By Jeremy P. Amick The 1960s was a decade seasoned with many unique cultural events including the civil rights movement and the deployment of thousands of men and women in support of the Vietnam War. Yet the shadow cast by these transformations often screens one important aspect of the decade; a prolonged event that left many Americans concerned with the mounting threat between two nations that had been allies less than two decades previous. “They were ready to go at it in a big way,” said local veteran Winiford “Winnie” Lewis, 73, Taos, Mo., while discussing the military posturing of the United States and the former USSR during the Cold War. Born in St. Louis, Lewis’ family later moved to central Missouri, from where he went on to graduate from Vienna High School in 1960. With a “job situation that wasn’t good” in his rural community, combined with the influence of an uncle who had served in the Navy, Lewis made the decision to embark upon his own military journey. Following his enlistment in the Navy, Lewis completed bootcamp at Great Lakes, Ill., and transferred to his first assignment with the naval station at Yorktown, Va. It was here he was introducted to the concept of “top secret and highly classified” work involving military weapons. “Though I won’t divulge the full-range of duties we peformed at Yorktown,” Lewis said, “I really enjoyed my time there because the liberty was great and the area was ripe with history of the battles
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