Clattering Sparrows (12 page)

13

THE U-2, NICKNAMED THE Dragon Lady, was a single-seat, single-engine high-altitude surveillance aircraft flown by American fliers starting in the 1950s. The U-2 was capable of providing continuous day and night, high-altitude, all-weather surveillance of an area, in direct support of our ground and air forces. It was also capable of providing critical intelligence to decision makers through all phases of conflict, including peacetime indications and warnings.

It was extremely challenging to fly, not only due to its unusual landing characteristics, but also because of the extreme altitudes it could reach. When flying the early models close to their operational ceiling, the maximum speed (critical mach) and the minimum speed (stall speed) approached the same number presenting a narrow window of safe airspeed the pilot had to maintain.

The aircraft carried a variety of sensors and was further capable of simultaneously collecting signals and imagery intelligence including either wet film photo, electro-optic, or radar imagery and could use both line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight data links.

The U-2 project was initiated in the early 1950s by the CIA which desperately wanted accurate information on the Soviet Union. Overflights with modified bombers after World War II proved to be too vulnerable to antiaircraft fire and fighters, and a large number of border flights were shot down. The U-2 was designed to correct this problem. In addition, the plane was equipped with new cameras developed by Kodak which proved to be more reliable from higher altitudes. Lockheed was selected to develop the aircraft for the Central Intelligence Agency in response to Air Force requirements. The first prototype flew from Groom Lake Air Force Base in Nevada.

Although the first operational overflight of the Soviet Union drew no Soviet reaction whatsoever, the second mission produced a strong protest from Moscow. However, these flights which began in the mid-50s from the Army Airfield in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany, would not come to public attention until pilot Frances Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory on May 1, 1960. By then, the U-2 had been in operation for years.

After reporting to Pensacola, Florida, Tony was given his orders to report to the Wiesbaden Air Base. The Navy had entered into an agreement with the Air Force to jointly fly the surveillance flights over the Soviet Union scheduled to begin the following month. Taking off on a clear crisp winter night in February, Tony left on what was to be a routine flight with a smile on his face and a wave of his hand. It turned out to be the last time anyone would see him.

***

As Tony lifted off and headed into the wild blue yonder, his thoughts were of Judy. He was quite satisfied with how he had turned a hopeless situation into a positive grasp on the future. He loved Judy to the depths of his being, and was intent upon building his career in the Navy so he could propose to her. The past was past, and right now the future was looking pretty damn good.

The distance from Wiesbaden to Moscow, his surveillance target, was approximately 1200 air miles and with any luck he would be back to the base in a few short hours. As the plane traveled out of Germany over Poland and into Ukraine airspace on its final leg before entering Russia and continuing onto Moscow, Tony suddenly found himself engulfed in heavy clouds that he was unable to fly clear of. Following his original course was only taking him deeper and deeper into the enveloping clouds, and he momentarily became disoriented and unsure of his position.

He made the decision to descend to a lower altitude in the hopes of clearing himself of the invasive clouds, and thus enabling him to determine his exact position. Suddenly as the clouds dissipated and once again he regained visibility, he found himself staring dead ahead into the Carpathian Mountains. Immediately veering his plane to the right, he headed towards clearing the side of the mountain but not soon enough. The left wing slammed into the peak and broke off, sending the aircraft downward in a spiral motion.

The plane came to earth with a violent thud forcing the cockpit open and ejecting Tony onto a snow embankment in a sparsely inhabited farm area over a mile away. The plane which immediately burst into flames was reduced to a heap of unidentifiable, tangled metal before anyone arrived at the scene.

For almost twenty-five years neither the U-2 aircraft nor word of Tony surfaced. The Navy not knowing exactly where the plane disappeared had little to go on. Over the years, they researched and retraced his flight plan over and over again to no avail.

In the late 1960s, plans were initiated by the USSR to begin construction of a nuclear power plant in Prypiat, Ukraine, 18 kilometers northwest of the city of Chernobyl within the Soviet Union. Initial plans specified the station would ultimately consist of four reactors, together capable of producing ten percent of Ukraine’s electricity.

Construction of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant began in the 1970s, with the first reactor commissioned in 1977, followed by the second in 1978, the third in 1981, and the fourth in 1983. Two more reactors, five and six, were planned for future needs.

Originally a small farming area at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, the population of the town of Prypiat grew to 55,000 as home to the growing number of plant workers. During construction of the plant, the wing of Tony’s plane was discovered, and somehow with the easing of US and USSR relations eventually found its way into the hands of the United States Government.

After three years of thorough research, the Navy identified the wing as belonging to a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and a model consistent with the time of Tony’s overflight of the USSR. There was no word of Tony or the remainder of the plane.

At the conclusion of the investigation and the approaching twenty-fifth anniversary of his disappearance, the Navy Department decided to officially declare Anthony Marc Russo dead. They arranged a meeting with his closest relative, his sister Maria, to notify her that they were satisfied with their findings and there would be no further exploration of the case. A check for his government insurance policy in the amount of $10,000 was issued to Maria, and they formally closed the file.

