WWDitW American Years Crossover Episode – The Cuban Missile Crisis

https://soundcloud.com/user-221373450/wwditw-american-years-cross/s-T9fjt0o1wKA

This is a short bonus episode of What We Do in the Winter which features an episode of the American Years Revisited podcast.

At the height of the Cuban missile crisis the USS Proteus left the Holy Loch outside of Dunoon in a great hurry, where it was at the heart of the US nuclear defence system. The seas were so rough that she had to seek refuge in Tobermory Bay.

In this episode Gerry Pursley shares his experience of working in the engine room at the eye of the storm as problem after problem built on each other, whilst outside the world was facing one of the most critical moments in contemporary history.

I (Alasdair) produce the American Years Revisited podcast, where I work with the brilliant team of Kate Simpson & Ann Campbell along with the amazing reminiscence group to capture memories of life in Dunoon and the surrounds around the time of the American presence in the Holy Loch.
It’s a period that’s getting further and further away so the work of the American Years group is trying to capture the human elements of the story before they come to pass.
If you’re interested in the area, the subject or that point of time do follow the podcast.
It’s also worth checking out Andrene Messersmith’s brilliant book – The American Years: Dunoon & the US Navy