RT: 'I was just doing my job': Soviet officer who averted nuclear war dies at age 77
A Soviet officer who prevented a nuclear crisis between the US and the USSR and possible World War III in the 1980s has quietly passed away. He was 77. In 2010 RT spoke to Stanislav Petrov, who never considered himself a hero. We look at the life of the man who saved the world.
A decision that Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov once took went down in history as one that stopped the Cold War from turning into nuclear Armageddon, largely thanks to Karl Schumacher, a political activist from Germany who helped the news of his heroism first reach a western audience nearly two decades ago.
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My Comment: I wrote about the man a few years ago ....
.... Life is always very strange. A retired officer who now lives the simple life of a pensioner .... but .... his 15 minutes of fame ended up saving hundreds of millions (if not billions) of lives. His name is only known by a few, but the world owes him a debt a gratitude that will be remembered for all time.
For more info on the incident that could have plunged the world into nuclear war, go here.
More News On The Death Of Stanislav Petrov
The man who saved the world dies aged 77: Soviet military officer who averted World War Three when radar fault showed US had launched nuclear missiles at Russia passes away -- Daily Mail
Stanislav Petrov dead: The Soviet officer who 'saved the world' by averting nuclear war dies aged 77 -- The Independent
Stanislav Petrov: Soviet officer who saved world from 1983 nuclear armageddon dies -- International Business Times
Man Who Saved the World From Nuclear Armageddon in 1983 Dies at 77 -- Gizmodo
He's one of the reasons why I always believe in the good side of Russians - even if we often fight or call Putin xyz. I really wish for a time when Russia and the west truly get along, we share so much and are divided over so little. RIP
ReplyDeleteYou are so right Anon. We are much closer on many things than we are apart. Yes there are, unfortunately, on both sides those who only see an enemy. I often wonder what things in Europe and the M.E. would look like if we (the US) hadn't spent decades antagonizing the Russians.
ReplyDeleteKnew the WMU editor would pick up this story, we had a (interesting) little back and forth on this subject a while ago. How things could have gone disastrously different.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteI do remember.