I encourage you to click on this link, below, to gain a first-hand account of the life and times following that fateful day in December, 1941 — https://youtu.be/jl76H_Htgzk

This video will give you an insight to “The Greatest Generation.” At the time of these events we were a patriotic nation with a massive industrial base. Despite our having a well established and self-reliant mining and manufacturing capability, it still took time to convert to a war footing. Auto companies, typewriter makers, hundreds of manufacturing industries began a change to production of vital equipment in support of the war effort.

Men went overseas, women began working in the factories. Rationing of critical products became commonplace. The effort and efficiency meant that soon our factories would be producing bombers at the rate of one per hour. Ships were being built at an unheard of rate in order to get needed supplies to our allies in Europe.

Soon those ships would be filled with our troops. Young men willing to attack face on into deadly machine gun fire to save their fellow soldiers. Do you think the “antifa-ers and blm-ers capable of such dedication to defend our nation?

Politicians speak glibly of a Third World War, as though it is nothing more than a soccer match. I lived through the Cold War, knowing that if it went “hot” it would be nuclear. It would end life as we knew it for most of the planet. Now, the danger is ever more deadly. More nations have nukes, in greater numbers than ever.

Most of the “New Nuke Club” are nations with no sense of the danger to themselves nor the entire population on the planet. The Cold War stayed cold due to the then nuclear armed nations being rational enough to recognize the concept of “Mutually Assured Destruction,” or “MAD.” We knew if it began it would continue until all sides were out of Nukes. At that point there would be little left of the human race.

We had bombs that could leave craters of 10 mile diameter and nearly a mile deep. The blast zone exceeded the crater diameter by hundreds of miles and the radiation zone was greater than that. Radioactive fallout would be carried downwind for thousands of miles. Step outside and face the wind. What direction does it blow from? Any targets that direction for a thousand or so miles? Are you safe?

Now look up, at the high clouds. What direction are they blowing? Any targets upwind? Once a nuke detonates, its work has only begun. In the 1950s it was said the survivors would have it the worst. Those at “ground zero” and out a few hundred miles would be vaporized or killed by the shock wave or flying debris. Those who survived would face a slow agonizing death due to injuries and/or radiation poisoning. Most of the support services we take for granted would no longer exist, possibly never to return. If they did reemerge it could take decades.

I used to tell my students, those of the various martial arts I taught, “Be careful what you start, you never know how it will turn out.” Let us as a nation contemplate that perspective.

God bless America.

Rick Rienks

Baker City