In the early summer of 1982, I walked into the Base Exchange at Dam Neck and walked out with a piece of the Cold War, boxed and shrink-wrapped for just a few bucks. It was a model of the Polaris submarine, the pride of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear deterrent program. For months, while I attended SWSE “A” School and later Mk 98 Mod 0 “C” School, it sat on my desk. A sleek plastic sentinel with decals, accurate contours, and the powerful allure of strategic dominance. It was emblematic of all the tasks that I was leaning and being prepared to take upon myself. It’s presence reminded me of my own goals and what I wanted to accomplish.

But, back in 1961 that little submarine model kit wasn’t just a toy. It was a controversy.