I well remember those terrifying days in October 1962 when the world was confronted by the very real threat of imminent nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. I was so worried that I phoned my professor for some kind of reassurance, but he was as worried as I was. It was only many years later that I learned about the story of this submarine officer who refused to approve what his commander and political officer wanted--to launch a nuclear missile.
Three officers on board the submarine had to agree unanimously to authorize the launch: Captain Savitsky; the political officer Ivan Semonovich Maslennikov; and the second-in-command Arkhipov. An argument broke out among the three, in which only Arkhipov was against the launch. [Wikipedia]I think that as long as nations have these weapons, and especially with such weapons under the control of ruling elites, we will inevitably have a nightmarish nuclear war. The decision by Soviet officer Vasili Arkhipov prevented a nuclear holocaust in 1962 and gave the world more decades of civilized life. Next time, we may not be so lucky. So, let us celebrate Arkhipov Day...while we still can!
