Cold War Headlines - 21FEB to 27FEB - Special Report - Entertainment - Sports, Movies, Books

26FEB49 - Lucky Lady II Non-stop Global Flight - Here is one for the Air Force Vets that follow this blog. It was quite an accomplishment, continuous flight for 94+ hours, three pilots, double the crew to man the craft, doing something that had never been done before. Areal refueling was still in it's infancy, using the looped hose method and gravity feed to refuel the B-50 from a KB-29 four times. I started out doing this article from the WOW, it never happened before viewpoint but then I changed my mind. This blog is about what Cold Warriors did during our service. Those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in this effort take priority with me. Yes, the crew of Lucky lady II made history but so did 9 men who lost their lives to make this global flight happen. One of the refueling planes (45-21705) crashed on the way back to Clark AFB after refueling the Luck Lady II. Please link over to this website to learn more about these everyday heroes and help me honor the crew and officers that died that day.  The Lucky Lady II story is here and the KB-29 crew's story is here.

Looped Hose Refueling During Lucky Lady II's Global Flight 1949

21FEB58 - USS Gudgeon SS-567 World Cruise - Here is one for the Navy Submariner Vets that follow this blog. Continuing with the "First" theme that presented itself this week, I have for you, a World Cruise first. USS Gudgeon SS-567 (2nd SS named Gudgeon) completed an around the world cruise, the first submarine to do so. Taking 8-months and cruising 25,000 miles. Quite an accomplishment. Gudgeon proved to be a true Cold Warrior in the late 1970s-1980s, she was re-designated an AGSS for research and then an SSAG to test sea launched cruise missiles. Gudgeon finished her distinguished career as a museum ship after service in the Turkish Navy as TCG Hizirreis S342. A note of interest for you Bubbleheads - the previous sub named Gudgeon SS-211 was the first submarine to sink a Japanese ship (submarine I-73) at the start of WW2.

USS Gudgeon SS-567 World Cruise Completion Arrival at Pearl Harbor

Patch Commemorating the World Cruise Accomplishment

24FEB 69 - Airman Awarded Medal of Honor - Vietnam - Airman First Class John L. Levitow. Loadmaster on an AC-47 gunship placed his own life in danger to save the aircraft and it's crew when an onboard flare threatened the flight after the plane was hit by enemy fire. He was awarded the Medal Of Honor for shielding the flare with his already severely wounded body and successfully exiting it outside before it ignited, thereby saving the crew and aircraft.  He is one of two Airmen First Class who won the MOH in Vietnam. You can learn more here. You can read the Citation here. The other Airman to receive the award (posthumously) is Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger, a Pararescueman. for action on April 11, 1966. You can read his Citation here.

A1c John L. Levitow

A1c William H. Pitsenbarger

21FEB72 - Nixon Goes to China - I had absolutely no idea why the quote - "Only Nixon Could Go To China" became part of the USA lexicon so I looked it up. The explanation I found makes sense in that President Nixon was so well known as a devote anti-communist, his trip to a communist country was not seen as him weakening his position. The trip surely opened up the eyes of the world to both the horror of the communist regime in China (look up famine in China during Mao's leadership) as well as the potential that establishing relations with China would provide. Of all the things I found on the web on this topic, I thought this would be cool to share. Learn more about why Nixon chose to visit China in President Nixon's own words here. You probably know he taped everything so the Nixon Presidential Library website makes the tape excerpts available as well as the transcripts.

Mao - Nixon 1972

22FEB80 & 27FEB60 - USA beats USSR! - Almost everyone that follows ice hockey knows of the 1980 "Miracle On Ice" in Olympic Games history. Did you know that it wasn't the first time that Team USA beat the USSR at this game? And then go on to win Gold?!

1980 "Miracle on Ice" Win against USSR

1960 "Miracle on Ice" Win against USSR

Check out this story on the 1960 Olympic Team USA hockey team!

Video of the 1980 win against USSR is available here.

The video is not very good, hey it was 1960, but you can see USA defeat USSR in 1960 here.

21FEB94 - Aldrich Ames arrested - I decided to use the Ames spy story for the 90s even though his arrest happened after the fall of the USSR because the investigation started in earnest in 1990. He had been an employee of the CIA since 1957 as a summer part time worker (his father worked at CIA). He went full time in 1962. His CIA employment was rocky at times (drinking related) but he eventually became a career employee. Fellow CIA employees became suspicious of his lavish lifestyle and the investigation began. He was on Moscow's payroll and was arrested with his wife on this date in 1994. Numerous field sources were revealed to the Soviets, top secret information was compromised, and the CIA director,  James Woolsey, resigned. Ames is still in federal prison serving a life sentence and his wife was released after her 5-year sentence.

