We always acknowledge and like to remember anniversaries of certain historical events. This year, we marked the 40th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon as well as the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Last year we noted the 30th anniversary of Jonestown in Guyana.
In 1979, there were many newsworthy events and some of those events continue to affect the geo-political world today. The Shah of Iran was sent into exile and the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile, while Iranian “students” stormed and held 53 US embassy staff employees hostage. ABC’s nightline was born and counted the days ultimately resulting in 444 days of captive activity. Needless to say, we have been at odds with Iran ever since. Day one was November 4th, 1979. Saddam Hussein took power in Iraq in 1979. In the US, Three Mile Island, the worst nuclear disaster in US history occurred. And Sony released the cassette Walkman and set the stage for portable music other than a radio.
But on December 27, 1979 at 7pm, 700 Soviet troops dressed in Afghan uniforms, occupied major governmental, military and media buildings in Kabul, Afghanistan including their primary target - the Tajbeg Presidential Palace and Afghan president Hafizullah Amin was assassinated.
Afghanistan, so ever present in the news and on the minds of Americans today, was at peace back then. The Soviets continued to occupy the country until February 1989, almost 10 years of occupation. In that time, the cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States escalated into such a serious atmosphere that world peace was at stake. The US countered the Soviets with CIA funded and armed operations for the Afghans, the Mujahadeen, and Afghan Freedom Fighters to fend off the mighty Soviet Army. This was known as Charlie Wilson’s War.
Danny, our hero in Overland, was first hand witness to this event. In fact, he found himself right in the middle of it. He couldn’t escape Kabul that day as most of the other Western travelers did. Find out how Danny outwit and survived the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on December 27, 1979 by reading OVERLAND.
You will be absolutely amazed what happens next.
Mark Stephen Levy recently published his novel Overland, a fictional account of an American stranded in Kabul on December, 27, 1979
World traveling changed in 1979. Up until that most pivotal of years, anyone that wanted to roam the world carefree could. One was able to cross overland pretty much wherever the wind blew. It is such a wonderful feeling to “tramp about” within anywhere in the world. Iran? Iraq? Yes. Afghanistan? Yes. But not anymore. Within that region’s current generation, and maybe the next, it is most likely you may never be able to set foot and have a cup of tea in any of these countries as a world traveler.
Why does it even matter that you can’t go there anymore? Because the world has become a precarious place, and is a testimony to the times that traveling about freely cannot take place. For back then, the entire world was mostly care free….until 1979. Culturally in our world back then, Michael Jackson had emerged as a superstar. The fire at the nuclear plant Three Mile Island accident happened in Pennsylvania, and Lord Mountbatten of England was assassinated which sparked “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
What also happened in 1979? Iran became the extremist Republic that it is and became unfriendly to the west. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan which immediately shut off the overland trial from Europe to Asia. It also set the stage for what is happening there today.
What is the point to this look back into thirty years ago? To just know and have a better understanding of what occurred back then, and put in perspective to what is taking place today. The world was a simpler time back then. It was the transition to the remnants of the disco and peace and love era, and about to enter a different era, an oil shock era, and inflationary era, a menacing era. Ah me.
Our hero Danny in OVERLAND was compelled to go after Heather and their chase across two continents ensued in that part of the world….in 1979. Timing is everything in life, either good or bad. In Danny’s case, it was both. Being in the wrong place in the wrong time usually has lasting consequences or scars or memories that become a milestone marker of your life. And so it did happen to Danny and Heather as well. For Danny, you could call it the right place in the right time, too.
For, some good came out of it. However, to continue on here would be such a spoiler to the story of OVERLAND. Just know that in the yin/yang balance of life, that when existence becomes bleakest, light follows. Danny’s light occurred when he least expected it, and it changed his life forever.
I would like to hear if anyone so chooses, to step forward, and post the milestone markers of their life…for better, or for worst…or both!
