At last. The long, bitter war had come to an inconclusive end. The commander in chief was dedicated to bringing down defense costs so, clearly, another “peace-dividend” was in the offing. Sure, potential flashpoints were popping up all over, from the Middle East to Latin America. But new presidential initiatives envisioned using cheaper tools — like more special operations and covert warfare — to substitute for traditional military presence. The armed forces were simply told: Do the job with less.
1953 had been a fateful year, and everyone in the Pentagon agreed the new year looked to be even more challenging. President Dwight Eisenhower had every intention of curbing defense spending — and nuclear weapons, he concluded, would be cheaper than conventional forces. Ike’s old service was told to make do.
