Alas Babylon

1. Alas Babylon Chapter 4 Read Along PPT with visuals

2. Mark and Helen leave one another and have a conversation in the terminal • She feels like she “lost” and feels like a “deserter” by leaving Mark but Mark reminds her he would be able to hide in the “hole” and she would not so leaving is best • Mark tells Helen, “Your job is to survive because if you don’t, the kids won’t survive. That is your job. There is no other.” (66) • Children say goodbye • Ben knows this is an evacuation • Honesty with his kids- “It was Mark’s policy to never utter an untruth when replying to a question from the children” (67) Helen & the kids leave

3. Wakes up from a nap and it’s late evening • Randy begins to realize a few problems…. • Transportation (he will need gas and oil) • Needed more groceries • Needed to fill Dr. Gunn’s prescriptions • Needed to collect Civil Defense pamphlets(sample Civil Defense video from the 1950s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsHUIxt1iMw ) • Civil Defense is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation and recovery.) • Candles, flashlights, kerosene (what if they lights go out!) • Decides to wait until tomorrow when Helen arrives, to help him Back in Fort Repose…

4. Eventually decides to go and get gasoline, oil and kerosene • Stops by the McGoverns (it’s about 10:30 PM- he doesn’t have to leave for the airport until 2 AM) Survival!!!! Randy’s Day Continued…

5. The Saratoga (remember, that’s a large ship of the U.S.), has just catapulted four F-11-F Tigers (The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger was the first supersonic, single-seat carrier-based United States Navy fighteraircraft) a video of an F-11-F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIgLmxUpvgI • The bogy (enemy aircraft) is still shadowing Task Group 6.7 (group of American jets), so they send out Ensign James Cobb, nicknamed Peewee and the youngest/smallest pilot in Fighter Squadron 44 to shoot the bogy down. • Code name was Sunflower Four • His fighter armed with Sidewinders (heat seeking missile) more info on Sidewinders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxuqECFdf4U back to what’s going on in the Med….

6. Peewee gets confirmation the bogy is nearby and hears the command, “Go get him!” • Enemy plane is North of him, racing up the coast • Plane comes into view • Knows he will be in Syrian territory water if he keeps going • This is bad because they were warned against violating anyone’s borders….he should have backed off, but he doesn’t • The enemy jet heads toward the port of Syria and so Peewee fires a missile • Missile misses him and hits the dock instead (really BAD) • This section ends with Peewee trying to explain himself to the Admiral of the Saratoga…. The chase continues….

7. Wonders whether he should go in • Description of their house as a department store • Designed to keep snakes out (her mother’s greatest fear) • Randy doesn’t feel comfortable around her mother and neither does she…. • His relationship with her father “not much better” • Father approaches Randy, angered that he is coming “to frighten his wife and daughter to death.” Randy arrives at the McGoverns

8. Bill says he is twice as old and knows more about what goes on in this world than he does • “all of the war scares are concocted by the Pentagon…..” (Bill is skeptical of Randy’s news) • Designed to “cheat people…” • Thinks his brother “has been taken” (means he thinks Mark has been tricked too) • Thinks “no one is going to use atomic bombs, just like nobody used gas in the last war….” • Thinks if Bubba Offenhaus isn't concerned, he shouldn’t be either (he’s head of Civil Defense) • Has pamphlets to pass out but doesn’t want to “scare people” (pg. 76) Bill and Randy’s conversation

9. It’s almost midnight/ he makes coffee and turns on the radio to hear a shocking announcement: • An American carrier plane violently bombed the harbor of Latakia (most important harbor in Syria)- this was an accident but we don’t know that yet • This harbor is also one of the most “powerful anti-Western naval bases in the Med….” (oops!) • Also reports American fleets in the eastern med are now being shadowed by enemy planes The Syrian harbor is an actual port Randy gets home

10. He missed the first news flash on Latakia • He has been recalled from Puerto Rico back to Omaha, to report to the “Hole” to “maintain a round-the-clock watch” (pg. 78) • He was assigned midnight to 0800 hours to keep watch • Before he goes to report, he walks through his children’s rooms one last time • On his way to the base (War Room), he finally hears the news of the bombing on the radio and that the Navy “denies that there has been any intentional attack on the Syrian coast.” (pg. 79) • He gets the “run down” when he arrives- that it was an accident when trying to find a snooper jet (pg. 80) • “Worst foul-up on record”…..”glad it’s the navy, not us” Back to what’s going on with Mark

11. The “red phone” • most of the world thinks the bombing was deliberate • Navy “PIO”= Navy Preliminary Inquiry Officer • Worries them that Moscow has said NOTHING (it’s a bad sign….) • Preparing by arming all range missiles (pg. 83) and RAF (Royal Air Force) in London is doing the same • Mark more worried “a massive strike had been ordered” War Roomcontinued…

12. Helen tells Randy she feels like a “fool” and a “coward” • Randy tells them about the bombing in the Med • “all their lives they ‘ve lived under the shadow of war….” (the kids are not “sheltered”) (pg. 85) • On their way home from the airport, they hear a bulletin: • Washington released a full statement on the Latakia incident • A “mechanical error” Helen and the children arrive

13. It’s 0500 hours at Offutt Field and General Hawker returns • “Critical factor in warfare was time…” (87) • Report comes in “patrol planes on the Argentina-Bermuda axis report three unidentified contacts (“skunks”), headed for the Atlantic coast” • Moscow still unresponsive and answering U.S. calls • No reaction to Latakia from Moscow = bad • Mark suggests they “ask for the release of our weapons” (88) • “this was the one mandatory, essential act that must precede the terrible decision to use the weapons. Under the law, thePresident of the U.S. “owned” nuclear weapons and missiles…” • In order for the SAC to use nuclear weapons, they must have permission from the President or next in line if he is killed • General wants to wait Back with Mark in the “Hole”…

14. General calls and weapons are released to him • Decides to also “scramble” their tankers so they aren’t “sitting ducks” for missiles from subs (89) • Message from NORAD comes in that a missile was fired from Soviet base (Mark thinks- it’s only one….but….) • Then reports “four objects” indicated to be ballistic missiles • “Skipping the yellow. This is you red alert” (90) ; General gave an order Continued….