contracted the disease and died from it. It was a very serious issue and Americans were cautioned to be “very, very cognizant of anything that looks bizarre.”25 A southern New Hampshire Shaw’s supermarket was evacuated and closed for a day when some suspicious white powder was found there.26 Late one evening at the Manchester Airport, one of the soldiers noticed a suspicious quantity of white powder spilled on the floor. At the time, when the specter of anthrax could rear up anywhere, it fit the category of being “bizarre,” and necessitated responsible action. Following protocol, Sergeant Nolin immediately had the area cordoned off and called in the authorities. Fortunately, it was at a time when very few passengers were in the terminal and later results from the lab revealed it was harmless. Manchester, as a large airport, saw many times the number of people coming through its gates than either of the two smaller airports. The ability of a terrorist to slip through was potentially much greater. The definition of public safety now included more than just the passengers; it covered people on the ground in the event of another deliberate crash. Therefore, when one of the Mountain Company soldiers found the walkthrough screening machine had been unplugged, he made the call to have the airport temporarily shut down. Passengers who had already been screened were required to move back outside the checkpoint. The forward area was checked for packages, and dogs were brought in to ensure the area was “clean” before the frustrated passengers were allowed to go back through the screening gates. The Manchester soldiers had other experiences as well. Professional, clean-cut, uniformed soldiers are eye-catching, particularly to the ladies. The soldiers frequently found themselves being approached by and posing for pictures with women of all ages. On one occasion, however, a young lady caught the eye of one of the soldiers. Noticing this, one of the Sheriff’s Deputies who was working with the soldiers, indignantly announced that she was his daughter. For the rest of the day, the entire Sheriff’s Department good naturedly harassed the soldier about this NHARNG Pamphlet 870-2-1
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