# One Old guy and the Cold War



## Feelslikefar (Sep 18, 2021)

*Was it Really a War?*

Being born in 1952 into a Military family, the 'Cold War' was in full swing.
Most say the 'War' started in 1947 and ended in 1991.
Because my Dad was a career Navy man, this directed all aspects of our lives.
Where we lived and how often I saw him, everything revolved around that War.

We lived in Panama City, Florida when the Cuban Missile crisis happen in 1962 and even being just 10 years old I knew it was a big deal.
My Dad was stationed in Scotland on a Nuke Sub at that time.
Back home we did our 'Duck and Cover' at school and tried to live like normal kids.

When I joined the USAF after high school, my direct contact with the 'Cold War' began.

I was just a support guy, nothing fancy or really exciting.  First duty station was on Guam during Vietnam in Aircraft support.
Next was a complex on Shemya, Alaska designed as an early warning system against the Russian threat.
Next up was being stationed at SAC headquarters at Offutt AFB, the main US base in the battle of the Cold War.
( remember the Jimmy Stewart movie about the 'Strategic Air Command'? )

After that, stationed at a small Radar site run by SAC.

Switched over to a new career field and was stationed in the UK. When Deployed to Berlin in 1987, the 'Wall' was separating people.
An image I will never forget.
Saw deployments to Desert Storm and Operation Provide Comfort. Chemical Warfare instructor and maintained the field equipment. 

Fast forward to my last duty station in California and time to decide about retirement.
Looking back now, I think that without the threat of the 'Cold War' things just weren't the same.
Probably time for this Old guy's 'Thinking' to go the way of the Dodo.

I can say that the Cold War shaped me from birth and that lasted for 40+ years till I retired in 1994.

I might be in the minority on this one, but it always FELT like a 'War' to me.


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## horseless carriage (Sep 18, 2021)

On 27 October 1962, Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov was on board the Soviet submarine B-59 near Cuba when the US forces began dropping non-lethal depth charges. While the action was designed to encourage the Soviet submarines to surface, the crew of B-59 had been incommunicado and so were unaware of the intention. They thought they were witnessing the beginning of a third world war.

 Unknown to the US forces, the Russian submarine had a ten kilo tonne nuclear torpedo in it's arsenal. What’s more, the officers had permission to launch it without waiting for approval from Moscow. Two of the vessel’s senior officers, including the captain, Valentin Savitsky, wanted to launch the missile.

But there was an important caveat: all three senior officers on board had to agree to deploy the weapon. As a result, the situation in the control room played out very differently. Arkhipov refused to sanction the launch of the weapon and calmed the captain down. The torpedo was never fired. Had it been launched, the fate of the world would have been very different: the attack would probably have started a nuclear war which would have caused global devastation, with unimaginable numbers of civilian deaths.

A cold war? That's debatable.


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## Feelslikefar (Sep 18, 2021)

You are right, a very debatable subject. 

I gave an account of how it shaped my life, didn't know what other section to put this in.

After my Dad retired, he told me once that he never bought the Navy's explanation about the USS Scorpion or the USS Thresher.


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## Chris21E (Sep 19, 2021)

Remember that as well...


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## feywon (Sep 19, 2021)

Think about it, it was de-escalated because one man had the courage to buck the popular option.  He had a feeling!

Our military men have the same option to refuse illegal, immoral actions. They may have to justify to a military court, but they have the option.

We should not let ourselves think that one person taking a stand about something can't make a big impact on the world.


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## fmdog44 (Sep 20, 2021)

It was the two toughest kids on the block sticking their nuclear chests out.


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