Cold War Confessions

From the Introduction of Cold War Confessions:

The Cold War began before the end of the World War II and lasted until the collapse of the Soviet Union. During that time, from the 1940s until the 1990s, Russia and the United States stood toenail to toenail ready to annihilate each other. They each fought their enemy wherever they could, whenever they could, with whatever weapons they had.

Sometimes the weapon was propaganda. Lies, distortions of the truth, and criticisms, were very popular tools to make undecided countries choose sides. This was a relatively inexpensive way to sway the hearts and minds of governments and countries.

Sometimes the weapon was economic aid. Billions of dollars and rubles were spent on poorer countries to get them to believe in the way of life of the money donor. As a result, poorer nations had dictators with fat bellies and bloated arsenals.

Sometimes the weapon was confrontation. The Iron Curtain across Europe, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban Missile Crisis are examples of this dangerous game of chicken.

And sometimes, when either side miscalculated, wars would be waged.

Since Russia and America did not dare direct confrontation, the wars were always by proxy. The Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan War are examples of deadly blunders by both sides.

The reason that both sides avoided direct confrontation was simple. In addition to mankindâ€™s normal methods of killing each other, the Russians and the Americans had the capability of destroying each other. It was a period so fraught with fear and hatred that chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction were stock piled alongside nuclear weapons. What stayed them from pushing the button was the knowledge that their enemy would retaliate with exactly the same devastation. Thus, because of nuclear tipped missiles and bombers with nuclear bombs, the Cold War settled into an unsettled period known as Mutually Assured Destruction, MAD.

Inside each country, entire agencies of the governments were dedicated to spying on and out maneuvering the enemy. The United States would develop a nuclear bomb, the Russians would steal the information; the Russians would build a missile fleet, the United States would erect the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System; the Russians would blockade Berlin, the United States would inaugurate the Berlin Airlift.

These agencies were manned with dedicated politicians, scientists, officers and madmen. Their entire purpose was to deduce what the enemy was up to, decide how to foil him, and forward the information to their leader.

Unfortunately, under the leaders of each side, were hotheaded proponents who advocated the use of atomic weapons to destroy the other side. Their hate and fear were so vivid that they would risk destroying mankind in order to obliterate their enemy. They had no conscience, no common sense, and no sense of humor. They truly believed that the only winning strategy was to "NUKE â€™em ALL".

Luckily, these madmen were several layers below the top and not the capstones in the Russian or American pyramids. Their hands did not reach the buttons that would have ended humanity and civilization. However, their mantra, which was direct, simple, and stupid, resonated throughout the upper levels because it provided an answer to a problem that had no solution.

Below the two men who could push the button was no spontaneity; just grim watchfulness and a readiness to retaliate. During the Cold War the United States had tens of thousands of nuclear warheads ready to use in retaliation against Russia. To insure that Russia did not completely destroy our capability with their first strike, we devised three delivery systems which we called the Triad. The Air Force had a fleet of B-52 bombers and the Minuteman missile system. The Navy had the Polaris/Poseidon submarine missile system. It was virtually impossible to obliterate all of these warheads, so a sullen, bitter, truce lasted until the Soviet Union collapsed.

All of this military hardware was at the bottom of the bureaucratic pile and it was the military that bore the weight of this massive structure. The military was charged with operating and maintaining these deadly systems and our military establishment exceeded all of our expectations. Their dedication, hard work, and perpetual patriotism kept the Triad working and kept the Russians completely stymied.

When all is said and done, it was the readiness of the military that finally caused the Cold War to come to an end. The men and women who were the last in the chain of command, the worker bees who maintained the equipment under all conditions, are the ultimate heroes.

And the odd thing is that, as the bureaucratic pyramid broadened, and policy-making responsibilities lessened, the expression "NUKE 'em ALL" became less ominous. On the worker bee level it lost its sting. It became as common as "good day" or "go fry your ass". The worker bee would say, "NUKE 'em ALL" more as a declaration of immediate feelings than as a warning that the end of the world was coming. It was easy to use a ready-made expression to sum up their feelings. If someone were upset or angry "NUKE 'em ALL" would vent their fury. If someone were happy, saying "NUKE 'em ALL" softly was a way of saying thanks. It was an automatic response, a flippant tongue in cheek remark meant to convey all personal emotions.

The pressure on the worker bees to keep these weapons ready was immense. Under stressful conditions, the people who were intimately involved with the equipment worked hard and played hard. Humor, practical jokes, and camaraderie were the weapons of choice to keep life balanced.

This book is my salute to all of the unsung heroes, the men and women, both military and civilian, who did the actual work of keeping Americaâ€™s arsenal of nuclear weapons safe and ready to launch. Their unflinching dedication to their jobs, their attention to details and procedures, and their ability to perform in some of the most extreme weather conditions on earth ultimately helped the United States win the Cold War. Generals would never be able to walk around with a chest full of medals if the foot soldiers had not previously won the battles.

I have changed the names of almost everyone in the book to protect the downright guilty, the not so innocent, and the few who were completely innocent. The only exceptions to this are my name and the name of one of my closest friends whom I met during my working career.

All of the events described actually happened, but in recalling them my memory has probably gone astray. Whatever errors are incorporated are unintentional and belong to me alone. I am not pleased that there may be lapses, but, obviously, I am unaware of where they are. So, ahead of time, mea culpa.

LET US ALL HOPE AND PRAY THAT "NUKE 'em ALL" NEVER, NEVER, NEVER BECOMES A REALITY.

Cold War Confessions has been nominated for a 2007 Michigan Notable Book Award and a USA Best Books 2007 Award. The author is available for book signings and speaking engagements.

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Cold War Confessions
ISBN: 978-0-9758805-3-1
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