SECTION THREE: The Great Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri)
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota is probably as empty and barren in 1964 as it was in 1764. After the chaos destroyed the communications net, local communities were thrown on their own devices. The hearty frontier folk of the state were able to handle this better than most, but the refugees and the droughts have been tough on them. North Dakotans are still determined to solve their own problems without outside help. Many of the larger towns out in the open plains are now deserted the locals having moved to more defensible towns closer to the military garrisons.
1) NUCLEAR TARGETS
None.
2) ORGANIZED MILITARY FORCES
"1st Sioux Cavalry Regiment" (375 men)
164th Engineer Battalion (840 men, 10 AFVs)
3) THE STATE AT LARGE
Easy riders: Numerous outlaw gangs prowl the open prairies, such as the "Barbed Wire Brotherhood", a group of bikers and military deserters armed with automatics, pistols, and riot guns who are currently terrorizing small communities in west-central North Dakota.
Tower City: A biker gang called the "Blackouts" controls the ruins of Tower City. They have 250 men, but there are few weapons save some automatics, two homemade PIAT projectors and a few hand grenades.
White men at arms: Like many other states, North Dakota defederalized its National Guard units in the first weeks of the chaos to protect the state's citizenry and prevent the federal government from pulling the units to other areas. The state's NG, however, was very small to begin with and of limited value. The only real unit of any strength was the 164th Engineer Battalion based in Minot, which had been called up to active service in 1961 for the Berlin Crisis and only released from federal service in August of 1962, so most of the unit's infrastructure and equipment was still in place. Reformed in late 1962 and merged with the remains of various other units, the battalion now boasts 840 soldiers and serves as the backbone of North Dakota's battles against the bandits and even as a tenuous check on Canadian expansion. While short on modern armored vehicles, they have acquired ten surplus M4A3E8 Sherman tanks which had been long garaged in Bismarck for "parades and ceremonial functions". Recognizing their value, the 164th quickly converted the vehicles into full readiness, giving them a strong armored component. They are pro-MilGov (not surprising in a very conservative state) and their main focus right now is bandit control and helping recent MilGov attempts to restore oil production in the region. They are mostly based in Bismarck but small detachments are garrisoned across the state at strategic locations. The Governor's mansion is the HQ of the city's leadership. Barb wire encircles the whole area. Watchtowers and sentry posts, some with searchlights and others with radar sets, are at regular intervals around the perimeter. A single operational Army helicopter is kept here along with the bulk of the unit's motorized assets, including the twelve tanks, an armored car, seven heavily armored and armed trucks, two gasoline tankers and two flatbed trucks. The battalion commander drives around in a snow-white turbine Cadillac convertible.
Red men at arms: Also in Bismarck is the newly raised "1st Sioux Cavalry Regiment" (375 men), a unit of dubious loyalty and means, but still a force to be dealt carefully with. The regiment is mostly native Sioux with white leaders and much internal grumbling because of that perceived slight.
Bismarck: Bismarck itself is a haven for whites and Indians alike. While communication is good inside the town it is virtually impossible to send a message to someone outside of town without having to deliver it yourself. The people of Bismarck work hard to keep their city in good shape--vandalizing carries a stiff fine with a possible year in prison. Bismarck specializes in medicine, on almost any block you will find some sort of medical treatment area. Located in the less-developed area of Bismarck is a poor section that is kept hidden to most people, in it contains almost anything money can buy.
Minot and Minot Air Force Base: This former SAC base is now little more than a refugee camp. With the perceived security it offers, the air base has attracted large numbers of refugees looking for protection from the elements and marauders. Since the base lacks anything of strategic value anymore (the Minuteman I ICBM silos at Minot were still under construction when the war came and while no missiles were ever at the base, a lot of valuable support equipment has been looted and destroyed over the years), the state government or the military hasn't tried to evict the squatters yet. Seeing the value in self-support, the mob of refugees are currently organizing a protective militia under the guidance of some former soldiers. The militia is ill-armed, with the odd shotgun or ancient military rifle and bows of varying sizes, but most of them bear nothing more than spears, crude swords, axes and clubs. The city of Minot itself boasts a population of some 2,200 civilians, many of them dependants of the military personnel at the base. The city has survived the chaos relatively intact, having been bypassed by any roving bands of marauders. Minot is still a farming town, they trade their crops to local towns and Indian settlements.
Fargo: A surviving city with barely 15% of the pre-war population left. Most concrete and brick buildings will still be standing. However, many wood buildings have been substantially decayed and hazardous to enter. Major roads are only easily passable where they have been at least partially maintained. The Red River again provides important transportation via barges and small boats. Some public busses and steam trains are also in service. Truckers still haul goods on some roads that have been kept in good condition. Conversion to alcohol has been important for many vehicles. Electricity is available to varying degrees, though it is usually only locally available.
Williston: Located in the extreme northwestern corner of the state, Williston is the growing home of a group of post-war profiteers and die-hard merchants who have taken advantage of the town's isolated location and untapped resources. Following the war, junkyards and abandoned towns on the surrounding plains were scavenged to make walls and fortifications, and some oil wells in the town's vicinity were quickly brought back online to begin production. It is this oil, ultimately, that has brought power and influence to the town and its population has swelled to nearly 5,000. While a strong and powerful bastion of civilized trade and ideals, it is also physically a gray and grotesque sight. Towering derricks and oil wells dot the landscape, obscured only by the dust kicked up by motorized patrols crisscrossing the region to ward off bandits and collect refugees wandering into their lands. Huge encampments sit in the shadow of these oilfields, where groups of homeless and destitute survivors are drawn by the promise of food. The town itself gleams with a thousand pinpoints of light fuelled by an oil-fired power plant at the town’s heart, but its streets and buildings are choked with soot and oily smoke, day and night.
Fort Yates: This dirty and violent town on the Missouri River south of Bismarck is now almost entirely Native American. In the first bad winter of 1962, the whites left for the cities and the Sioux Indians took over the town. Today, Fort Yates, has a population of some 5,000. Despite the lack of outside, Western influences, the town is slowly collapsing in upon themselves. The town is ruled by the "Council of Chiefs" which is lead by the "Grand Chief". Some 80% of the tribal officials are corrupt and easily swayed by women and alcohol, making any effective governing difficult. Fueled by the Council's proclamations of racial power, the citizens view themselves as the eventual rulers of North Dakota and they are militantly xenophobic towards any whites who dare to stray into their area. When the Council makes laws they apply to all of North Dakota even though the rest of North Dakota might not be aware of this. Their tribal militia armory contains mostly bows and shotguns, and infighting amongst the militia leaders has left it a paper tiger. A strong move by the military in Bismarck would crush the town, though no plans for that are in the making as long as Fort Yates continues to leave the valuable Missouri River traffic alone.
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