It’s 1956 and Khruschev is on TV in the USA and states “We will take over America without firing a shot!“ This bold statement by the Russian leader shocked most Americans but was soon forgotten by most because at the time things were good across the USA. We had been out of the Korean War for three years. The USA economy was growing. We had new music for the young, great looking cars that families could afford, and the new TV medium being covered by three national channels NBC, CBS, ABC, and the new public channel. Things were great in the ole USA. Families were welcoming new babies through the 1950’s with three-four children being born to most with father working public jobs and mother at home raising the young. Everything was hunky-dory across the sleepy USA. But underway there was skullduggery creeping into our public institutions such as universities, colleges, US government, and most of all our entertainment medium such as TV programs and movies, with plans to change our music. Especially the doo-wop, rock-n-roll, and country. These musical changes happened on February 7,1964 with the arrival of the Beetles from England.

Most inanimate objects get no attention after their use has expired, but the object that I am writing about deserves a place in Union County notoriety and history. This object has brought so much pleasure to three decades of Union County natives as well as the many, many visitors to the County. This object was produced from 1935 until 1992 by its founder, born in Canada and moving to the USA. The 600,000 sq. ft. factory was located at 800 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago IL in 1934. The Chicago factory has since been demolished. The plant eventually was relocated to Torrence, California. The object written about here was built in 1952 and designated Model 1434. It was designed to ...

He awakens from a deep sleep to the alarm of his Little Ben alarm clock. His foggy brain realizes it is time to get up and start his day. He realizes it is four a.m. which he has been arising at for the last thirty years during his six-day work week of Monday through Saturday. He then remembers that today is Tuesday April 25th 1950. He turns on the radio which is always set onto WNOX in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today ‘s weather calls for highs of 72 degrees with tonight’s low down to 36-degree temps.

Country Connections
By James Perry

Well, my old friend came back to see me today. He’s about two- and three-quarter inch long and might weigh an ounce and he’s green. Haven’t seen him since back in the spring. He was heading north to his summer grounds to raise another family of little hummingbirds. He stopped by to get some nectar from our flowers and now he is heading back south to over winter in Latin America.

So glad to see my little green friend on his spring and early autumn trips.

Sitting in my bedroom/office looking out our double glass doors across the porch and seeing no leaves moving, shadows forming as the late afternoon sun sinks slowly in the west. Our first really hot weather has arrived with temperatures forecast to hit nearly 100 degrees here in Tennessee. Also, the daylight hours have started getting shorter and will continue getting shorter until December 21st. It’s hard to believe that shorter daylight hours starts when summer begins. Well getting down to business, this month’s article will continue with a year by year recap of happenings from the year 2000 ‘til the year 2020. By studying the listed happenings, you will see quite a change from the listed happenings from the 1960’s ‘til the year 2000. You will not see as many innovations, accomplishments and the United States saw more American products and American manufacturing companies moving to foreign countries.

Setting here thinking about the tumultuous 1990’s and what occurred January 16th 1991 under the presidency of George H. W. Bush. On this date January 16th 1991 we entered a war against Iraq caused by Iraq invading Kuwait and committing major atrocities against the Kuwaiti people. Iraq at this time was under the dictatorship of Sadam Hussain. United States Army General Norman Schwarzkopf led the multi-national air, land and sea military invasion of Iraq to push Iraqi forces back into Iraq and stop them there. Next 14,000 Jews were airlifted from Ethiopia by Israel. Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested, tried and convicted for murdering young males and he was also suspected of cannibalism. Apartheid was cancelled in South Africa. Next the Soviet Union collapsed December 25th 1991 ending the cold war that started in 1947 between Russia and the United States.

Part II of my coverage of America’s slide from the most respected nation to the America of today is also keyed to the 1970’s. One helping person who was a Democratic supporter of Richard M. Nixon being re-elected for a second term was George Wallace the long time Governor of Alabama. George Wallace was a Dixiecrat, was very conservative and did not have any use for Richard Nixon’s competitor who happened to be a liberal Democrat whose name happened to be George McGovern a senator from South Dakota. According to H.R. Haldeman’s diary which he kept daily while serving as President Nixon’s Chief of Staff, whenever McGovern happened to pull up close to Nixon in the polls, Nixon would tell Haldeman to call George Wallace and get him to start campaigning harder, which would always effectively lower McGovern’s poll numbers. This can be confirmed in H.R. Haldeman’s book published after Nixon’s second term was terminated because of the Watergate debacle. The book is “The Haldeman Diaries” published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Copyright 1994. This book is a good read for those who want to know what really went on in the second Nixon Presidency.

My first article on this topic which appeared last month dealt with the 1950’s and 1960’s and America’s direct involvement in the Vietnam War. In last month‘s article I told of the position of President John Kennedy’s opposition to the USA being involved in a war with Vietnam and had started pulling advisors out of Vietnam. Another island country that President Kennedy wanted no war with was Cuba. The night that a bunch of Cuban refugees and a few mercenaries tried to engage Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, President Kennedy did not order our Air Force to provide air cover which led to the ill-fated failure of the invasion on April 17, 1961. I think President Kennedy heeded the outgoing President Eisenhower’s advice to keep the military industrial complex of the United States who wants conflict.

Country Connections by James and Ellen Perry

Sitting here at my desk and remembering our five-inch snow. Then our deep freeze that happened on January 10 with the deep freeze lasting for the following week. It was a beautiful and very frigid February of 2025. It started with a bang as the temps for the second week of February was more like early April. Mother nature can be harsh or very pleasant. Depends on her mood.

I’m sitting in my bedroom looking out through the glass door at the gray afternoon with snow outside. Snow is not only beautiful but puts lots of nitrogen in the soil. This helps provide nourishment for spring flowers, grass and trees. Also, gardens for spring. While sitting here contemplating God’s work, my mind goes back to 1959 when on February 3rd at around 1:00 am at night a V33 Beechcraft Bonanza airplane lifted off the airport at Mason City, Iowa bound for Fargo, North Dakota. The plane a 1947 Beechcraft V33 Bonanza crashed only moments later killing all four aboard.