Home » Politics & Society » Cold War » My Best Cold War Christmas Ever

My Best Cold War Christmas Ever

© Dane Mitchell Donato

We all have wonderful memories of Christmas, and in my mind, the Yuletide is a time not only to enjoy the company of family and friends, but more importantly, I think that most of us try, in the here and now, to recreate long-cherished childhood memories of Christmases of long ago.

Each person has his or her own special memories. For some, its the snow falling softly in a glittering blanket across a hushed and peaceful landscape, or the scent of hot cider filling a room filled with evergreen boughs and bright, twinkling lights. It might be presents wrapped in bright, colorful ribbons, and eyed with an eagerness that can hardly be contained, or the sounds of neighborhood carolers filling the night with the dulcet, bell-like harmonies of songs cherished for their message of glad tidings and the promise of a peaceful, joyous new year.

Or perhaps your own special memory encompasses a loaded M-16A1 rifle, or snow angels, or Santa Claus with his bright red suit and sleigh, or watchtowers and barbed wire and secret passwords, or perhaps for those with a more deeply felt religious background, a mantel of magical stars harking back to the journey the three eastern kings undertook to pay homage to a new king born on this day so long ago.

Or deadly German Shepard watchdogs keeping watch over their own little flock.

Or, to get right to the chase and stop screwing around, the real spirit of the season - presents!

Presents Wrapped in Ribbons Gay

I think that all little red-blooded American boys have wanted a BB gun for Christmas at one time or another, and I was no exception. For me, that was when I was about 8 years old. The classic Red Ryder was the one to wish for, too – with authentic cowboy lever action, and Red Ryder’s authentic signature branded in the side of the hardwood stock and blued steel furniture, it was a very handsome and capable weapon.

And, for some of us, it just the thing to begin stepping up to bigger and far more destructive ordinance. Most little boys never do, and that is only right. And before you brand me psychotic, for me it wasn’t some gradually growing bloodlust I was giving in to, but the simple fact that when you join the infantry, machine guns and automatic rifles and hand grenades are merely the tools of the trade; an accountant uses a calculator, and janitor or witch has his or her broom, and an assembly line worker has an assembly line. A grunt carries a rifle and bayonet and a smile.

The copyright of the article My Best Cold War Christmas Ever in Cold War is owned by . Permission to republish My Best Cold War Christmas Ever in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.