1969: Massive Soviet invasion; nuclear option

[Chogy]

nothing like a Cold War thread to get the dinosaurs up and roaring again!

Back when men were men, women were nurses or admin, we could say "fuck" in the squadron and not get an article 15... yes, I volunteer today to go back! ;)

[Albany Rifles]

So did being tracked by SA-5 systems from East Germany, as well as TACAN MIJI efforts to get us to fly into East German airspace. Wasn't too hard to avoid. If your system said "fly EAST to get home", you knew you were being spoofed.

Yeah, nothing like being at Grafenwhoer or Hohenfels near the Czech Border back then. The WP elint troops used to like jamming the range control nets....especially during medevacs.

Of course during REFORGER 83 one of bonehead officers blew right past the 1 K Zone warning markers and was apprehended by the 2d ACR patrols. Big signs and a compass did him no good!

Bastards.

Eric,

nothing like a Cold War thread to get the dinosaurs up and roaring again!

Hey! I resemble that remark!!!

[gunnut]

You guys are funny.

I, too, miss the Cold War. Something just feels wrong without the threat of nuclear war hanging overhead....

[astralis]

well the north koreans are about to invade. go wolverines!!

[gunnut]

well the north koreans are about to invade. go wolverines!!

That movie was terrible! The original was much better.

[Chogy]

You guys are funny.

I, too, miss the Cold War. Something just feels wrong without the threat of nuclear war hanging overhead....

I try to explain what it felt like to my kids. They just don't get it.

The terror threat is a pin-prick or a leg cramp compared to the heart attack that is the imminent threat of thermonuclear war. We used to imagine...

"What would we do if we saw the re-entry vehicles screaming down towards our city?"

"Basically, kiss your ass good bye."

The good part about the cold war was that the actors were at least somewhat rational.

[Officer of Engineers]

Back when men were men, women were nurses or admin, we could say "fuck" in the squadron and not get an article 15... yes, I volunteer today to go back! ;)

I said that to my current girlfriend. She replied, "I've met your mother."

[zraver]

Growing up I bounced around between Seattle, Everett and Stanwood. So military was all over the place. We used to have A6's go screaming overhead flying in and out of Whidbey Is NAS. However, if you went up into the Cascade mountains to go hiking you might come across them slicing through the valleys on what I assume were mock penetration runs.

Later when I joined the guard before going active and we spent our time in Yakima the air force used the area for mock penetration runs for B-52's out of Fairchild AFB.

I wonder if the goat farmer is still in operation outside the entrance to Yakima?

[TopHatter]

These aren't Cold War memories of course, but...

I've been pretty fortunate since moving here to Jacksonville 2 years ago to see some fairly diverse aircraft.

So far I've seen more P-3C Orions and H-60 Seahawks flying around than I can shake a stick at.
I saw a P-8 Poseidon sitting at NAS Jax a few weeks back as well. Eventually they'll be all over the skies, along with the MQ-4C Triton. Also some Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphins.

Every once in awhile I'll see Hornets/Super Hornets/Growlers zooming around, along with the occasional C-130 Hercules and F-15C Eagle.

I recall touching down at Jax Int'l airport at night and being startled by the sight of a dozen or more Florida ANG Eagles sitting out on the side of the runway, pointed directly at me, wingtip-to-wingtip, dramatically backlit by the open hangers behind them.

Funny thing, for such a big Navy town, unless you live right outside one of the bases, you really wouldn't be aware of the Navy here (unless you know what to look for). It's really disappointing that Jacksonville doesn't do more (or anything, for that matter) to enhance the city's relationship with the Navy.