International Nuclear Tension The Critical Presidential Decision

Oct. 16, 2008 - PRLog -- A rogue Russian General took an outrageous action that pushed NORAD and the Air Force's nuclear missile forces and bombers to full alert – launch keys out and ready.  Awareness of the action had come through means so covert that any action by the President or Joint Chiefs before the proper moment would reveal the sources and compromise national security.  Delay, however, was certain to condemn the target cities to annihilation.

The above scenario is not a modern day threat matrix – though it could be – but is the actual cold war situation that took this country to the edge of nuclear war in the waning hours of the Nixon administration.  An event never reported before.  Author, Steve McCurdy was a Minuteman Missile launch officer at the time and has brought this story to the page through a thinly fictionalized account entitled “The Whiteman Scenario.”

“The fact presently is that Russia is re-arming with petro dollars, showing aggression in Georgia and elsewhere, and ignoring world opinion.  Rogue nations are flaunting international treaties and rapidly developing nuclear weapons for dissemination to regimes that are even more radical,” explained McCurdy. “Presidential and vice-Presidential candidates are commenting publicly on the possibility of a new cold war – or even the prospect of a shooting war with nuclear powers.  History is on the verge of repeating itself. This year's Presidential decision may be the most pivotal ever.”

For almost 35 years, McCurdy attempted to get permission to write a factual memoir about the incident depicted in the novel.  In addition to his own first-hand knowledge he was able to find dozens of missile launch officers who were on duty at the time with vivid and haunting memories of the incident.  The Air Force Information Office was tight-lipped, however, and offered very mixed reactions to his requests for clearance and help.  Some information officers claimed there was no record of such an incident, others claimed it was still classified.  When McCurdy, an accomplished screenplay writer and director, decided to tell the story with fictionalized characters and strategically altered checklist names and codes – the problems dissolved and “no objections” were offered by the Air Force's Office of Special Investigation. The book, available at www.TheWhitemanScenario.com , Amazon.com, and by order from any bookstore, has received wide acclaim and solid 4 and 5 star reviews.  

“It is scary and entertaining... but the problem is... it was and still is true,” McCurdy stated.
For more information or to book an interview with Mr. McCurdy, please call Jaylene Gonyea at 1-866-263-0017 or email PRESS@TheWhitemanScenario.com or visit our website, http://thewhitemanscenario.com/index2.htm

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For almost 35 years, McCurdy attempted to get permission to write a factual memoir about the incident depicted in the novel. The book, available at www.TheWhitemanScenario.com and has received wide acclaim and solid 4 and 5 star reviews.