Inside the Cold War - Project Gutenberg Consortia Center

More documents

Recommendations

Info

THE COLD WARRIORS were the young “Cold Warriors” who went on to become distinguished commanders and leaders. The Cold War period witnessed the growth and elevation of many who clearly equaled the leadership and competence of the great heroes of World Wars I and II. Among those Cold Warriors was Gen Russell E. Dougherty. Revered by all who served under him, General Dougherty often referred to himself as the first “non-hero” to command SAC. However, he indeed was a hero to those he led. The Cold Warriors will always be remembered for their extraordinary patriotism, dedication, and personal sacrifice in the cause of freedom. They came to serve from all walks of life—small towns and large cities, farms and ranches, small high schools and large universities. They were remarkable young men and women who voluntarily became pilots, navigators, crew chiefs, gunners, missile crew members, submariners, maintenance specialists, logisticians, and administrative stalwarts. They matured more quickly and professionally than their civilian counterparts could ever imagine, and they took on awesome responsibilities far earlier in their lives than did those in any other career field. The young Cold Warrior’s career horizon was often only a few months away—sometimes just beyond the next sortie or mission. Consequently, the Cold Warrior force remain ed remarkably young. They met rigorous standards of performance at every job level. The Strategic Air Command’s hard-earned reputation for efficiency and excellence became the envy of all the military services. Adm Thomas Moorer, when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1971, commented that “SAC enjoys world-wide the reputation of being the ultimate in professionalism and readiness and it has set the standard for all the military organizations of the world.” And General Dougherty, in a 1992 talk, concluded “. . . [SAC’s standards alone] had one ‘helluva’ lot to do with our effective deterrence for over 40 years. SAC’s capability was real—and the world knew it! SAC’s story is a success story of monumental dimensions—and you [combat crews] made it so! You made it that way—and you kept it that way.” In no way do I wish to neglect or offend any of the many other military men and women who served their country during those challenging years. Among them are my many 3
INSIDE THE COLD WAR friends in tactical air units, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Air Defense Command, Military Airlift Command, and the Army Nike air defense and Pershing intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) units. Also among them are the Cold Warriors aboard carriers, destroyers, battleship task forces, and tactical submarines—Cold Warriors all. I will stay within the bounds of my knowledge and experience, however, and limit this review principally to the undeniable backbone of US Cold War deterrence—the men and women of our strategic nuclear forces. I often marveled at our Cold War leaders’ cleverly articulated analogies; they had a way of reducing the world’s complex and critical situations to common sense. One such metaphor, expressed by General Dougherty, was, “capability x will = deterrence.” He noted that if either of the multiplication factors in the equation was zero, then the product would be zero. Capability was the US strategic forces—the Triad that constituted the “three legs” of the US military’s strategic nuclear deterrence. Strategic Air Command operated two legs—the bomber force and the land-based ICBM force. The Navy operated the third leg—the nuclear submarine fleet ballistic missile (SSBN) force. The capability factor also included air refueling tankers and airborne reconnaissance platforms. US capability was undeniably awesome. The will factor reflected the will of the nation and the national command authorities (NCA). If either factor were zero, then the product would be zero. If I were to embellish his equation in any way, it would be to add one component—that of perception. During the Cold War, perceptions were frequently as important as realities. Perceptions were, perhaps, the “essence” of deterrence— perceptions by Americans, by our allies, and by the Soviets. The American people took faith in the perceived capabilities of our strategic nuclear might. Our allies maintained their perception of America as the defender of freedom and oppression. And, importantly, Soviet perceptions of our capabilities— and our will to use those capabilities—kept them in check. The United States wove its way along an evolving and uneven path, often critical, from the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War to the “end of the Soviet Empire.” More often than not, the path was strewn with political 4
Page 1 and 2: Inside the Cold War A Cold Warrior
Page 3 and 4: Dedicated to the Cold Warriors I he
Page 5 and 6: Chapter Page Anecdotes . . . . . .
Page 7 and 8: We fought the Cold War with hundred
Page 9 and 10: cancellation of the B-1. President
Page 11 and 12: Adm Paul Tomb, USN, Retired; and Re
Page 13 and 14: personal interviews, and my own exp
Page 15: INSIDE THE COLD WAR “D-Day” ann
Page 19 and 20: INSIDE THE COLD WAR A million thing
Page 21 and 22: INSIDE THE COLD WAR already approve
Page 23 and 24: INSIDE THE COLD WAR Lt Gen Curtis E
Page 25 and 26: INSIDE THE COLD WAR increased the t
Page 27 and 28: INSIDE THE COLD WAR into the strate
Page 29 and 30: THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Page 31 and 32: INSIDE THE COLD WAR LeMay was commi
Page 33 and 34: INSIDE THE COLD WAR openly criticiz
Page 35 and 36: INSIDE THE COLD WAR time. According
Page 37 and 38: INSIDE THE COLD WAR would “sponge
Page 39 and 40: INSIDE THE COLD WAR saw the militar
