I remember a guy of Latvian descent back in the eighties, and he was just a fiend in going from one government agency to another, from the State Dept. to the Congress to the Pentagon, demanding that the US supply the Afghan mujahedin with Stinger surface-to-air missiles. His name was Andrew Eiwa and everyone at those agencies dreaded his coming, because of his persistence. But he was a patriot of Latvia and he was convinced that if the Soviet Union lost in Afghanistan, it would be severely weakened and might self-destruct. Then his beloved Latvia would be free. The Reagan administration eventually, and, I have to believe, in large measure because of the persistent efforts of Andrew Eiwa, decided to supply the Afghans with the Stingers. The mujahedin started knocking Soviet jets and attack choppers out of the sky, and the tide of battle turned. Soviet losses grew and soon the USSR decided to withdraw from Afghanistan, It was indeed a severe blow for Soviet pride, prestige and spirit (along with other factors). Several years later the USSR was no more and Latvia proclaimed its independence. Ive always remembered Andrew Eiwa as an example of how one person, with persistence and faith in himself and his cause, can change the course of history.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:03:56 +0000
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