The Missiles Of October

About two months ago, President Barack Obama, took part in a Summit Meeting about the proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Only the future will tell how successful he was, in making all countries involved, understand their individual responsibilities with the control of Nuclear Weapons. As usual, People from the extreme Left said he did not go far enough. While, the extreme Right said he was a total failure. Regardless of which opinion you believe, let me relate a story to you about the day our country and the Soviet Union almost caused Armageddon. This story is being told through the eyes of a seven year old child who, sat in a front row seat, waiting to witness the end of the world.

I really do not recall if it was a weekend or I just stayed home from school that day. But, my mother had the venetian blinds pulled all the way up on the picture window in the dining room. I had all my little cars on the big window frame and along the bench seat below the sill. We had been hearing the Air Raid sirens for the last day or two and my parents were concerned. The Television was on all the time. But, I could not listen to my cartoons because there was some man talking about war. I remember my Mother and Father were glued to the Television set and always holding hands. I had never seen them act this way before. While I was playing with my cars I heard the Air Raid Siren start up again. But, this time, the sound was different. Instead of being a steady wailing sound it was a high pitch then low pitch sound. My parents did not seem to hear it because both of them were in front of the television set praying as the reporter was talking on the screen. As I gazed outside wondering what was going on I saw white smoke coming from the top of the hillside about a mile from our home. This hillside was owned by the United States Air Force. It was the home to a Minute Man Missile Silo.

I remember calling out to my parents, telling them the hill was on fire. But, they were so wrapped up with the Television, they did not hear me. As I watched the smoke, I saw a Rocket slowly rising up to the surface. When it stopped rising, I called out to my parents and said “MA, Dad, come look! The Astronauts are going up!” My Father told me to be quiet. Then he realized the sound of the siren and his face turned white. I said, “Dad, the sirens must be for the Astronauts. Come here, look!” My Father walked over to the window and said “Oh, my God!” My Mother came over and she began to scream. My Father grabbed her and sat her down behind me at the dining room table and held her in his arms. He kept trying to tell my Mom that everything would be alright but, it was not working to well. As I learned when I became older, the rocket was a missile and it was not going to launch Astronauts.


For two days, my parents and I sat there in the dining room watching that missile. Day and night, I slept on the floor in the dining room because my parents said we all needed to be together. Watching the Television, crying, laughing then, and crying again. I really did not know what to make of this but; at least I did not have to go to school. Around the beginning of the third day, the Air Raid Siren started wailing again. This time, it was a steady wail. I looked at the missile and saw the plume of smoke that had been constant for the last few days had stopped. Then suddenly, the missile began to lower back into the hill. I called out to my Dad but, he was already standing behind me watching the same thing. He kissed me on the head and said, “Everything is going to be alright now, son!”

I later learned that we almost came to Nuclear War with the Soviet Union over missiles they had in Cuba and we had in Turkey. All I know is it was the only time I saw real fear in my parents face and that life could have come to an end with only the sight of a flash. It was years later that I realized I had a front row seat to the end of the world. I did not think much about it until a movie came out called “The Day After”. It is a story of a nuclear exchange that occurred between our country and a foreign power. I cried when I saw that movie for the first time because it finally hit me. The horrors of Nuclear War could have happened to me and I could have perished without knowing what life was all about. I thought about Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan. I wondered how many seven year olds lost their lives when the Nuclear age reared its ugly head at them.

So, regardless of what you think of President Obama, let us hope he and all the leaders of the world have struck an agreement where no child of any age, has to wonder what could have been. Oh, and just so you know that seven year old boy was me. But, you probably already figured that out, huh.

That’s How I See It.