DOCSLIB.ORG

Landscape of Fear : a Social History of the Missile During the Early Years of the Cold War, 1950-1965 Jessica Rose Barrella Florida International University

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Landscape of Fear : a Social History of the Missile During the Early Years of the Cold War, 1950-1965 Jessica Rose Barrella Florida International University Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 3-27-2007 Landscape of fear : a social history of the missile during the early years of the cold war, 1950-1965 Jessica Rose Barrella Florida International University DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI14050437 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Barrella, Jessica Rose, "Landscape of fear : a social history of the missile during the early years of the cold war, 1950-1965" (2007). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1405. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1405 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida LANDSCAPE OF FEAR: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE MISSILE DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF THE COLD WAR, 1950-1965 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in HISTORY by Jessica Rose Barrella 2007 To: Interim Dean Mark Szuchman College of Arts and Sciences This dissertation, written by Jessica Rose Barrella, and entitled Landscape of Fear: A Social History of the Missile during the Early Years of the Cold War, 1950-1965, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. Rebecca Friedman Darden A. Pyron Paul Kowert Clarence Taylor Knnefh Liparito, ajo rofessor Date of Defense: March 27, 2007 The dissertation of Jessica Rose Barrella is approved. Interim Dean Mark Szuchman College of Arts and Sciences Dean George Walker University Graduate School Florida International University, 2007 ii ©Copyright 2007 by Jessica Rose Barrella All rights reserved. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of so many people I met along the way. I would like to thank the Nike Historical Society for their invitation to participate in their meeting, for all of their insight and the time that they took to answer my questions about operating the Nike during the Cold War. I would especially like to thank Ron Parshall and Gordon Lunn for their extra time, correspondence, and availability to answer questions along the way. Elaine Liston and Barbara Green archivists at the Kennedy Space Center, and Elbert E. "Sonny" Witt, Deputy Commander at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station gave me much of their time and patience. The Better Business Bureau of Cheyenne, Wyoming was kind enough to send my email to various parties to provide me with contacts in the area. Captain Nicole Walters, 9 0 th Space Wing Public Affairs, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, provided me with a tour of the base and escorted access to F.E. Warren AFB IntercontinentalBallistic Missile and Heritage Museum, which otherwise would not have been possible to visit. Special thanks to Don and Charlene Zwoniter who invited a perfect stranger to their home, a converted Atlas E missile site. Brenda Blanke of the Sidney Telegraph was kind enough to help me photocopy articles from their archive when the microfilm machine at the public library stopped working. Michael Hosking, Cultural Resource Specialist at the Minuteman Missile National Historical Site gave me contacts and oral histories to further my research. Much of my periodical research was done at Mount Union College and would not have been possible without the generosity of the library giving me a student pass. I would like to thank Florida International University History Department for their support and iv encouragement through this long journey, and for the FIU Dissertation Year Fellowship that made possible my complete dedication to the last year of writing and research. I would especially like to thank my committee members for their excitement in my project, their continued encouragement and detailed feedback. Finally, to my major professor, Dr. Kenneth Lipartito, thank you for directing the way, but letting me figure it out on my own. Your guidance is most appreciated. I would also like to thank my family, friends, and a little puppy for their support. Without it, the journey would have been a lonely one indeed. v ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION LANDSCAPE OF FEAR: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE MISSILE DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF THE COLD WAR, 1950-1965 by Jessica Rose Barrella Florida International University, 2007 Miami, Florida Professor Kenneth Lipartito, Major Professor The missile's significance has been central to national security since the Soviet launching of Sputnik, and became increasingly important throughout the years of the Cold War. Much has been written about missile technology, but little has been written about how the development and deployment of this weapon affected Americans. The missile was developed to both deter war but also to win war. Its presence, however, was not always reassuring. Three areas of the United States are studied to evaluate the social implications of the missile during these pivotal years: San Francisco, home of multiple Nike installations; of Cape Canaveral, Florida, the nation's primary missile test center; the Great Plains, the location of the largest ICBM concentration in the country. Interviews were conducted, tours of facilities were taken, and local newspapers were reviewed. In conjunction with national newspapers and magazines and public opinion polls, this information provided a local social context for missile history. Nationally and locally, Americans both feared and praised the new technology. They were anxious for government funding in their cities vi and often felt that the danger the missile brought to their communities by making it as a Soviet target was justified in the larger cause for national security. