I had started a different essay for this post when my wife informed me that our 43-year-old daughter asked this question. “How can these people talk so calmly about nuclear war?” Calmly? I needed to get caught up on the news. Who is calm?
As we discussed our distant past, Yolonda said, “You know, when you would go for a week of nuclear alert, I never thought much about it. It was your job. Nuclear war was simply your job.” She’s right. I was the Radar Navigator (bombardier) on a nuclear armed B-52D either at Carswell Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, or later at Andersen AFB, Guam (and at other “satellite” locations).
At that time, we were in the midst of the “Cold War.” If Russia (or any country) launched a nuclear attack against the United States, my crew would be in the air within minutes, turning north to strike pre-determined targets in the Soviet Union. Basically, WWIII.
I told her, “I know exactly what damage nuclear bombs (or missiles) can do.” For eight years, it was my profession. For one week each month, it was my life: 24/7. The concept of nuclear war was real, possible, conceivable, but even then, somehow unthinkable. We did not believe it would happen because we would retaliate in kind. That was called second strike and we had plans for a third. The strategy was called mutually assure destruction (MAD). It was real. It was then.
Through my elementary and high school years (Cuban Missile Crises), through Viet Nam, and on up until my first day of pre-flighting and “cocking” a loaded B-52, the threat of nuclear war was impressed upon me repeatedly. Doomsday was both a reality and a joke.
Today I read that Vlad P. has threatened the world with nukes if anyone interferes with his war on Ukraine. The no love lost between Russia and Ukraine goes way back, but the point is the threat. He could nuke any nation in the world—and certainly in Europe.
I’ve also read that Russia may use nukes against Ukrainian resistance. These people are fighting for their right to exist. The only thing Ukrainians want from Russia is to be left alone and to live in peace. But Russia does not care. Their excuse? The Ukrainians don’t like them. Dah?
While it would be unprecedented for nukes to be used in such a limited conflict/war, Ukraine lacks the wherewithal to assure Russia’s destruction. We, on the other hand, in conjunction with our allies could provide such assurance. I would like them all, especially Vlad P., to believe we would.
On the lighter side, in 1964 (age 18), I sat in a theater on a Strategic Air Command base, and I watched this movie (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb). Little did I know my future would not be so funny, although I confess, I did my best to make it so.
Look both ways and take a side.
Mind the gaps between the wars and push for peace.
Morality is not a spectator sport.
These four clips from he movie are short.
Our Literary Journey 
Boy oh boy… Vlad has lost his mind. There is no real reason to attack Ukraine. He is a mad man and I should love for him to fear retaliation enough to NOT nuke. Trouble when dealing with someone who is mad, is there is little reasoning with them.
As for your clips.. Man oh man, what a young James Earl Jones in the second one!
1964… a vintage year… 😉
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Some of the best in talent and art came into being that year. 🙂
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Do tell… 😉
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I am thinking about this challenge. Any thoughts or opinions?
https://realitywithatwistbooks.wordpress.com/
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I can see you succeeding at this!
Go for it!
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well, I thought I’d be in the last generation to worry about nukes. Sad that I’m not. Now we have a loonie KBG agent who wants to relive his glory days with his hand on the button. Hopefully there are some Vasili Arkhipovs still in the Russian armed forces. (fyi, he was the guy who *didn’t* launch during the cuban missile crisis)
I finally got my folks to watch Dr. Strangelove. Haven’t had a chance to discuss it with my dad who was a missileman back in the 60s in the US and Germany.
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Ironic how and insane movie keeps me sane. 🙂
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Dear Bill,
I was when I saw Dr. Strangelove. At the time it scared me to pieces. I’d be lying if I said Madman Putin doesn’t scare me. Slim Pickins riding the bomb is a classic scene. I think it’s time to watch the movie again. Thanks for sharing the clips, your thoughts and your service.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We knew it would happen. More human behavior I will never understand.
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I too was a MAD serviceman during the second half of the 60’s, into the 70’s and 80’s and still have a little of the phlegmatic attitude that was required then. Putin is a very clever man using all sorts of subterfuge to try to further his aims. Let’s hope he is not as deranged as he appears to be.
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Just let us not be fooled. 🙂
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Wow….What a sweat of one’s bow BIO, Bill. Gives one pause for the cause of a desire for a cool one after work. But hey, back in the day…right. Hats off.
It was a given, that with enough time, some ideological lunacy would tigger some atomistic political grievance that everyday political holism couldn’t parse.
Is Putin playing the whole of the West like Nixon reportedly tried to ruse China vis-à-vis Hanoi with a tricky dick ploy; Kissinger playing bagman to Nixon’s dropping the big one Madman. Who the hell knows.
Don’t read this as any sympathy with or for Putin. I have none, and would like to see him spend his latter days in the Hague .
Yes, the West won the Cold War but were too damn greedy, given the rise of Neoliberalism, to win the peace. And it could have be had on the cheap.
Great post. Thanks for it.
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Thanks Doug. Not sure if it’s posting or venting. Either way.
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had to pop in again since I recently watched a special on Tom Lehrer on the local PBS station.
So long, mom!
I’m off to drop the Bomb
So don’t wait up for me
But while you swelter
Down there in your shelter
You can see me
On your TV
While we’re attacking frontally
Watch Brin-k-ley and Hun-t-ley
Describing contrapuntally
The cities we have lost
No need for you to miss a minute
Of the agonizing holocaust
Yeah!
Little Johnny Jones
He was a US pilot
And no shrinking violet
Was he, he was mighty proud
When World War III was declared
He wasn’t scared
No siree!
And this is what he said on
His way to Armageddon:
So long, mom!
I’m off to drop the Bomb
So don’t wait up for me
But though I may roam
I’ll come back to my home
Although it may be
A pile of debris
Remember, mommy!
I’m off to get a commie
So send me a salami
And try to smile somehow
I’ll look for you
When the war is over
An hour and a half from now!
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That is great! Thanks for popping in again. I am baffled by it all, Not VP or Russia, but our folk. Anyway.
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Great poem! May I use it for my blog? I’m doing a series on War and Peace in connection with the current war in Ukraine and this would fit perfectly! 🙂
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She may not see your request here. Best to go to her blog (https://clubschadenfreude.com/) and ask. It’s not my poem, I’m not even sure the poem is hers, it may belong to PBS.
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Actually that isn’t a poem, they are song lyrics from Tom Lehrer. You can see him singing it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrbv40ENU_o
there’s also “We’ll all go together when we go”.
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Thank you.
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May I use your short story for my blog, the Flensburg Files? I’m doing a series on War and Peace and am collecting poems stories and the like in connection with this topic. This would fit the series. Let me know if this is ok. Thanks! 🙂
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You may use my story, but as I said, the poem is not mine.
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