I grew up in a Midwestern blue collar / industrial town (Dayton, Ohio) that had a major R&D military installation (Wright-Patterson AFB) and a nuclear research facility.
The area was always high on the Russian’s “hit list” during the Cold War. My father and a father-in-law were in the Navy during WWII; one uncle was a driver in the Red Ball Express and another was a Civic Affairs officer in Italy.
I can remember listening to war news from Korea in the mornings before going to grade school. I was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout (until I got bored sitting around in a church basement instead