***

After the meeting, Maria telephoned Judy and the mystery of Tony Russo’s disappearance was put to rest. Saddened by the news, but relieved that she finally had closure to a part of her life she had actually long ago purged from her mind, she took comfort in the fact that it provided closure for Maria and her family as well.

14

THE 1980S BEGAN WITH Ronald Reagan’s presidency. His domestic program was rooted in his belief that the nation would prosper if the private economic sector was unleashed. In his first year of office, although he managed to enact the major components of his economic policy, including a twenty-five percent tax cut for individuals to be phased in over three years, a recession marked the early years of his administration. As the real gross national product fell, unemployment rose. The number of American industrial plants that lay idle continued to rise at an alarming rate, and major companies like General Electric and International Harvester released thousands of workers. In addition, farmers suffered severely hard times, and American farming began the decline that would never be reversed.

The deep recession throughout 1982 continued until early 1984 when the economy rebounded, and the United States entered into one of the longest periods of sustained economic growth since World War II. Unfortunately under Reagan, the national debt nearly tripled, and virtually all of the country’s national wealth took place in the highest income bracket. Many poor and middle class families actually lost ground, as low and semi-skilled jobs were ejected from the economy or failed to keep pace with the rest of society.

As the deficit soared, a stock market crash in late 1987 dramatized with no uncertainty the instability of our economy.

The 1980s saw Sam off to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a career in engineering, and Mindy for some reason chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in journalism, and I loved her for it. She planned to live at home and attend George Washington University as I had.

My parents with their home in Florida spent only six months in Maryland each year, and Judy’s mother met a real southern gentleman Preston J. Reynolds, IV from Charleston, South Carolina, who simply bowled her over. Needless to say he definitely was not Jewish, and I’ll never forget Judy’s initial reaction when they were introduced. Her mother’s reasoning was that she had no intention of remarrying, and if she and Preston could travel and have fun together, why not?

At Mah Jongg that night, Judy just would not let go of it. She explained to the other girls in our game that her parents steadfastly disapproved of her dating Tony Russo her childhood sweetheart, and no mention of marriage had ever taken place. But then as Ruth pointed out, if she had married Tony there would have been no Ira and no Kevin and Michelle—their two great kids.

At last we settled down to our usual game, all the while discussing everything and anything in general, as we went from topic to topic. On a sadder note, Sandy related that her husband had just lost his job, but we would soon realize that the trend to downsize would last throughout the eighties, and before the trend would reverse itself, the unemployment rate would soar. Throughout the evening as we played hand after hand, I kept mulling over and over in my mind that once again Tony was in our thoughts.

***

The following Saturday evening at dinner, Ira talked at great length about what was happening in the world of medicine. With more and more medicines off patent than ever before, the need for a modern generic drug industry that would be on a par with America’s health standards for safety and effectiveness became front line.

Sidestepping the drug industry giants, the government entered into agreements with several smaller pharmaceutical companies to begin production of generic drugs. Their goal was to provide availability of affordable, safe, and innovative medicines to those most in need.

Quite excited, Ira was talking a mile a minute! “I’ve been in touch with several companies, but Heller Pharmaceuticals in Rochester, New York, is far ahead of the others. The availability of the most widely used antibiotics, blood pressure, and cancer drugs just to name a few, is just weeks away from becoming reality. Accessibility of these drugs is crucial, especially to seniors, children, and families that simply cannot afford the cost of the many patent drugs on the market.”

Jon whose law firm had recently handled a case where prohibitive costs played a major part in a patient being denied medications because of his family’s inability to pay, and which ultimately resulted in his death, raised his glass to Ira. “That is terrific news, and it’s about time our government is doing something about it. Mexico, Canada, and many European countries have been producing generic drugs for quite some time.”

Ira continued, “Danny Heller is the Company’s CEO although he’s young, not quite thirty. I’m impressed with the overall concept of Heller Pharmaceuticals and how they got started. In our meeting, he told me a little bit about himself and his Company, and said that he had taken over as CEO when his father passed away a short time ago. He’s been a part of Heller Pharmaceuticals since graduating from college, and instrumental in convincing his father to sanction his efforts to promote the company’s growth and expansion. He reminds me of myself when I graduated and went into my Dad’s business.

“Nevertheless, everything has been finalized, and I’m anxious to get started. I feel strongly that any program designed to provide affordable availability of needed medications will circumvent detrimental health consequences for people who cannot afford the high cost of patent medicines. In addition, relieving them of anxiety in the process is simply another benefit.”

15

UKRAINE MEANS “THE LAND that borders” and it is the largest country wholly in Europe. It shares its borders with Belarus to the north, Russia to the east, Moldova, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west, and to the south with the beaches of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

A land of 50 million people consisting of over 600,000 square kilometers, it is one of the three nations of the “Rus” people. Ukraine’s rich black soils produce an endless abundance of wheat, sugar beet, corn, potatoes, grapes, oats, rye, millet, and buckwheat. Each spring the plains explode into a brilliant coloring of red, yellow, and gold from the poppies, mustard, and sunflowers. A profusion of all kinds of red and green vegetables and a wide variety of fruit, melons, and berries are grown on the outskirts of the cities in the many small farming towns.

