tdog 0 #1 July 28, 2006 My 11th Grade hippy World History teacher, who taught at my high school for 35 years, including the cold war era, had a sobering map on the wall of his classroom. It had a red dot for Cheyenne Mountain "down in Colorado Springs" - a red dot for two other high profile military targets in Colorado - and if you connected the dots, the exact center was my High School. His point. If the "bad guys" were to drop three nukes in Colorado - kiss our ass good bye.... Or, as he put it - if the bad guy just wanted to use one nuke to take care of all three, they would make the High School ground zero... It definitely provided motivation to make us think about modern world history.... Now I see Cheyenne Mountain is closing down and going on to standby.... I guess the threat has changed now that the cold war is over.... http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=b537089d-0abe-421a-01de-5deae3e369de&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davedlg 0 #2 July 28, 2006 I think I had the same 11th grade history teacher you did.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #3 July 28, 2006 They used to tell us that our area was a prime target as well... because WP-AFB is/was one of the major military research locations... etc... hrm... I'm begining to think that it was a scare tactic to get us to study... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MF42 0 #4 July 28, 2006 Man, I lived in the middle of Bumfuck, Oklahoma, and they told us we were targeted because of all the oil refineries and oil storage. Maybe it was a kind of morbid community pride. Who'd want to admit, "Nope. Nothing of value here." Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #5 July 28, 2006 QuoteMaybe it was a kind of morbid community pride. Who'd want to admit, "Nope. Nothing of value here." Maybe there were a very large number of weapons targeting the US. And on the flip side the USSR didn't publish pamplets with all the targets listed, either. In Sherman, TX where I grew up it was rumored that there were missle sites close to protect the TI (Texas Instruments) plant since it was a huge strategic resource (which it kinda was, but not to that degree). What I learned is that there used to be Nike Missile sites out in the county as the first line of defense for Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth. Local lore always grows. On the flip side, I wonder if in a few more years Cheyenne Mountain will be completely decomissioned and turned into a historic site. I'd drive up there to visit and have a full/complete tour, not just the little public tour that's available while its still a base.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #6 July 28, 2006 QuoteMaybe it was a kind of morbid community pride. Who'd want to admit, "Nope. Nothing of value here."That's a distinct possibility... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sriddy 0 #7 July 28, 2006 I grew up in an area that had both Norfolk Navy base (largest on the east coast, or free world, or something like that) and Langley Air Force Base (HQ of the Tactical Air Command, later the Air Combat Command) As a kid, if I ever asked about nuclear war, my parents would tell me not to worry because I'd never see it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #8 July 28, 2006 Where I grew up, we knew that if a nuclear war came, we'd be left with the only non-radioactive beaches in California. I think that the Colorado Springs area was probably about 2nd or 3rd on the Soviet missile agenda, just after the Pentagon.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #9 July 28, 2006 Quote I think that the Colorado Springs area was probably about 2nd or 3rd on the Soviet missile agenda, just after the Pentagon. See - our state is going to be nuked better than the rest - nanny nanny boo boo... Weird sense of pride we get, huh... Although - since NORAD provides the radar to protect the pentagon - if indeed the Soviets thought they "could get one thru by surprise" - I would have thought it would go NORAD first - everyone else 2nd... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #10 July 28, 2006 QuoteWhere I grew up, we knew that if a nuclear war came, we'd be left with the only non-radioactive beaches in California. I think that the Colorado Springs area was probably about 2nd or 3rd on the Soviet missile agenda, just after the Pentagon. During the height of the Cold War buildup (1980s), the US and USSR each had stockpiled between 9,000 and 10,000 nuclear warheads. Today, each have around 5,000. Still more than enough to lay waste to every primary, secondary, tertiary and quadinary target conceivable. edit to add: this link is to an applet which calculates nuclear blast effects... http://www.fas.org/main/content.jsp?formAction=297&contentId=367So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkeenan 13 #11 July 28, 2006 When I was on a SAC B-52 crew back in my USAF days, I saw a lot of nucular strike maps of the USSR. There seemed to be plenty of weapons to go around to just about everywhere over there. I suspect that their target maps had just as many dots placed in the U. S. We used to practice those missions a lot, but never got to try it for real. I suppose it's just as well... Kevin_____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bolas 5 #12 July 28, 2006 I grew up in Virginia: between the DGSC (less than 20 miles from my house), DC, Norfolk, and the "secret" bunkers in the mountains the whole state would be destroyed. Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
