I teach an elective that I created at my high school. The first semester of the class focuses on the Cold War. I'd love to have some guest lecturers. Unfortunately, I live in Pampa, way up in the Panhandle. I know this is a stretch, but I just wanted extend the invitation. If you were active during any part of the Cold War, in whatever capacity, I'd love to talk to you and figure out if I could get you in front of my students to tell them about your experiences and insights.

Ever met General Hoover from Amarillo? Don't know how his health is lately, but my, what a character.

And I wonder if you could find some of the old guys that worked at Pantex back in those days?

Hey Canyon, thanks for the input.

Had a physicist who worked at Pantex in the 80's and the current Pantex historian come and talk to my class. That was really interesting. The physicist had some pretty interesting stories to relate. A lot of it went over my students' heads, but it was great for some of them, and for me, especially.

Speaking of Pantex, my grandfather worked for them back in the 70s after he retired from the Air Force. My family has really never known exactly what he did. He died while he was still working there back in the 70s. Do y'all know if there are any sort of records anywhere that I might be able to try and look at to figure this out?
Thanks

I grew up on the US front line of the Cold War, Maine. The closest nuke strike base was there (Loring AFB where loaded nukes were constantly in the air flying to Europe)) and a Naval sub hunter base too (Brunswick NAS).

I recently spoke to a retired Sailor who spent many years at Brunswick. He said the amount of Soviet spies and naval activity in Maine/New England was incredible. Civilians thought that the P3's flying over head were doing routine missions but they were actually tracking attack subs looking at the ships leaving Bath Iron Works and boomers looking to launch on Loring if the call was ever made.

If I were living close by, I'd love to sit in your class. As a military brat who grew up in the Cold War (step-father retried from AF as a B-52 Pilot), I am actually reminiscent to it. I loved when "M" said something like "God I miss the Cold War," in one of the Judi Dench versions.

We moved to Panama in 84. Another front line. Apparently there was an attack sub sitting in Lake Gamboa at all times. It was interesting seeing Soviet ships passing through the canal.

Germany 54-56- to go to Berlin with a top secret rating you had to fly in.

a month after I was at the Russian monument in Berlin, the Russians kidnapped a US lieutenant and kept him captive about a month!

Wow, this is interesting stuff. Y'all wouldn't mind catching a Greyhound over to Pampa would you? I'd buy ya dinner!

Jock. If you'd like I could get you the email of the Pantex historian and she could probably dig up some info for you.

That would be awesome and much appreciated

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Robersabel/media/Berlin%20Web%20Site/BerlinWilson01_zpsde5f5d16.jpg.html

Lt. Wilson was not awarded the Purple Heart for losing his life. Guidelines at the time required an “enemy” to be the source of wounds. The Soviet Union was officially not the enemy of the United States.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Robersabel/media/Berlin%20Web%20Site/BerlinNicholson01_zps0a3d7020.jpg.html

Major Nicholson was awarded the Purple Heart. Executive Order 11016 was signed on 25 April 1962 by President Kennedy which added circumstances to the guideline. One was “(c) as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force.”

Attempts to get the President of the United States to sign an Executive Order containing circumstances listed in EO 11016 and EO 12464 signed by President Reagan on February 1984 and made retroactive on or after 9 May 1945 were futile.

The majority of Cold War casualties occurred during the period of 9 May 1945 to 24 April 1962 and are not authorized the Purple Heart.


[This message has been edited by Robersabel (edited 8/24/2013 4:57p).]

Spouse is currently at Pantex, says shoot a name and she'll see if any of the old guys recognize it. She also has access to some of the old company newsletters, so she might get lucky. Also if you know what he did in the AF, it might help figuring out what he did at Pantex.

She also says the Pantex historian is good people.

My observation is that Pantex is much more open now than in the 70s. Back then, folks wouldn't even discuss what they did. The prime contractor at one time was Proctor and Gamble, so they often said they made soap. Even in the 80s, I asked one woman what her husband did there, and her reply was "you don't ask that".

Canyon, PM sent, Thanks

My dad was an NCO nuclear weapons tech from 1951 to 73. From the mid 50's until he retired, he supervised jr NCO nuke techs.

Many of them got out after one or two hitches and went to work at Pantex. My dad was offered a job there many times, but stayed in the AF.

Back in the 50's, Pantex (don't think it was called that at the time) was run by American Car and Foundry (ACF). I didn't know what my dad did back then, but I had heard the term "ACF" from time to time and knew they had a facility in Amarillo.

When I asked my dad what ACF did, he always said "they make railroad cars". And they did - just not in Amarillo.




[This message has been edited by NormanAg (edited 8/24/2013 5:58p).]

A couple of stories the Pantex physicist told that were interesting to me.

One was that he was part of a project designing blast doors to try to better contain explosions. This didn't happen at Pantex, somewhere else in the country but can't recall where. Anyway, he remarked about setting off some subterranean explosions in bunkers and finding the blast door a really, really long way away.

He also said that he joined Pantex in '63 and was somewhat new to the facility on November 22nd of that year. He said fairly soon after news of the events came over the radio some security personnel came around and collected him and a few other people and whisked them away somewhere to make sure they'd be safe. Apparently it was assumed this might be the beginning of the S hitting the fan.

[This message has been edited by Teacher_Ag (edited 8/24/2013 10:05p).]

Thought this thread was going to be about Drum or Wainright.