Me and Honest John – The Nuclear Secret Rich Kept for 60 Years

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At twenty-one, Rich was trusted with a nuclear-capable rocket—but forbidden to tell even his family what he did. Then one failed to launch, and he was ordered to approach it alone.

Drafted from Chicago into the US Army as the Vietnam War escalates, Rich is transformed from a civilian into a sergeant entrusted with a formidable Cold War weapon. He recalls training, gaining a secret clearance and discovering that the unguided Honest John rocket could carry a nuclear warhead more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

Rich also describes watching an entire neighbouring unit vanish overnight for Vietnam, concealing his secret work from his family and returning home to hostility rather than gratitude. Nearly six decades later, he reveals the fear, responsibility, and memories he kept silent and explains why Cold War veterans’ stories must be preserved.

Rich’s veterans website ⁠https://veteranvisitor.com/⁠

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