Thule Airbase in Greenland and US exceptionalism

Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video on post World War II Greenland with a focus on the American airbase in Thule and how it was used to advance the US interest in the Cold War.
Big Picture: Operation Blue Jay by National Archives and Records Administration
archive.org/details/gov.archi...
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#ColdWar #US #Thule

[@gdsstarks]

I lived at Thule AB Nov 1 1978 to May 13 1981 as a civilian contract employee at BMEW Site 1. 13 miles away. What a time right in the middle of the Cold War. There were several employees that worked there from Operation Blue Jay, days. Loved my time there went as a 18 year old left just before my 21st birthday.

[@EmergencyL0tion]

I enlisted into the army and ship out June 28th and after my contract ends I wanted to join the air force and go to this base, there isn’t much information available for this base because barely anyone knows it exists I was wondering if you could ask to go there or they specifically target people that they think will be a good fit for this base?

[@johnblair765]

My father was stationed at Thule during Cuban Missile crisis ..he supplied emergency electrical power..in case of electrical failure / lost. He said that he really didn't expect to see us again.

[@JamieDouthit]

I was at this base for a few weeks in 2018. No amount of cold weather gear can keep you warm there.

[@bsompie]

Of course... this guy 😂😂

[@EmergencyL0tion]

I want to go to this base when I join the Air Force, I looked but there’s not much information available because barely anyone knows this base exists but I was wondering if you can choose to get stationed there or your selected based on particular skill sets? Just asking so I know my best chances of goin their

[@bpeezy2254]

@@EmergencyL0tion Totally dependent upon your AFSC.

[@schinook2000]

@@EmergencyL0tion very dependent on what career field you are in, but if you are in a career field that has a mission there, it can be a place you choose to go or you can be sent there as a non volunteer as well.

[@mikedee8876]

@@EmergencyL0tion If you WANT to be stationed somewhere in the military, almost guaranteed you will never see the place. I went to Thule based on skillset...

[@sahholsteins1]

104 days they built all that, and yet the state dot cant build a freaken shoulder on the highway in 2 years lol

[@theartofwar551]

That's bureaucracy for you.

[@wjzav1971]

Well, the highway can' be used to fight those dirty communists you see.

[@Jakob_DK]

We also forced the local population to move without properly providing new homes and abilities to fish and hunt. That planing and permits parts takes time. It is still an ongoing issue today with Thule.

[@Jakob_DK]

@Fk Ff The inuit were quite free in the first place. They were only occupied by us Danes and you have not changed that.

[@destinationlunar]

lol, and the DMV cant have less than 100 people waiting on a Saturday!!

[@ThugShakers4Christ]

For a couple of years, I lived in the most North East base in the continental US: Loring AFB. Not quite as crazy as Thule, but I'll never forget some of the weird things right around the end of the cold war. I'll never forget seeing F117As for the first time. Still weird to think parts of my childhood took place in a time that's considered history.

[@thefirstgalacticempire4746]

This is crazy! I just attended a seminar 2 days ago with a director of supply for Thule Air Force Base, and now this!

[@david___7039]

Coincidence is awesome! What was the seminar?

[@Thedoug369]

The construction of Camp Century in Greenland was also quite impressive. That one was built UNDER the ice sheet!

[@johnforbes8282]

Yeah I watched a documentary on camp century and project Ice worm, the deployment of nuclear missiles in the artic.

[@oldiron1223]

Had a three day layover at Thule in 1981. Second longest year of my life! Only exceeded by a two week E&I (Engineering and Installation) project at Shemya in 84.

[@user-sp6jk3zz5b]

My dad was in the army specializing in transport. He was part of a resupply contingent to Thule in 1955 out of Fort Eustus ,VA

[@ricmora4482]

I'm a Cold Warrior and yesterday, May 1st was my retirement anniversary. May Day was a perfect reminder of why we served.

[@maconp1119]

Congratulations sir!

[@adamfrazer5150]

I've always thought this was one of the most interesting and impressive construction achievements for Cold War America 👍 Thanks for bringing this to us, love the quality presentation 🍻

[@ilejovcevski79]

Today i learned something i NEVER knew i didn't even know :D

[@NotFM]

so true , he makes history fun =)

[@Thaumazo83]

A Rumsfeldian unknown unknown.

[@jordanvangundy975]

@@Thaumazo83 just my luck when I have something smart to say, someone else said it 7 months ago

[@ThatGuyWhoLivesinChina]

In 1957 construction began on four Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958. You missed this one.

[@raedwald-red]

10:00 So much for "Take only photographs, leave only footprints!"

[@MrRipper1956]

They took what they wanted and left a huge footprint.

