Inside JFK’s Secret Doomsday Bunker

[Still Waters]

In November 1957, Soviet Communist Party chief Nikita Khrushchev bragged to an American reporter about the effectiveness of his country’s long-range missiles. Issuing a taunting challenge to the United States government, he said, “Let’s have a peaceful rocket contest, just like a rifle-shooting match, and they’ll see for themselves.”

Four years later, in 1961, the threat of nuclear war loomed large over the U.S. While Khrushchev had directed his comments at Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration, the question of how to handle America’s increasingly contentious relationship with the Soviets was now in the hands of newly elected president John F. Kennedy.

That May, Nelson Rockefeller, then-chair of the Civil Defense Committee of the Conference of Governors, encouraged Kennedy to initiate a national fallout shelter program. After securing $207 million in funding, the federal government started surveying schools and other public buildings to determine their suitability as potential bunkers. Once identified, these shelters were marked as such and stocked with supplies.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-jfks-secret-doomsday-bunker-180981574/

[+Desertrat56]

By the early 70's the fallout bunker under the Junior High I attended was used for storage, old chairs, desks, etc. stacked all the way to the back.  But the air raid horn still went off every day at noon back then.   Now they only test it once a month.

[Tatetopa]

16 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said:

By the early 70's the fallout bunker under the Junior High I attended was used for storage, old chairs, desks, etc. stacked all the way to the back.  But the air raid horn still went off every day at noon back then.   Now they only test it once a month.

Yup.  As elementary school kids we each  had to bring in a gallon of distilled water for the shelter.  We had those hide under the desk drills and also the orderly march from the classroom to the shelter entrance. 

[HSlim]

Office building I used to work in on a now decommissioned military installation had a fallout shelter underneath it.  When we were moving to another installation, I waited till the building was cleared and snagged the sign off the hallway and hung it up in my basement.   As far as I know, by the time we closed that one up in 2012, the shelter was being used for file storage but the sign's kinda cool. 

Edited February 6, 2023 by HSlim

[lightly]

We were ready!  Nuclear blast proof desks made all the difference.     Remember, if you see the Flash!  DUCK AND COVER  

[+Desertrat56]

20 minutes ago, lightly said:

We were ready!  Nuclear blast proof desks made all the difference.     Remember, if you see the Flash!  DUCK AND COVER  

Duck and cover.  I remember my 1st grade teacher told us that was a bunch of hooie, that if we were close enough to a nuclear blast to see it there was no cover that would protect us.   She was in jr high when they started that.   I don't know if that was still a television public service commercial when I was in school because we never had a tv until the late 60's.

[lightly]

7 hours ago, Desertrat56 said:

Duck and cover.  I remember my 1st grade teacher told us that was a bunch of hooie, that if we were close enough to a nuclear blast to see it there was no cover that would protect us.   She was in jr high when they started that.   I don't know if that was still a television public service commercial when I was in school because we never had a tv until the late 60's.

Under my desk was a safe zone.  ;      Good god girl!* .. you missed the Beatles in Feb. 1964 on Ed Sullivan!?   

[Hankenhunter]

4 hours ago, lightly said:

Under my desk was a safe zone.  ;      Good god girl!* .. you missed the Beatles in Feb. 1964 on Ed Sullivan!?   

In 65 I went running into the house to the animal encyclopedia because I heard the "beetles" had taken the U.K by storm. Mom almost peed herself laughing.

 

[+Desertrat56]

12 hours ago, lightly said:

Under my desk was a safe zone.  ;      Good god girl!* .. you missed the Beatles in Feb. 1964 on Ed Sullivan!?   

LOL.   My cousin's son and my grandson both spent some time under their desks because of autism and anxiety.   My cousin's son never had a teacher that could understand, just took it personally.  My daughter got my grandson into a better school, his kindergarten and 1st grade were at the Stepford Wives school where no anyone different was punished.   

[lightly]

On 2/6/2023 at 9:52 AM, Tatetopa said:

Yup.  As elementary school kids we each  had to bring in a gallon of distilled water for the shelter.  We had those hide under the desk drills and also the orderly march from the classroom to the shelter entrance. 

Glad to hear you guys were ready too..   ya, a gallon of water per child would be more than enough to last through a typical nuclear holocaust 

Edited February 8, 2023 by lightly