City-State of Greenville

== The City-State of Greenville== Greenville (green-ville) is a North American city-state bordered eniterly by the US state of Montana. Greenville declared independence from the United States in 1969 in oposition to the vietnam war draft. Greenville became an autonomous state in 1970 after the city's war of independence was won.

Greenville is considered a city-state because the country consists entirely of the town of Greenville, which is also the capital. The former city limits of the town became the new international border in Janurary 1970. In 1969 the city had 1,567 residents. In 1970 the population fell to 863 as a result of people moving away so they could remain in the US. However, today Greenville's territory has not not grown from the orginal borders but the country now boasts a population of over 1,600 citizens.

Greenville has a unique system of government. The head of state is a Mayor elected every four years. There is also a Vice Mayor elected on the same ballot. Under the Mayor, the government divides into two sections; the City Council and the Cabinet. The City Council consists of 15 Councilmen elected by the population. The City Council functions similarly to the US Congress, they propose and pass laws. The Mayor then vetos or affirms the propsed laws. The Cabinet however, is entierly appointed by the Mayor. The Cabinet consists of the various government departments and their directors. These directors are usually re-appointed every four years by the new incoming Mayor.

Founding and Early History
Greenville was founded in 1874 by US settlers moving west. From 1874 until 1917, the town remained similar. In 1918 when World War 1 began, Greenville became home to the Smithson and Collins Ammo Company. Smithson and Collins operated a medium sized plant in the town producing artillery shells for the US Army until 1946.

From 1919 until 1938 the town grew steadily in population. The reason that Greenville didn't die out during the Great Depression is atributed to the fact that the Greenville economy was supported by the Smithson and Collins plant, and not agriculture.

During World War 2, Greenville suffered a major population decline because the draft hit them very hard, taking away two of every three men in the town, over 60% of whom didn't surivive the war. Greenville went from a population of 2,264 in 1939 down to only 1,089 in 1945.

Vietnam War
In 1968 when the draft began again, the city passed an ordinance stating that Greenville men were not subject to the draft. This was done in response to the aftermath of the World War 2 draft. The city ordinance was not recognized by Montana, and the Federal Government wasn't even aware of it's exisistance. On 7 October 1968, the Mayor of Greenville, Mayor Steve Willcombs, went before the City Council and proposed that they order the Greenville Police to arrest any US draft officials seen in the town. The City Council voted on the issue and all Councilmen were in favor of the order.

On 9 November 1968, the first man in the town to be drafted (since WW2), Jacobs Reily, was given an order to report for duty in the US Navy. Jacobs Reily brought the letter to the Mayor and asked him what to do. The Mayor told him to disregard the letter. Mayor Willcombs told Reily that the Greenville Police would arrest the draft officials if they came for him.

Greenville war of Independence
On Christmas day 1968, the US Navy drafting office sent Lt. George Papenari to home of Mr. Reily to bring him in for duty. When Lt. Papenari arrived in Greenville, he went to the Police to ask why Reily had not been arrested. The Greenville Police placed Lt. Papenari under arrest and put him in a holding cell. When Lt. Papenari had not returned that evening, the Navy Draft office called the Police in Greenville, who explained that Lt. Papenari had violated the local law and was awaiting trail. The next day, the Navy sent a military lawyer, Lt. Miller to arrange Lt. Papenari's release, but the town would not release him.

The Battle of the Greenville Jail
On 3 January 1969, 2 MP's from the Montana Army National Guard arrived in Greenville and demmanded that Greenville Police release Lt. Papenari to them. The MP's promised that the Navy would prosectue Lt. Papenari under the UCMJ for disorderly conduct. Greenville Police told the MP's to leave the town because the matter was between Greenville and the US Navy. The MP's (SGT. Dave Soles and SFC. James Cooper) then pulled their sidearms and demanded the release of Lt. Papenari. Greenville Police officers opened fire on the MPs killing SFC Cooper and wounding SGT. Soles. SGT. Soles and Lt. Miller surrendered to Greenville Police and where treated as POWs.