Cold War from a Boomer’s Viewpoint
By cybrscrybe | Published | No Comments
I was born in 1950 during the baby boom after World War II. Because of this, I was vaguely aware of what the Cold War meant. Since the use of the nuclear bomb in Hiroshima, all countries realized the potential devastation of a nuclear war. They understood the impact it would have on the world. As a child during that first decade, I was vaguely aware of the challenges. I remember having to duck under our desks. Sometimes, we also had to line up in the hallways of the school. These actions were in case of “bomb threats“. In addition, I remember discussing with my dad where we could build a bomb shelter in our back yard if it was needed. We never did create the shelter. Nonetheless, I remember having the discussion. We talked about what we’d store in there. We also considered how long we may have to stay in it and more. I think I was about eight to ten years old. Old enough to understand that it was a serious issue.
The topic became more intense in my eighth grade year during the Bay of Pigs event. As an eighth grader, my classmates were all discussing if their dads would have to go back into deployment in Cuba if the Bay of Pigs was not resolved. Many of my classmates expressed their fears of this adding to our history discussions in the classroom, and carrying over the fear into the school yards. Luckily, President Kennedy solved the situation before our parents had to be deployed. Thinking back to this time and these classmates brings a mix of emotions. In the future, these male classmates were the last group to be drafted to go to Vietnam. Several served and survived, but had challenges later in life with disabilities or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
My experiences with the Cold War continued into High School. I attended a Catholic Girls High School that had classes in two buildings. To traverse from one building to another we had to go through a tunnel between the buildings. In that tunnel were stored large drums filled with water and crackers that were leftovers from the Cold War era. Supposedly the tunnel could have been used as a bomb shelter. Luckily this was in the late 1960’s. The major feelings of fear of bomb threats were lessening. Yet, the reminders were always there when we traveled through that tunnel between classes.
In conclusion, as a child growing up during the major part of the Cold War, I was aware of the tensions between the USSR and US. I was very grateful when the Cold War ended in 1989. Gorbachev was told to “tear down that wall” between East and West Germany.
However, living through that Cold War time has also made this 70+ year old very concerned about Russia’s current war. This time Putin is trying to take over territories that formerly belonged to the USSR. Most of these small countries have developed their own governments and want to stay free from Russian rule. So it’s with some old angst that I’m hoping for the Ukrainians to hold the line for the rest of Europe.
Other Baby Boomers are encouraged to add their experiences and remembrances to these thoughts . WHEREWERE YOU WHEN…..????
Back to other Boomer Byts of History!
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