Gangs in the Military
Part 1 of a 2 part Series based on the soon to be to be released book,
Gangster Soldiers: A New Threat Invading the Streets of America
by Hunter Glass and Lou Savelli
Part 1
It was a hot night in Panama the year was 1981. I was a young US Army Paratrooper training in jungle warfare. In those days the military was very much a Spartan life and a few of us that didn’t feel like spending another night at the barracks drinking, fighting and telling stories about women we never slept with decided to waltz on down to the theater and see a movie. The only thing playing was a strange low budget film called “The Warriors”. This night would be my first introduction to the world of street gangs.
If I recall the story correctly there was one gang that was falsely accused for the death of some enigmatic leader that was attempting to unite all the gangs in the city. They spend the entire movie dodging gang after gang as they attempt to get back to their homes. The gangs were portrayed as various kinds of post apocalyptic tribes dressed in outrageous costumes.
After the movie we started our long walk back to the barracks and along the way we discussed the how bizarre the story was. One of the soldiers with us stated that he was from Chicago and knew all about street gangs. He said that the movie was a bunch of crap but that gangs do fight and often to the death. He told us about hierarchy and codes the gangs lived by. Although several of us in the group were from major cities we were still unfamiliar with this concept of organized gangs. As we sat on the bleachers by the lagoon this soldier mesmerized us with additional gangster lore. At one point he told us about a gang called the Gangster Disciples and how they numbered five hundred strong in members. I remember we told him he was full of it. What kind of fool would believe that there was a battalion of gangsters roaming the streets of the city of Chicago? It would be another twelve years before I would discover who the real fools were that night.
After serving two tours as a US Army Paratrooper I left the military with the intention of spending more time with my wife and kids. Not long after my divorce I found myself patrolling the wicked streets of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The city has come along way since those days. Being a Police Officer in a military town is a unique experience especially if it borders with a post as large as Ft. Bragg. This is no ordinary installation as it is the home of the Airborne Special Operations. We used to jokingly say that even our drunks could run three miles. Back then the majority of crimes committed by soldiers could be resolved with a quick call to their First Sergeant. When it came to soldiers, major felonies were few and far between. This is not to say they did not commit crimes but such things as convenience store robberies, home invasions and murder were uncommon.
In 1993 I was assigned to Juvenile Investigations as a School Resource Officer (SRO). I was assigned a Middle School with a load of problems. The majority of the students were good kids but I had many strays. Among them was a tiny female which at times had a chip on her shoulder taller than her 4’11’ frame. This young girl (I will call Kate) appeared to have what some might call a bi-polar condition. On some days Kate was just like any other little girl her age and then on others she could demonstrate a cold and distant persona. She would come to my office several times a week to discuss just about anything. She was usually angry and despondent over something going on in her life. Although the school administrators complained about the number of late passes I sent her teachers I felt it was better to have her in my office than skipping or disrupting class.
I had a part time job in the evenings working at one of the local roller rinks. One night I saw Kate there with some very unsavory characters. Because of their age I assumed them to be family or friends of her family. Kate came over to speak to me. While we spoke I noticed what looked at first like a scar on her upper right shoulder. I asked her about the mark and she replied nervously that she would explain it to me later.
Several days later at my office Kate paid me a visit. She reminded me about the scar on her shoulder. Kate laughed and stated that it wasn’t a scar it was a brand. This might not have been such a shock if it was coming from an adult male but this was a fourteen year old little girl. Being a juvenile officer I immediately assumed some form of child abuse or endangerment. I asked her who had done this to her and she replied a member of her gang. “Gang?” I asked her. She said that the mark was that of a pitchfork. In my ignorance I asked her if she was involved in some form of Satan worship and she began to laugh. Kate seemed amused at my ignorance on the topic of street gangs. She began to explain about Crips and Folk gang members and how some of them share what she called Gangster Knowledge. I have to admit I was stunned by her exuberance as she spoke about all the criminal acts that she had been apart of or had witnessed. I began to wonder just how much of what she was telling me was true. Unfortunately I would later find that it was the majority. For the continuation of this book excerpt, visit GangsAcrossAmerica.com next month.
