Missiles Of October

On Jan 9, 4:07*pm, (Astro) wrote:
On Wed 9 Jan 2008 wrote: * * * *

Reading Bill Bryson's latest book where, among other things, he * * * *
remembers his childhood experience of the Cuban Missile Crisis, I got * *
to thinking of my own memories of that episode. I was nine at the *
time, and living in the North of England. * * * * * * * *

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*In October of '62, I'd just turned 5, and was living in Bainbridge * * * *
*Ohio, USA. I have no conscious recollection about the Cuban missile * * *
*crisis from that time, though I do remember watching cartoons, and
*Romper Room, Captain Kangaroo, etc. *LOL! Where ignorance is bliss... * * * * *





The general opinion then was that if a nuclear war broke out, Britain * *
would be hit pretty heavily, and so I vividly remember wandering
around the streets one Friday afternoon (October 26th?) thinking that
we probably had only a few hours to live - it was horrible. The one * * *
thought that was uppermost in mu mind was 'what will the first sign * *
be?' That thought has stayed with me ever since. * *
If a nuclear strike happened a few miles away, I suppose the first * * *
sign would be the sky lighting up in an almighty flash. But if you * *
just happened to be on the missiles' flight-path, would you get to see
them before they exploded, and thus have a chance to say to yourself * * * * *
"well, this is it"? And it you saw them, what would they probably look
like? * * * * *
I heard once that ICBM's come in at 18,000mph, so at that speed you'd * * * * *
probably never see them till they hit, but then, I know next to * * * * * *
nothing about this subject. * * *
I'd be very interested to hear anyone's comments on this. * * *

*Here're a couple links on the subject:
*http://www.altavista.com/web/results....org/wiki/ICBM

*Thus, if a nuclear missile were launched toward a populated region
*in today's world, it's possible we might hear about it on the news * * * *
*before those in the target region hear the incoming missile itself. * * * *
*For them within the immediate kill radius, a mundane bright light:
*then immediately (if not sooner) the Light at the end of the Dark * * * *
*tunnel. As for who goes directly into the Light, vs. who does not,
*that's a matter for each departed soul to decide. Those who won't * * * *
*enter the Light get trapped in Limbo, oftentimes for centuries. * * * * *
*Any way you look at it, whether sinners succumb quickly or slowly * * *
*to the effects of thermonuclear detonation, radiation, etc., that
*is the least of their problems. Worse torments await them in Hell.

*Furthermore, thinking as one apocalyptic millenarianist Christian,
*I wouldn't worry yourself too much about nuclear war, as biblical * * *
*and other prophecies are--by definition of prophecy--in concerted * * *
*agreement, wholly of one consensus, that vastly greater default of
*mortal humans is made by biological weapons, than by some limited * * *
*nuclear strikes (the most significant of which is upon WOB world
*headquarters). And at the apex of the great tribulation, incoming * * *
*about seven stadia along its major axis wipes out coastal regions *
*worldwide. But then, that's merely my deduction of the aforesaid. * *

* * * * * "I could be wrong now, but I don't think so." * *
* * * * * *--'It's a Jungle out There', Randy Newman * * *

*Armageddon Cometh, * *
*Daniel Joseph Min
*http://www.angelfire.com/moon2/danieljosephmin/* *

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During those dark days I was a college physics student, and
computation of the flight time for a nuclear missile launced from Cuba
to anywhere along the east coast of the US scared the crap out of us.
The time of flight was so extremely short that there was no time for
anyone to even seek shelter. These missiles in Cuba had to go, even if
it involved global war!

Turns out that this was simply a negotiating game played by the
Russians in order to force us to remove our missiles from Turkey that
threatened the USSR, which of course we agreed to. So both sides
withdrew their missiles.

Somehow the phrase "Mexican Standoff" comes to mind, but it was pretty
worrysome at the time.

One minor correction IIRC, these were not ICBMs in Cuba, just medium
range nuclear missiles known as SS-4 MRBMs. Still, a few well placed
hits by several of these would likely wipe out the entire east coast
of the US.

Being a physicist, I really can't help but wonder how you see theology
or and form of religion entering this historic event. Neither side was
composed of what any reasonable person would describe as "sinners",
and both sides reponded rationally with mutually acceptable results.
US missiles were removed from Turkey, and the Russian missiles were
removed from Cuba. If you ask me, both sides were winners in the
little game of Poker.

If you ask me, I really in hindsight don't believe that the Missiles
of October would have produced nuclear war, although it could have
resulted in a massive air and land assault in Cuba with the loss of
many lives, and I believe that the Russians realized this as a
distinct possibility. Because of mutually assured destruction (MAD),
being sane, neither government wanted to elevate the Cold War into
nuclear combat. In a way, MAD insured society.

A final thing to consider is that the Cold War actually helped to heat
many homes in my generation, by generating full employment.

I'm a Republican, but I have to thank John F. Kennedy for two major
accomplishments, first, his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Second, his mandate to put a man on the moon and return him safely to
earth, within 10 years from the date he made this speech.

Harry C.