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE IN T R O D UC T IO N .................................................................................... 1 1 THE ULTIMATE WEAPON............................................................17 2 A BUCK ROGERS WAR................................................................59 3 ATOMIC PEARL HARBOR............................................................103 4 DEFENDER OF AMERICAN CITIES: THE NIKE MISSILE SYSTEM IN SAN FRANCISCO.......................................................................145 5 POWER FOR PEACE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA.....................................................190 6 THE MISSILE NEST: HIDDEN MISSILES IN THE GREAT PLAINS........ 238 C O N C LU SIO N .................................................................................... 273 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................276 VITA................................................................................................288 Vi11 Introduction World War II ushered in a world of new uncertainties for Americans. The axis powers were defeated, but tensions between the allied nations were mounting. This was made evident with the partitioning of Europe after the war. Just as the United States and Great Britain were attempting to stabilize Europe by establishing democratic governments, the Soviet Union was likewise attempting to minimize future threats by establishing friendly governments around its periphery. Governments friendly to Communism were perceived as a direct threat to democracy and the antithesis of a "Free World." Soon the globe was being divided by these two opposing views, each perceiving the other as the enemy. The Cold War was indeed two sided. The United States was relatively unscathed during the war and had become the richest nation in the world as a result of its industrial output. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, was devastated. Like Europe, Russia too needed aid to recover. But the Marshall Plan initiated in 1947 by the United States to help economically rebuild and stabilize war-ravaged Europe, was worded so that the Soviet Union would reject involvement and therefore not be eligible for monetary aid. In addition, the stabilization of Germany, while deemed necessary to the recovery of Europe, was seen as a direct threat to Soviet national security. What was seen as security for the Soviet Union was perceived as a threat to democracy, and thus a threat to the national security of the United States. The Czech Coup and the Berlin Blockade of 1948 brought Cold War tensions to the fore. Both events provided evidence to the American public that the Soviet Union was 1 indeed hostile. Only three short years after the close of the war it appeared that Americans would again fight. Communism was compared to Nazism, and Josef Stalin to Adolf Hitler. These tensions were exacerbated when the United States lost its atomic monopoly on August 29, 1949. The next year, China "fell" to Communism and the Korean War began. The dominos appeared to be falling faster and faster. It was against this international situation that Americans were becoming aware of missile technology and development.' The missile became the key component of the defense arsenal of the United States. It was developed as the struggle between the Communist and non-Communist world climaxed. Indeed, the hottest chapter of the Cold War was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yet, the turning point of American defenses has been attributed to the development of the atomic bomb.2
Load more

Recommended publications
  • NIKE-HERCULES Système D'arme Sol-Air À Longue Portée États-Unis
    NIKE-HERCULES Système d’arme sol-air à longue portée États-Unis Genèse du NIKE-HERCULES Le système Nike-Hercules est une évolution du système Nike-Ajax (cf. tableau comparatif des missiles en annexe). L’engin Nike-Hercules (MIM-14) est également un missile à deux étages. Son booster, beaucoup plus puissant (puissance 173.000 livres), lui permet d’être très rapidement supersonique. Après 3,4 secondes, le booster se sépare du missile, ce qui déclenche la mise à feu du second étage ; celui-ci fonctionne pendant 29 secondes et permet au missile d’atteindre une vitesse dépassant Mach 3 et une altitude de 100.000 pieds. Le Nike-Hercules peut emporter une ogive nucléaire ou une ogive conventionnelle. Initialement, la version nucléarisée emportait la tête nucléaire W-7 Mod 2, offrant des puissances de 2,5 ou 28 KT. En 1961, les anciennes ogives furent remplacées par des charges W-31 avec des puissances de 2 KT (Y1) ou 30 KT (Y2). Les dernières versions comportèrent l'ogive W31 Mod2, offrant des puissances de 2 ou 20 KT. En raison de l’efficacité du missile contre certains ICBM, Le Nike-Hercules fut pris en considération dans les accords SALT. Une utilisation sol-sol a été expérimentée en Alaska et appliquée à certaine versions. Le Nike-Hercules a connu une évolution majeure améliorant sa résistance aux contre-mesures électroniques et augmentant sa capacité de détection. Les missiles ainsi modifiés ont été désignés Nike-Hercules Improved (NHI). Système de guidage du Nike-Hercules Déploiements du Nike-Hercules Le Nike-Hercules est entré en service opérationnel en juin 1958 et fut tout d'abord déployé à Chicago.