[@henryblanton6992]

I grew up an Air Force BRAT. In 1963 my family was stationed at Ellsworth AFB, SD. My father had 11+yrs in the Air Force at that time and made a lateral move from the Motor Pool to Power Plants operating large diesel generators to supply electrical power for Air Force instillations. He moved us to Ozark, Al. because his OJT (On The Training) took place aboard Thule, Greenland where Dependents are not allowed. He was there from 1963 to 1965. We were transferred to RAF Croughton , England after that.

[@canthama2703]

Another fantastic episode, you guys are rocking on the quality of the content and subjects. Congrats Cold War team.

[@matiasd5216]

Absolutly agreeing.

[@britisheastindiacompany6031]

Liked the video very much. Very informative and it is on such a topic that we don't talk a lot about when we mention the cold war.

[@Bbuffalofan1]

One of the best episodes yet!

[@MikeHoncho256]

Just got back from there. Experience of a lifetime

[@radarmike6713]

I have been to THULE with the RCAF during op BOXTOPS in the early 00's. Boxtop is a twice yearly resupply mission for ALERT based from Thule. It was always an amazing mission. Thule has an atmosphere like NO other base ANYWHERE in the world. Miss Thule all the time.

[@TheColdWarTV]

CFS Alert...the only place in the world that makes time in Thule look good ;)

[@radarmike6713]

@@TheColdWarTV I honestly loved both bases.

[@yourstruly4817]

During most of the 50s, the Americans would have been able to nuke the Soviets into oblivion without any strikes hitting the continental US except Alaska. Europe would have been in ruins though. Even after Sputnik there were few missiles that could reach most of the US. This is one of the reasons why the Cuban Missile Crisis became such a big deal.

[@davidw.2791]

Yours Truly And probably why the Soviets were happy to have the Americans missiles in Turkey go away.

[@yourstruly4817]

@Dr ROLFCOPTER! It is doubtful that the Soviets could have launched R-7 ICBMs, since it took 26 hours to prepare them for launch and it was impossible to hide them from American spy planes, so the US and what would have been left of NATO would have had enough time and planes to destroy them on the ground.

[@black10872]

@@davidw.2791 American nukes never left Turkey. They are still there! The deal was to replace the nukes with updated ones.

[@black10872]

@Dr ROLFCOPTER! There really is no need for that many ICMBs because most if not all cruise missiles can be armed with nukes. The B-52, B-1, B-2, subs, and destroyers can just get close enough to the target country and launch. There's no longer a need to penetrate enemy airspace.

[@davidw.2791]

mark blizzard Educate me pls: how would switching to updated nukes be a boon for the USSR?

[@GhostRanger5060]

Love your channel. Keep up the good work.

[@diegonayalazo]

Amazing production. Congrats

[@NotFM]

Love your videos

[@pikminlord343]

What a great video!

[@justsomeguy3931]

