Maybe you have already heard this before but it is definitely the future and that is the US and Montgomery';s character is indeed a Russian. This great ep does NOT Take place a couple of million years ago. The clue is in the calendar with the beautiful-bikini clad woman that Bronson looks at. The holidays for Washington and Lincoln are marked. Also, notice when Montgomery goes to the recruiting office how Yankee Doodle Dandy-looking some of the writing is (without actually saying YDD). The mystery of whether this be the future or the distant past is almost a character in itself but it is 100% positively the future so Serling's opening narration suggesting maybe the distant past was only a trick!