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NUCLEAR JITTERS |
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The Cold War Civil Defense culture run rampant with nuclear fears, nuclear nightmares, and nuclear testing is recounted in this series of satirical vignettes and collages that are the fallout from my duck and cover childhood. Nuclear Fears seemed to have temporarily disappeared at the end of the Cold War. Like some hidden Nike Missiles they receded underground out of sight, but poised at the ready. They resurfaced first with the threats of terrorists after September 11 and more recently with the tragic nuclear meltdown in Japan. Whether nuclear reactors or the threats of a dirty bomb, the old familiar fears of radioactive fallout have resurfaced and old fears have been reactivated. |
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By the mid 1950s our arsenal of missiles was becoming as bloated as the prodigious legion of pregnant women. Along with a boatload of babyboomers, a bouncing new U.S. policy was born and they would grow up together. The proud Papa, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles named his progeny Massive Retaliation.
Under the watchful eye of his rich Uncle Sam, the policy would grow up big and strong. Conceived as was I in the warm afterglow of the Hydrogen Bomb, it was also in the dark shadow cast by Godzilla, that radioactive mutated monster of mass destruction. Together they would send a collective shiver down our Cold War spine.
Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?
After 9/11, Americans faced unnerving official terror warnings displayed in primary colors of yellow, orange, and doomsday red. Newspapers printed preparedness articles as a profusion of emergency instructions appeared on how to protect ourselves. Panicked, people started stock-piling canned goods and duct tape, batteries and bandages to keep in their designated safe rooms. With round the clock breaking news on television, it made it seem as if we had entered a time of great danger and Armageddon was near.
Take My Word For It 
But there was already a precedent of fear one which we had lived through, not that long ago. Nothing matched the profound frears that gripped our countryys fear of a Cold War turning hot Even without 24/7 news coverage, the terror was seared into our minds. It was an unrelenting fear that sent Dick, Jane and Sally Draper duck n' covering under school desks. back to top
CIVIL DEFENSE IS COMMON $ENSE
It was time to wake up and smell the coffee! Fueling our prodigious fears, was the emphasis on Civil Defense and the government's zeal in educating the public about the risks of an atomic attack- how you could survive one, and how to plan and pack for the few days you and your family would have to spend in your fall out shelter.
In case of an H- Bomb blast, the Atomic Energy Commission offered some EZ advice: "People in fallout areas can protect themselves by following some simple rules," they suggested reassuringly. "The news of an H- Bomb attack will be announced over the radio and most people will know about it before the veil of stinging dust comes settling down out of a clouded sky over farm, forest and village." So until then, enjoy the freedom to live as you please. back to top
Just as the Soviets and Uncle Sam were stock-piling arsenals of Nuclear weapons, so patriotic 1950's housewives were stocking up a good supply of canned goods for that long Nuclear Winter.
Radioactive Re-emerging from your shelter after an atomic attack would be a snap. After a few days when the surrounding radioactivity is greatly reduced, the government offered some helpful hints about re-adjusting. Hungry? Canned food was safe to eat, but fresh fruit had to be washed and scrubbed. That's why you would be glad you had the Green Giant around- with his canned peas its would be as if the Green Giant stepped out to his pre-radioactive garden and picked a batch of peas. Ho-Ho-Ho. Speaking of which, they reminded us that before planting your spring tomatoes, it was necessary to turn the turf and bury the radioactive dust which would fall on lawns and gardens. Buried dust might make future plants and crops radioactive, they chuckled, so there would be plenty of hot peppers next season! back to top
DUCK N' COVER
To prepare for this big disaster, evacuation plans were set in motion to send big city dwellers quickly to the hinterlands. Think Fast Printed maps of American cities appeared in newspapers and magazines upon which were superimposed ominous Atom bomb bullseyes showing the lethal reach of the bomb. To prevent a stampede of citizens dashing to safety, the maps let you know how long you had to get out of Dodge. back to top
Just for the kiddies there was Bert the Turtle that loveable, cuddly, Cold War cartoon character from the Civil Defense film Duck and Cover who cheerfully offered frightened school children life- saving instructions to guide them through an atomic attack.
Face The Music "When Danger threatens them they never get hurt, they know just what to do..." At the sound of the warning siren, like some Pavlonian response, Stan Musieal baseball gloves were unceremoniously tossed to the ground, gun-slinging cow-pokes shifted attention and slippery-tots would jump out of vinyl-sided pools as a stream of children appeared- a blur of pig tails, baseball caps and scraped-kness racing in their U.S. Keds helping them to run faster to get to the public fall-out shelter in time.