Sound historical information (to the best of my knowledge), as usual. The way the Romans were a strong civilization in architecture and engineering (above and beyond their competitors), I think America is the Modern heir to that throne. This reminds me of building the Alaska Pipeline, which is why my father moved to Alaska - and so I even exist! I have friends with parents who worked at Thule The epic struggles of the American SeaBees to construct runways on tiny islands in the Pacific (often under Japanese attack) are a big reason we won WW2 IMO. I know a combat veteran who was an Army Engineer. He's one of the best builders I have personally met, even if his specialty is destruction lolz I'm no expert on heavy construction equipment, but to my knowledge the Soviets could never make a truck or tractor as good as us - and it showed in WW2. Feel the wrath of John Deere ad General Motors! Ah, The Big Picture. They have some of the best footage and some great interviews, but the ideological slant - it burns! Even when I agree with them, I kinda cringe like "Dude, you're making us look bad!" I hate propaganda. When I was in late elementary school, Frank Kapra's 5 video WW2 "Why we fight" series made me racist against East Asian people, especially Japanese. It also convinced me that the Chinese had "never embarked on a war of conquest" in all of history! If only I had known more about a little place called Korea! The racism was eliminated towards the end of middle school, when I played a Japanese video game that wasn't very Americanized at all (relative to many other games) - Arc the Lad 1-3. It was a new way of looking at life, death, vengeance, love, loyalty, friendship, good, evil, etc. I'd never encountered such ideas, and I remembered mentally arguing with the protagonists or whoever though they were acting so good. But in the end, even though I was surprised and bewildered why many of the characters acted the way they did or felt/believed as they did, at the end of the scene I was always left thinking "You know, they're right! Maybe the Japanese aren't so brutal, cruel, unthinking, callous, inhuman, and full of lust for suicide as I thought!" It was the beginning of me growing beyond my own culture of America and Judaeo-Christianity, and to this day some of the ways my mind was changed have remained un-altered. I often now find myself sticking up for Japanese culture and history, even explaining WHY Pearl Harbor happened by going back to Commodore Perry and the Age of Imperialism through the Boxer Rebellion and Russo-Japanese War. Yes, the Theocratic Fascism of emperor-worship after the Meiji Restoration (particularly in the 20th century) had a lot to do with it to, but the great powers of the world kind of boxed Japan into a corner and said, "You stay on your knees before us with an open mouth where you belong - no colonial empire and great power status for you!" Do that to me (or a nation that I rule), while enslaving the globe with a "you're next" kind of plan, and I'll do a LOT more than just cripple your fleets with sneak attacks - and laugh about it! Japan was NOT justified in WW2, but learning their history centuries beforehand through WW2 - I understand, man... PS This reminds me of building an 'expansion' base in StarCraft or other RTS games lol don't worry allies, we got ya covered! PSS I have been heavily critical of y'all at points, especially your last KaG video. No bad feelings, just get it right from now on. I do NOT enjoy arguing - ever. And I can't get a real discussion out of ANYONE on the topic of Islamic Theology and History... =( A big reason people act that way is the ignorance perpetuated by videos like the one you made on the "golden age," and censorship of people who simply calmly disagrees with that nonsense using facts and logic (facts that you left out...). Compare that to how everyone else is responding to me. Arguing with apologists for Islam is like arguing with Flat Earthers, Creationists, the Anti-Vaccine crowd, people who deny Climate Change - facts and logic don't matter, only feelings... =( PSSS I love your points about how nukes and such won't just destroy the belligerents, they will destroy the spectators to. I carry weapons, including a Glock pistol, on me 24/7/365+1. One of the very first things learned in the 4 safety rules is being aware of your target - and what's beyond it. We can't shoot if it will endanger innocent people, with our misses or the bullets passing through the threat (which is just one why hollow-points are superior for self-defense, in addition to having greater power to incapacitate and inflicting wound that are less mortal!). The same philosophy of use and SOP applies to ALL weapons IMHO. Unlike artillery, air strikes, or small arms - you can't do that with WMDs. I hate WMDs, even just calling them "weapons" isn't the right word. A weapon is tool designed for combat, to fight with. Nukes, chemicals, engineered micro-organisms, they are more like gas chambers and guillotines than swords and guns. Lobbing ICBMs around the old marble doesn't constitute a fight, it constitutes genocide conducted by remote control. A fight is a violent contest between combatants, a struggle. WMDs are more like unavoidable tools of execution, a lethal injection nobody can escape. What I think of WMDs is that they should all be eliminated, here's what put that idea in my child mind: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emfElaB5jsx7kK8 Instead, we have governments who think they can be trusted with weapons grade Anthrax and Bubonic Plague; but I can't be trusted with any guns, or magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, or "evil dumdum" bullets! Hypocrisy rots this world! I was never Imperialist, Colonialist, I've never assaulted or threatened or intimidated anyone or brandished a weapon. OK, I intimidated a belligerent transient one time as a security guard in my late 20s (in defense of a 90+ year old woman who could barely stand on her own power, who constantly cried for her recently deceased husband, and who had that transient screaming "You're a bitch and I'll kick your ass!" right into her face, leering with his one eye). Ah, my first actual Charisma + Intimidation roll IRL! It worked a lot better than I thought - he STFU and backed down. Despite what naive mothers say, violence DOES solve problems, and is the only way to solve the problem of evil.

[@MegaColacho]

this is reeealy the cold war so true david you nailed that right

[@user-df1ek5rc1h]

I though you would also mention the attempted American purchase of Greenland in 1946 as well considering how someone tried to do that quite recently... cough

[@MisterTipp]

Tried but never will 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇬🇱🇬🇱🇬🇱

[@justsomeguy3931]

Maybe Uncle Sam should take a page from the Romans, and use the Army Corps of Engineers to get work done more often!

[@gustavoganismo206]

@@MisterTipp Already bought 🇻🇮 though

[@MrRipper1956]

The most recent was the 4th attempt. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_the_United_States_to_purchase_Greenland

[@sc1338]

MisterTipp I don’t know about that. I think soon you’ll have to choose either the USA or the PRC protecting Greenland.

[@curtist919]

Air Force veteran here. Kudos on properly pronouncing Thule. I rarely hear people pronounce it correctly.

[@david___7039]

I decided to go with the USAF pronunciation rather than trying to butcher the Danish pronouciation 😂

[@lanagro]

@@david___7039 You could ask a Dane! One living here in Eastern Ontario!

