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A 4/12/05 |
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The Cold War
As World War II was coming to a close, General George Patton made a startling suggestion. With his army in Europe already, he suggested moving onto a war with Russia. This was not well taken by his superiors or the politicians at home, as Russia was one of our allies in the recent victory, and talk of attacking them seemed barbaric and downright crazy. Russia had taken a beating from Germany, but Patton felt they would be our next great enemy. It didn‘t take long for Patton‘s vision to come true. As the post war world was being structured, the Soviet Union began swallowing up territory and nations, absorbing them into the Union. This was the beginning of the Cold War, and it was a war that would last for decades. The first great battle was the Berlin Airlift, when the Soviets blockaded the city, trying to starve it out. Our military airlifted countless tons of supplies into the city to keep it alive until the Soviets finally gave it up. The Cold War would see the greatest escalation of military power that the world had ever seen. Nuclear arsenals would grow that had the ability to destroy the world time and again. These weapons were used in the Cold War, but only as a powerful deterrent. The concept of mutual destruction was the dominant strategy of the war. Both we and the Russians understood that launching an attack would guarantee a horrific counter attack, there could be no winner in a nuclear war. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961 we were brought to the very brink of nuclear war, within hours actually. We took the strong stance and the Soviets blinked, averting total war. The veterans of the Cold War served all across the world in every role imaginable. They prepared for war in Western Europe, stood on the DMZ in Korea, and practiced daily to launch their missiles on command. These men and women served mainly in times of no outward aggression, although the Korean and Vietnam Wars were products of our battle against Communism. Year in and year out they stood watch over the Soviets, as we were safe here at home. They worked in severe heat and cold, through long shifts and sometimes months with no days off. They were the true reason that we won the Cold War. Those who served in the Cold War have not been noticed here at home for their service or their victory. There were casualties and deaths, but most were covert in nature and were never noticed. Their war finally came to an end in the late 80‘s as the Soviet Union crumbled. Their victory went unnoticed for the most part and their service has all but disappeared from our memories. But if it weren‘t for the men and women that stood the line in the Cold War and commanded the most powerful military machine in its day we may have fallen to the Communists as others did. Our nation owes them a great debt of gratitude. |
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End of this presentation — You may go to Introduction & Table of Contents for A Vet's Take or Home - Contact Us - Cold War Hist. - 91st SRS Hist. - Stardust 40 Mission Story |
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