Mark Schwartz
Did you know that at least one SaddleBrooke resident flew the U-2 spy plane?
We all lived through the Cold War, deeply felt its effects in so many ways – the short – and long-term impacts on what we thought and what we did. Like a constant elephant in the room, the Cold War touched every element of life; politics, economics, social change, military events, sports, culture, entertainment and even created the counter-culture generation.
This unique historical era and its stresses provide crucibles to examine our lives, then and now. We will do this monthly, featuring a series of presentations, discussions and seminars led by us SaddleBrooke residents. We will tell the Cold War stories that impacted us on a national level, or perhaps on a more personal level. We will share these experiences to rediscover who we are or who we might have been under different circumstances.
Our initial meeting will be September 8 at HOA-2/MountainView for a presentation on Operation Blacklist and an organizational meeting to set the group’s structure and ongoing programs. We will start promptly at 1:00 p.m. in the Sonoran Room.
Meetings will continue on the second Thursday of the month at MountainView Center; the remaining 2016 meeting dates are October 13, November 10 and December 8.
I ask you to not only attend and participate in the symposium, but to contribute to our monthly meetings. We seek a steady stream of fresh topics and new presenters. As a presenter or seminar/discussion leader you will select your topic and the medium of presentation. Given the breadth of the Cold War and our personal memories there are an unlimited number of topics to probe and experiences to share. The list below represents just the top level categories of the Cold War era:
* End of World War II (1945–1947)
* Beginnings of the Cold War (1947–1953)
* Crisis and escalation (1953–1962)
* Confrontation through détente (1962–1979)
* Second Cold War (1979–1985)
* Final years (1985–1991)
* Cold War Culture
* Cinema and TV as Cold War propaganda
* Humor
* Arts and Culture
* Music
* Economics and consumerism
* Sports
* Cold War living and social changes
* Each topic can break down into a detailed focus and be very unique and specialized.
* Topics will continuously change per member input.
As always, this forum will observe SaddleBrooke etiquette, affording everyone equal opportunity to contribute and a professional environment. Feel free to contact me at 703-209-8013 or [email protected] to register for meeting/program notices.