Don't Eat The Snow

[old guy]

Watching the news about Japan and hearing about people in the U.S. worrying about fallout drifting over here brought back some memories. Wondered if other people on this site remember those magic times.

I grew up in a medium sized industrial city, but I would assume that wherever you grew up, the warnings were similar. There were occasional bulletins on the news. Don’t eat the snow. There was a possibility that it contained radiation from bombs being tested.
When the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 during World War II, it was a 15 kiloton bomb. We’ve all seen pictures of how much devastation that inflicted. But after the war, by 1952, we were testing bombs in the atmosphere like “Ivy Mike,” the first cryogenic fusion fuel thermonuclear weapon. It yielded 10,400 kilotons of energy. In 1954 we lit up “Castle Bravo,” which was detonated in the atmosphere, produced 15,000 kilotons of energy and created a serious nuclear fallout accident when the winds shifted. As late as 1961, the USSR detonated in the atmosphere “Tsar Bomba,” a 57,000 kiloton bomb. It was the largest thermonuclear bomb ever tested.
In 1953, we detonated 11 nuclear bombs in the atmosphere in Nevada. By 1957, the annual number in Nevada had jumped to 30. By 1958 we were detonating 37 bombs annually in the air in Nevada, 35 in the air near Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the South Pacific, and 3 in the South Atlantic Ocean. In fact, worldwide in total there were over 100 nuclear bombs tested in the atmosphere that year. This was also the era that ushered in Mad Magazine and Alfred E. Neuman with his iconic phrase, “What, me worry?”

I found photos of 24 of the 30 bombs we detonated in the atmosphere during 1957.
Attachment 9156

I don't remember worrying about the fallout that much. After all, what was it?

I do remember being paranoid about being attacked by the USSR though.


That got me thinking about Bert, the Civil Defense turtle and the Duck and Cover films we watched, over and over.
Talk about doom and gloom laced with paranoia. I was thinking the Duck and Cover film was about a minute in length. I found it on Youtube.
It’s over nine minutes long. It’s a series of scenes showing people reacting to a nuclear explosion. First, it could happen in school. Okay, I’m scared. It could happen while you’re walking to school. Additional scenes of it happening when you’re riding your bicycle. Really, you’ve got my attention. There’s a scene of a family enjoying a picnic on a sunny day in the park. Uh oh, a flash of light from the big one. Luckily this family has done their homework and know enough to throw the table cloth they’re sitting on over their heads and lay down on the ground. Whew, that was a close one. But it just keeps coming. Scenario after scenario. You could die like this, or like this, or possibly like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

It's amazing that we don't glow in the dark. I do remember the Duck & Cover drills in school all the time.

Any glowing memories of that time period.

[Mikeg]

I remember going with my parents to Federals Dept. Store in Oct. 1962 to purchase a transistor radio. The counter was thronged with others of like mind and the sales staff had thoughtfully set up a radio so we could listen to the radio reports on the status of the Cuban Missile Crisis. When we got home my dad cleaned out the fruit cellar in the basement in case we needed to camp out there for a few weeks.

Here is an excellent graphic that puts various levels of human exposure to ionizing radiation into the proper context.

[oldredfordette]

As a child, I was convinced that we were going to be annihilated by a nuclear bomb. I believe it was the birth of my insomnia.

[old guy]

As a child, I was convinced that we were going to be annihilated by a nuclear bomb. I believe it was the birth of my insomnia.

I think a lot of us were. Can you imagine watching that clip if you were 6 or 7 years old. They made it sound like it wasn't if, but when. The only if was if there was a siren and you had enough time to put a newspaper over your face and save yourself.

[maxx]

http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/....php?id=170453

[DetroitDad]

Watching the news about Japan and hearing about people in the U.S. worrying about fallout drifting over here brought back some memories. Wondered if other people on this site remember those magic times.

I grew up in a medium sized industrial city, but I would assume that wherever you grew up, the warnings were similar. There were occasional bulletins on the news. Don’t eat the snow. There was a possibility that it contained radiation from bombs being tested.
When the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 during World War II, it was a 15 kiloton bomb. We’ve all seen pictures of how much devastation that inflicted. But after the war, by 1952, we were testing bombs in the atmosphere like “Ivy Mike,” the first cryogenic fusion fuel thermonuclear weapon. It yielded 10,400 kilotons of energy. In 1954 we lit up “Castle Bravo,” which was detonated in the atmosphere, produced 15,000 kilotons of energy and created a serious nuclear fallout accident when the winds shifted. As late as 1961, the USSR detonated in the atmosphere “Tsar Bomba,” a 57,000 kiloton bomb. It was the largest thermonuclear bomb ever tested.
In 1953, we detonated 11 nuclear bombs in the atmosphere in Nevada. By 1957, the annual number in Nevada had jumped to 30. By 1958 we were detonating 37 bombs annually in the air in Nevada, 35 in the air near Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the South Pacific, and 3 in the South Atlantic Ocean. In fact, worldwide in total there were over 100 nuclear bombs tested in the atmosphere that year. This was also the era that ushered in Mad Magazine and Alfred E. Neuman with his iconic phrase, “What, me worry?”

