Chamber of Commerce

By: Rebekah Sanderlin FightClub V For 218 years members of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry have suited up to serve the community and the nation. olunteer soldiers began signing up for the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry (FILI) when George Washington was president, and they continue to do so today. The FILI is North Carolina's oldest military unit and the oldest continuously operat- ing military unit in the south. Though times have changed the organization somewhat — namely, in that vol- unteers no longer fight in battles — much about the group remains the same. Volunteers still purchase their own uniforms and weapons and are not compensated for their service. They are still asked to represent the state in local and na- tional ceremonies and parades. Officers are still elected by the troops and must earn their commis- sions after serving in the lowest enlisted ranks, and the unit still considers itself to be "a corps of gentleman." According to Maj. Bruce Daws, the FILI's commanding officer, this means, "If your conduct disgraces the unit, you're gone, automati- cally expelled." "Part of our responsibility is to maintain and perpetuate the ancient customs of the mi- litia," Daws said. And that's exactly what the FILI has been doing since they were first organized on August 23, 1793. Infantry members went on to serve in the War of 1812, The Civil War, The Spanish American War and World War I and offered their services again after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, but by then the nation was in the habit of fully relying on the professional military. The FILI is still an active ceremonial unit and An early picture of the members of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry shows these citizen-soldiers decked out in full regalia. North Carolina's official historic military command, and members maintain a two-story armory build- ing downtown which houses weapons dating from 1793 through the present day. Daws said that while some of the unit's members come from families with a history of serving in the FILI, most of the present day members are not native Fayettevillians, though most are military veterans. "But you do not have to be from Fayetteville or have prior service to join, though," Daws said. You do, however, need to be patient. Daws said the unit right now has a waiting list of people hoping to join and that to apply a person must have the support of two members in good standing, a clean background, and be voted in by both a board and by the general members, a process that can take several years. But, with 218 years under its belt already, the FILI has the luxury of time. H 34 | Accents • 2011 - 2012

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