Boothbay Region Elementary School fourth graders shared their hopes and concerns with the community through “Words of Comfort.” BRES teachers Kathy Hartley and Jennifer Lassen got the idea from renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma’s “Songs of Comfort.” The teachers hoped to encourage a connection between students and the community through adults’ responses to them in the following issue. Part 1 ran in the April 23 edition, Part 2 April 30, Part 3 on May 14, Part 4 on May 21 and Part 5 on May 28. All are online. Student submissions concluded with Part 5.

This letter was submitted by Bill Cherry of Schenectady, New York. Cherry is BRES fourth-grader Natalie Flagg’s paternal grandfather. The two have been emailing back and forth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this was his response to her Words of Comfort letter. 

Response: The Cold War

I was born in 1954 and I grew up in what is now known as the “Cold War.” It's called that because there were no outright battles with explosions and guns firing, or soldiers of one country attacking the soldiers of another country across a battlefield. That is what is known as a “hot war,” meaning it's a hot-spot of active combat. But the “Cold War” of the 1950's and 1960's was not like that. It was a struggle mainly between Russia and the United States, and it was at its peak in 1963-1964. Back then, Russia was known as the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or U.S.S.R.), and it was a large conglomeration of many countries that all had one thing in common – a communist form of government (versus our democracy). The Cold War was a battle of ideologies, but with a violent doomsday undertone. Which form of government would be the one to take over the world? Communism or Democracy?

Behind the mega-struggle between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., was the threat of nuclear war which would wipe out mankind in a rain of fire and would destroy the planet! Nuclear bombs were developed during World War II, and were mass-produced by nations in the years following the war. By the 1950's, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had thousands and thousands of these weapons stockpiled, and it would only take one or two of them to destroy the world. With so many thermonuclear warheads in their arsenals, and with these two “superpowers” arguing and fighting over who was going to be the strongest (that is called “saber-rattling”), it seemed inevitable that some general would eventually fire a missile or drop a bomb. And then, of course, the other side would almost certainly retaliate by firing back with their OWN nuclear weapon. And back and forth it would go – even if it all started because of some mistake or misunderstanding, it would be too late to stop it.

We all feared that the world would end and civilization as we know it would be wiped out. Believe it or not, we regularly practiced in school what we should do if the warning sirens started blaring (yes, our school had what were called “air raid sirens”). Our teachers would tell us to hide under our desks from the incoming nuclear warheads! This practice exercise even had an official name: “Duck and Cover.” In other words, “duck your head and cover-up!” We were terrified every day that the sirens would go off for real, and the world would be at war, and we would never see our parents or our homes again. It's hard to imagine now why the leaders of the country thought that kids huddling underneath their flimsy school desks would have made one bit of difference if the world was blown to bits!

So I do understand a little about the uncertainty you are feeling about COVID-19. It is a serious issue, and we do not know right now what even the near future will look like. Any anxiety or sadness you and your peers are feeling is perfectly understandable. Please know that in time, we will get through this. Someday you will look back on 2020 much in the same way that I look back at 1964. And guess what? You and your friends are about 10 years old now, and I was 10 years old in 1964! You will never forget this challenging and historic time in your life – but we will get past it and life will return to normal. Maybe someday you will have a grandchild of your own who will ask you to tell them a story about your childhood, and now you will certainly have one to tell!