    [Show full text]
  • China and Ballistic Missile Defense: 1955 to 2002 and Beyond
    INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES China and Ballistic Missile Defense: 1955 to 2002 and Beyond Brad Roberts September 2003 Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. IDA Paper P-3826 Log: H 03-002053 This work was conducted under contract DASW01 98 C 0067, Task DG-6-2184, for the Defense Intelligence Agency. The publication of this IDA document does not indicate endorsement by the Department of Defense, nor should the contents be construed as reflecting the official position of that Agency. © 2003 Institute for Defense Analyses, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22311-1882 • (703) 845-2000. This material may be reproduced by or for the U.S. Government pursuant to the copyright license under the clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 (NOV 95). INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES IDA Paper P-3826 China and Ballistic Missile Defense: 1955 to 2002 and Beyond Brad Roberts PREFACE This paper was prepared for a task order on China’s Approach to Missile Defense for the Defense Intelligence Agency. The objective of the task is to inform thinking within the U.S. defense community about China’s approach to missile defense issues and its implications for regional security and U.S. interests. In preparing this work, the author has benefited from excellent collaboration with Mr. Ronald Christman of DIA. The author wishes to express his gratitude to the following individuals for their thoughtful comments on earlier drafts of this essay: Elaine Bunn of National Defense University, Ron Christman of DIA, Iain Johnston of Harvard University, Evan Medeiros of RAND, and Victor Utgoff of IDA. He also wishes to express his gratitude to Rafael Bonoan of IDA for his research support and assistance in drafting a subsection of the report.
    [Show full text]
  • Rockets of the Armed Forces.Pdf
    NUIWX4)- j623.4519 Bk&ro. Bergaust l^OS'lcT; Rockets of the Armed Forces O O u- - "5« ^" CO O PUBLIC LIBRARY Fort Wayne c.r.d Allen County, Indiana 81-1 JT r PUHI I IBRAFU sno IC fflimiivN 3 1833 00476 4350 Rockets of the Armed Forces Between primitive man's rock-hurling days, and modern technology's refined rocket systems, man has come a long way in missile combat. Beginning with the principles of rocketry from early time to the present, Erik Bergaust classifies all forty-two current operational missiles into four basic categories : air-to-air ; air-to-surface ; surface- to-air; and surface-to-surface. From the Navy's highly sophisticated Polaris to the Sidewinder, widely used in Vietnam, the author pinpoints the type, propulsion, guid- ance, performance, and construction of each rocket. A picture and a short paragraph describing each rocket's military use, plus a glossary, are included. Inspection of liquid hydrogen engines. Hydro- gen is a powerful fuel and is often used in combination with liquid oxygen. Fuels are car- ried in the missile in separate tanks and are mixed in the rocket's combustion chamber where the burning takes place. / Bell ROCKETS of the ARMED FORCES By Erik Bergaust 76 6. P. Putnam's Sons New York | 80 260 4 1 ' © 1966 by Erik Bergaust All Rights Reserved Published simultaneously in the Dominion of Canada by Longmans Canada Limited, Toronto Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: AC 66-1025A PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Second Impression 1430318 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The cooperation of the Office of the Assistant Secre- tary of Defense, Magazine and Book Branch, Directorate of Information Services, made it possible to compile in this book the latest information and data on all opera- tional United States military rockets.
