I Miss The Cold War

I was looking through some files the other day and came across a certificate from the Secretary of Defense thanking me for my service during the Cold War. Anybody in service between 1945 and 1989 was eligible, so it didn’t take a whole lot of effort to get one. This got me thinking back to my service days.

I miss the Cold War. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good the Iron Curtain fell and the folks in Eastern Europe are free. At least back then there was a well defined enemy. We generally knew who and where they were, unlike the shadowy figures of today.

I also suspected that the guys on the other side of the front line were not all that evil. It seemed to be mostly luck of the draw. Whichever country you were born in determined which side of the line you were on.

One day we were cruising the western Mediterranean. Generally we had guided missile cruisers on the port and starboard horizons, but we happened to be alone this time. I had just gotten off watch after splitting my quota of atoms for the day. I was walking through the hanger bay to get a little fresh air when I noticed a bunch of guys standing on the port side looking and pointing.

I looked out and saw a ship in the distance coming our way. As it got closer, I could tell by the superstructure that it wasn’t one of ours. Eventually we could see the familiar hammer and sickle flying on the mast. The ship continued on course until it was along side, as if getting ready to take on supplies.

The majority of the destroyer’s sailors were out on deck staring at us. (A nuclear aircraft carrier is a pretty impressive sight.). We found their ship to be interesting as well and soon had a large crowd looking back at them. Both sides were pretty quiet. We just stared at each other for awhile. I don’t know which side started it, but someone smiled and waved. Quickly, both sides were smiling and waving to each other. After a minute or so, the destroyer turned to port and sailed off into the distance.

That was my defining Cold War moment.