[@david___7039]

@@lanagro thanks Jeff...I have worked with many Danes in my life and am fully aware of what my pronunciation limits are 😂

[@jimwatson842]

I was at Goose Bay during 1972-3, about 10 years after the Cold War peaked. The joke was people at Sondrestrom and Thule came to Goose for R&R. On three consecutive mornings there in February 1973 it was a balmy 27 below zero. Gives you a hint about Sondrestrom and Thule.

[@jimwatson842]

I was at Goose Bay during the winter of 1972-3. Believe me, I felt the chill factor...

[@brokenbridge6316]

You should talk about the other camps n operations that you mentioned in this video. It could be an interesting couple of video's to watch. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

[@Alexx120493]

104 days for what is basically an entire air base. Meanwhile the new Berlin AIrport is under construction for 14 years (5110 days)

[@tyros4372]

Good video, but it would have been a good detail to note that USA had bound itself by treaty to not have nuclear material on danish territory and that they ignored this with Thule.

[@DavidJGillCA]

No, that's wrong, as the video explains in some detail by formal agreement with the USA by Denmark during WWII was extended to give NATO the authority to use Greenland for the defense of North America including the use of nuclear weapons.

[@brokenclock4369]

I was assigned (basically forced) to transfer to Thule while working as a contractor for 2 + years (1987-1990) . The way they built Thule so fast was that everything was pre-fab built and only assembled on site. USAF bent over backwards to keep the Danes happy. USAF spent a LOT of money there. The Danes were a mixed bag. Think decedents of Vikings mixed with uber-Greenie party (anti-USA) mindset who like to drink a LOT! Environmentally speaking; In my recollection everything done at Thule was environmentally careful to a fault (despite this video's innuendo.) Work wise, it was difficult to keep job positions filled as you had ZERO life working an average of 70 plus hours a week. I remember that getting laundry done was a logistical challenge. For exercise I used to walk 3 miles a couple of times a week except Nov-Feb dark period (this was before treadmills and ellipticals were widely available. All we had were some beat up Nordic-Track ski machines in a room of our barracks. I rarely went to the gym or the club. Pretty much everything in Thule is depressing. Lots of drinking parties. I'm sure some of that was Seasonal Attitude Disorder. The had a party called "Burning of the Witch" that was all about SAD. Contact with the Inuit (native people) was strictly forbidden. All we had were some Inuit produced handcrafts/art work in the two room Post Exchange store. The arctic storms were wild. Winds 30-70mph carrying snow whited out everything for up to three plus days and we didn't have much warning. A couple of people died that I worked with and one went crazy (out of 70 people). There were cairnes (stone markers) all around the base showing where people had died. One marker next to a 200' deep lake said a snow-cat full of soldiers were still at the bottom having broken through the ice. I've lived a lot of places, but Thule was the strangest. Thanks for the memories. PS: The Cold War was a different time. I guess you had to grow up with bomb shelters and being taught to hide under your school desk in the event of a nuclear attack to really understand why the US would go to such extents as to build Thule. Ciao'

[@carlbyronthompson]

WOW that is impressive.

[@devonmanik127]

Great video! You forgot to mention the Inughuit who were forcibly relocated from that Area, which they called Pitifuk

[@scoutgamer9448]

O hi, please talk about CENTO (Baghdad Pact or METO) and maybe SATO (Von Mellenthi)

[@jiachengwu4185]

PLA Theater Commands divide the territory of PRoC; Russian AF Military Districts divide the territory of the Russian Federation; US Armed Forces' Unified Combatant Commands (UCCs) divide the entire face of the Earth.

[@tylerbozinovski4624]

@@rag0t2010 SEATO?

[@usaf1804]

And COD 5 and Minecraft pixel gonzaleski...

[@usaf1804]

@@jiachengwu4185 Chinese have selected attentions on both Hong Kong and Taiwan, other intense attention Ed concern is at the disputed border areas with India, a rival in population, military with nukes and land control and sea navigation of the SCS...

[@northwesttravels7234]

Also a destination for hapless comanders in so many movies and TV shows.

[@ZhifterSurname]

Great video as always ❤️ Just wanted to point out that Thule was not only a weatherstation previous to American construction of the airbase, but also home to about 116 inuits, who were forcefully deported 150~km (93~miles), away from their traditional fishing waters. In your defence, there doesn't seem to be much information on this in English: Wikipedia only has an article in Danish, and the book "Thule, fangerfolk og militæranlæg" doesn't seem to have been translated to English Another interesting part of Thules history is the crash of a B52 carrying nukes. A short wiki-article of this is called “1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash”

[@usaf1804]

I knew in the late 80’s, early 90’s a girl, Marie, I met when in Vegas, sondre stromsfjord. Wish I knew where she was....