    [Show full text]
  • Jacques Tiziou Space Collection
    Jacques Tiziou Space Collection Isaac Middleton and Melissa A. N. Keiser 2019 National Air and Space Museum Archives 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, VA 20151 [email protected] https://airandspace.si.edu/archives Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 1 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 2 Arrangement..................................................................................................................... 2 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 2 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 4 Series : Files, (bulk 1960-2011)............................................................................... 4 Series : Photography, (bulk 1960-2011)................................................................. 25 Jacques Tiziou Space Collection NASM.2018.0078 Collection Overview Repository: National Air and Space Museum Archives Title: Jacques Tiziou Space Collection Identifier: NASM.2018.0078 Date: (bulk 1960s through
    [Show full text]
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis
    The Hungry Mind Lab 2016 Materials for imQ Project The Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba that took place between October 16 and October 28 in 1962. Information about the Cuban Missile Crisis was broadcast on television worldwide, and it was the one event in history that brought the Cold War closest to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. Following from the enmity between the United States and the Soviet Union since the end of World War II in 1945, the United States was concerned about the rise of Communism, and a Latin American country allying openly with the USSR, short for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was unacceptable. In addition, the United States had recently suffered a public embarrassment, because of the failed invasion at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. The invasion had been attempted by a group known as Brigade 2506 that consisted of 1400 paramilitaries, who had been trained and funded by the United States government's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Launched from Guatemala on 17 April 1961, the Brigade 2506 had intended to land at the Bay of Pigs and to overthrow Cuba's increasingly communist government but it was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, who were under the direct command of Cuba's Prime Minister Fidel Castro. After the events at the Bay of Pigs, the former American President Eisenhower told Kennedy that now the Soviets were "embolden to do something that they would otherwise not do." Indeed, the failed invasion created the impression with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and his advisers that Kennedy was indecisive and, as one Soviet adviser wrote about Kennedy: "too young, intellectual, not prepared well for decision making in crisis situations ..
    [Show full text]
  • Cold War Under the Ice
    WeissCold War Under the Ice Cold War Under the Ice: The Army’s Bid for a Long-Range Nuclear Role, 1959–1963 ✣ Erik D. Weiss ilitary preparations for the Cold War extended to even the most frigidM environments on earth. The Arctic holds both fascination and fear in its stark expanses and unforgiving climate. In the superpower contest, the harsh, icy wastelands of the north presented an intriguing, barren region that technology could seek to conquer. Although the new ability to harness nu- clear energy revolutionized arctic research, the North Greenland ice cap also held more challenging options for U.S. Cold War strategists. Ice could be molded and carved. Ice tunnels could facilitate transport and offer seclusion, isolation, and a hidden presence. No weapon would have required more mo- bility and concealment than a system of intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) armed with nuclear warheads. The U.S. Army’s proposal to deploy “Iceworm” mobile IRBMs came to light in a recently declassiªed set of documents obtained by the Danish Insti- tute of International Affairs in connection with a larger study in 1997 on Greenland during the Cold War.1 Because scholars have not yet studied the Iceworm concept per se, this article seeks to place it within the context of the Cold War. Iceworm ªlled the perceived need for IRBM forces after the Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957, an event that threatened the United States and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with destruction by intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and eroded European conªdence in NATO’s deterrent posture.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1960 Presidential Election in Florida: Did the Space Race and the National Prestige Issue Play an Important Role?