Special Report - 22FEB46 - Keenan's Long Telegram - George F. Keenan was assigned to the Moscow Embassy in 1946. The so-called "Long Telegram" is his response to questions about the Soviet Union's intensions after WW2. Keenan decided to answer all of the questions in one response and dictated what is now one of the most valuable historical documents of the Cold War. The responses in this 8,000 word telegram, and the follow on X-Article, helped shape President Truman's Doctrine in regards to "Containment" of the USSR's expansion. The entire telegram can be read here (Truman Presidential Library).

Entertainment -

25FEB64 - Sports - Clay Defeats Liston - Caseous Clay, later known as Mohammad Ali, defeats Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship! Clay is also significant in the Cold War, in that he refused to honor his draft notice and was convicted in 1967. It cost him the title but the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971. The final process of how it was overturned is quite suspect, they ruled against (8-0 with 1 recusal) and then for overturning in a decision reversal, in my opinion it was politically motivated, but that was the times we lived in back then.

25FEB71 - Movies - Interviews with My Lai Veterans documentary movie released. Wins Oscar for Best Documentary, short subject. This anti-war movie is based on interviews the film maker performed with several My Lai massacre veterans who testified. As I stated above in Sports, the early 1970s were full of political turmoil and a movie sharing the truth of what happened at My Lai was readily accepted.

26FEB66 - "Music - # 1 Billboard hit - "These Boots Are Made For Walking" - Nancy Sinatra. Any male my age will remember this song. Not so much for the lyrics, or tempo, of how much of a hit it became; we remember it for the visual of Nancy Sinatra in the short skirt and boots dancing and singing. What a sight to behold in 1966. Here is the publicity video for the song and a second one where she performs it for the troops in Vietnam. This fashion look, and the type of "Go Go" dancing was all the rage in the 1960s and 1970s.
A personal note: My sister, Rosemary, was a "Go Go" dancer back then and came to my Navy Boot Camp graduation dressed in a mini-skirt and wearing high boots similar to the photo below. We lost Rosemary a few years ago and I was in her car for the funeral. I did not change her radio station, it was on SiriusXM's 60s station as usual. Her husband and daughter were in the limo and we were right behind them. As I drove through the cemetery gate to her burial plot, this song came on. My wife, my other sister, my brother, all gasped. I said - "Ro is with us right now". They all knew it was her favorite since Rosemary's Go Go dancer days. We did not leave the car until the song was over. No one believed us when we told them why we held up the service. Strange but true. And yes guys, Rosemary looked just like that on my Boot Camp Graduation day. Drove the guys crazy!

Books - George F. Keenan: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis, Pulitzer Prize winning biography of the sender of "The Long Telegram" discussed above in the Special Report feature. I have read a few of John Gaddis' books and am quite impressed with his ability to plainly present facts and conclusions in his study of the Cold War. I highly recommend any of his writings to people interested in learning more about the Cold War. His writings are available everywhere books are sold and most libraries.

Citations -
Google Images, YouTube, Time Magazine, Air Mobility Command Museum Website, This Day In Aviation Website, Aviation Safety Network Website, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum Website, Truman Presidential Library Website.

Cold War Headlines - 14FEB to 20FEB - Personal Story, Special Report, Entertainment

18FEB47 - First Indochina War (Vietnam) - French Troops Capture Hanoi - after a short full scale conflict that started in December of 1946, the French army captures Hanoi. The Vietminh force escaped in the hills north of the city and started what would become almost 30-years of guerrilla warfare. The United States of America tried to intercede and broker a peace but was flatly rejected by Ho Chi Minh. France would fight a bloody war until 1954, with the nation being split into North and South Vietnam with their departure. The USA would eventually become involved and fight until 1973. In 1975, Saigon would fall and Vietnam would be united under communist rule.  A good short synopsis of these early years is here. The book shown below can be purchased here.

15FEB50 - USSR & PRC Sign Mutual Defense and Assistance treaty - the pact called for either of the parties to assist the other if attacked and settled disputes left over from the end of WW2. The agreement eventually broke down as the Chinese started to distrust that the Soviets completely adhered to Marxism-Leninism doctrine by adopting the Peaceful Coexistence policy towards the West. You can read more here.

