Author Archives: admin

TIME TO SUPPORT OUR GIRL

Posted: September 20, 2024

Lately all of our posts have been behind the firewall of this membership site, to share common interests and upcoming plans with our members. But today I am reaching out to everyone who visits our website and supports our cause.

As you know from previous posts, Joe Biden and his administration have been very supportive of our cause. And Kamala Harris has really picked that up and actually spoken at one of our events.

So its time to get out and support our girl! In this precarious society of ours it is somewhat incredible that any law abiding, conventional person would not easily win against a person with the traits of Donald Trump, but the polls seem to suggest that the United States is just such a place.

So Kamala needs our support. For many of our members, this will be a challenge as the few of us left are not in the best of health. But we have families, and friends and in some cases people we have inspired by our actions sixty years ago, and they need to be reminded that the fight for what is right is an ongoing battle and it is time for them to step up as well.

Sally

P.S. We have had to close off the Comments section of this website and delete the various posts there. Almost since its inception we have been dealing with a terrible amount of SPAM, but worse, some very abusive posts from Trump supporters. So until the world tilts back to its conventional axis, we will not give them a forum for their hateful messages.

AMERICA AT A CROSSROADS?

POSTED: JANUARY 13, 2024

In 2024 we are being told America is at a crossroads and the American version of democracy is at risk. I say the “American version of Democracy” as The United States it seems has an idea of democracy that is bigger than any of the institutions that are designed to sustain it. Certainly, the courts are not living up to their promise of being a pillar to defend it, the Congress and The Senate are hamstrung, and a person up on various charges, and already convicted of a few, is the front runner for the Republican leadership! And just when Trumps behavior has gone beyond imagination, he has stated that he thinks being a dictator for a day or so might cleanse the country of its problems!

Is democracy at risk – of course not. Democracy as a type of governance is a living thing that has taken on many forms and will continue to evolve in many places. It is far from a great system but in some countries is being improved with small incremental changes every year.

Is American democracy at risk – well it has its own life and evolution and is being challenged like never before. The United States has never been the best example of a democracy but may live up to that promise one day if changes are made. The dominance of only two parties and the control that comes from American Democracy being secondary to American Capitalism has become obvious over the last several years. Everything is negotiated, everything is up for grabs and the underlying assumptions of common decency has given way to self interest. So new versions of institutions will need to evolve for this countries version of democracy to have any relevancy.

And why am I ranting on about this? Our members have been part of that heritage of those who have stepped up to fight for those democratic goals. There has been a long tradition of those who have fought and died for their country, but not enough acknowledgement of those who have fought for justice at home. We are on the edge of a second civil war regarding a womans right to choose, what form immigration should take, and the publics safety over an individuals right to have a gun.

It seems that yes, America is at a crossroads but it seems that America consists of nothing but crossroads. One crossroad is passed and the next one looms.

Our organization has been referenced more than once as Traitors by Donald Trump. If you respect what our members have done, and if you value civil society, get out and vote to support causes and goals that respect individuals, and the institutions we thought would protect us. If you are a Democrat, vote. If you are a Republican demand your representatives respect the institutions they have been elected to serve. Denounce those who want to tear down our institutions, regardless of party affiliation.

And of course if you know of a family member who was once a Baker, encourage her to reach out to us and become a member. Increasingly, as our members age the secrets they kept for so long are now starting to be shared with family members and their bravery should be celebrated.

Best wishes for 2024.

WE CAN’T BE TRUMPED

POSTED: October 11, 2023

The world keeps changing. And its not clear it changes for the better. This website has been an important link for both our Members and as an outreach to others. But some time ago, the then President Trump decided to try to humiliate us as I mentioned in my post on June 13, 2017. His comments did not work and we have had considerable support partially in response to his perspective.

But unfortunately, we are self-funded and the number of Trump supporters who have swamped our little website with truly mean-spirited comments has resulted in our turning off the COMMENT section as we are just not equipped to respond, even by simply deleting those hateful messages. It is unfortunate as we have used that section for many potential members or their families to provide meaningful feedback.

It is something of an irony that the definition the Trump supporters use for free speech, is so hateful we needed to ban them from our website. So this round goes to Trump and his supporters, but we have been in this position before. Our little group was created during the Cold War to respond to well intentioned but misdirected Americans and it seems that six decades later we are dealing with another version of the same type of patriots.

Stay tuned. The war is far from over.