    UNF Digital Commons UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship 2000 The 1960 rP esidential Election in Florida: Did the Space Race and the National Prestige Issue Play an Important Role? Randy Wade Babish University of North Florida Suggested Citation Babish, Randy Wade, "The 1960 rP esidential Election in Florida: Did the Space Race and the National Prestige Issue Play an Important Role?" (2000). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 134. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/134 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at UNF Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Digital Projects. © 2000 All Rights Reserved THE 1960 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN FLORIDA: DID THE SPACE RACE AND THE NATIONAL PRESTIGE ISSUE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE? by Randy Wade Babish A thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES December, 2000 Unpublished work © Randy Wade Babish The thesis of Randy Wade Babish is approved: (Date) Signature Deleted Signature Deleted Signature Deleted Signature Deleted Accepted for the College: Signature Deleted Signature Deleted eanofGfaduate rues ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although my name appears on the title page and I assume full responsibility for the final product and its content, the quality of this work was greatly enhanced by the guidance of several individuals. First, the members of my thesis committee, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics of Star Wars, The;The Reagan Legacy and the Strategic Defense Initiative: Articles and Essays Jerome Grossman
    Journal of Legislation Volume 15 | Issue 2 Article 4 5-1-1989 Politics of Star Wars, The;The Reagan Legacy and the Strategic Defense Initiative: Articles and Essays Jerome Grossman Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/jleg Recommended Citation Grossman, Jerome (1989) "Politics of Star Wars, The;The Reagan Legacy and the Strategic Defense Initiative: Articles and Essays," Journal of Legislation: Vol. 15: Iss. 2, Article 4. Available at: http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/jleg/vol15/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journal of Legislation at NDLScholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Legislation by an authorized administrator of NDLScholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE POLITICS OF "STAR WARS" Jerome Grossman* Many regard the nuclear arms race with fatalism: technology out of control. The multibillion dollar Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) represents a different, but equally threatening phenomenon: politics out of control. The driving force for President Ronald Reagan's program was and remains political manipulation- not military necessity, not technological fix. THE POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SDI The so-called "Star Wars" initiative was launched by President Reagan in 1983, but the idea of a shield against nuclear attack had been developed three years earlier by the policy research operation of Reagan's 1980 election campaign. At the time, it was turned down for political reasons; the campaign advisors feared it would undercut Reagan's demand for newer and more powerful nuclear weapons.I Seemingly out of the blue, Reagan revived the old strategic defense idea on March 23, 1983 at the end of a speech praising his other military programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Desind Finding
    NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE ARCHIVES Herbert Stephen Desind Collection Accession No. 1997-0014 NASM 9A00657 National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC Brian D. Nicklas © Smithsonian Institution, 2003 NASM Archives Desind Collection 1997-0014 Herbert Stephen Desind Collection 109 Cubic Feet, 305 Boxes Biographical Note Herbert Stephen Desind was a Washington, DC area native born on January 15, 1945, raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and educated at the University of Maryland. He obtained his BA degree in Communications at Maryland in 1967, and began working in the local public schools as a science teacher. At the time of his death, in October 1992, he was a high school teacher and a freelance writer/lecturer on spaceflight. Desind also was an avid model rocketeer, specializing in using the Estes Cineroc, a model rocket with an 8mm movie camera mounted in the nose. To many members of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), he was known as “Mr. Cineroc.” His extensive requests worldwide for information and photographs of rocketry programs even led to a visit from FBI agents who asked him about the nature of his activities. Mr. Desind used the collection to support his writings in NAR publications, and his building scale model rockets for NAR competitions. Desind also used the material in the classroom, and in promoting model rocket clubs to foster an interest in spaceflight among his students. Desind entered the NASA Teacher in Space program in 1985, but it is not clear how far along his submission rose in the selection process. He was not a semi-finalist, although he had a strong application.