14FEB62 Kennedy Authorizes U.S.Advisors to fire in self-defense - It may not be well known but it was President Eisenhower that initially sent the advisors to Vietnam. President Kennedy increased the size of the force in 1961. By the time of this executive order there were thousands in country and they were dying in combat. This order only authorized what was already happening on the ground.  You can read more here.  The book is available here.

19FEB70 - Chicago 7 Sentenced - There were actually 8 defendants, Bobby Seale was tried separately through the judges order but was still convicted. Of the other 7, 5 were convicted and sentenced. For those that do not know this part of history; the 8 were protestor organizers at the 1968 Democratic Party Convention in Chicago, IL. I was 14 in 1968 and felt the world was coming to an end. War footage on TV, anti-war protestors everywhere, race riots in the cities; it was a frickin' mess. It was also the year I realized that if Vietnam kept going, I would be there some day. The full trial  has been recorded and made public through this Federal Courts document.

Poster in Support of the 8

20FEB86 - Soviets launch MIR Space Station core module - The Soviets hoped to regain the lead in space by placing the first modular space station into orbit. The initial base module was followed by others that eventually became a platform that supported the world's science for 15 years. The funny part of it all is that the space station outlived the communist regime that put it in orbit. Check out NASA's overview of MIR here.

1990s - While searching to find an article to share from 1990 or 1991, I ran into this one. This should of interest for the Army and Air Force Cold War vets that were stationed in Germany. I found an online PDF file of troop strength, base locations, and a section on the affects on the end of the Cold War. The chapter title is; After The Cold War: Restructuring the US Presence in Germany (page 17). You can link over to the document here.

Personal Cold War Story - Wayne Tachell - Wayne provided this story after reading last week's article on the Black Sea incident about Soviet Navy interference in fleet operations.

"N.VET. USN. 64-70. I gave a Soviet Commander on a Tin Can, The Finger. He was trying to break through our circle of Tin Cans to get through to our carrier, so they could say we beat you and take pictures. We would go to full ahead and aim to ram and at the last moment, the Soviet ship would veer off. I was on the starboard side as I had just got off watch in the hole and saw that ship come so close, you could see the smile from their Skipper. I was scared at the thought of ramming and a tad bit pissed off. He saw me with my arm outstretched, giving him the F/U finger.  I don't think he liked that much, as his smile disappeared and he went back in to the Bridge. That SOB gave us a hard time all night as we had to go full ahead, to half ahead, and then back to full ahead. Being on the boilers and doing your damnedest not to blow safeties was a bitch. Finally got off watch and hit the sack only to wake up to us sitting still, the whole fleet, and looking at that bastard sitting next to our carrier. Man, we were some really pissed off Snipes. We could have chewed up nails. We got up steam and our ships moved on. The Soviet ship stayed put. I gave him my best shot. There was, and still is, some satisfaction in knowing that. You may quote me on that. USS Frank E. Evans DD-754. Lest We Forget." - Wayne Techell

Editor's note: The U.S.S. Frank E. Evans DD-754 was involved in a fatal crash at sea off the coast of Vietnam with the carrier HMAS Melbourne on 3JUN69 and cut in two. 74 souls were lost. There is an effort underway to get their names added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. The DOD has ruled that the Evans was outside the Vietnam combat zone and are not entitled to be on the wall. They have offered to do a separate memorial.

A second personal contribution comes from Bill Thilbeault in the form of a song honoring his shipmates of the Evans. Bill was aboard that fateful night. He is doing a cross country music tour to build awareness of the incident for the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the crash this June. You can listen here. You can buy the album at his website.

Please share your Cold War story - proudcoldwarrior@gmail.com - I'll gladly share it here on the blog.

Special Report - Timothy Hutton - actor - I noticed a continuing instance of this actor being in roles as a Cold War spy. So far I have discovered three spy movies he is in, The Falcon & The Snowman (last week's post), Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within (next week's 1990's article) and, The Good Shepard (a movie I will post in the future).

Entertainment -

The Silencers - movie release 18FEB66 - The first in a series of four movies based on the character in Donald Hamilton's novel series, Matt Helm. Hamilton's books were serious spy novels but Hollywood chose to make the Matt Helm movies as spy spoofs with outrageous plots, over the top sexual fantasies, and extraordinary spy gadgets. It was a huge hit at the box office with Dean Martin in the role of Matt Helm. Check out the movie trailer here.