Mountains take up only five percent of the land: the Carpathian Mountains to the west, and the Crimean Mountains to the south. Most of the land is level and treeless of the vast East European Plain.

The richest woods can be found in the northwest part of the republic, in Volyn a region rich in lakes, forests, and rivers. Pine and fir trees, beeches, limes, oaks, and elms cover the mountains, but forests also surround Kiev, the Capital, and Cherkassy.

Richly endowed in natural resources, Ukraine has been fought over and subjugated for centuries. After the Peace of Riga in 1921, the western part of the traditional territory was incorporated into Poland, and the larger, central and eastern part became part of the Soviet Union known as the Ukrainian SSR. Despite the richness of the land, and its ability to produce an abundance of vegetables, fruits, and grains, millions died in the Soviet Government’s artificially created famines of the 1920s and 1930s.

After German and Soviet troops invaded Poland in 1939, the western Urainian regions were incorporated into the Soviet Union. Many welcomed the Soviets, but this did not last. Millions more died caused by the outbreak of World War II, with Ukraine embodying almost a fifth of the entire total casualties of the War.

Attempts at independence failed and little changed for Ukraine over the next few decades. However, during periods of relative liberalization, as under Nikita Khrushchev in the 1950s and 1960s, many people farmed the land in the small towns and lived somewhat in obscurity, but slowly and consistently bettering themselves through education and hard work.

At precisely 1:23 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 1986, on the banks of the Prypiat River in Ukraine, near the border of Belarus, a catastrophic steam explosion occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant blowing the lid off Reactor No. 4 and releasing seven tons of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. A mile-high nuclear cloud rained down isotopes on an unsuspecting population of five million. Because there was no containment building, the ensuing fires and a series of additional explosions caused a nuclear meltdown. Large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of well over 300,000 people.

An estimated 100 to 150 million curies of radiation escaped into the atmosphere before cleanup crews were able to bring the fires under control and stabilize the situation over two weeks later. Initially, prevailing winds carried the radioactivity northwest from the plant into Poland and Sweden, where heightened radiation levels detected on April 28 first bought the accident to the world’s attention.

Irina and Josef Petrova lived on a small farm on the outskirts of Prypiat. They had two sons Nikolai and Alexi who were students at the university in Kiev. For many years, Josef and Irina ran the small farm alone after her father died. Although it only provided them with a meager existence, they were content living away from the bigger cities and political turmoil of the times.

When the Chernobyl plant was under construction, Irina who had been schooled in Kiev and held a degree in engineering, petitioned for and secured a position in the first group of workers. Over the next few years, the opening of the plant made the area somewhat of a workers’ paradise, providing high quality housing, good salaries, and other amenities previously unavailable to them. With Josef working the small farm and Irina’s job at the station, the ensuing years allowed them to live quite comfortably. Their two sons who were in Kiev attending the university helped with the farm when they were home.

When the first explosion occurred, Irina and Josef simultaneously bolted upright in bed. Grabbing their coats, they ran outside and saw the rising flames and billows of smoke reaching up to the heavens as far as their eyes could see.

As Josef took off running through the field towards the explosion sight, Irina became hysterical. “Where are you going? Josef please stay here with me. There is nothing we can do. We don’t even know what is happening.”

Suddenly another explosion knocked Josef to the ground. Running to his side Irina helped him up and convinced him to return to the house. As pain shot through his shoulder, Josef leaned on Irina for support. It was all she could do to get him back into their home.

She removed his coat and helped him back into bed. He seemed disorganized and was speaking in a muffled voice, but he wasn’t making any sense. He was holding his head in both hands as if it were about to burst. As she eased him back into the bed, she said, “Please rest. You had a nasty fall. I am sure we will learn what happened in the morning.”

Irina was beside herself. Their closest neighbors were several kilometers away, and she wouldn’t nor couldn’t leave him alone. She left the room and returned with a cool cloth placing it on his head whispering to him, “Rest, rest my Josef. I will brew some tea.”

When she returned with the tea, he was asleep. For the remainder of the night, she did not sleep nor did she leave his side. He appeared to be unconscious, but from time to time he would mumble inaudibly. For the next two days he remained the same, and although she had called for help, no one came.

On the morning of the third day after the explosion he awoke. Staring at Irina, he said, “Where am I? Who are you?”

***

Although the death toll at the Chernobyl plant was initially listed as two, by mid-summer the figure was revised to thirty-one, reflecting the deaths of workers from acute radiation exposure during the cleanup.

It was not until fourteen years later that reports from Ukraine announced the closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant where the world’s worst nuclear accident had occurred. For most people, the name Chernobyl will forever be associated with the explosion and fire that killed dozens of workers in the immediate aftermath, and caused thousands upon thousands of cases of cancer and radiation poisoning.

The initial explosion was only the size of a small atomic bomb. However, in terms of fallout, Chernobyl produced 200 times the radioactive contamination of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, and one million times the emissions of Three Mile Island.

Although the atmospheric radiation eventually returned to normal, the soil, the water supply, and plant and animal life are estimated by some to remain contaminated to some extent for hundreds of thousands of years.