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I Was Trained to Nuke Marxist/Socialists:

What’s the coolest job you ever had?

Dana F Harbaugh's avatar
Dana F Harbaugh
Jul 02, 2026
Cross-posted by Hardball's Substack
"Really worth reading! "
- Christopher Arnell

Speaking of big fireworks…

The image shows a pilot in a cockpit, operating controls and monitoring screens.

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

When you were 26 years old, what were you doing?

Did or does your current job require you to possibly initiate the destruction of much of the human race?

Did or does your job demand you become a subject matter expert in helping to start or continue World War 3?

Did or does your job require years of deep research into the history, philosophy, politics and cultural norms of a highly complicated and formidable foreign enemy?

Does your job require you to memorize Yellow Page phonebook-sized volumes of highly classified information on every relevant enemy weapon system, their lethality, effective ranges and how they are integrated into a global battlefield?

That’s a snapshot of what I was trained to do. It’s a snapshot of what I was officially qualified to do. It’s a snapshot of a job that I highly excelled at. It’s a snapshot of a job that very few living humans can place on their resume.

For those unaware of how real the possibility of a Cold War nuclear “Armageddon” was, let’s discuss it from a different angle.

This discussion will be from a personal angle, not a History Channel overview. This will be a discussion of how a very elite few of America’s sons and daughters were trained by your government to be the human-link in the final decision node, possibly starting or continuing a full-blown nuclear “exchange” with the Soviet Union.

What was my official job title in 1988?

Naval Aircrewman (AW2): Designated US Navy S-3 Viking Anti-Submarine Warfare Acoustic Sensor Operator (SENSO)

That’s a very long title for an enlisted Operator who sits strapped into the back of a high-performance Navy jet launched from an aircraft carrier and hunts submarines, night or day, in any weather.

Duties? Too many to describe in this article. (see previous article “What is a Viking SENSO?”)

The image depicts a display of the B57 Nuclear Bomb, showcased on a pedestal against a red backdrop.

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Ultimate Duty? To hunt, track and attack from the air Soviet-built nuclear ballistic missile and fast-attack submarines and drop the B-57 nuclear depth bomb on such targets, as ordered by proper authority.

Ok, a quick overview. Those “other duties” spanned a vast list ranging from being a subject matter expert on the Viking’s state-of-the-art weapon system and its tactical employment, to overall aircraft and aeronautical knowledge, to the memorization of volumes of detailed enemy Order of Battle information, as well as many more sectors of responsibility. (Doing all this while trying not to puke from airsickness, an affliction that can get you and your crew killed)

The image is a detailed diagram of a Lockheed S-3B Viking aircraft, showcasing various components such as wings, navigation lights, ECM equipment, weapons bays, fuel tanks, avionics, and control systems.

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Anyone with half a conscience would step back and ask themselves… “How the hell did the United States of America get to this point, in 1988, of having thousands of nuclear tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) pointed at the Soviet Union, while simultaneously, the Soviets had their vast nuclear arsenal pointed at us?

To answer that question, if you’re really curious, requires in-depth reading into the history of the post-World War 2 era, as well as the history, philosophy and world impact of Marxist/Socialist regimes.

Only raising more questions.

Why was the US so afraid of Marxist/Socialist expansion around the globe?

Karl Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Che Guevarra, and countless other vectors of this cancerous ideology left many reasons to be afraid, like mass graves, enslavement of millions and societal ruin across the globe.

Image from sketches made by Vietnam POW John M. McGrath after 6 years of torture

Why was there so much brutality involved in nearly every aspect of Marxist society?

Fear and coercion are vital tools when trying to change human beings into tools of the government.

Why did I have to be trained in resisting Marxist torture techniques if captured?

The image depicts a person in a lab coat connecting a device to a human brain, symbolizing the influence of Marxism on nature.

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Image from Substack article: “The Joy of Brainwashing”

Why did I have to go through anti-Marxist brainwashing training?

Why does Marxist/Socialist regime have more than a century of documented brutality toward their own citizens and anyone who stands in their way?

Questions upon questions kept popping up as I became a fully patched Viking SENSO.

The image depicts a U.S. Navy S-3 Viking tailhook insignia.

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Now, 38 years later, I reflect upon my duty to nuke Marxists back then.

Yes, Marxists. Production of these submarines were ordered into the Soviet Fleet by Marxists, built by Marxist laborers, and once finished, crewed by fanatically devoted Marxists trained to, without question, annihilate the United States of America.

And 38 years later, I’m wondering: How the hell did the US get to the point, after ostensibly winning the Cold War, where many of its own citizens are rabidly racing to the voting booths to elect openly Marxist/Socialist politicians with their promises of Utopia?

These Socialist zealots are not representing a Free and consenting electorate.

