The Keys to Armageddon: A Cold War Nuclear Missile Officer's Story (391)

The Keys to Armageddon: A Cold War Nuclear Missile Officer's Story (391)

Jim is a former Minuteman nuclear missile officer who served in the US Air Force. Throughout the episode, Jim shares first-hand accounts of life in the launch control centre. From evaluations to the strict checklist orientations, every aspect of his training was designed to ensure that he and his crew were prepared for the weighty responsibilities they bore. We also discuss false alarms, intense simulations and emergency procedures, enabling you to gain a profound understanding of the pressure and seriousness of the role. Jim also reflects on the gravity of turning the keys to launch missiles and the sobering reality of what that would mean for humanity. Don’t miss the link to the videos and photos in the episode information here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode391 The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(442)

A UK Journalist in the Soviet Union & GDR (123)

A UK Journalist in the Soviet Union & GDR (123)

Mark Brayne studied in Moscow 71-72, travelling the country with fellow UK students and spending silly amounts of time in the bathhouses with salted fish and very poor quality beer. He returned in 197...

22 Mai 20201h 4min

A 23 year old Cold War nuclear missile commander (122)

A 23 year old Cold War nuclear missile commander (122)

Scott was a Pershing 2 nuclear missile Fire Control Officer which meant he was responsible for the launch of the missile. Aged 23 he was made platoon commander and responsible for 3 of these deadly we...

15 Mai 202050min

The Last Days of Cold War East Germany (121)

The Last Days of Cold War East Germany (121)

Michael Paterson first visited East Germany just after the fall of the Berlin Wall and provides a vivid account of its subsequent decline and fall during the move to reunification with West Germany. M...

8 Mai 202051min

Special Forces Berlin - Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956-1990 (120)

Special Forces Berlin - Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956-1990 (120)

James Stejskal served for 23 years with US Special Forces, including two tours in Berlin. Special Forces Berlin was a small detachment of 100 highly trained soldiers who, should hostilities break out,...

1 Mai 20201h 18min

Alan - Working in the GDR and the Soviet Union (119)

Alan - Working in the GDR and the Soviet Union (119)

Alan Baker worked and studied in the GDR and the USSR from the 1970s through to the end of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Russian Federation as we know it today. In Moscow, Alan had the opp...

24 Apr 20201h 15min

Cold War Warsaw Bureau Chief for Time Magazine 1981-83 (118)

Cold War Warsaw Bureau Chief for Time Magazine 1981-83 (118)

Richard Hornik was the Warsaw Bureau Chief for Time Magazine from 1981-1983. He carried out numerous interviews with Solidarity Free Trade Union leader Lech Wałęsa including his last interview before ...

17 Apr 20201h

The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan, and Thatcher, and the End of the Cold War (117)

The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan, and Thatcher, and the End of the Cold War (117)

The Cold War got colder in the early 1980s and the relationship between the two military superpowers, the USA and the Soviet Union, each of whom had the capacity to annihilate the other, was tense. By...

10 Apr 20201h 9min

Boarding Soviet Ships with the Cold War Danish Navy (116)

Boarding Soviet Ships with the Cold War Danish Navy (116)

Lieutenant Commander Jørgen Brandsborg joined the Danish Navy in the 1980s. He met the Soviets up close and personal while serving in the North Atlantic where the Danish Navy acted as a coast guard wh...

3 Apr 20201h 10min

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