Robert Perschmann describes himself as an anti-Cold War activist.

His political views started to form while serving in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War period where he saw first hand the toll on the US military and the racism prevalent in the American South. 

An interview with a Soviet journalist which was broadcast on PBS radio (the US equivalent of the BBC) was the catalyst for an almost one-man campaign to reduce tensions between the two superpowers.

At this point, Robert was working as a US Mailman where he financed numerous visits to the Soviet Union to foster a better understanding between the two systems and became friends with many Soviet personalities including Dean Reed and legendary Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner.

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Back to today's episode, we welcome Robert Perschmann to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode131/

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0:00 Introduction and Robert Pershman's unexpected call from FBI

2:26 Sponsor: Fundraising plea for the podcast

3:16 Robert's experience in the US Air Force and his exposure to racism

8:42 Experiences of racism in the American South and impact of Martin Luther King on Robert's life

15:35 Robert's transition from military to civilian life and anti-cold war activism

20:07 First impressions of Aeroflot and the Soviet Union, meeting and connecting with Vitali Chirkin

28:40 Robert's perspective on living conditions and work in the Soviet Union

35:36 Dealing with the FBI due to Soviet connections, encounters with the KGB

43:56 Activism efforts during the Cold War, meeting Dean Reed

51:55 Changing family dynamics due to Soviet connections, meeting Svetlana Starodubtseva

1:00:57 Discussion about the Soviet Union's role in World War II, Robert's views on the Soviet Union's post-war actions

1:06:31 Closing remarks and acknowledgements

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