US Army

A 23 year old nuclear missile commander

  In the late 1980s Scott was a Pershing 2 nuclear missile Fire Control Officer which meant he was responsible for the launch of the missile. Aged 23 he was made platoon commander and responsible for 3 of these deadly weapons. The Pershing II was a mobile, intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the U.S. Army … Read more

Serving in the British Army Intelligence Corps during the 1960s & 70s

Harry served as a soldier in the Intelligence Corps in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s. His role was that of an Intelligence and Security Operator, focused on the identification of foreign and other malign activities which might undermine the effectiveness of the UK’s military presence in the country. Accordingly, he had the experience of … Read more

Manuel – Experiences of the Cold War Reforger 82 NATO Exercise

  Manuel Alzaga returns to the podcast after his debut in episode 57 with his experiences as US Army 18-year-old assistant artillery gunner in West Germany. He tells of his first impressions of West Germany, details of the 1982 Reforger exercise(return of forces to Germany)  Exercise, as well as the life expectancy of front line soldier on the East … Read more

Defending the Cold War Pershing 2 nuclear missile

Phil Logan served in the US Army from 1986-1991.  He went through infantry school at Fort Benning, Georgia was sent to Germany and assigned to the ground defence force for the Pershing II tactical nuclear missiles.  He describes in some detail defence tactics including against Warsaw Pact Special Forces, the West German Red Army Faction … Read more

A 17 year old in the Cold War US Army

  Today we speak to Manuel Alzaga who as a 17 year old joined the US Army in 1981. Manuel signed up to the artillery and tells his story from life of poverty in Los Angeles through to deployment in West Germany for a Reforger exercise.  Before we get going you can really help us … Read more

Training to be a Cold War US Army Tank Commander

  Today we’re talking to Neil Gussman who trained on the M60A1 tank in the 1970s. This was the standard main battle tank of the US Army from the 1960s through to the 1980s. If you are enjoying the podcasts you can get exclusive extras including previews of future episodes, as well as content that … Read more

Defending the Cold War Fulda Gap

  Today we talk again with Neil Gussman who was an M60A1 tank commander in West Germany tasked with defending the Fulda Gap which was a key likely Warsaw Pact attack route. We talk about his rushed initial deployment where he faced Warsaw Pact tanks across the border, details of various exercises he was in … Read more

Able Archer & the nuclear war scare of 1983

  Welcome to episode 19 of Cold War Conversations Today we’re talking to Francesca Akhtar who holds a  BA Hons in American Studies with 1st class honours  from Canterbury Christ Christ Church University in Kent, and a Masters degree in US history & Politics from the Institute of the Americas, University College London. Her main research … Read more