I found photos of 24 of the 30 bombs we detonated in the atmosphere during 1957.
Attachment 9156

I don't remember worrying about the fallout that much. After all, what was it?

I do remember being paranoid about being attacked by the USSR though.


That got me thinking about Bert, the Civil Defense turtle and the Duck and Cover films we watched, over and over.
Talk about doom and gloom laced with paranoia. I was thinking the Duck and Cover film was about a minute in length. I found it on Youtube.
It’s over nine minutes long. It’s a series of scenes showing people reacting to a nuclear explosion. First, it could happen in school. Okay, I’m scared. It could happen while you’re walking to school. Additional scenes of it happening when you’re riding your bicycle. Really, you’ve got my attention. There’s a scene of a family enjoying a picnic on a sunny day in the park. Uh oh, a flash of light from the big one. Luckily this family has done their homework and know enough to throw the table cloth they’re sitting on over their heads and lay down on the ground. Whew, that was a close one. But it just keeps coming. Scenario after scenario. You could die like this, or like this, or possibly like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

It's amazing that we don't glow in the dark. I do remember the Duck & Cover drills in school all the time.

Any glowing memories of that time period.

MY GOD! Why weren't later generations shown this in school!? Can a newspaper really save you from radiation poisoning? I'm a bit skeptical of this.

[lpg]

Watching the news about Japan and hearing about people in the U.S. worrying about fallout drifting over here brought back some memories. Wondered if other people on this site remember those magic times.

I grew up in a medium sized industrial city, but I would assume that wherever you grew up, the warnings were similar. There were occasional bulletins on the news. Don’t eat the snow. There was a possibility that it contained radiation from bombs being tested.
When the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 during World War II, it was a 15 kiloton bomb. We’ve all seen pictures of how much devastation that inflicted. But after the war, by 1952, we were testing bombs in the atmosphere like “Ivy Mike,” the first cryogenic fusion fuel thermonuclear weapon. It yielded 10,400 kilotons of energy. In 1954 we lit up “Castle Bravo,” which was detonated in the atmosphere, produced 15,000 kilotons of energy and created a serious nuclear fallout accident when the winds shifted. As late as 1961, the USSR detonated in the atmosphere “Tsar Bomba,” a 57,000 kiloton bomb. It was the largest thermonuclear bomb ever tested.
In 1953, we detonated 11 nuclear bombs in the atmosphere in Nevada. By 1957, the annual number in Nevada had jumped to 30. By 1958 we were detonating 37 bombs annually in the air in Nevada, 35 in the air near Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the South Pacific, and 3 in the South Atlantic Ocean. In fact, worldwide in total there were over 100 nuclear bombs tested in the atmosphere that year. This was also the era that ushered in Mad Magazine and Alfred E. Neuman with his iconic phrase, “What, me worry?”

I found photos of 24 of the 30 bombs we detonated in the atmosphere during 1957.
Attachment 9156

I don't remember worrying about the fallout that much. After all, what was it?

I do remember being paranoid about being attacked by the USSR though.


That got me thinking about Bert, the Civil Defense turtle and the Duck and Cover films we watched, over and over.
Talk about doom and gloom laced with paranoia. I was thinking the Duck and Cover film was about a minute in length. I found it on Youtube.
It’s over nine minutes long. It’s a series of scenes showing people reacting to a nuclear explosion. First, it could happen in school. Okay, I’m scared. It could happen while you’re walking to school. Additional scenes of it happening when you’re riding your bicycle. Really, you’ve got my attention. There’s a scene of a family enjoying a picnic on a sunny day in the park. Uh oh, a flash of light from the big one. Luckily this family has done their homework and know enough to throw the table cloth they’re sitting on over their heads and lay down on the ground. Whew, that was a close one. But it just keeps coming. Scenario after scenario. You could die like this, or like this, or possibly like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

It's amazing that we don't glow in the dark. I do remember the Duck & Cover drills in school all the time.

Any glowing memories of that time period.

I still have the Civil Defense booklet that was sent to my parents house back around 1961. It shows how to construct a shelter in the basement and what to stock it with. I also remember the air raid drills in the 50's while in elementary school and the Duck and Cover film. The Cuban Missile crisis was what I thought was going to be the end.

[old guy]

I was shown a small Civil Defense shelter a few years ago. It had been closed up for years and everything was still intact. There were a number of 10 gallon steel drums that were sealed and filled with food. The instructions on the side of the can explained that when the food was gone, it became your toilet. When it was full, you sealed it again and then I guess it was a chair.
Don't think I'd want to spend much time down there.

[old guy]

MY GOD! Why weren't later generations shown this in school!? Can a newspaper really save you from radiation poisoning? I'm a bit skeptical of this.

The newspaper was supposed to keep you from getting burned from the initial flash. I bet that would work out great. Put a piece of paper over your face to protect it from a heat ball.

Today, would they tell you to shield your face with a lap top?

[Ray1936]

It was 1984 and I had just retired from the DPD. Arrived three days after retirement in Las Vegas. After getting settled in, I applied at the Wackenhut Corporation, security providers for the Nevada Test Site, for a position.