This week in 1978 on the top of the Billboard Hot 100 is Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees. Saturday Night Fever! The movie's opening is John Travolta strutting down the sidewalk dressed to the nines in the best disco style clothes with this song playing! And, who knew that Vinnie Barbarino could dance like that? The late 70s sure were interesting times. Link on over and groove to one of the best disco era songs ever made.

Saturday Night Fever movie opening sequence here. Full BeeGees song here.

Cold War book of the week - In honor of the 74 souls lost on the Evans - here is their story: Unsinkable Sailors.

Citations -
University of Central Arkansas, political science department website.
History.com for the This Day in History feature.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library website.
Federal Judicial Center website.
President Nixon library website.
NASA website.
YouTube for the links to the music videos.
Amazon.com for the book link.

Cold War Headlines - 7FEB to 13FEB - 1949, 1959, 1973, 1988, 1990, Special Report, Entertainment

8FEB49 - Cardinal Mindszenty Sentenced - Hungary 1949, an already outspoken activist in opposition to the religious oppression he saw in WW2, then during the communist takeover; Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty was sentenced to life in prison during a quick trial by the Communist People's Court. You can learn more about his confinement, eventual release, and exile in the U. S. Embassy until the Vatican intervened here.

As I am writing this, my wife (of Hungarian decent) and I were having a discussion about the current movement in Hungary towards socialism. She stated, "They haven't learned from their history, have they?". My reply was that the current generation was probably never taught the truth of their Communist past so they are destined to repeat it.

On The Cover - February 1949

Cardinal Mindszenty at his trial

9FEB59 - USSR R-7 ICBM becomes operational - The USSR really was kicking our Space Race asses in the 1950s. This achievement, although obsolete as an ICBM before long, the R-7 became "THE" launch platform for the Soviet and then Russian space program. I found an excellent technical website with graphics, photos, and information to make any space geek's heart start to beat faster. You can link to it here - Russian Space Web.

For those that prefer to read books, there is a multitude of books on the Space Race; I found this one that covers the early years - Challenge to Apollo.

If you prefer your history in 2 hours; I found this movie an excellent quick study of the Soviet space program - The Rise and Fall of the Russian Space program.

Various iterations of R-7 Rocket

10FEB62 - Spies swapped - Francis Gary Powers, any historian of the Cold War knows this story, even an amateur like me. On this day in 1962 the now famous spy swap was conducted. Multiple books, documentaries, and a hit Hollywood movie starring Tom Hanks has been done to share the story in many ways. Below, I share a book I found during my search for something different to post. The title is familiar to everyone because the movie also has that title, but the book is quite different from the movie version. The author, Giles Whittell, tells the story from the three main participants viewpoint, not the lawyer, James Donavan's view. Something new I learned is the real name of the Soviet spy. Check it out below.

Later Spy Swap at "Bridge of Spies"

12FEB73 - First Vietnam War POWs head home - The first 20 prisoners are released in Hanoi in what was to be a programmed release of all 591 by 29MAR73. Operation Homecoming was negotiated at the Paris Peace Agreement which was signed earlier that year on 27JAN73. Link over to this YouTube video that initially looks like a North Vietnamese propaganda device; then transforms into the American view as the POWs are released. It is from the Maine Military Museum & Learning Center. I found other POW release videos there as well. Of course, numerous books have also been written on this event. I was in the Navy at that time, getting ready for my upcoming wedding (10MAR73) and, as we all were, very happy to see an end to the war. This event showed the country that the war really was over politically.

Iconic Image of Vietnam POW Return

12FEB88 - USSR & USA Navy ships "Bump" in the Black Sea - Here is one for the Navy visitors, both USA and Russian (my site statistics show that I get Russian visitors). I read through the Youtube video comments and laughed because it caused such a stir with the uninformed. I lived this life (72-82), it was normal stuff. Granted, this one got escalated to the point where the ships touched and actual damage to the ships happened but it was part of a Navy man's life back during the Cold War, on both sides. You don't think the sailors on both the Soviet and USA ships didn't have a pucker factor going once the SKR-6 Captain rammed the Caron? And, then, the Bezzavetny rams the Yorktown? Everyone's pucker factor on both ships and back at HQ increased ten fold once that initial "Bump" happened. It just escalated from there. The Cold War had us challenging each other all the time. I remember Soviet "Bear" aircraft doing practice runs above the carrier group where we "lit up" their asses with the fire control radars. Guns and missiles. F4's or F14s were scrambled to intercept. Trawlers followed the fleet. Once we ran circles around a trawler to cause excessive wave action to bounce them around like a cork. Both sides screwed with each other as part of the game. Many incidents happened in the 46 years of the Cold war. This was just one of them.