Sally

SHARED EXPERIENCE

Posted: March 25, 2022

In a film with Naomi Watts and Sean Penn produced in 2010 called Fair Game, there are various scenes involving civilians (uninformed military personnel or the general public) who when meeting for dinner with the principal characters of the show, a CIA operative and her ex- U.S. ambassador husband, postulate all sorts of ideas about the Middle East, terrorists and Muslims. Based on a true story, the CIA operative Valerie Plame and the ex-ambassador Joseph Wilson struggle with not entering the discussion at these dinners.

This is one of the same themes one of the daughters of a Baker has written about in a personal essay in the MEMBERS section of this website. She has had many conversations with various Bakers on this subject, who have shared their experiences of biting their tongue in the 1960’s when various officers or their wives would repeat inaccuracies and in some cases absolute speculation or gossip about military operations surrounding Cuba and the stalemate with the Soviet Union.

Last month another Bakers grandson wrote a piece on his grandmothers observations about the buildup of Russian Troops on the border of the Ukraine, and the parallels to 1939 and the occupation of Poland. For two years before the world was prepared to act, the German government had broken various treaties and agreements, were rounding up Romany and Jews and had already invaded Czechoslovakia. Similarly the world did not really react to any great extent when the Crimea was annexed by Russia, many years before this current invasion of the Ukraine. It is a sad commentary on history repeating itself and a very insightful commentary by one of the Bakers.

I raise this as earlier today there was a wonderful editorial posted by one of our Bakers on her experience in Key West in the fall of 1962 when we were closer than ever to a nuclear war and the similar position we would appear to be in today.

The point is that our Bakers have lived this history. And they have been contributors to a pivotal turn of events at a critical point in that history. But many today still live with the secret of their activities during the cold war.

If you know of one of these brave women please encourage them to become a Member. Most find it very comforting to share with others their common experience. As you can see from other general posts we hold conferences periodically, but the bigger story is the dialogue and sharing that occurs behind the Membership wall on this website.

Sally

LOOKING FOR BAKERS

POSTED: Dec 6, 2021

This website is a portal for woman or their families who participated in the Bakers Project to connect and interact. Most of that activity happens behind the Membership Wall as there are still some Bakers who do not want their involvement to be known. As such we are quite guarded with access to most of this website.

But the other purpose of this website is to be the outreach for letting the rest of the world know about what these heroic women did. And we need your help.

If you know a woman who was married to a man in the American military during the Cold War era and stationed at a U.S. base you may want to enquire and if they are at all responsive help them contact us. Once we confirm their involvement, we will make contact with the appropriate measures for them to access this secure portal. Each year a few more Bakers pass, and each year a few more get to a stage where they are prepared to finally speak to their families and acknowledge their work.

We now have a special outreach person for this. Contact Janine Hickson at bakersproject@bell.net

Sally

REUNION A SUCCESS

POSTED: August 2, 2021

Our little get together in Washington turned out to be smaller than planned, given our declining number of members who are able to travel due to age and the complication of Covid 19. Despite those challenges it was a very successful two days and members can see the various photos and videos when logged in.

Sally

WASHINGTON REUNION 2021

POSTED: Dec 8, 2020

We are thrilled to announce that at the Washington Reunion to be held from June 21st to the 23rd , we will be joined for a short talk for our luncheon on the second day by Kamala Harris! Watch for details on the notice board when logged in.

Sally Hudson

RECIPE CARDS AND CODEBOOKS

POSTED: Oct 5, 2019

After some time and considerable effort to attract the recognition the BAKERS deserve we are pleased to announce that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington has expressed interest in a display of our recipe cards and codebooks.

BAKERS PROJECT BOX STYLES

TYPICAL RECIPE CODE CARDS

At this point they have not indicated if it is envisioned as a permanent display or a temporary one. It is being compiled in conjunction with our own British Museum in London who initiated the project.

The display will also have an introduction to the history and context of the BAKERS PROJECT.

The details for where to send the codebooks and recipe cards are all posted in the MEMBERS section of the website.

Sally Hudson

SAN DIEGO REUNION A SUCCESS

POSTED: Sept 5, 2018

The 2017 Reunion cancellation was a real setback for us. Not only did the State Department not fulfill its promises President Trump seemed to go out of his way with the tweets that we were meeting in San Diego and we were met by several protestors. For a group who has taken so many risks for the United States it was very demeaning to have to experience that at our first reunion.

With that said, and while much smaller a turnout than hoped, it was a great opportunity to meet BAKERS we had only heard about by their code books or recipes and to see some old friends from the past.

Mary

TRUMP FIASCO

POSTED: June 13, 2017

The embarrassing statements made by President Trump regarding the role BAKERS played during the cold war and calling us “traitors”, and “housewives with aprons” while a setback has only firmed up our resolve.

We are working toward a new reunion date and location.

Keep the faith BAKERS!

Mary