    [Show full text]
  • Archie to SAM a Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air Defense
    Archie to SAM A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air Defense Second Edition KENNETH P. WERRELL Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama August 2005 Air University Library Cataloging Data Werrell, Kenneth P. Archie to SAM : a short operational history of ground-based air defense / Kenneth P. Werrell.—2nd ed. —p. ; cm. Rev. ed. of: Archie, flak, AAA, and SAM : a short operational history of ground- based air defense, 1988. With a new preface. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-58566-136-8 1. Air defenses—History. 2. Anti-aircraft guns—History. 3. Anti-aircraft missiles— History. I. Title. 358.4/145—dc22 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public re- lease: distribution unlimited. Air University Press 131 West Shumacher Avenue Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6615 http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil ii In memory of Michael Lewis Hyde Born 14 May 1938 Graduated USAF Academy 8 June 1960 Killed in action 8 December 1966 A Patriot, A Classmate, A Friend THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . ii DEDICATION . iii FOREWORD . xiii ABOUT THE AUTHOR . xv PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION . xvii PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION . xix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . xxi 1 ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE THROUGH WORLD WAR II . 1 British Antiaircraft Artillery . 4 The V-1 Campaign . 13 American Antiaircraft Artillery . 22 German Flak . 24 Allied Countermeasures . 42 Fratricide . 46 The US Navy in the Pacific .
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections On\The Soviet Strategic Missile Threat of 1960 (U)
    (b) (1) (b) (3) -50 USC 403 (b) (3) -18 USC 798 SECRE'f SPOKE (b) (3)-P.L. 86-36 (b) (3)-P.L. 86-36 Reflections on\the Soviet Strategic Missile Threat of 1960 (U) (U) The debate in the presidential election diately recalled to England because of that threat. last year concerning the relative strength\ of U.S. and Evidently a missile gap of sorts existed in the U. K as Soviet military forces reminded me of a similar debate well at that time. that took place twenty years earlier. \In. the 1960 (SO) After having been train.ed at NSA as campaign, one of the major issues raised by John a Russian linguist/analyst with the Soviet I I as Kennedy, the Democratic Party nominee, Wa8 t.hat the my \target specialty, I spent a year at Syracuse Eisenhower Administration was responsible\ for the University on an NSA Fellowship, to obtain a Master's existence of a "missile gap" vis-a-vis the Soviet Union. Degree\ in Soviet area studies. When I returned to Specifically, the U.S. press had been carrying \numer­ Washington in the summer of 1957, the Soviets test­ ous pessimistic reports that credited the Soviets with fired theirfirst 1000-nautical-mile MRBM (the SS-4), hundreds of operational ICBM launchers, whereas\.the their first ICBM (the SS-6), and, of course, launched U.S. had none. My official involvement i.n\ these their first SPUTNIK On October Revolution Day in matters as an NSA employee is the subject\ of\ th.is November 1957, the Soviets paraded missiles for the article.
    [Show full text]
  • The Strange Rebirth of Missile Defense
    The Strange Rebirth of Missile Defense: Why Republicans Resurrected Reagan’s Dream Paul Musgrave Introduction National missile defense, even in its stripped-down, post-Reagan version, died in 1993. The Clinton administration killed it; shifting funding from research on “Star Wars”-like projects to missile defense systems like the Patriot. Instead of building a shield that would protect all of America, the United States would henceforth try to construct only limited defenses that could protect troops deployed in a future battleground. Yet ten years later, the George W. Bush administration has broken ground on new testing sites for a planned national missile defense, and billions of dollars annually are flowing into research and construction of a nationwide missile shield. The Bush administration could claim, were it so inclined, that it was merely following its predecessors; the basic parts of the Bush system are the same as those President Clinton proposed to use in his national missile defense. Why did U.S. policy toward missile defenses shift so dramatically? How did National Missile Defense survive its apparent death in 1993? These questions are important. National missile defense, in all of its guises and architectures, is among the most complex technical challenges humans have ever attempted to solve. It is also among the most costly, with some estimates placing the total cost of a missile defense system at nearly a trillion dollars. Understanding the sources of NMD’s resurrection is critical to a deeper comprehension of American security policy in the early years of the twenty-first century. The rebirth of missile defense came from two sources.
    [Show full text]