They represent a coddled, ignorant and highly volatile faction that will use any means available to tear down this American experiment in a Constitutional Republic.

Their voters are demanding Government-funded Utopia. (from the Greek, “no place”)

Free stuff that invariably turns into a free pile of shit. Not even good shit, but low-quality shit destined for the landfill of failed outcomes. These voters are woefully ignorant of the real price tag for that Utopian dung heap.

The Ontology of Marxism

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Read “The Oncology of Marxist Ontology”

Marxism didn’t change. It’s still a deadly cancerous ideology, metastasizing across the globe, almost like “dominoes” toppling mind after mind, group after group, city after city, nation after nation.

And how should I explain this to my VA counselor? Or are they too ignorant of such topics to feel confident in addressing my mental health issues, while still claiming they are the experts in their field?

Even though the VA labeled me as 100% “Totally Unemployable”, at least I can still have my updated work resume display in bold type “Trained to Nuke Marxists”… with sources, references and character witnesses upon request.

Happy 250th Birthday America!!!

Written by Dana F. Harbaugh (Navy callsign: Hardball)

Sources & References

(Supporting the historical, military, and philosophical context of this article)

I. Primary Military Experience

Harbaugh, Dana F.
Personal service as U.S. Navy AW2 Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator (SENSO), VS-38 “Fighting Red Griffins,” Carrier Air Wing TWO, USS Ranger (CV-61), 1988–1992.

Official qualifications included:

  • S-3 Viking Acoustic Sensor Operator

  • Personnel Reliability Program (PRP)

  • Nuclear Weapons Loading Team qualification (B57 Nuclear Depth Bomb)

  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

  • Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW)

  • Operation Earnest Will

  • Operation Desert Shield

  • Operation Desert Storm

  • Operation Defense of the Kurdish People

  • Intermediate & Advanced Acoustic Analysis Instructor (FASOTRAGRUPAC)


II. Cold War Nuclear Strategy

The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy
Lawrence Freedman

The definitive history of nuclear deterrence, Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), and Cold War strategic doctrine.


On Thermonuclear War
Herman Kahn

Classic work examining escalation, deterrence, and strategic nuclear warfare.


The Cold War
John Lewis Gaddis

Widely regarded as one of the best single-volume histories of the Cold War.


Strategies of Containment
John Lewis Gaddis

Explains American grand strategy toward Soviet expansion.


III. Soviet Naval Power

Red Star over the Pacific
Toshi Yoshihara &
James R. Holmes

Historical development of Soviet and later Chinese naval doctrine.


Soviet Military Power

Annual Department of Defense assessment of Soviet capabilities during the Cold War.


Office of Naval Intelligence

Numerous Cold War publications regarding Soviet submarine capabilities, doctrine, and Order of Battle.


Naval History and Heritage Command

Historical documentation on U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare operations.


IV. The S-3 Viking

Lockheed Corporation

Official historical documentation of the S-3 Viking weapons system.


Naval Air Systems Command

S-3 Viking tactical publications and historical documentation.


V. Marxism

The Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx &
Friedrich Engels

Foundational political document describing communist theory.


Das Kapital
Karl Marx

Primary work on Marx’s economic philosophy.


State and Revolution
Vladimir Lenin

Explains Lenin’s revolutionary adaptation of Marxist theory.


VI. Communist Governments

The Black Book of Communism
Edited by Stéphane Courtois

Comprehensive documentation of political repression, forced labor, executions, and famine under communist governments.


The Gulag Archipelago
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Firsthand account of the Soviet forced labor camp system.


Mao: The Unknown Story
Jung Chang &
Jon Halliday

Biography documenting Mao’s rise and the consequences of his rule.


Red Famine
Anne Applebaum

History of the Ukrainian famine under Stalin.


Iron Curtain
Anne Applebaum

Explains Soviet domination of Eastern Europe after World War II.


VII. Political Philosophy

The Road to Serfdom
Friedrich Hayek

Classic argument regarding centralized economic planning and political freedom.


The Open Society and Its Enemies
Karl Popper

Critique of historicism and authoritarian political systems.


Basic Economics
Thomas Sowell

Explains economic incentives and unintended consequences of government intervention.


VIII. Nuclear Deterrence

Thinking About the Unthinkable
Herman Kahn

Strategic analysis of deterrence and nuclear conflict.


Essence of Decision
Graham Allison

Decision-making during the Cuban Missile Crisis.


IX. Recommended Companion Reading (Hardball’s Substack)

  • What is a Viking SENSO?

  • The Oncology of Marxist Ontology

  • The Left Doesn’t Like Binary Logic

  • Guardians of Honor

  • Virtue by Force

  • The Joy of Brainwashing

  • Hardball Intelligence Systems Primer

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