[@tyronewalker5764]

I had know idea.

[@MachivelianBear]

Hi. You Said “Greenland was at the time a part of Denmark”. It still is, Greenland is as much Independent as Scotland or Missouri is. It’s part of the nation Called The Kingdom of Denmark. Greetings from Nuuk. To this day, Thule is controversial in Denmark to this day as we see ourselves as NATO-member. But it is not considered US soil, but the forces there have been breaking danish law when it was received that they used it as a refueling point for transporting suspected terrorists from Iraq and Afghanistan and not informing the danish government about it. Denmark still also has troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. So it just seems like the US is treating its allies as trash in their wars. Either way, it’s a good video:-)

[@randommonkey4900]

Denmark also treats Greenland like shit from what I’ve heard from some

[@maconp1119]

Nuke Denmark? It would be like swatting a fly with a baseball bat. But if we’re bored, what the hell.

[@MachivelianBear]

RandomMonkey not really, Greenland’s whole economic political system is based around Denmark paying 50% of their budget, so the greenlandish economy is really bad, and Denmark just picks up the check as always. Greenlanders can get into any university and get preferential treatment over non-Inuit Danes, so you can compare it like a kid from Alabama who barely finished high school and then gets accepted into Harvard Law, all paid by the Danish taxpayers. Greenland likes to complain, but they have more rights and opportunities than the Danes. Even though Greenland gets all this cash thrown at us, we have a lot of corruption scandals and unions own pretty all industry and service industry’s. The Danes have wasted so much money to try and turn this place around, but the Greenlanders keep blaming everyone but themselves. There even is a party in the Greenlandic parliament(kinda like a state house in the US), the party is called Parti Nalleraq and they had a policy on their platform that said only 100% Inuit blooded people may hold a job in the public sector and in government. They have actual parliamentary seats. So because Denmark spends a lot of money to try and improve lives for the Greenlanders, they give Denmark a bunch of shit back, make sense right? So in recent years Danes are getting tired of the constant complaining, anti-European sentiment, black hole money disappears into, corruption, trouble with the US, mass raping of children that takes place in Greenland, some villages have recorded that 70-80% of te children have been raped on the east-side of Greenland, the highest suicide rates in the world and a alcohol culture that makes Russia look like a joke. Greenland is a mess to be frank. Denmark treats Greenland very good and is sending a lot of money, doctors, nurses and other services up there constantly. But most Greenlanders keep saying indépendance is the only solution. But almost every economic faculty that has looked into this has said without financial aid from Denmark, Greenland would be bankrupt in a month. So to conclude. Denmark gives: A LOT OF MONEY Doctors and medical staff Opportunity for free and a good education(preferential racial treatment) They are exempted from conscription Subsidization of a lot of Economic ventures. Greenland in return blames Denmark for being evil colonizers that enslaved them by funding their government. You can see it’s messed up right? Greenland is in my opinion an ungrateful little child that has a Napoleon Complex.

[@randommonkey4900]

@Appelon I see what u mean by why doesn’t Denmark just sale it to the US then?

[@sc1338]

How quickly the Europeans forget what other countries did for them. Little countries like danmark should remember the horrible US keeps the New Soviets and the PRC at bay.

[@TomKroupa80]

104 days ... thanks for the information!!! ... there is a plan to build a new parking lot at our university ... I will mention the 104 "Thule" days when the time schedule will be proposed, just for fun and acceleration:-)))

[@Juve14]

Nice of you to include sign language translation with your videos :)

[@Xtragicfever]

This guy's hands drive me crazy.

[@NikkyElso]

Also serves as a great place to station the Privates that really piss you off

[@metricstormtrooper]

Great video, really interesting but its "That's core may have been left behind"

[@samg196942]

Since you’re talking about this base can you make a video of Ramey Air Force base in Aguadilla Puerto Rico my hometown, and other WWll bases overseas used during the Cold War

[@karoltakisobie6638]

Good program. Where is the link to that documentary?

[@david___7039]

archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.2569497 Looks like we missed adding it to the show notes, but will get it in there

[@karoltakisobie6638]

@@david___7039 It happens.Thank you.I love old movies.Better than some new ones.

[@georgiosiosifidis5999]

Can we get access to your channel's soundtracks, please? They are simply epic!

[@efzahmed6311]

Soviet interceptors (Mig-21, Su-9) were built with the intention that they would have to deployed under harsh runway conditions

[@cmscms123456]

I believe..... both Thule Greenland and Shemya Alaska were both considered 'isolated' tours of duty, and if you got it, it was only 12 month assignment... non accompanied if you were married. and the AF usually tried to give you base of choice on your return to the States.

