Event!

Please join us in welcoming Linda McCarthy and her collection of rare, real-life spy gadgets. This event, benefiting the Cold War Museum, will allow you to view these unique artifacts up close and learn how they were put to use during the Cold War. Linda is one of the foremost authorities on the tools of spycraft. She was the founding curator of the CIA Museum, is the founder of History Is A Hoot and served as board member of the Cold War Museum.

When: Saturday July 28, 2012 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Where: Fairfax County Army Navy Country Club, Fairfax, VA

Admission is free, but donations in support of The Cold War Museum are encouraged.

Check out the Cold War Museum website for more details!

Weekend Review: "Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2"

Being a Cold War historian, I find myself naturally drawn to movies, television shows and games that have anything to do with the Cold War, Soviets or nuclear warfare. While not directly dealing with the Cold War, the Command and Conquer series takes themes from the Cold War and turns it into a very entertaining computer game.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 takes place in an alternate reality where the Soviet Union fights the Allies. The game allows you to play as either the Soviet Union or the United States in story mode. They also have free play where you can play without having to worry about accomplishing goals, just destroying the enemy.

What is great about the story mode is that the creators really gave some thought into what may have happened had the Cold War escalated in a different way. There are campaigns that are reminiscent of the campaigns in WWII; from conquering a building to conquering a whole city. There are standard weapons like guns, sentry towers, and nuclear bombs, but there are also fantastical weapons that use electricity, controlled storms and cloaking technology.

The single player mode allows you to build a base from scratch and then launch attacks against your enemy/enemies in order to become the last one standing. Each player has a possible super weapon that they can build their way up to getting, and once their weapon is launched it is almost impossible to avoid it. You can wipe out your enemy, or infiltrate them and take them down from the inside. There are as many ways to win as there are to lose, and this is what makes this game so challenging and fun. No matter how many times you have played it (and I have been playing this game for 12 years) it is still challenging and entertaining after all of these years. I am purposely being vague about the gameplay because this game is full of awesome technology and twists and turns. I am still finding out new things about this game, so I don't want to give too much away!

I highly recommend this game for anyone who is a fan of real time strategy and the Cold War. While not directly related to the Cold War, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a must play for any enthusiast.

DEFCON rating: 1

Just play it, you won't regret it!



The Things I Do For the Cold War...

As you know from my bio, I collect Civilian Civil Defense items. I have a rather extensive collection, and I love to talk about my items and the Cold War every chance I get. Well, when National Geographic's "America's Lost Treasures" came to town, I decided to enter one of my manuals to be shown on the program.

I submitted my application and promptly forgot about it, until I received and email stating that my manual had been accepted for the show... along with myself to talk about it. I love teaching about the Cold War, but usually to smaller groups. However, I feel so strongly about the Cold War that I was willing to go on TV and talk about it. A television appearance is a very daunting thing for a normally shy person, but I decided to take one for the team. Besides... its not like they were going to put a lot of focus on my artifact, right? It wasn't exactly a lost treasure per se...

Yeah, it got mentioned alright. I just had to suffer through watching myself on TV for two painful minutes as I went on to describe my manual and a little bit about the Cold War. They weren't kidding when they said they would shoot for 1/2 hour but only use 2 minutes worth! I knew that it wasn't going to be a lot of time, but I never expected 2 whole minutes...

Even though it was incredibly uncomfortable for me to watch, I understand that it was for the greater good. You see, most of the people I encounter do not see Cold War objects as "lost treasures".  However, they are quickly becoming lost treasures and that is why we need to preserve them. Many of the people I show my collection to begin our conversation with "oh, my relative had a bunch of this stuff and we threw it away..." This breaks my heart every time I hear it.

If you are reading this blog, then you are obviously interested in the Cold War. You may even be a veteran of the Cold War or have a collection of you own. The thing that we need to remember is the Cold War is slipping away from people's memory and we need to preserve it and talk about it. If we keep quiet and choose to be shy about Cold War rather than talking to people, then in 50 years artifacts from the Cold War will indeed become lost treasures.

So, if you would like to see me on TV check your local listings for the National Geographic Channel's "America's Lost Treasures: Milwaukee". Don't laugh too hard. (As a side note, they incorrectly listed that sirens other Cold War stuff is worth more than the book. Even though they might monetarily be worth more, the paper stuff is still more rare.) :)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from the Cold War Museum! Please have safe travels and stay cool!

Cold War Biographies: Laika

I decided to think outside the box today when I chose this week's Cold War biography. Laika is not your average Cold Warrior, but she is such an important part of the space program and the Cold War that I could not overlook her. The Cold Warrior I am going to profile today is Laika, dubbed"Mutt-nik" by the Americans.

Laika was a mongrel who was found as a stray on the streets of Moscow. The Russians believed that a stray dog would be perfect for space travel because they had to endure such tough conditions on the streets. A street dog, it was thought, could hold their own in extreme conditions better than a house pet. Laika was set in a program with two other dogs. They endured harsh training and sterile conditions in order to get ready for space flight.

Laika was trained to stay in one spot through the use of smaller and smaller cages in order to adapt to the short time she would spend in the capsule. She also underwent endurance tests such as the centrifuge to simulate a space shuttle launch. Out of three dogs, she was chosen to be the one to ride into space.

It was never intended for Laika to survive the trip, and it took the Soviet Union a long time to admit that she died shortly after reaching space. However, it was one of the first experiments that paved the way for human occupation of space vehicles. Laika's fate also created a sense of responsibility to both the Soviets and the Americans regarding their treatment of animals in space. Several scientists who worked with Laika regretted that she was never meant to come back home, and the rest of the Soviet missions allowed for the animals to be returned safely home. Laika is revered for her bravery and she has had stamps, days and even a staute erected in her honor.