I am sitting in a nice home that seems to be something out of "Gone With the Wind" I was told by the maid that my interviewee was about to meet with me in the parlor. I declined any offer for a drink as something told me I needed to stay clear of mind for this one. Titus Collins, famed child soldier of the war turned prominent Businessmen.

[He enters through the wall of a sealed off room meant to blend in with the surroundings]

I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long I'm sure you've got far more important interviews to do. I just needed to finish something in my study.

That was your study?

I know it can seem like a bit much I just want to have an area to myself. Can't be too safe. War might be over but Id rather know that we are all situated.

So Mr. Collins, where to we begin?

Well for starters, its Titus or Collins, not to sound Cliché but my father was Mr. Collins and he sure as shit wore that title war. I'd like to think I've gone beyond that.

Apologies, um, Collins.

No don't mention it, like I said Id rather just not be known as Mr. Collins, it's bad enough I've been dubbed the Child Soldier of Texas, it's like I'm Harry Potter or something. I always wondered where his story would have went if J.K., hadn't, well, you know.

Well let's start there, where it all began in Texas.

Well that wouldn't even be the start of it. I'm actually from New Jersey. That's the thing the press always seems to forget. I am not nor will I ever be a Texan, now don't get me wrong I'm humbled by their acceptance of me but like I said, I'm from New Jersey. I say "Yous guys" most surely not "Y'all."

Fair Enough. So how'd yous guys end up in Texas?

[He grins]

Hahaha Nice! Well honestly how wes guys ended up in Texas is wasn't exactly fair, so to speak, none of us signed up for any of it, it was not volunteer based as the government likes to claim. It was all out Conscription.

Yeah, but isn't there laws preventing people under the age of 17 from enlisting without parents' consent?

Yes there is or well there was. Basically as we learned when it was just a class with uniforms and drill, was that the Corps of Cadets came to be in 1916 with the National Defense Act. America was prepping for the first World War. They wanted a way to train more men before it became a thing for us. Now that pissed a lot of people off cause they thought their kids we enlisting. So it was worded as such that it was basically an inactive militia. Then in 1964 they had the Vitalization Act heavy training for both High School and College students, and it gave cadets an upper hand who enlisted, or those who wanted to avoid being drafted or being sent overseas had to be in college and had to be in ROTC.

So how was any of this possible?

Cause some dumb fuck idiot in Washington got scared after Yonkers. I mean, we were still recalling troops from overseas, that's another thing, we didn't get them all out in time. People don't really know that. They thing the whole military came back to the states, well they were mistaken. That isn't to say we left them all high and fuckin dry either cause we didn't but that's beyond the point. They were scared. It's as simple as that.

Well why not just have a conscription act of of-aged civilians?

Cause that would be to fuckin easy. You gotta remember it was in the middle of the great panic, the first time we went up against the threat shit didn't go as planned. Essentially we fucked up, and we knew it. So someone had the bright idea just to write the Cadet Activation and Conscription Act of '07. Now the Ironic part in that if I was just a year younger I would have missed this whole shit show.

Whys that?

Well I was 14 in 07 I had just started High School because everyone was still trying to be normal and hadn't gone into full panic mode. Don't you remember the posters? It was like Nazi Germany but instead of Jews it was Zack. "Where are they?" "Do you know anyone up to something, are they hiding ze Zed?" [This last one he mocks in a near perfect German Accent common to English prewar films set in Nazi WWII] Ha-ha shit man I mean it was like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 all over again. He held assemblies and rallies of national strength and needing to stay together. I mean who the fuck was to know that in a few months' time we'd be trading our text books for AR's and sent to Texas. I sure as fuck didn't.

Why did you become a Cadet then?

Again as cliché as possible it was for a girl. I saw how she looked at them in uniform and before I knew it I was in the Guidance Counselors office switching out of Concert Choir. Little did I know she was doing the same thing and in those first few months it actually fuckin worked. There was even an incident…let's just say we were unaware our 1st Sgt, AI Instructor, had a fuckin key to the janitorial Closet and that's where he went to smoke during class.

So things were normal everyday High School situations?

At first, yes, but predominately no. Three Months in we hit October and instead of Halloween we were in the middle of a Unit Re Organization. Each School had a Battalion which consisted of 100 or in my case 500 Cadets, then we had Brigade's which were several schools drilling together then at a state level or regional depending on the numbers we had Divisions.

What was the problem with the organization you currently had?

To many politics, it was based off seniority and social status elections. They wanted each rank and position assigned by the test of all tests. The one thing I didn't expect was the fact I'd do good on it. I was made a squad leader which pissed off a LOT of people, but that kinda thing was quickly silenced. New organizations came with new punishments. And you did not want to be punished, the roof was lifted for "hey their cadets we can't do that to them" and anything was possible.

So you guys were soldiers?

Ha-ha yeah no they wouldn't let that happen until we were 17 and that was only if your parents were around to sign. If not you were a Cadet. And Cadet was in front of every rank so on and so forth. Just the definition of Cadet had changed.

Then what happened?

I know, I know, I'm getting to Texas I promise. We were moved into a situation that can be described as advanced boy scouts. We jokingly called it the Manly Man Scouts, and when we hated it, we were "The Hitler's New Youth" basically drills were held. Sent to firing ranges and orienteering training. My favorite was Urban and Rural Survival Classes. At that point we didn't really have an idea on how all this would go. In December we were officially Conscripted. Issued live rounds and rifles and everything a kid could dream of for a very real life Call of Duty Simulator. [a sly grin spreads as he thinks of it]

Now that you were conscripted what was your assignment?

Well we were in SoJo, sorry, South Jersey, very close to Philly and Atlantic City. Now these hadn't fallen yet. After New York people took shit seriously road blocks, check points the great wall of Trenton.

The Great Wall of Trenton?

Well yeah, I mean they had to set up some defense right? That's where my dad got it. He went North looking for work, never came back. [He looks down] At least we assume, before burial if possible they'd try getting an ID for the body. His came up but nothing was next to it. No mention if he was Dead Head or if he was killed in an accident or anything. Just gone.

So what did you do?

Well basically it had just been my pops and I since I could remember. I just guess kids cramped her style, I never really got the whole story. So it was just me myself and I. Her parents, Madi, they kinda took me in but that didn't really matter, cause we gone by January. And no not Texas. Atlantic City was a staging point. She was getting kinda hot up East so they figured instead of going through it just put us all on a ship and move us South. So for about a month we were at sea. It wouldn't have taken so long but we made stops and picked up other units and supplies. We hadn't a clue where we were going. California collapsed early on so I figured maybe that where we were headed to get the last of the refugees out.

When did you officially get to Texas?

We touched down in Early February of '08, at this point the great Panic was in full swing. And we were sent to guard the border. Intel showed it should have been a green zone.

It wasn't?

Fuck no I don't know who came up with that intel but damn at first it was swarming with people trying to go North. Which sucked cause it made you wonder. Why the fuck wasn't I going north? We had some desertions at first. But that was dealt with.

Dealt with?

I never thought I'd live to see a person hanged or whipped but it happened…