[@usaf1804]

1990, Marie from Sondre Stromsfjord outside Thule. I lost touch with her. She was a native Greenlander. My friend, where are you......

[@peterhaag5225]

Would love to see a whole episode about SAC if only because I selfishly want some information on Loring Airforce Base

[@usaf1804]

Peter, Vandenburg and both malstrom and minot are also great interest. Vandenburg, awesome weather and conditions, best beaches yet #1 for most airforce person elk killed annually by the large sharks off coast! And wth, used to spend summers as a kid at minuteman and surf beaches on Vandenberg . Loved watching always the first and second phase; stages break from the middle tests, launches! The ground would shake, sky light up blue when at night, if in school, we’d all stop classwork and go outside to watch! Best of times, then there’s the ufo weirdness when at bentwaters/Woodbridge in Ipswich area of England (USAFE)...

[@375GTB]

I remember that episode of The Big Picture! It ran just before You Are There.... Every Saturday afternoon Tampa FLA. St. Pete's WSUN (ABC-TV Ch. 38 UHF) ran Air Power earlier in the morning. Mac Dill's Captain Jack Stir, the MC, was a friend to all us kids.... We had B-36's out of McCoy AFB Orlando B-47 and KC-97 from MacDill The Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs were VERY interesting Rural CCC Emergency dirt strips saw all kinds of clandestine activity At age 12, I made $20 cash, fueling up planes with Av-Gas and JP4 In the wee hours of the morning Mostly C-47s and C-123's with obscured markings or NONE This with friends from Vandenburg Airport, our grass strip FBO NE of Tampa... US-92 & US-301 Cessna 180s and 195s StaggerWings Mooney Mites Luscombe's Now a closed to kids paved BizJet port... Those were.... FUN DAYS! J.C.

[@ronbouj]

What's that final dramatic music you always play, I can't seem to find it

[@edata5898]

Its the Great War Soundtrack: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5ixfWWhfNGho8U. The song at 2:10

[@dkwlin4351]

So great~~ I am also interested in Post-War Canada Foreign Policy and Defense Policy in North Pole🇨🇦❤️🇺🇸

[@tyronewalker5764]

My Dad was stationed there!

[@AB8511]

In 1968 one of the B52 crashed there carrying 4 nukes, which caused nuclear contamination. Also there were allegations, that one of them was never recovered, although other documents refute this claim. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Thule_Air_Base_B-52_crash IMHO this should be mentioned, but otherwise excellent video. Like given and keep up the good work...

[@david___7039]

Maybe we are saving it for an episode of Broken Arrow incidents... ;)

[@AB8511]

@@david___7039 OK, then good for us all... And thanks for reply to my comment...

[@kerryannegarnick1846]

My Grandfather actually was stationed here for a bit

[@Balt21Raven]

Wow.

[@t0kk02670]

You forgot something. All non-combatant maintanice and service was undertaken by danes. Also there was a nuclear accident in 1968

[@billmcdonald8454]

I doubt a B52 was ever stationed at Thule. There is NO hanger there that could house a B52 plus only the interceptors would take off towards the cap. The only runway faced the cap and the other end North Star Bay. There were two B52s on station above Greenland. One was a SAC 52 with Nukes. The other was sort of a watchdog.

[@stephen9869]

Thanks, archive.org is amazing. Still searching for info on the Communists plans for a 21st century Berlin Wall that never was. Has anybody got any info on the "Berlin Wall 2000" project?

[@MrTStat]

what role did Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate play then?

[@TheColdWarTV]

investigating the effects of gamma radiation, mostly.

[@mastablasta69]

And in Slovenia they need 20 years to build a road...

[@Jakob_DK]

Masta Blasta In Denmark and Greenland we have spend the years since, being sorry about the unnecessary quick removal of people from their homes to make room for the base. They were not compensated properly or taken care off properly. It is and was wrong.

[@thorbennielsen3845]

I Think you should also cover the accident in 1968 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Thule_Air_Base_B-52_crash

[@2854Navman]

My dad was USAF and was at Thule for that incident. Part of the survey team tasked with finding the missing bomb. Long story short, he still smoked at the time. Came in from time spent outside (limited due to extreme cold) and lit up a cigarette. No one had told him you don't do that until you give your body time to adjust. The smoke condensed in his lungs and he almost died. Quick thinking by a medic saved his life. Dad told us later "There ain't no cold like Thule cold, it's inhuman".

[@christianwilfredo5694]

My high school has more students than Thule Air Base right now

[@gdsstarks]

There aren't any students at Thule. No children allowed. But I know what you meant. In 78 to 81 when I was there about 2500 people were working at Thule. Mostly U S civilian contractors very few military, lots of Danish nationals.

