Celebrate Independence Day
Independence Day, according to my friend Webster, is
July 4, celebrated in the United States of America to commemorate the adoption in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence. Independence, according to
Webster, is to “not be governed by a foreign power; free from the control, influence and guidance of others; not committed to any one political party.
In the early days of Bauxite, a company-owned and controlled town dependent on Alcoa, we never thought of being controlled, governed by an out-ofstate power; not being free from Alcoa’s influence and guidance. They were The Company that issued orders from the Big Office downtown.
No one ever thought that workers were being “bribed” with all the perks given Bauxite families by The Company, i.e. very low monthly house rental, low cost health care, big celebrations with free food for all employees and their family members; family recreation from The Reservation barbeques downtown to beautiful Clear Lake east of downtown.
That is to name only a few of the amenities enjoyed by everyone associated with The Company. Residents never complained and enjoyed all of the freebees.
Life was great in Bauxite.
People of Bauxite were fortunate that the home office in Pittsburgh sent their very best leaders to guide and direct the industry in Bauxite and manage the miners and plant workers, as well as, care for the mining town families. At The Company’s expense, Bauxite houses were painted when needed, roofs repaired when they leaked, a mosquito control team sprayed the small water holes and ditches and medical care was available by the finest medical teams in the state.
Reading the many accounts of memories of Bauxite recorded by early residents of the town revealed several facts not known by most former residents of this small community. The only barbers ever mentioned from the Bauxite Barber Shop were Ed Ricketts and Mace Frye. However, I recently discovered there were two other barbers at Bauxite, Claude Caple and Bill Garrett. Herb Green was also a barber in Bauxite not long before the barber shop burned.
The graduate dentists who were on duty one day a week at the Bauxite Hospital was also a recent surprise discovery. Dr. Pierce Noble opened his dental practice in Bauxite in 1944 on Jefferson Street in the small housing project called Pine Haven and was the only dentist to ever set up a practice in Bauxite. He was here for only one year, leaving in 1945 to further his dental studies to become an oral surgeon. The graduate dental students who visited the hospital one day a week never set up practice in Bauxite.
The saying, “Freedom isn’t Free,” rings true when you walk through the Bauxite Museum War Room and proudly stand among the photographs on the Military Wall of Honor of those who served our country in many battles.
When someone burns the American flag or dishonors it in any way, a rush of anger fills my thoughts. Remembering those who lost their lives defending our right to live in this free land humbles my soul. The recent news report that a young female singer stated that the American flag should be taken down because it no longer represents the people who make up this country’s population is an example of total ignorance of what that flag represents.
It is my opinion that those who make such statements or those who disrespect the American flag in any way, should be immediately drafted and sent to the front line of battle for no less than one month in heavy combat service.
Some will protest that statement by saying it would not be constitutional to do such a thing. My comeback would be, “If you don’t like the country that offers freedom and rest to ‘the tired, the poor,’ then why are you here? Return to your homeland.”
Like Lee Greenwood sings, “I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free and I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.“
I am proud to be from Bauxite where Miner Memories are made, and some of them are not so minor.