OT - The Man Who Saved the World

[Shiloh 12]

The man who saved the world...

 

50 years ago, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, second-in-command Vasilli Arkhipov of the Soviet submarine B-59 refused to agree with his Captain's order to launch nuclear torpedoes against US warships and setting off what might well have been a terminal superpower nuclear war.

 

The US had been dropping depth charges near the submarine in an attempt to force it to surface, unaware it was carrying nuclear arms. The Soviet officers, who had lost radio contact with Moscow, concluded that World War 3 had begun, and 2 of the officers agreed to 'blast the warships out of the water'. Arkhipov refused to agree - unanimous consent of 3 officers was required - and thanks to him, the world was saved from yet another horrid war.

 

His story was finally told - the BBC aired a documentary last fall and PBS did a segment on "Secrets of the Dead" (see video on third link).

 

Raise a glass to Vasilli Arkhipov.

 

http://en.wikipedia....Vasili_Arkhipov

http://historicity-w...saved-the-world

http://philnews.ph/2...world-from-ww3/

Edited March 30, 2013 by Shiloh

[Hauksbee 103]

Raise a glass to Vasilli Arkhipov.

Done! And Done again! Hats off to Vasilli Arkhipov. But, ah! The ignomy of being saved from the Russki's...by a Russki. There's got to be some Old Cold War Warriors in Washington gnashing their teeth over that one.)

 

Good articles. Arkhipov later became the Exec.Officer on the K-19 (Widowmaker) and backed his captain. Good man. The photo is Arkhipov during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Hauksbee

[MAKO69 186]

There has been several Soviets that have "Saved" the world. Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

 

http://combatace.com/topic/75500-able-archer-1983-the-brink/

[Olham 164]

I don't drink anymore, but here I am almost tempted to make an exception. A line from a song comes to mind:

"The Russians love their children too..."

[Hauksbee 103]

A line from a song comes to mind: "The Russians love their children too..."

I recall growing up during those Cold War years with the feeling that Russia was aching for a chance, any chance, to start a war with the West. At last some one pointed out that there was scarcely a family in all of Russia who had not lost at least one family member in WWII. And a lot of our policies were quite provocative and gave the Kremlin sleepless nights.

[Olham 164]

...a lot of our policies were quite provocative and gave the Kremlin sleepless nights.

Yes, I think the fact, that America never had any of the 1. or 2. World War battles on it's own homegrounds

made the Americans maybe even more paranoid about threats.

As for sleepless nights, I guess each side made the other many of them.

 

I liked to see the whole story well presented in the film "Thirteen Days" - only then I realised,

how awfully close we had been to a nuclear war, when I had been sitting next to radio as a kid,

who didn't understand much more of the threat but the alarming vibes in the speakers voices.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Olham

[FenrisWlf 6]

Hoisting a dram of the Glenlivet 18 yo. Cheers!

Edited March 31, 2013 by FenrisWlf