Charles Long
Encyclopedia
"Colonel" Charles "Chuck" Long (born 1945) is the founder of the America's Buffalo Soldiers Re-Enactors Association. (The title of colonel
is self-styled. Long only attained the rank of Lance Corporal while serving in the United States Marines
.)
Long is best known as the operator of two controversial and short-lived youth recruit training
boot camps in Arizona
based on the Buffalo Soldiers, African American
cavalry
regiments of the 19th century, and the teachings of fundamentalist Christianity
.
Long, a history buff, originally founded the ABSRA as an entertainment venture, allegedly for a Western movie that was never filmed. Long earned several awards for his re-enacting work and appeared in photographs shaking hands with Secretary of State
Colin Powell
and then-Texas Governor
George W. Bush
. Later the ABSRA focused on history education: giving speeches at schools and marching in military
parades.
In 2000, Long first had the idea of establishing a youth boot camp on the Fort Apache Reservation
from NBA legend
(and fellow history buff
) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
, who had recently coach
ed a basketball camp for Apache
children.
A first boot camp established by Long near Whiteriver, Arizona
was investigated and ordered off of tribal land in July 2000 by the Apache Tribal Council after youths told of being kicked and choked by camp drill instructor
s. No charges were pressed as a result of this incident.
A second camp was opened by Long near Buckeye, Arizona
in the Spring of 2001. Shortly afterward, on July 2, Anthony Haynes, a 14-year old boy who had been enrolled in the camp by his mother, died after apparently hallucinating
in 111° F (43° C) temperatures. Witnesses reported seeing Haynes eating handfuls of dirt and shouting that he was being attacked by Indians. Long maintains that Haynes committed suicide
.
After the death of Haynes, troubling reports of violence and deception in Long's past began to emerge:
Long was harshly criticized by Maricopa County
Sherriff Joe Arpaio
, himself well known for a "get tough" attitude towards prisoners, who pressed criminal charges against Long and several counselors at his camp. Long faced a charge of second degree murder, but was ultimately convicted in January 2005 of manslaughter
and aggravated assault. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34164 Long was sentenced to six years in prison. The ABSRA continues to operate, though is no longer involved with youth boot camps.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
is self-styled. Long only attained the rank of Lance Corporal while serving in the United States Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.)
Long is best known as the operator of two controversial and short-lived youth recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
boot camps in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
based on the Buffalo Soldiers, African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiments of the 19th century, and the teachings of fundamentalist Christianity
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
.
Long, a history buff, originally founded the ABSRA as an entertainment venture, allegedly for a Western movie that was never filmed. Long earned several awards for his re-enacting work and appeared in photographs shaking hands with Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
and then-Texas Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Later the ABSRA focused on history education: giving speeches at schools and marching in military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
parades.
In 2000, Long first had the idea of establishing a youth boot camp on the Fort Apache Reservation
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
from NBA legend
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(and fellow history buff
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, who had recently coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
ed a basketball camp for Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
children.
A first boot camp established by Long near Whiteriver, Arizona
Whiteriver, Arizona
Whiteriver is a census-designated place in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 5,220 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Whiteriver is located at ....
was investigated and ordered off of tribal land in July 2000 by the Apache Tribal Council after youths told of being kicked and choked by camp drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
s. No charges were pressed as a result of this incident.
A second camp was opened by Long near Buckeye, Arizona
Buckeye, Arizona
Buckeye is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States and is the westernmost suburb in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population of the town as of Census 2010 was 50,876, a 678% increase from the 2000 population of 6,537.-Geography:...
in the Spring of 2001. Shortly afterward, on July 2, Anthony Haynes, a 14-year old boy who had been enrolled in the camp by his mother, died after apparently hallucinating
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
in 111° F (43° C) temperatures. Witnesses reported seeing Haynes eating handfuls of dirt and shouting that he was being attacked by Indians. Long maintains that Haynes committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
After the death of Haynes, troubling reports of violence and deception in Long's past began to emerge:
- In 1989, Long was arrested by PhoenixPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
after bashing in his ex-girlfriend's front door with a sledgehammerSledgehammerA sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
.
- In 1991, Long was arrested again for punching the same woman during a dispute over their 3-year-old son. According to court records, the woman told police Long had previously abused her and the child. Long was fined and put on probationProbationProbation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
- On his 1992 résuméRésuméA résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
, Long claimed to hold a political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
degree from Wilberforce UniversityWilberforce UniversityWilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
. The school denies that Long ever earned a degree.
- Long also claimed to be a former director of the National Academy of Broadcasting. The academy maintains that there is no record of his employment.
Long was harshly criticized by Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Sherriff Joe Arpaio
Joe Arpaio
Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio is the elected Sheriff of Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. First voted into office in 1992, Arpaio is responsible for law enforcement in Maricopa County. This includes management of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, county jail, courtroom security,...
, himself well known for a "get tough" attitude towards prisoners, who pressed criminal charges against Long and several counselors at his camp. Long faced a charge of second degree murder, but was ultimately convicted in January 2005 of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and aggravated assault. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=34164 Long was sentenced to six years in prison. The ABSRA continues to operate, though is no longer involved with youth boot camps.