history, I think, before Hurricane Katrina...

It was devastating to see the destruction caused from that storm on TV and from faraway.
I can't even imagine being actually in either of those storms of that magnitude but you
and your daughter survived! That storm and the damage was unbelievable! I remember it well.

Glad you made it out alive. :hug:

[L. Coyote]

48. Awoke to the sound of military marching into town. Remember the be-ins?

Well, the "Zip to Zap" got nixed by the National Guard with bayonets mounted at first light.

We moved to the next town, then the next town, then a be-in location was designed by the authorities.

Anyone know what happened to the planned "Go to Gackle" for the next year?

[Breeze54]

52. I'm unfamiliar with the "Zip to Zap's", "Be-Ins" and "Go to Gackle's" ....

I'm guessing you were in the NG?

That almost sounds like a song! :P

[cascadiance]

51. Not here, but when I was a kid living in Turkey in 1971....

It was during a time of unrest at their university at METU (Middle Eastern Technical University) and the Turkish Prime Minister was forced to step down by the military. I think there was also an assassination of a visiting Israeli diplomat then too. As noted in this link four American Airmen were kidnapped (and later escaped). One of those airmen was my Math teacher's boyfriend.

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/darbe.htm (The 1971 Imposition of "Guided Democracy")

http://books.google.com/books?id=8Wd94FgYJl0C&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=martial+law+turkey+1971+American+servicemen&source=web&ots=4RGPqgIVMR&sig=DlZ7FKE4adl_v16pYiXzDJxre2M&hl=en#PPA90,M1

We were all at the American DOD school on an American military base then in Ankara. We were all bussed home early that day to our houses. A friend of mine reported that he heard gunfire around his house after he got home.

[Breeze54]

54. Damn... you were in the middle of a damn coup and just a kid, I'm guessing!

Talk about a small world... "One of those airmen was my Math teacher's boyfriend.

I'll bet that day and those events are seared into your brain!

Thanks for the links! I'll bookmark them to read when the sun is up.

:hi:

[cascadiance]

55. Yup, and she was my favorite teacher out there! She was really a great lady!

Her heart was aching you could tell each day in class when there were reports that those that kidnapped them were going to execute them by firing squad if the government didn't agree to their demands.

Fortunately they chickened out and abandoned them later and he got away.

I credit her for me pursuing math a lot more agressively then and getting good at it later in life that probably also got me settled into computer science as a field too.

[ForrestGump]

59. Los Angles Riots, 1992 Edition

The ones in that (again) showed we couldn't all just get along.

It was surreal seeing National Guard vehicles and soldiers all over, but the whole mess did not directly hamper my everyday too much because I lived in the Valley (where there was, like, totally not much bogus stuff happening) and I finished work by the time the curfew set in. Weird days, though. Among the people I worked with were a couple of people from Compton who managed to get to work most of the duration of the strife, crossing all of Los Angeles every morning to do so (their neighborhoods were basically under siege but they came through okay).

EDIT: also been under martial law in a tropical island nation, during election time, when a coup (and possible civil war) was expected. I was doing scientific research and was too preoccupied with that to worry about human shenanigans...went to the nearest town with a few other scientists one night, in a research station Landcruiser, and got stopped on the way back because we'd flagrantly shattered the curfew. Luckily, no big deal was made of it and I don't even know when martial law was suspended 'cos the only time I went out at night for weeks thereafter was to do a night dive. The coup and the war never happened. While I was there, though, in the nearest town there began an escalating cycle of intertribe violence that stemmed from a bank robbery (my assistant and I showed up at the scene -- the bank was next to where we were going to buy food supplies -- a few minutes after the police arrived and secured the area) made by a bunch of bad guys with machineguns, who used them on innocent people...ultimately, local police from the dominant local tribe went on a rampage and beat up many other people who lived in the town, and burned their houses down (my assistant and I saw all the massive plumes of smoke as we putted out to sea in our way-too-small boat and felt happy we were away from whatever the hell was going on back on land). That place made L.A. look kinda tame...