The Other Side of the Wall – 1990
Preface Following the second World War, the former German borders were reduced and divided into four zones of occupying forces: Great Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union. The former capital, Berlin, was also divided into four sectors. It did not take the Soviets long before they attempted to take all…
A Close Call for Bob Hope – 1971
Eradicating rat infestation on FSB Maude may have been Charlie Battery’s primary focus in December 1971, but the artillery battery’s parent organization, the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, narrowly avoided everlasting infamy during the Christmas Tour 1971 visit to Da Nang by legendary comedian Bob Hope and his USO troupe. On Tuesday, December 21, 1971, Bob…
Rice, Chris: Afghanistan – Part 1 – Going Home – 2016
5 a.m. November 12, 2016, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan So, there I was. My rifle was locked in a shipping container. My pistol ammo was turned in. My body armor was packed in a duffle. My building had a shower. Inside. It was 0500 in the morning. I was going home. And since I was going…
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Rice, Suzanne: Afghanistan – part 2 – On Pins and Needles – 2016
To read part 1, go here first. November 12, 2016 Near Atlanta, GA A friend’s husband was going to be out of town, and she asked me to spend the weekend with her. We had been friends for several decades and it was a chance for us to have some quality time together. I…
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Witness to the Fall of the Soviet Union, part 2: Capitalism – Russian-Style, 1992 – 1994
We learned that doing business in Russia requires a kryusha – a roof for protection, of which there were two kinds: the unofficial Russian mafia one, or the official government one that usually included the KGB. Our Russian partners handled relations with the kryusha, in this case the municipal government of St. Petersburg whose Deputy…
Witness to the Fall of the Soviet Union, part 1 – 1973-1990
Wheelock – Witness to the Fall of the Soviet Union Part 1 1973 – 1990 One of the signature events of our time was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, an event to which I contributed by awakening 180 million Russians to the prospects of freedoms and a better lifestyle beyond the…
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