Oral+History+Reflection

__**Oral History Reflection:**__ **Topic- Cold War Interview Subject- Bob Gardner (Grandfather)** Being born in the 1990's I never lived through anything extraordinary, life changing or an overall crazy time. Expect 9/11, but I was in the first grade when it happened. On the other hand my Grandfather witnessed all the Cold War. When hearing him talk about the events that unfolded during the time, it amazed me to hear a perspective from someone who is so close to me. It made me really think about the cuban missile crisis, civil rights, and vietnam. Hearing the stories it put me in someone else's shoes fror awhile.

My grandfather, as we call him Bops was born and raised in Shawnee, Kansas. He was eleven years old when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. He quoted, "Of course when the bombs were dropped, I was old enough to understand the enormous consequences of the US action. But at that time, we did not know of the deaths that would occur later from radiation poisoning and other causes. Do I think it was right? Yes I do, because I was aware at the time of the consequences of continuing the war in a conventional fashion." Bops also agreed that the Cold War was started by the Soviet Union becoming more communist, and wanting control. When asking him, what was our biggest mistake, or what our nation could have done differently during the time period. He answered " During the Cold War, the one thing I would have changed was our entry into Vietnam. I thought our response during the Berlin Crisis, and ultimately our actions related to the Cuban Missile affair were carried out well."

Bops was building up his real estate career in Milwaukee when the Cuban Missile crisis was taking place. He states, "we let down our guard after the Korean War; our intelligence services were either understaffed or staffed with incompetents. Then boom here were Soviet missiles 90 miles from Florida (approximately 250 miles from Disney World; can you believe it?). Intolerable! We were at peace, the country was readjusting to a full peace time economy, and Russia floated in under our noses." He as well as many people were shocked. A couple years later he moved to Winter park, FL. Which is about 300 miles away from Cuba. (Can you imagine being there at a time like that?)

When I asked him about the Russians and Sputnik I was in a world of surprises. Bops remarked to Sputnik by saying, " Stunned! Frightened! Curious? How could Russia, which we viewed as all thumbs and still riding around on their ponies with ice skates, have put “sputnik” aloft in 1957? I was in the service, and we all wondered what this meant for us. We were just starting to fire surface to surface missiles (all a deep dark secret) and suddenly here was something that could fly around the globe." I mean I can't picture Russian having their ponies on ice skates, can you? Bops couldn't stand the Russians either, he felt they stole our ideas on the bombs. The Russians are slowly drifting away from i ndividual freedom and liberty. He still feels distrust towards the Russians.

Vietnam, was one of the biggest topics of discussion we had. " We lost 58,000 plus US troops in that non-war, including my closest friend from grade school; he was the first navy pilot downed in Vietnam," Bops answered. He did mention though, if he was called to go into battle he would have gone and fought for our country.

We can learn about history from text books, videos and online. When learning history from someone else, and whom is close to you. You are almost taken back in time, you feel the pain, the hysteria, fear, and the sadness of the people. You see what it was like for someone else, you see the personal side of the story, not just the big picture.