Page 41 and 42: INSIDE THE COLD WAR on board the Na
Page 43 and 44: THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Page 45 and 46: INSIDE THE COLD WAR process couldn
Page 47 and 48: INSIDE THE COLD WAR in 1950, the KB
Page 49 and 50: INSIDE THE COLD WAR management syst
Page 51 and 52: INSIDE THE COLD WAR been allocated
Page 53 and 54: INSIDE THE COLD WAR prompting Secre
Page 55 and 56: INSIDE THE COLD WAR propellers for
Page 57 and 58: INSIDE THE COLD WAR B-47 Stratojet.
Page 59 and 60: INSIDE THE COLD WAR weapon on the t
Page 61 and 62: INSIDE THE COLD WAR extent. The B-2
Page 63 and 64: INSIDE THE COLD WAR manual aiming a
Page 65 and 66: INSIDE THE COLD WAR And the bomber
Page 67 and 68:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR only supersonic
Page 69 and 70:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR and the B-58 wa
Page 71 and 72:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR According to Lt
Page 73 and 74:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR original design
Page 75 and 76:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR tankers, severa
Page 77 and 78:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR and more precis
Page 79 and 80:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR airplane. By 1
Page 81 and 82:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR The Intercontin
Page 83 and 84:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR system. Reactio
Page 85 and 86:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR outside enemy r
Page 87 and 88:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Draper at Massa
Page 89 and 90:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR development of
Page 91 and 92:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR with college-le
Page 93 and 94:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR structure and p
Page 95 and 96:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR array in suppor
Page 97 and 98:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR missiles that w
Page 99 and 100:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR missile combat
Page 101 and 102:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR yet morale rema
Page 103 and 104:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR procedures. Aca
Page 105 and 106:
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Page 107 and 108:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR The crew member
Page 109 and 110:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR two combat crew
Page 111 and 112:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR were not the on
Page 113 and 114:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR stimulate consi
Page 115 and 116:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR minimal surviva
Page 117 and 118:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Lt Gen Dick Lea
Page 119 and 120:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Congress that S
Page 121 and 122:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR who were more p
Page 123 and 124:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Life on a SAC m
Page 125 and 126:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR predesignated t
Page 127 and 128:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR One unique miss
Page 129 and 130:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Most who did no
Page 131 and 132:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR (The awesome an
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Murmansk to con
Page 137 and 138:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR ICBMs. The CIA,
Page 139 and 140:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Sea and 50 mile
Page 141 and 142:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR and several Ame
Page 143 and 144:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR missile was sev
Page 145 and 146:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR “Ghosts” of
Page 147 and 148:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR conscripted ser
Page 149 and 150:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR home districts
Page 151 and 152:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR regions where G
Page 153 and 154:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR schools, was th
Page 155 and 156:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Regarding the
Page 157 and 158:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Soviet Union an
Page 159 and 160:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR The Soviet Tria
Page 161 and 162:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR and women in it
Page 163 and 164:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR media. But the
Page 165 and 166:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR sophisticated
Page 167 and 168:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR Cold Warriors w
Page 169 and 170:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR With these prec
Page 171 and 172:
INSIDE THE COLD WAR the consequence
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
———. The Rocket’s Red Glare
Page 177 and 178:
Donaldson, Robert H. The Soviet Uni
Page 179 and 180:
Hosbawm, Eric. The Age of Extremes.
Page 181 and 182:
Lee, Asher. The Soviet Air Force. N
Page 183 and 184:
———. Death of the Thresher. P
Page 185 and 186:
Sulzberger, C. L. A Long Row of Can
Page 187 and 188:
Alsop, Joseph. “The New Balance o
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Garner, Lt Comdr Pat M.: 129 Gary P
Page 193 and 194:
Van Vliet, Col Charley: 79 Vandenbe
show all

Inside the Cold War - Project Gutenberg Consortia Center

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?