Commonwealth of Susquehanna (1983: Doomsday)





Pre Doomsday
Bloomsburg was a small town before doomsday. It had a population of approximately 7,890 citizens before the nuclear war.

Doomsday
On Doomsday, the town was not targeted. It was approximately 40 miles south west of Wilkes Barre/Scranton. Radiation and fallout luckily missed the town due to wind that was blowing west at the time. The mayor and emergency teams received reports of the war. The town triggered air-raid sirens to evacuate the town. People panicked and attempted to evacuate. The interstate was soon clogged with people attempting to flee the town.

The citizens felt the impact as the bombs struck the cities of Wilkes Barre and Scranton. Many fled to the town fallout shelters or attempted to flee the town.

Aftershock
After doomsday, much of the population of Berwick, Bloomsburg, and a few surrounding communities fled, fearing an explosion at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. By early 1974, the population of Bloomsburg stood at 4,297; Berwick stood at 2,473; and surrounding communities were 3,790 people.

The mayors and town boards met to discuss the situation in October of 1983 to discuss the upcoming winter, food, electricity for the hospital, supplies, and defense.

The towns begin to ration food, and the Army National Guard unit (Contingent of 250 men) begin to regularly patrol the area.

Exploration
By spring, the population of the area had dwindled to less than 7,000 people. A group of civilians wanted to explore surrounding communities. A group of 10 soldiers, a medic, and 28 armed civilians begin to explore the surrounding communities, and found Mount Carmel sacked and burned. The explores estimated that less than 200 people lived in the town under barbaric conditions. When the group attempted to enter the town, shots were fired at the group, so they left the area.

Next the explorers went to Elysburg, and found the town still functioning, but in need of food an medical supplies. The travelers gave them food and water. The mayor of the town requested a meeting with the Mayor of Bloomsburg to discuss a possible union.

Danville was found to be in a similar situation as Mount Carmel was, with most of the population either dead, or gone. The town was claimed by Bloomsburg.

In late 1985 the leaders of the towns realized that there was no aid coming. Sparse reports from a HAM radio salvaged told them that the government had left the nation before it died. Marauders were becoming a serious issue with several raids that sacked Milton. The town was abandoned in early 1986.

The towns had not formed any government, having each town like a small city-state. Each had farms, and a militia for defense, but they were lacking many supplies. In early 1991 the mayors and town councils met and put up a referendum for the people.

New Union
Each town voted whether to unify an declare independence from the United States and secede, declare independence as a provisional government, or remain at status quo. The voted were overwhelmingly to form a provisional government.

On July 4th, 1991 the Provisional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was formed as a sucessor state to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The towns unified into te previous county structure, with Mount Carmel repopulated and forming the county seat of Schukill County. The capitol city was voted as Bloomsburg since it had the most infrastructure and was centrally located.

New Year
By the turn of the millennium, the provisional commonwealth had managed to aquite enough food and farms to be self-sufficient, and surplus for atorage and trade. Many people were curious about the outside world and two expedition groups had been sent out earlier.

Outside Contact
In mid 1999 after eradicating small gangs in the area, an exploration unit using 6 pre-Doomsday improvised armored cars, was sent west. They were given radio units and rifles. Another, smaller team was sent south by foot. In early 2000 the southward group had returned, after discovering the nation of Reading. Areas south between the provisional government and Reading was sketchy with warlords and gangs dominating the area.

By late 2000, the second group had returned after discovering State College and North Pennsylvania. These discoveries excited the people that there were other survivor states in the former nation of the USA.

New Industry
In 2008 after eradicating surrounding gangs (With aid, weapons, and support from State College), the

Population
In the constitution, the Senate must take a census every 5 years starting in 1985. The census taken in 2010 show that there are 21,879 citizens in the Commonwealth of Susquehanna.

Government
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna is a democratic republic, with the people electing in a governor, a lieutenant governor, and representatives, in the form of the National Council and the Senate.

Executive Branch
The Governor heads the executive branch wielding much of the power that the former President of the United States would have wielded, including the ability to declare war, sign bills into laws, pardon criminals, and other duties. He may serve for 2 terms of 3 years.

The Lieutenant Governor can take over the power of the governor if he becomes incapacitated or dies in office. One difference that the Republic of Susquehanna has is that the candidate for governor with the second most amount of votes becomes the Lieutenant Governor.

The Governor of State College is recognized as the ceremonial governor due to the close ties between the nations.

Legislative Branch
The National Council is the lower house of the legislative branch, with 1 member per 1,000 citizens in each county in the Commonwealth, and the Senate has 2 members per county.

As of 2013, there are 17 representatives and 8 senators.

Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch is arranged similar to the court system of Pennsylvania, with a bench of 3 judges, one from Montour County, one from Columbia County, and one from either Northumberland County or Schukill County.

Economy
Much of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna's economy is based around agriculture, with 58% of the population engaged in some branch of it. There are several manufacturing companies in the area, with the mining of coal and iron from Danville and the Mount Caramel area twelve years after doomsday.

Geisinger Health System which owns a hospital in Danville, and several outpatient clinics in Berwick, Danville, and other communities employs 23% of the population.

The nation has a low tax rate due to a small government and the lack of major imports and exports.

Education
The nation has a mandatory education from grades 1-12, with kindergarden and college optional. The national education system is divided into school district. Military service can be postponed if the student is perusing higher education.

Although the nation attempts to enforce education to help improve the nation's self sufficiency, only about 23% of the current citizens under the age of 18 actually attended school at some point, and only 34% of those graduate from high school.

School Districts

 * Bloomsburg Area School District
 * Susquehanna School District (Combined Southern Columbia and Central school districts) (Note: Currently Defunct due to raiders)
 * Berwick School District
 * Montour School District (Combined Danville and Warrior Run school Districts)

Technical Schools

 * Montour-Columbia Vocational Technical School

Colleges

 * Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)
 * Luzerne Community College (Berwick, Columbia County)

Medical Care
There are 3 hospitals in the nation. The main hospital is based in Danville, Montour County and is responsible for major operations and severe emergency care.

Medical care is basic with few medications or treatment options for doctors. Many terminally ill patents are sent home to prevent them being a drain on the few supplies left. A Merck facility that is outside Danville has a possibility of being reopened by 2050-2100. (Author's Note: there is a Merck facility outside Danville that has been in operations in some form since before WWII)

There is a high mortality rate in the medical system, so it is not used as much as it could be.


 * Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, Montour County)
 * Bloomsburg Hospital (Bloomsburg, Columbia County)
 * Berwick Hospital Center (Berwick, Columbia County)

Commonwealth National Guard
Main Page: Commonwealth of Susquehanna National Guard The Commonwealth of Susquehanna maintains a small armed forces. Most of the military units were formed post doomsday, with a few pre doomsday units training troops after the apocalypse. Military service is mandatory unless the draftee can prove religious objections before a military board. If found reasonable, they will be assigned to the medical corps or a non-combat role.

Much of the equipment operated by the Commonwealth are pre-1960's equipment that cannot be replaced due to cost.

The total military strength as of 2012 stands at 950 active members; 1,000 reserve; and 300 county militia members.

Army
The army is the largest branch, with 800 active soldiers; 1,000 reserve, as each county maintains a citizens militia.

There are 3 regional regiments.


 * Montour Regiment (200 troops)
 * Company 1 (50)
 * Company 2 (50)
 * Company 3 (50)
 * Company 4 (50)
 * Susquehanna Regiment (350 troops)
 * Company 5 (50)
 * Company 6 (50)
 * Company 7 (50)
 * Company 8 (50)
 * Company 9 (50)
 * Company 10 (50)
 * Company 11 (50)
 * Schukill Regiment (250 troops)
 * Company 12 (50)
 * Company 13 (50)
 * Company 14 (50)
 * Company 15 (50)
 * Company 16 (50)

Air Patrol
The Air Patrol operates several aircraft from pre-doomsday. Several light aircraft were salvaged from the Bloomsburg Area Airport, and Riverside Airport.

The mission of the Air Patrol is to monitor the nation for foreign incursion, provide reconnisance for the army and logistics and support.

They operate 3 aircraft, with most of the others stripped for parts and supplies.

Waterways Patrol
The Waterways Patrol is the smallest of the branches, not having active personnel, instead relies on volunteers. It acts as a search and rescue unit, with 35 current volunteers to patrol the Susquehanna River. They operate 8 kayaks, 2 canoes, and a small flat bottom boat.

Recreation
Much of the Commonwealth of Susquehanna's history has been reconstruction or repelling raider attacks. But recently there has been some reconstruction of facilities for the peoples enjoyment.

The town of Danville hosts the Iron Heritage Festival once a year in the middle of the summer.

Bloomsburg holds the Bloomsburg Fair during the end of September, and several other shows (mainly military shows) throughout the year.

Prior to doomsday outside of Bloomsburg and Elysburg, there was a amusement park named Knobels, which was the largest free amusement park in the nation. After doomsday, the entire park was abandoned and ignored because people were concentrated on survival, not a theme park that there was no interest in.

In 2012 several wealthy members of the surrounding communities reopened the park to business on the anniversary of Doomsday, holding a minute silence, and giving people free hand stamps for the rides. This had helped boost the Commonwealth economy as the government opened its borders to allow tourists and other individuals.

Foreign Relations
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna maintains diplomatic contact with most of Pennsylvanian survival states. It has embassies in State College, and Reading, and has a diplomat in North Pennsylvania. Through several of the surrounding nations, the nation has sporadic contact with the USA, Vermont, Canada, Gettysburg, Virginia, and Kentucky.

Susquehanna purchases much of the needed military equipment from State College or North Pennsylvania, with little domestic supply's.

Some citizens are pushing for the Commonwealth to join State College or Reading. The government is considering this for the future but for now maintains independence.

There has been some interest in joining the United Communities, but as of 2013 there has been no application for membership. Most citizens oppose the Commonwealth joining the LoN as the previous two international organizations had failed to prevent two major conflicts.

Most citizens would be willing to join a reformed state of Pennsylvania if the United States ever reached the East Coast.

Religion
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna has a high percentage of people who are actively participating in a religious group. The predominant groups remaining are Christian and Amish.

The Catholic Church is the most predominant religions in the region with 68% of the population claiming to be Catholic. It is under the jurisdiction of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, and has 4 major parishes: Saint Joseph's Parish, Danville; Saint Colombia's Parish, Bloomsburg, Christ the Redeemer Parish in Mount Carmel, and Immaculate Conception Parish, Berwick.

Industry
The Commonwealth is a large steel producer in the region with the Danville Steel Mills producing railroad tracks and ties, steel armor, and other products. The works process 35 ton of iron into steel every year. Much of the coal is mined in Mount Carmel.

Another large section is snacks. The Wise Potato Chip Company survived Doomsday, and was repaired in 2011 by several entrepreneurs who also restarted Catawissa Bottling Company in late 2009.