Free Republic
Browse · Search
VetsCoR
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Cold War (A Synopsis) - Part V - Sep 27th, 2004
See Sources

Posted on 09/26/2004 10:34:12 PM PDT by SAMWolf



Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

Make Love, Not War: The Sixties


HAVES/HAVE NOTS

In 1960, John F. Kennedy -- who seemed to many the embodiment of a new age -- was elected president of the United States. Kennedy had attacked President Eisenhower's conduct of the Cold War and promised to defend the free world against communism. He increased the U.S. military budget, creating thousands more defense industry jobs.


Gov. George Wallace blocks the doorway to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, June 11, 1963.


But while the U.S. economy was booming, the good life was not available to all Americans. In many Southern states, laws prevented blacks and whites from traveling together, eating together, or even going to the same school. Black Americans were denied jobs and the right to vote. Civil rights activists held peaceful demonstrations -- but were often beaten and jailed just the same.

Gov. George Wallace of Alabama saw the growing civil rights movement as part of a communist conspiracy -- a view shared privately by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Discrimination against blacks -- covered extensively on television -- damaged America's credibility as freedom's champion in the Cold War.

THE GREAT SOCIETY

Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. His successor, Lyndon Johnson, had a vision of the Great Society. Central to that vision was a war against poverty and the abolition of racial discrimination. Johnson was able to pass the Civil Rights Act in 1964 -- and later that year won an easy victory against his Republican opponent, Sen. Barry Goldwater, who denounced Johnson's Great Society as creeping socialism.


Lyndon Johnson's swearing-in as President


Meanwhile, dissent was flourishing on America's campuses. At the University of California at Berkeley, students borrowed the tactics of the Civil Rights Movement, organizing strikes and sit-ins.

SEX/WAR

American ideals of political freedom were now being extended into the personal realm. The availability of new birth control such as "The Pill" revolutionized many peoples' views on sexual behavior.


In 1965, Johnson began sending U.S. ground troops to Vietnam. Despite the extension of the military draft, Johnson's efforts in Vietnam enjoyed popular support.

COUNTERCULTURE

While some Americans went off to war in Vietnam, others were challenging what was termed "the Establishment." They rejected materialism -- not for communism but instead for love, peace, drugs and rock 'n' roll. All over the United States, young men of draft age were turning on, tuning in and dropping out.



A vast majority of America spurned the new counterculture. But protests against the war were growing -- with marches and draft-card burnings. Meanwhile, America's war in Vietnam dragged on. By 1967, 500,000 U.S. soldiers were there.

DISCONTENT

In America's inner cities, some black activists trained as paramilitaries in what they saw as a civil war against a racist police force. Led by Huey Newton, they called themselves the Black Panthers. By the summer of 1967, discontent boiled over into riots in several major U.S. cities. By March 1968, with a growing war in Vietnam and conflict at home, Johnson declared he would not run for a second term as president.


Martin Luther Kings Assassination


1968 also saw the killings of two prominent Americans. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was shot dead by a white gunman. Several weeks later, Robert Kennedy -- brother of the late president and himself a presidential candidate -- was killed while campaigning in California.

CRACKDOWN

In August 1968, Democratic Party delegates arrived in Chicago to pick their candidate for the November presidential elections. Along with the delegates came about 100,000 anti-war demonstrators. The protesters gathered in city parks in preparation for a march on the convention hall. But Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had no intention of allowing them to take over the convention . On the day the Democrats were due to nominate their presidential candidate, the demonstrators battled with police.


1968 Democratic convention besieged by protesters


The situation inside the convention hall was also combative. Supporters of anti-war candidate Eugene McCarthy were prevented from debating the war. Vice President Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic presidential candidate. With a promise to crack down on lawlessness, his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, won the November elections by less than 1 percent of the vote. The Cold War, and the war in Vietnam, would continue.



TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: antiwarprotests; brezhnev; china; coldwar; communism; czechoslovakia; freeperfoxhole; greatsociety; lbj; redspring; thesixties; veterans; vietnam
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last
To: Matthew Paul
Evening Matt

By the way, I had darts on the door of my room with an image of that sob, with the central point right between his eyes

I had a Jane Fonda dartboard. :-)

Later this week we cover Reagan and his part in ending the Cold War. We also cover Solidarity and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

61 posted on 09/27/2004 6:53:49 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A dry sense of humor is better than slobbering everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Matthew Paul

I remember the invasion of Czechoslovakia and was amazed at how the West just stood by and did nothing, not one of the better moments of NATO.


62 posted on 09/27/2004 6:56:31 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A dry sense of humor is better than slobbering everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Professional Engineer

LOL! Where can I get one?


63 posted on 09/27/2004 6:57:08 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A dry sense of humor is better than slobbering everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: alfa6

Nice picture, alfa6!


64 posted on 09/27/2004 6:57:40 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A dry sense of humor is better than slobbering everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: CholeraJoe

Evening CholeraJoe.


65 posted on 09/27/2004 6:58:07 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A dry sense of humor is better than slobbering everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf

Good evening !


66 posted on 09/27/2004 7:05:57 PM PDT by The Mayor (The stops of a good man are ordered by the Lord as well as his steps. —Müller)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf

Hello, Foxhole! Falling in this evening instead of this morning. Are you recovered from the trip?


67 posted on 09/27/2004 7:08:55 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("The Earthling has stolen the Space Modulator!" - either Marvin the Martian or Dan Rather)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf; colorado tanker
Good evening folks, I could not find a copy of the parody CD poster with the ten rules for atomic attack but I did finds these.





On a serious note I sure hope we never have to use them again.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}
68 posted on 09/27/2004 7:12:59 PM PDT by alfa6 (Never Try To Outstubborn A Cat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: Colonel_Flagg
Are you recovered from the trip?

Just the opposite. I think we are "paying" for our trip and all the months of work prior to it. We are both feeling pretty yucky. Burnt out I think, run down, exhausted. Looks like our bodies are going to force us to take a little rest before we kick back into high gear. :-(

69 posted on 09/27/2004 7:37:10 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Matthew Paul

LOL. Good dart board! Good evening Matt.


70 posted on 09/27/2004 7:38:13 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: colorado tanker

Hi ct.


71 posted on 09/27/2004 7:39:14 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf; snippy_about_it; MeekOneGOP; E.G.C.; Aeronaut; The Mayor; alfa6; manna; bentfeather; ...
Comrade Kerry struggled tirelessly
to end "an increasingly unpopular war."


72 posted on 09/27/2004 7:42:52 PM PDT by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf; colorado tanker; alfa6
I remember seeing these downtown. We were taught to look for these and remember where they were.


73 posted on 09/27/2004 7:46:34 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: alfa6

I don't even think they are marked anymore. I wouldn't know where one was if it would do any good. :-)


74 posted on 09/27/2004 7:48:16 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; Professional Engineer

Did the care packages arrive,he he?

Regards

alfa6 ;>}


75 posted on 09/27/2004 7:51:46 PM PDT by alfa6 (Never Try To Outstubborn A Cat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: alfa6

Darn it. We had a million things to do today since it was our first "business day" back and didn't make it to the post office. Mail was held while we were gone. It's first on our list tomorrow. :-)


76 posted on 09/27/2004 7:53:21 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: snippy_about_it

No problemo, there are only about 10k worth of pics waiting for you and SAM, :-))

see y'all tomorrow

Regards

alfa6 ;>}


77 posted on 09/27/2004 8:04:14 PM PDT by alfa6 (Never Try To Outstubborn A Cat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
LOL! Where can I get one?

You'll be first to know, once I discover the source.

78 posted on 09/27/2004 8:10:37 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (When candy bars are outlawed, only outlaws will have candy bars.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: CholeraJoe

I thought you might like this one.


79 posted on 09/27/2004 8:11:21 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (When candy bars are outlawed, only outlaws will have candy bars.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: alfa6
Did the care packages arrive,he he?

Aye sir. Thanks for the radio and pictures.

BTW, the OBL swing set is fantastic!

80 posted on 09/27/2004 8:20:14 PM PDT by Professional Engineer (When candy bars are outlawed, only outlaws will have candy bars.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
VetsCoR
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson