That's always been my way of putting it, too, but, of course, on the other hand, we haven't had a nuclear war, either; so, I guess it worked. Air Force is scrambling right now to re-establish/re-acquire the nuclear expertise that "we" maintained for at least 35 years 'til early '90's. We experts of that time have retired and/or moved on, and they're trying to re-invent "the wheel."
Wilton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich Thomas" <richthomas79td...@constructivity.net> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 11:45 AM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - Strategic Air Command > It was all MAD. > > --R > > Wilton Strickland wrote: > > Thank GOD we never got the "Go Code." Unlike the movie, once the code was > > received and validated, there was NO way to be recalled. I've never been a > > ranter/raver about the Commies, etc. 'Always thought that it was a pity and > > great loss for all of us that we had to expend so much effort and money to > > maintain, at least, the "nuclear peace." Only way I was able to accept such > > an awesome responsibility was to know/think that as long as we were ready > > and "they" thought we would use "it," we would never have to use it. After > > all, "Peace WAS Our Profession." 'Spent every third week for years on > > ground alert and flew several 24 to 26 hour airborne alert missions ready to > > "go" at a moment's notice - helluva way to live. > > > > Wilton > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rich Thomas" <richthomas79td...@constructivity.net> > > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 9:58 AM > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - Strategic Air Command > > > > > > > >> Imagine if you had gotten the order -- you would have been the guy who > >> couldn't nuke the filthy Reds/dirty Commies and make the world safe > >> again for truth, justice, and the American way! > >> > >> About that time I had a friend who lived a coupla blocks over, his dad > >> was a ranting and raving John Bircher. The guy was some kind of civil > >> engineer and would be gone for months at a time building dams and > >> bridges in various places in the world, but when he came home and was > >> around the house he would go off on these rants about the commies and > >> reds and all. It was too funny. At that age I had little idea what he > >> was ranting about, but I guess some of it stuck. > >> > >> Duck and cover! > >> > >> --R > >> > >> Wilton Strickland wrote: > >> > >>> Some of you may remember that in an early scene in the movie "Dr. > >>> Strangelove," coupla B-52 crewmen are opening a safe on the airplane to > >>> access the emergency war order (EWO) materials - targeting materials, > >>> > > maps, > > > >>> etc. Well, first there was no safe; we carried the materials aboard in > >>> > > a > > > >>> strong box about the size of a medium-to-large suitcase. When > >>> > > transporting > > > >>> the box from the operations "vault" to the aircraft, at least three of > >>> > > us > > > >>> crewmen were armed with a sidearm (not much, though - Smith & Wesson .38 > >>> revolver). We locked the box and secured it to the upper deck of the > >>> airplane with a steel cable and three HEFTY combination padlocks, each > >>> > > lock > > > >>> belonged (individually) to and its combination was known only to an > >>> > > officer > > > >>> crewman. One of the locks was mine. > >>> > >>> In 1964, after having flown a 24-hour alert mission (with nuke weapons, > >>> > > of > > > >>> course, ready to strike targets in USSR) from Robins AFB, GA, across the > >>> Atlantic, across Spain, around the Mediterranean, back across Spain and > >>> > > the > > > >>> Atlantic and landed back at Robins. When I tried to open my lock after > >>> landing, it would NOT open. I tried several times, and my fellow > >>> > > crewmen > > > >>> began accusing me of forgetting the combination, 'cause these locks > >>> > > NEVER > > > >>> fail. I gave 'em the combination - my birth date - how could I forget > >>> > > it? > > > >>> They had no success opening the lock, either; Wing Commander came > >>> > > aboard; I > > > >>> gave 'im the combination; he couldn't open it, either - that lock was > >>> > > NOT > > > >>> GOING TO OPEN. 'Finally had it cut off with a torch while two of us > >>> aircrewmen watched. That afternoon, my name and lock were "big news" on > >>> > > the > > > >>> "big briefing board" at SAC HQ (Omaha). I was suddenly known all over > >>> > > SAC > > > >>> as the guy who couldn't get his EWO lock open. Not a good way to become > >>> "famous" in SAC. > >>> > >>> Wilton > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________ > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >>> > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> _______________________________________ > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > >> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >> > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >> > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: <http://okiebenz.com/pipermail/mercedes_okiebenz.com/attachments/20090209/cb deb15a/attachment.html> > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
