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On two occasions Russia almost started a Nuclear War and yet, on
both occasions, it was a Russian who saved the world.
A memorial, a day of honor, should be established for these two men.
Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov
(Russian: Василий Александрович Архипов) (30 January 1926 – 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Navy officer who
prevented a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Only Arkhipov, as
Flotilla commander and second-in-command of the nuclear-armed submarine B-59,
refused to authorize the captain's use of nuclear torpedoes against the
United States Navy, a decision requiring the agreement of all three senior
officers aboard. In 2002 Thomas Blanton, who was then director of the
National Security Archive, said that "a guy called Vasili Arkhipov saved the world"
See PBS, Secrets of the Dead, October 23rd 2012, The Man Who Saved the World,
YouTube (0:53) or
Download 189MB.
Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov
(Russian: Станисла́в Евгра́фович Петро́в; born 1939 in Vladivostok) is a retired lieutenant colonel of the
Soviet Air Defence Forces. On September 26, 1983, just three weeks after the
Soviet military had shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, Petrov was the
duty officer at the command center for the Oko nuclear early-warning system
when the system reported that a missile, followed by another one and then up
to five more, were being launched from the United States. Petrov judged the
report to be a false alarm, and his decision is credited with having
prevented an erroneous retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States and
its NATO allies that could have resulted in large-scale nuclear war.
Investigation later confirmed that the satellite warning system had indeed malfunctioned.
See YouTube (0:07)
Another The Man Who Saved the World
is a 2013 feature/documentary film by Danish director Peter Anthony about Stanislav
Petrov, a former lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Other
stars appearing in the film include Robert De Niro, Matt Damon, Kevin
Costner, Ashton Kutcher and Walter Cronkite.
The film premiered in October 2013 at Hot Docs Canadian Inter-national Documentary Festival
and was nominated "Best International Documentary Feature"
YouTube (1:50)
Download 1.67GB. |
Remember these airline
shootdown incidents?
1). Korean Air Lines Flight 007, also known as KAL 007 or KE007,
was a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 civilian airliner shot down by a Soviet
Su-15TM fighter on September 1, 1983, near Moneron Island just west of
Sakhalin island. 269 passengers and crew, including US congressman Larry
McDonald, were aboard KAL 007; there were no survivors. An official
investigation concluded that the course deviation was likely caused by pilot
error in configuring their air navigation system.
2). I hold the Russian government responsible for this loss of life:
On July 17, 2014,
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
a Boeing 777-200ER, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was hit by a Buk
surface-to-air missile system near Donetsk, Ukraine. All 283 passengers and
15 crew were reported dead, among which 80 children and several leading
scientists and public activists on AIDS, that were travelling to take part in
an international scientific conference on AIDS in Australia. It is not yet
known who shot the plane down.
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In the Arkhipov incident authorization was given by Moscow,
prior to their departure, to fire the torpedos should they so decide. Authorization
to start a Nuclear War!!! It was the humanitarian action of one man which
prevented this! I don’t know if Russia ever apologized for this Crime
Against Humanity. If not they owe us one.
It's reported that such a decision played no part in the Petrov situation though I have my suspicions
as to whether these “false alarms” were truly satellite/computer glitches.
Korean Air Lines Flight 007, item 1 above, was shot down on September 1,
1983. The incident with Mr. Petrov took place of September 23. Equipment can
be played with, readings simulated. They did kill a US congressman. Better to
strike first then to wait for the Americans to have the upper hand.
Lets not forget the immigration crisis which Syria is causing
due to Moscow’s refusal to deal with Bashar al-Assad, the annexation of
Crimea and it is still in Ukraine! There is also the issue of their fighter
jets buzzing our ships. Arrogant and childish behavior. They are a threat to
world stability, the world needs to deal with them forcibly. By this I don’t
mean war but some serious sanctions need to be imposed. As long as
Vladimir Putin is running things Moscow will only listen to strength. He is
counting on the rest of the world cowering to Russian strength. If sanctions
lead to war, initiated by Russia, then so be it. We will deal with Russia
then!
A song by STING
Russians
In Europe and America,
there's a growing feeling of hysteria
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets
Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
It would be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too
How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
What might save us, me, and you
Is if the Russians love their children too
Here's a more recent rendition
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