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Cold War

Rainy Street Stories by John William Davis

Rainy Street Stories by John William Davis

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"Rainy Street Stories" isn't a single tale so much as a map of scars. Author John William Davis is a retired U.S. Army counterintelligence officer, a seasoned veteran of the shadow trades. In this book, he takes readers around the world as he threads together short vignettes, essays, and memory-shards about espionage, terrorism, and the people who live between those crosshairs.   Rainy Street Stories Beyond the Headlines Unfold If you're expecting a Tom Clancy showstopper with satellite uplinks and a missile budget, stand down. Davis brings something much different: thoughtful reflections that the author clearly wrote at different times in his life. Each chapter displays the depth of Davis' consideration for his subjects. "Rainy Street Stories" isn't a book for learning the ins and outs of the intelligence world, nor is it a manual for spycraft. But readers won't be disappointed to find real thoughts and emotions from someone who works in the counterintelligence world, and...

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Cold War – Operation Urgent Fury

Cold War – Operation Urgent Fury

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In late October 1983, the Caribbean went hot; much hotter than usual. Grenada, a postcard island with beaches, nutmeg fields, and a strategic runway under construction, had just spiraled into chaos. A Marxist government split, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed by hardliners, and a Revolutionary Military Council seized power.  Operation Urgent Fury Unfolded Amid Chaos in Grenada Nearby governments understandably panicked. Washington, worried about the hundreds of American medical students on the island and the runway's potential value to Soviet-aligned Cuba. On October 25, President Ronald Reagan sent in the troops.  The operation had a bold name—Urgent Fury—and a simple brief: rescue the students, stabilize the island, and restore legitimate authority. Simple on paper. In practice, it would expose the fractures inside America's joint war machine and force a generational fix. The opening act fell to Special Operations units and the Marines. Navy SEALs attempted...

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Service Reflections of MSgt David Manchester, U.S. Air Force (1966-1986)

Service Reflections of MSgt David Manchester, U.S. Air Force (1966-1986)

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Just before I graduated from high school, at 17 years old, I was home. It was just Mom and me, and she said to me, “I think you need to call the ‘recruiter’ and enlist in the Air Force. Since my Dad served in the Army Air Forces during WWII, there was no other choice but to join the Air Force. Mom knew that the best thing for me was to get away from home, and we could not afford college tuition, so this was the logical step.

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Service Reflections of Sgt Dan Raymond, U.S. Marine Corps (1982-1988)

Service Reflections of Sgt Dan Raymond, U.S. Marine Corps (1982-1988)

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I grew up in Santa Ana, CA (1970s) near MCAS El Toro and watched the Blue Angels every year, and I always admired the Marines. A strange thing happened around 1971, when my dad was a taxi driver picking up Marines from El Toro who were directly returning from Vietnam. This is something that’s terrible. However, it sheds light on what was going on with our veterans returning from war at this time.

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Service Reflections of SMSgt Dale L. Durnell, U.S. Air Force (1964-1991)

Service Reflections of SMSgt Dale L. Durnell, U.S. Air Force (1964-1991)

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I graduated from high school when I was 17, and when I started Junior College, I was still 17. Just before my 18th birthday, dad asked what I was going to do in the spring, and I told him I sure wasn’t going back to college and that I was going to apply for a job with one of the many aerospace companies in the area (Rocketdyne, Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge, Lockheed, et al). Dad then said that no one was going to hire an 18-year-old, with the draft hanging over his head (there was no lottery in late 1963, and I’d never even heard of Vietnam), and I had no college deferment. He said I ought to just enlist, get my military service out of the way, and learn a skill.

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10 Wild Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

10 Wild Things You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

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The SR-71 Blackbird is probably the most recognizable American aircraft ever built, even to this day, and despite being retired for more than 30 years. It’s easy to understand, just by looking at one. Nicknamed “Habu” by the locals of Okinawa for the venomous snake it resembles, the Blackbird is one of the coolest-looking aircraft. Even SR-71 aircrews in their pressure suits have an iconic look.

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Service Reflections of SGT Julie Bryson Muster, U.S. Army (1972-1998)

Service Reflections of SGT Julie Bryson Muster, U.S. Army (1972-1998)

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Facing a dead-end life with limited opportunities and wanting to break free from my circumstances, I enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1987 with a clear vision: to go to college and become someone meaningful. Growing up in challenging conditions from ages 5-12 in group and foster homes in Ohio, with abusive, alcoholic, and addicted parents, I experienced firsthand what it meant to have few options and little encouragement. The Army represented my pathway to transformation – not just a career, but a chance to build the foundation for higher education and personal growth. Military service offered structure, purpose, and the GI Bill benefits that would make college possible. I was determined to use my service as a stepping stone to earn my master’s degree in criminal justice and ultimately create a life of meaning, helping others along the way. The Army wasn’t just an escape from a difficult past; it was my deliberate choice to forge a better future and prove that circumstances don’t define destiny.

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Service Reflections of CDR Allen Allegretto, U.S. Navy (1982-2021)

Service Reflections of CDR Allen Allegretto, U.S. Navy (1982-2021)

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I was proud that my father served in the Army during the Korean War, and my grandfather and several uncles served in the Navy. While attending Penn State University, I learned about an opportunity to join the Navy Nuclear Power Officer Candidate Program (NUPOC). I loved technology, so the idea of serving on a nuclear-powered submarine and learning about all of the technology on board fascinated me. I was excited to join the NUPOC program and was only required to maintain good grades and graduate with an engineering degree. I enjoyed the monthly E5 pay.

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Service Reflections of SK1 Richard Lee Wailes, U.S. Navy (1968-1989)

Service Reflections of SK1 Richard Lee Wailes, U.S. Navy (1968-1989)

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I joined the Navy because of my family’s military history. My grandfather was drafted into the National Guard in WWI and was one of the original members of the California National Guard 40th Infantry Division., assigned to the 115th Sanatiation Train. He served in France as a Saddler Private caring for horses and was stationed in France from 1917 to 1919. He was then discharged and returned to Colorado and then to Idaho.

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MCPO Carl Maxie Brashear, U.S. Navy (1948-1979)

MCPO Carl Maxie Brashear, U.S. Navy (1948-1979)

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Carl Maxie Brashear came from humble beginnings, which gave no hint of the significant course his life would later take. Carl was the sixth of eight children born to sharecroppers McDonald and Gonzella Brashear in rural Tonieville, Kentucky, on January 19, 1931. Even though their home did not have electricity or running water, Brashear remembered a very happy childhood. The children found entertainment in telling jokes and playing with their father. Carl's great uncle was a preacher, and he attributed the family's endurance through difficult times to their strong Christian faith. Carl Maxie Brashear Early Navy Years At the age of 17, Carl Maxie Brashear had an interest in joining the Army but got his first taste of the prejudice rife in the military at the time at the hands of an abusive recruiter. Not to be dissuaded, Brashear met with a kind naval recruiter and passed the entrance exam that very day. On February 25, 1948, Brashear joined the US Navy shortly after all military...

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Service Reflections of STGC Gary E. Calvin, U.S. Navy (1960-1982)

Service Reflections of STGC Gary E. Calvin, U.S. Navy (1960-1982)

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I grew up in a Navy family. My dad was a career Boatswain’s Mate Chief. His brother, Roland, was a Chief Radioman who later became a Chief Warrant Officer. All my other uncles served during WWII – Jim and Harry, Army Air Corps, Mick, Navy, and Dick, USMC, WIA at Tarawa. I grew up listening to the stories and knew the military was the life for me. I also give credit to Hollywood, for I saw just about any picture that had to do with the service.

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