[@BijiMustardGas]

11:40 song please?

[@edata5898]

Its the Great War Soundtrack: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5ixfWWhfNGho8U. The song at 2:10

[@polu27]

no talk of the nuclear incident with the B-52 crash?

[@cmscms123456]

I was in the USAF in the 1970's it was always a joke, or scare tactic to tell others they were being sent to Thule Greenland, or Shemya Alaska both awful and cold places... Turns out one of my buddies did get Shemya Alaska, and I go Ramstein AB W. Germany. Im still not sure I got such a good deal out of that one.

[@errorsofmodernism9715]

David, Did you take a Speech 101 class that told you to make gestures when public speaking? You moved your hands non-stop when you made this video like you are giving your first speech in front of the class!

[@johnl5316]

Global temps have risen 1.5C since the dreadful Little Ice Age. There were 20 years of no warming not long ago. The Danish meteorological Institute reports that the ice mass of Greenland is increasing

[@rosswebster7877]

Great job as always Cold War! And here I thought there wasn’t much to Thule other than the place disgraced US military officers get sent to.

[@Sabocat]

Where is the archive.org link? Did David lie to me?

[@david___7039]

In the show notes...

[@Sabocat]

@@david___7039 Thank You!

[@BubblewrapHighway]

So THAT'S why he wanted to buy Greenland.

[@scottkrater2131]

More like he wanted to buy it, trade Puerto Rico for it because they don't have hurricanes and there aren't any Spanish speakers there either.

[@funetkopio4274]

too short :(

[@adamfrazer5150]

Am I the only person thinking of Hoth right now....?

[@TheColdWarTV]

damn! we missed an opportunity for a Star Wars reference!

[@danculea7865]

If you talk in imperial units then at least put their equivalent in metric in the subtitles or somewhere on screen.

[@varana]

To be fair, he talks (almost?) exclusively in metric.

[@gregorywarmoth1144]

Radioactive waste left behind is bad, but... human waste. Do you expect us to bring that back?

[@julianshepherd2038]

In the empty vehicles that went back to the USA? Yes

[@charleslynch340]

This guy uses the same hand gestures every 2 seconds for the entire video

[@John-ch4wv]

I'm sad its pronounced Too-Lee and not Th-oo-el

[@kratomandy6317]

Froo-tee Too-tee

[@LNMarls]

I love these videos, but in every episode David looks like he is trying to eat the air whenever he talks

[@TheCimbrianBull]

He's just a hungry boy.

[@apogena]

*Alright... Elephant in the room. Why are you hanging a picture of Joseph Stalin on your wall?! Is there a point here that I'm missing?!*

[@kotnapromke]

А кому плутония немножко? Там на дне много американских подарков у базы.

[@felixfonalledas893]

Greenland should be purchased by United States. This action will benefit everybody (United States,Denmark and Greenland!).

[@AlexVanChezlaw]

Can build all that in no time at a remote island but couldnt make college cheaper nor have healthcare

[@maconp1119]

Take a loan, make good grades and get a real job with insurance. Pay said loan and have a nice day! That’s what I did and so can you. Sorry, had to edit to include: MOVE OUT OF MOM’S HOUSE!

[@gunleifjoensen3815]

Was there not some pesky Inuits living there, before the colonial powers needed the real estate, for defence purposes ;)

[@od9694]

Probably not most of Greenland is uninhabited

[@david___7039]

From Wikipedia: "A cluster of huts known as Pituffik ("the place the dogs are tied") stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951. (A main base street was named Pituffik Boulevard.) The affected locals moved to Thule. However, in 1953 the USAF planned to construct an air defense site near that village, and in order to limit contact with soldiers, the Danish government relocated "Old Thule" with about 130 inhabitants to a newly constructed, modern village 60 miles (97 km) north, known as Qaanaaq, or "New Thule". In a Danish Supreme Court judgment of 28 November 2003 the move was considered an expropriative intervention. During the proceedings it was recognized by the Danish government that the movement was a serious interference and an unlawful act against the local population. The Thule tribe was awarded damages of 500,000 kroner, and the individual members of the tribe who had been exposed to the transfer were granted compensation of 15,000 or 25,000 each. A Danish radio station continued to operate at Dundas, and the abandoned houses remained. The USAF only used that site for about a decade, and it has since returned to civilian use."

[@BeingFireRetardant]

Inuits are the first line of defense.

[@akkalange6359]

Reparations for indigenous peoples will commence shortly.

