Letter to the Editor: ‘Thoughts from an old airman’

Dear Editor: 

As a young airman 50+ years ago, I was awakened by a knock at my barracks door by the NCOIC. When I answered the door, he told me we were at DEFCON 4 and I was to report for duty on the flight line. ‘”What’s a DEFCON 4,” I asked, thinking I must have been daydreaming when that was discussed in basic training. He replied that this is Defense Condition 4 and all personnel were to report for duty. 

While en route, about a mile or so from the flight line, the military police had a roadblock set up. “What’s going on?” I asked. He replied that they were loading the nukes on the bombers. Wait. What? Nukes! Everything is getting surreal at this point. 

I finally made it to the flight line which was a flurry of activity. Sometime during the night, we went to DEFCON 3. The pace quickened. My crew chief told me to put the blast shields in the windows. What are those for? They are to protect your eyes when the nukes go off! The pucker factor is very high now! All the aircraft that were capable of flight were ready to go. 

We sat in the aircraft and waited and waited. The situation de-escalated and things returned to normal. I have often wondered how different things would be if we had launched that day and started a nuclear war? Savvy leaders back then averted a worldwide disaster. Let us hope and pray that the leadership today is just as savvy!

Roger Henderson

Greybull