A couple of nights ago I started thinking about my two grandsons currently attending the Army Miliitary Academy at West Point, the oldest is in his Junior year, the other is a sophomore. I also thought about my nephew, an Army Paratrooper, serving in Afganistan. Upon completing their education at West Point my grandsons must serve five years of active duty in the Army.

My thoughts then drifted from the military committments of my grandsons and nephew and caused me to reminisce about my, not as illustrious, servive.

In July of 1961, I was drafted into the Army. I served in the Army's 1st. Infantry Division. At about this same time the Soviets in Berlin built a wall that divided that city and virtually imprisioned the people living to the east of the wall.

I was assigned to the First Division's 2nd Battle Group, 12th Inf. and in July of 1962, we were deployed to Germany to reenforce the Ber4lin Brigade. In October of 1962, the Cuban Missle Crisis flaired up. The United States imposed a naval blockade to prevent incoming Soviet ships from delivering missels to Cuba, as a result we were put on full alert.

In Berlin we were greatly out numbered by the Soviets in man power and tanks not to mention the fact that we were surrounded, Fortunately the Soviet ships enroute to Cuba backed down but only after serious threats and considerable tension.

In my life I have never felt as hopeless as I did during those ten Octomer Days in Berlin facing down a much larger numerical force. Although what haqppened to us was scary I cannot imagine what my nephew and his fellow soldiers are going through in Afganistan or what my grandsons may face in the near future.

I served during a Cold War, whats going on today around us is hot, very hot.