The next story shows who won this game when all was said and done just a few years later.

Soviet Mirka-class frigate SKR-6 rams USS Caron first

Soviet Krivak-class frigate Bezzavetny rams USS Yorktown minutes later

Youtube.com has many posted videos of this event, including a few in Russian language for those that speak Russian. Here is a link to help you get started on them.

7FEB90 Soviet Communist Party Gives Up Power - Reagan probably had a huge smile on his face on this day. He must have known that it was one of the steps in the Soviet Union failing. A little less than 2-years later the Soviet Union no longer existed. He may not have been President when it happened in 1991 (George H. W. Bush was) but Reagan caused it more than any other president. His policy of "We win, they lose" worked. Don't get me wrong, Gorbachov deserves his credit, or admonishment, depending on your view, but it was Reagan's plan that made this happen. The History.com article on the particulars of how this came to be is here.

New Feature - Special Report - 12FEB2002 - Milosevic Goes On Trial - This story is directly related to the Cold War in that he came to power in Yugoslavia during the Cold War and was one of the last hold outs for the old ways. Causing so much death and destruction in the 1990s. He also was an extreme hard liner, as so many Socialist/Communist leaders have been shown to have been. Yugoslavia was a Socialist country ruled by the Communist Party. He did not survive his trial by dying of a heart attack. The final court ruling is that there was no direct evidence that he ordered the genocide but was indifferent to it and did nothing to stop it. You can read more here.

Entertainment

Movie - Seven Days In May Released, February 12, 1964 - An excellent Cold War era film that explores the affects of the President's desire to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Filmed in black & white, the lack of color adds a sense of actually being there, watching the events unfold. The movie's story line shares what it would be like to have a pending Constitutional crisis as the military plots the removal of a President. I was able to find the movie for free on Youtube.com; Seven Days in May.

Top of the Billboard Chart - 1960 - Teen Angel by Mark Dinning - I must hear this song at every car show I attend. It was a huge hit and many people that were teens at that time want to hear it. I'm sure we have some Cold Warriors on here that are fans of this song from their youth. Listen here.

New Feature - Cold War Book - "BRIDGE OF SPIES", Whittell, Giles, Broadway Books, New York, 978-0-7679-3107-6. This book was added this week because, even though it was published in 2010, the book is the true story of one of this week's historical events; the 10FEB62 spy swap. This book is not the one the Tom Hanks movie was based on. That movie is based on the lawyer James Donovan's perspective and I covered it in a previous post (read archived Bridge of Spies movie review post). This book centers on the true story of the three main character's involved; William Fisher (Soviet Spy commonly known as Rudolf Abel), Francis Gary Powers (CIA U2 Pilot), and Frederic Pryor (GraduateStudent). Amazon provides a good synopsis, sample, and reviews of the book here.

Citations
History.com's On This Day... series is an excellent source for choosing what to post here.
Youtube.com - Thank you to all the posters that share movies and songs so I can share them with my visitors.
Google Search provided the images.
Russianspaceweb.com for allowing the link to their superb information on the R-7.
Amazon.com for allowing links to their site for book and movie purchases.
Maine Museum & Learning Center for the Vietnam War PO film

Cold War Headlines - January 31-February 6 - 1940 - 1950 - 1960 - 1970 - 1980 - 1990 - Entertainment

4FEB45 - Yalta Conference Foreshadows the Cold War - A troika of allied leaders, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin meet to discuss World War 2 issues with fighting Germany and Japan but all three have their own post war agendas to promote. A sticking point that became a catalyst for the animosity between the USSR and the West was, what to do with Poland. The Soviet leader wanted to keep it (they occupied Poland at this time), and the West wanted the government in exile to be reinstated after the war. Read a quick overview to learn more.

Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin with their # 2's right behind them

31JAN50 - Truman Announces Development of H-Bomb - President Truman announces that he has authorized the development of a "Superbomb" after finding out that the USSR had compromised the ability to develop a hydrogen bomb through their spy Klaus Fuchs, a USA scientist in the nuclear program. Just under 3-years later, "Mike" was detonated and ushered in the era of the "Hell Bomb", as the device was referred to back then. The world has lived under the shadow of a thermonuclear destruction event since then. Read more here.

