My childhood memories are returning now that Ukraine has been invaded and attacked.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

I grew up during the 1960's. A time of movies, music, technological achievements, history making events. But looming over it all was the fact that since the ending of WWII, the US and much of the world were in a new war with Russia called the Cold War. Russia took over countries that were once under the control of the defeated Third Reich.

My late Father was a Design Engineer for a Military contractor called Lockheed Missile and Space in Sunnyvale, California. He worked on classified projects, still in use today, because of the said Cold War with the Russians. I remember Air Raid drills in school in the event of a Nuclear attack. My Father was also a part of a Civil Defense unit both in Cleveland and San Jose due to his skills as a Ham Radio operator. It was at that time after WWII that Russia was also developing Nuclear weapons and the capabilities to dispense them.

In 1991, the Soviet Union fell. Russia was reluctant to let go of the countries it held under its grip. Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Montenegro, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Hungary. Germany reunited, with Berlin as its new Capital. ALL are now part of NATO, with the exception of Ukraine, to protect their countries from future Russian Military aggression.

Fast forward to right now. The unprovoked attack on Ukraine, based on lies coming from Vladimir Putin, is connected to the glory days when Russia ruled much of Eastern Europe. The growing of Democratic institutions since then, Putin fears. Putin fears a world order that does not see him as a Military and Nuclear power. Putin is showing he wants to rebuild and regain that empire that was once the Soviet Union.

Ukraine is but a country building its own identity away from Russia. The Government and people are a proud people who want peace, prosperity, and a country they can pass on to another generation. We should as a free people, should care what happens to them. My childhood memories of that time are coming back.

[MLAA]

1. Excellent post.

[SheltieLover]

2. I recall the air raid drills very clearly

I've not forgotten.

Happy for all the countries who rushed to join NATO. But why has Ukraine been left out? They have been begging to join for years from what I've read.

And now this. .

[HariSeldon]

3. It's because of border disputes

The primary agreement between members of NATO is to defend each other's territory against invasion or attack. No country can join NATO if there is conflict over where their border lies, because then existing NATO members would either A) not know when their new ally was invaded, or B) immediately be in conflict to enforce the border claimed by the new ally.

So, Crimea.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. I just heard that Sweden and Finland want into NATO.

They are not that far from Russia and the North Sea is pivotal to Russia's access to ports.

[mommymarine2003]

5. I was the daughter of a career Marine. This brings back memories, too.

My father was stationed in North Africa (Morocco) in the early 60's. He was an intelligence officer with FICEUR (Fleet Intelligence Center Europe). When the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred, I remember my father preparing for war. He had been a fighter pilot in the South Pacific in WWII, so he was having to train again to fly to the U.S. in case the East Coast was bombed/nuked. It was a very scary time. I never had to do any nuclear drills as a child since I did not live in the U.S. My husband's father was a career Air Force officer and was stationed in DC (Pentagon) at the time. My husband remembers the drills in school.

In watching MSNBC last night with the breaking news, I was showing my grandson where Ukraine is on an old globe that still shows the Soviet Union. It was a shock to see how many countries were controlled by the Soviets back then. I spoke to him about East and West Germany, too. I moved to Germany when I was a senior in high school. Over New Year's my sister and I took a train to Berlin from Stuttgart where my father was stationed. We had to go through East Germany to get there. We went by train at night and were told not to look out of the curtains, but we did. Every few yards there was a soldier with a weapon along the tracks. It was really sobering. Seeing the Berlin Wall and people on the other side was something I will never forget. We take so much for granted now, but things can change in an instant. I feel so badly for the people of Ukraine.

[2naSalit]

6. I'll tell ya...

This past few weeks I have grown increasingly more stressed, my PTSD is activated, if you can believe it, beyond what it has been the last five years.

I started first grade school in Key West, FL during the Cuban missile crisis, My dad was in the VPs who followed the missiles from Russia to Cuba so he was stationed right there for a spell. I may have been a child but it left a mark I still feel today. It was when my childhood ended in numerous ways. I have been aware of the global threats as much as I could be for an unconnected civilian.

I used to have bad dreams about nuclear attack when I became aware of what it was when I was about four years old. They're back, had one last night. I have, in the past few months severely limiting my consumption of the news because I just can't deal with it 24/7. And I'm a political hound who could sit through weeks of long hearings, trials and inquiries, a trained policy analyst. It's going to be a long slog from here on out, I guess.

These are the days where what we do will matter more than anything we've ever done at any other time in our lives. I hope we're up to the challenge.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

7. Hugs to you.

Putin is pure evil. As are TDFG, his ilk in Congress, and the MAGA base who side with Putin.

[2naSalit]

8. Indeed.

Not only was I exposed to the military aspects of this, we had politicians in the family too so I was exposed to politics at a very early age from both sides of the family. One parent's family were personally acquainted and neighbors of the Kennedys as well as elected officials in a few states, the other had a long line of elected officials in at least one state.

All I can say is, the more you know about what's going on, the scarier it is.

I'll survive somehow, I always do.