My father, Stanley James Harris, gave 29 years of his life to the Diamond Shamrock, fka the Diamond Alkali, until 1976 when they rolled up the bankroll and headed south, leaving in its wake hundreds without employment, an environment rippled with toxic waste, tens of thousands with lung and genetic disorders, and a burden on local, state, and federal taxpayers to clean the lake and scrub the land. My mother, grandparents, uncles, neighbors, fathers of classmates worked there, too. Nearly everyone in my hometown was related to or knew someone who worked there.
Not a fun place, but this is what our Dads, Uncles, Grandpas, Mothers,, Neighbors-- hard working Americans-- did. The aftermath of World War II ushered in an era where farmers struggled to make a living; while industry offered financial security and the opportunity of a fresh start in the suburbs. For us Baby Boomers, this is part of our story--a tie that binds--and a tie tack as proof.
