To me, there is a correlation between these two major events
that changed the way I see the world we live in today.
Per Wikipedia – “The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day (October 16-28, 1962) confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union initiated by the American discovery of Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba. The confrontation is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war.”
At the time, my father was based at the Lincoln Air Force Base in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was eight years old that summer. And things were dicey way before the October confrontation.
The one episode I remember was Wednesday, August 1, 1962. I had a bike accident that morning which was quite serious and required surgery. I needed to get to St. Elizabeth Hospital located in the city of Lincoln, as soon as possible. Problem was the base was shut down and no one could enter or leave the base.
After much discussion, it was decided that I could leave the base. My parents were not allowed to come with me. The next day, I had a surgery that had a 99% failure rate. Thankfully, the orthopedic surgeon was able to repair the growth bone to the radius of my arm. If he hadn’t, my arm would not have grown, and it would have remained the size it was at the time of the accident.
During the summer and fall, lots of preparations were made. At school, we practiced moving quickly to the auditorium which was considered a shelter. Years later, I visited the school and had a look at the auditorium. It was just a large room with seats that could not have protected us against a nuclear attack.
In our basement were stored large quantities of food called Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE). There was also water, flashlights, blankets and a metal box of ammunition. Wherever the gun was hidden, I was not told of its location.
Right before the confrontation began, my parents sat me down and explained what I needed to do if the Soviet Union attacked the United States. If I heard the sirens go off, I was to get to our basement immediately and stay there until someone came to get me. They explained it would most likely not be either one of them.
My parents were required to participate in any attack against the U.S. My mother was a Civil Service nurse and was needed if any military personnel or civilians were injured. My father held the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (highest rank of a non-commissioned officer) and was part of a division that controlled the missile bunkers located throughout Nebraska.
If the U.S. were to be attacked, the many missiles located throughout the U.S. would be fired in retaliation. Many people did not know how close we came to a nuclear war that October.
In 2020, the war we are facing today cannot be ignored. We need to unite to halt the deaths that are occurring due to the virus. Finally, Trump is now accepting that it will not quietly go away, and he is slowly taking measures that are needed to fight it.
What can we do? Social distancing is a definite. Also, follow the stay-at-home policy as often as possible. Buy enough food to last a few weeks before going out to the grocery store. Order online items to keep you busy: crafts; puzzles; books; and games that require the family to join in. Call friends whom you haven’t spoken with in a long time. Go for walks, ride your bicycle, play hide and seek (as long as you keep your distance!). And, the most important thing is to tell the people in our lives, how much they mean to us.
We didn't lose that war; let's not lose this one. Too much is at stake.
Stay safe.
