Page2A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday. Jufy 13, 1989
Sgt. Watson, Now Retired, Misses Life In The National Guard
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Former Sgt. First Class Robert
I Watson, one of the first Afrlcan-
; Americans to Join the N.C. Army
* National Guard, retired from
t duty nearly two weeks ago, but
;; he already misses It.
* "I feel like I want to go back,"
t he seild. "I'm not going back, but
; I Just feel that way. I've got to
I walk away from It, so It's Just a
* rnatter of When."
* Watson, 55, was honored by lo-
1 cal political and military dlgnl-
I tarles at the National Guard Ar-
* mory In Belmont. Now that he
I has started a new life as an ex-
* sergeant, Watson still thinks
* about the military.
I "A million things are going
‘ through my mind. Just like they
* were oh the day I retired," he
I said.
* ‘But after 35 years of service,
* ■Vfratson said the time had come
tt(> slow down and devote more
* time to his family.
i '"I've got a 12-
got a 12-year-old son
who's going to be In Junior high
»school this year, and I need to
I be there for him, so that'll take
up a lot of my time," Watson said.
"And there are plenty of things
fdr ine to do around the house."
' A 1953 graduate of Second
JVard High, Watson Joined the
Army and was sent to Korea the
Jiext year as part of the peace
keeping force deployed after the
armistice ending the war was
signed. Two tours of duty In Ko
rea, one In Germany, and vari
ous stops around the world,
{nade life Interesting.
«
• "I've been Just about'’every-
Jvhere except for the communist
Watson said the guard gave
him the opportunity to develop
many filendshlps, they t)me that
last longer than a tour of duly.
"It's a great place to meet {peo
ple," he said. 'You can run Into
doctors, lawyers, all kinds of
people who can help you In Ufe»-
and they will help you If they
can."
Phota/CALVIN FERGUSON
Former Sgt. First Class Robert Watson stands out*
side the National Guard Armory in Belmont,
where he was recently honored.
countries," Watson said. "The
people I've met have been good
and I've seen and done a lot of
things that you couldn't pick up
from any book."
The National Guard has
changed dramatically over the
years, Watson said. When he
first Joined, the average soldier
was recognized as the most Im
portant person In the ranks.
That's no longer the ceise.
"When I Joined, It was Just like
active duty," he said. You had
people In there who came In one
weekend a month and knew Just
as much as people who were
there every day. Now It's
changed to where they put the
corporate Image In It and It's not
working."
GOP Blacks Enter Elections
^ntinued from page lA.
come back to the party the same
way they're recruiting white
males."
; Running at-large "probably
means a difflcult row to hoe" for
black Republicans, but It may
^ easier than running against a
Democrat In a district election,
said Culp. Gardner, who lost to
pila Scarborough In the District
3 race In 1987, acknowledges
Oiat scenario was a factor In his
decision to run cltywlde.
■ "Black Republicans have found
they can't win In a district that's
heavily black and Democratic,"
Culp said.
' In the past, the GOP has quiet
ly recruited candidates for local
elections. This year, a crowded
field Is likely to twlng a spirited
(jampalgn for the at-large
berths.
! "It's going to be Interesting,"
said Davis. "The Republicans
have never had to go through a
primary quite like this me."
; Elven with blacks running, the
Republicans still don't have
rtiany black voters on the rolls.
Of the 71,161 registered Repub
licans In Charlotte, only 1,578
qre black. Although the GOP has
invited blacks to Join Its ranks,
there haven't been many takers.
; "They could still have a meet
ing In a phone booth," Culp sal^.
! But the Republicans' success
has meide It easier for African-
Americans to Join the party and
ultimately run, Lowery said,
"^at wasn't the case In the past.
. "I think there were times when
black Republicans didn't want
to be Identified," he said.
!To win a nomination, blacks
ihust raise the money needed to
Improve their name recognition
In areas where white Republi
c's haven't heard of them, Cu'p
said. Getting African-Americans
to switch parties would also
help.
'"Every black vote you can.get
puts you closer to winning,he
siald.
i Lowery said Republican and
blacks are finding out that the
two sides can work together. As
the competition for black alle
giance heats up between the po
litical parties, African-
Americans stand to gain.
"We've become aw;ire of a two-
party system, which Is healthy
for black people," he said. "In the
long run, that's good for every
body."
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On Outstanding...
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Good Luck as You Enter
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AIR FORCE
July 20th, 1989
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