I forget which Facebook group I obtained this image from. Must have been a Navy one. It is not the first H-bomb test in 1952 but is quite relevant to the fury that a thermonuclear bomb could unleash. If this is your image, please email me and I will add the proper citation credit.

31JAN68 - Viet Cong Attack US Embassy - I remember this day as a teen. Saw the reports on the TV as my parents watched. This, and the entire TET Offensive that year, is what caused me to become more aware of the Vietnam War. I realized that I may become part of this if it does not end by my 18th birthday. As we all know, it didn't end so I joined the Navy. I didn't want to "tromp through rice paddies" as I said back then. I have been binge watching the TV show Wonder Years, and a recent episode was on the 12-year old main character Kevin, seeing the war TV coverage. I faded right back to those very same years in my mind. Don't remember much about the rest of the show that night, something about a protest walk out at the junior high, etc but I sure do remember the real film of firefights, explosions, wounded men, and defiance of the troops against authority being shown on the evening news. More information is available here and all over the internet. A YouTube video is available here.

"Bunker's Bunker" - US Embassy Saigon

31JAN72 - North Vietnam Presents 9-Point Peace Proposal - Peace talks were stalled to the public eye but Kissinger was busy behind the scenes. To break the stalemate President Nixon had the information of an 8-point plan, discussed in secret meetings, made public. In response, and to get their version of the facts out, the North Vietnamese released their 9-point peace plan proposal (political one-upmanship I guess). It worked to get the ball rolling again and just about a year later a solution was found and the Paris Peace Accords were signed. How many died as these talks continued? The article is here to learn more.

Kissinger and Le Duc Tho Photo Op

6FEB85 - Reagan Doctrine Announced - Dropping the old "Containment " policy established by President Truman, President Reagan used the 1985 SOTU address to redefine our policy in regards to the USSR. The Cold Warrior in him wanted to push back on the Soviets so he established a new view, in that the USA would support "Freedom Fighters" across the world to defeat the USSR. Other Cold war oriented parts of the speech present limiting nuclear arms, SDI support, and a call for a strong defense. You can read the entire address here.

President Reagan, VP George H.W. Bush, Speaker Tip O'Neill

31JAN90 - First McDonald's Restaurant Opens in Soviet Union - not much to say here other than the Big Mac and capitalism come to Moscow in a very big Cold War thawing move! A video podcast with more facts is here.

30,000 people showed up on opening day. They expected 1,000.

Entertainment -
I could not find a Cold War related movie release for this week but did find two for next week. I decided to introduce one of those early this week.

The Falcon & the Snowman Movie Release - released on February 8, 1985, the movie, based on the true exploits of two men's espionage during the 1970s, explained the complexities of their lives that caused them to spy on their native country for the Soviet Union. One did it for his convictions and one did it for the money and excitement. While researching this movie I found out that they are both out of prison now (served their prison time and parole period) and have moved on with their lives. The movie is not available for digital download or streaming that I could find but the disc is available on Amazon and other online outlets. YouTube.com has quite a few movie clips as well as the trailer. The movie trailer link is here. Buy the movie here.

Billboard Top 100 for 1964 - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles - The British Invasion Starts! Music changed forever with this group. A multitude of hits over the years influenced the world and, their songwriting was influenced by the world.  From this quirky pop hit in 1964 to the insightful Imagine by John Lennon in 1988, these four young men from Liverpool England sure impacted music during the Cold War. I can still visualize the living room scene as the Beatles were introduced on Ed Sullivan and my older sisters going crazy screaming, my mom and dad telling them to quiet down, and my brother and I sitting in the back wondering what was happening.  Listen to the video here.

Man, they look so young!

Thanks to History.com, YouTube.com, Reagan Presidential Library, and the World Wide Web for the images and videos used here today.

Share your Cold War story! Where did you serve? Military or Civilian? Stateside or Overseas. Fulda Gap? Berlin? NATO? CIA? State Department? The Dew Line? On a Missile Battery? Down in a Silo? At Sea? Under the Sea? In the Air? According to the VA over 26 million Vets are still alive. I'd bet that most served in the 1945-1991 time frame and I'd like to share your story on this blog. As long as it isn't still classified, email me with your story and I will post it here. proudcoldwarrior@gmail.com