A Frigid New Frontier What you are about to watch is a nightmare.. .This is the Twilight Zone" The Cold War had moved into a deep freeze by the early 1960's teetering on turning very hot.
The Big Showdown Rattled Americans were twisting the night away as the jousting match beween President Kennedy and the Soviet's leader Nikita Khrushchev escalated as the world poised for a show down of wits between these two Cold Warriors. With a rat-a-tat-tat-and-a-ring-a-ding-ding, we would all be pioneers in this scary New Frontier. Despite being lulled to sleep with sweet stories from our Little Golden Books, baby boom children knew a nuclear attack could happen any hour. Instead of sweet little kittens finding their mittens, the spectre of a mushroom cloud would hang over our dreams. back to top
NUCLEAR FEARS FOR THE NUCLEAR FAMILY
Within a short period of time we came teetering close to the brink of nuclear war. First, in the balmy summer of 1961 when the terrifying thought of thermonuclear confronation between us and the Soviets became all too real as the crisis in Berlin heated up. back to top
Fearless Leader
FALLOUT SHELTERS FOR THE NEW FRONTIER
A somber letter from JFK printed in an issue of Life Magazine from September 1961, urged Americans to be prepared. "Nuclear weapons and the possibility of nuclear war are facts of life we cannot ignore. Unprepared there is a 1 chance in 4 that you and your family will die." However you could be among the lucky 97% to survive if you followed the advice in the magazine about building a shelter.
Happy Homemaker
For the nuclear family the ultimate togetherness would be a spruced up, well supplied family shelter. An important factor in increasing merriment and togetherness in the family living conditions was the attention paid to fall-out fun. To pass the time, good mothers made sure to stock plenty of games for the children. When you're hot, wilted and sorry for yourself you'll be glad you packed that game of Chutes and Ladders. Don't blame that listless, half alive feeling on the beautiful spring day you were missing. No gloomy Gus's aloud!
And just because you were stuck in a fallout shelter ladies, didn't mean it was okay to let your diet slide. It would be the perfect time to whittle your waist. Don't let your weight losing intentions fade in the rise of temperature, Cold War ladies were warned. Keep a supply of tasty Rye-Krisps and cans of Metracal- you'll still want that trim figure for those post-blast pool parties!
Home Sweet Home
Knowing that they were going to spend a week or two in their bomb shelter, happy homemakers in the 60's were advised to make it as gay and restful an environment as possible. Painting the walls a bright color would make it cheery, while decorating it in Early American charm would give a nice homey touch to the The New Frontier Fallout Shelter. back to top
More sound suggestions were offered to us from a record entitled, "If the Bomb Falls: a Guide to Survival." A no- nonsense narrator speaking in a confident, calm voice suggested that "by all means provide some tranquilizers to ease the strain and monotony of life in a shelter. A bottle of 100 should be adequate for a family of 4. Tranquilizers are not narcotic and are not habit forming. Ask a doctor for his recomendation."
BACKYARD BUNKERS
In the early 1960's, there was a huge real estate boom; not in houses but in home-shelters. From coast to coast, families were eyeing the new models of family shelters. Contractors and salesmen pitched home shelter kits as a modern miracle of mass production likening them to Levitt houses. "You'll be patting your good judgement on the back for years to come if you get a family shelter now", they boasted. Better Homes and Garden Magazine offered advice suggesting to it's readers that they would be smart to consider fall-out shelter's peace time role, offering tips in converting it into a rumpus room for the kids.
Don't Turn That Dial
With our radios turned to CONELRAD 640AM we would wait to hear the all clear signal alerting us it was safe to emerge. back to top
Nuclear Winter The tic-tic-tic of the geiger counter would be the soundtrack of our new Post-War World. Venturing out into the beak post-atomic landscape of chaos, you'll be glad you packed your weatherproof galoshes for the long nuclear winter that loomed ahead.
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Links Cold War Era Civil Defense Museum |
In the postwar world of pushbutton ease and no more guess work, it was anyon'es guess when the ultimate button would be pushed and nuclear war begin. "How much time do we have, minutes, days, months, years? We don't know" a somber male voice asked on a public service announcement. "But this we do know- Civil Defense is everybody's business!" 
Uncle Sam advised that we should be prepared to take cover for about 2 weeks. 
Suddenly there was a mass hysteria to b
A year later in 1962 when the Soviets installed missiles only 90 miles from our shore during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nuclear family was back huddled in their home fall-out shelter built in their faux-wood paneled finished basements.