[@elmersbalm5219]

the tide was always in favour of the US! it had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and nuclear arms in occupied countries around the USSR. Russia at most had Cuba for a few weeks.

[@ritemolawbks8012]

Not really. Nuclear weapons were supposed to be a deterrent. The disadvantage the US had was not protecting North America, but trying to defend West Berlin and parts of Europe, while containing and surrounding the USSR. The Red Army was the larger than the US ground forces and had more territory. The US, like the British Empire before it, controlled the seas and had better technology.

[@elmersbalm5219]

​@@ritemolawbks8012 do you listen to yourself? the US had military bases all around the USSR. From Japan, to Korea, the Philippines … all around to Britain! There were nuclear bombers stationed in major bases ready and prepared to launch an attack on Russia or China at a moment's notice.

[@ritemolawbks8012]

@@elmersbalm5219 I'm familiar with it. That was the containment strategy and Truman Doctrine. After WWII, the Soviet Union wasn't just called a superpower out of sympathy. It had the largest military. Geography made it possible to contain them, but the Soviet Armed Forces and the US Military were both equally matched.

[@ritemolawbks8012]

@@elmersbalm5219 If the nukes were used, did you expect the USSR to just surrender like Japan? The mutually assured destruction put nukes off the table. Direct military conflict was mostly off the table as well. Proxy wars, economic warfare, terrorism, and espionage were the only tools available to both sides.

[@elmersbalm5219]

@@ritemolawbks8012 Truman’s doctrine was bare naked imperialism. It was just a new face to the old game of empires

[@Tony_417]

Great info but it’s tough to not be distracted by your odd hand movements. It’s too much and distracting TBH.

[@Borneto]

third

[@chuck8835]

This guy is in no way pro US.

[@disabldfirefiter]

He does have a picture of Stalin behind him, as well as Truman.

[@commiessuckballs2287]

"With changing global temperatures, leftover equipment could move to.. Etc etc etc.." No. That would just be the regular movement of the ice sheet. Keep selling the panic with 132 years of direct data and a few million of archaeological data though, someone is bound to buy into it sooner or later....

[@NotFM]

USA still wants Greenland but legolands says no

[@blacktea65s]

make a good deal

[@Ramian1]

By Legolands I am guessing you mean Denmark. It is the Greenlandic people through talks between their PM and the Danish PM that decided so say no thanks, and who can blame them? They remember how the US has treated them in the past. qz.com/767028/us-military-pollution-in-greenland-the-desolate-landscape-of-bluie-east-two-air-base/ theculturetrip.com/europe/denmark/articles/denmark-is-left-to-clean-up-us-pollution-in-greenland/ - To be clear I am not happy about how the danish politicians have dragged their feet in handling the pollution.

[@sinisterminister6478]

The USA wants everything it can get it's paws on.

[@lanagro]

@@sinisterminister6478 I trust them more than Trudeau these days

[@chaosXP3RT]

@@sinisterminister6478 the USA is one of the only countries to invade a country and not annex any of it

[@solidsnake0408]

1:07 "Turn the tide" W t f

[@mxv2015]

Mostly a talking head

[@marcelosilveira2276]

10:55 I mean, if the ice was important for USA self defense, pehaps they would work a bit harder on containing global warming... so far, it is better for them if the ice melts and snik those chinese islands at the South China Sea

[@fleetwoodray]

This dude makes learning boring plus he has to forcefully make words when speaking. Quite irritating and taxing.

[@hedgehog3180]

This was a pretty horrible video that just completely ignored all of the controversy to deliver a feel good story about engineering achievement. Seriously you should be ashamed of yourself for being scared to approach even the slightest controversy. Where is the mention of the around 50 Inuits who lived at Thule, which before becoming an air base had been an important trading station in Northern Greenland, who were forcibly relocated to make way for the US base? It wouldn't be until 2009 because the Danish state officially apologized and payed reparations but the US has yet to do any such thing. Or what about the fact that the nukes were there illegally? The treaty between Denmark and the US expressly forbade nukes on Danish soil and Greenland at the time was a Danish municipality. The US kept the nukes there in clear violation of that treaty and without informing the Danish state or public, the Danish state only figured out that there were nukes there after a B-52 bomber carrying two hydrogen bombs crashed. After that happened the US pressured the Danish state into keeping quiet and made them undertake the clean up effort of the several tons of snow that had be irradiated. The only reason we know this happened (and the extent of the lies) was because of the work of Danish investigative reporter Poul Brink. This base isn't just some "cool arctic" base it's surrounded by some of the greatest controversies in Danish and Greenlandic history and white washing that history is a crime. If you don't want to approach controversy in your videos maybe you should make videos about something else than the Cold War. Go start a cooking channel instead.