Test taken and passed, and background check completed. Two weeks later I was notified to be at the Las Vegas office for transportation to Mercury, at the Test Site, for a physical. Bus ride is a little over an hour to the site.

Once inside the highly secured area, had the first part of the physcial, and was given a voucher for free lunch and sent to a quonset hut where the cafeteria was. Grabbed some grub and sat down at a table, only to notice the guy opposite me was a dead ringer for Dr. Edward Teller -- same heavy set frame, with eyebrows a robin could build a nest in. As my mind wandered, I thought to myself, "that's gotta be the guy that pushes the button.........."

Spooky interlude. Anyway, then I had the physical agility test, and got on the bus back to Las Vegas.

The day after my return I was offered a position as Security Director of The Fashion Show mall on the Las Vegas strip which I accepted. A week later, Wackenhut called offering the Test Site position, which I then turned down. But it sure made for an interesting experience.

[Jimaz]

... only to notice the guy opposite me was a dead ringer for Dr. Edward Teller -- same heavy set frame, with eyebrows a robin could build a nest in. As my mind wandered, I thought to myself, "that's gotta be the guy that pushes the button.........."

I am so envious. I would have dropped the fashion show gig in a heartbeat.

Edward Teller

[Gistok]

Those air raid drills were still going on in the basements of schools into the 1960s.

And don't forget that you could still buy those stamps [[almost like Gold Bell or S&H Trading Stamps/books) for getting your US Bonds. It was a common practice in schools to peddle US Savings Bonds when you bought the stamps, at 25 cents each. Fill the book, and you could redeem them for actual US Bonds.

[Pam]

Those air raid drills were still going on in the basements of schools into the 1960s.

They were gone by the late 60's, at least at the schools I attended. We had fire drills or tornado drills but no air raid drills.

[lpg]

They were gone by the late 60's, at least at the schools I attended. We had fire drills or tornado drills but no air raid drills.

We had 3 different alarm sounds for the drills.
I still have the stainless steel dog tag and chain that I was given to wear around my neck to school everyday. It has my name, address, city, state, religion and mothers name stamped on it. I often wondered later in life, since I lived only a few blocks from school, how mom would survive a attack and come to what was left of the school to identify my charred and crushed remains. Ah, fond memories of the 50's.

[jackie5275]

Duck & cover was well before my time. However, I do remember a film I saw in the 1980s called Threads that depicted a world wide nuclear war. This story was set in England. A couple of bombs are dropped there. It shows endless devastation, pain, & horror for the survivors such that the common thought is the people who died in the initial blasts were the lucky ones. For me, the most gripping part of it was the concept of nuclear winter where there is so much radiation fallout that just hangs in the atmosphere that it blocks out the sun entirely. This causes the effect of winter 24/7/365. That was the one part of nuclear war I'd never thought of before seeing that film.

[old guy]

We had 3 different alarm sounds for the drills.
I still have the stainless steel dog tag and chain that I was given to wear around my neck to school everyday. It has my name, address, city, state, religion and mothers name stamped on it. I often wondered later in life, since I lived only a few blocks from school, how mom would survive a attack and come to what was left of the school to identify my charred and crushed remains. Ah, fond memories of the 50's.

Wow, dog tags. We never had anything like that. Who issued those? Were they government issue or something your parents came up with?
I know there were a lot of companies back then exploiting paranoia just like now. I was wondering if some private company was selling products like that to nervous parents.

Good call Ray. Was the wife curious about that decision?

[Ray1936]

Good call Ray. Was the wife curious about that decision?

She was relieved. The Test Site job would have meant three days at the site and three days at home. Seventh day varied. They have sleeping quarters for employees. Twelve hours on, twelve hours off. But there is a lot of entertainment available for employees at Mercury.....bowling alley, movie theatre, workout gym, etc etc. But she liked me home. So did I.

[lpg]

Wow, dog tags. We never had anything like that. Who issued those? Were they government issue or something your parents came up with?
I know there were a lot of companies back then exploiting paranoia just like now. I was wondering if some private company was selling products like that to nervous parents.

Good call Ray. Was the wife curious about that decision?

I don't remember. I thought they were issued by the school. I don't think my parents would have purchased anything like that. They were very practical and didn't waste money. I remember one of my classmates making fun of the air raid drill and having his ass hauled into the principles office.

[old guy]

I don't remember. I thought they were issued by the school. I don't think my parents would have purchased anything like that. They were very practical and didn't waste money. I remember one of my classmates making fun of the air raid drill and having his ass hauled into the principles office.

I did find some articles that said the schools provided dog tags. It sounds like it was common practice on the east coast.

"Some schools even distributed metal "dog tags," like those worn by World War II soldiers, so that the bodies of students could be identified after an attack."

I ran across this photo for a fallout shelter outside of Omaha for cows, built during the early 60's. I'd never heard of one of those either.

Attachment 9187

[old guy]

Looks like Detroit had all the Civil Defense bells and whistles, including their own Nike Missiles. Here's a site that shows Detroit's fallout shelters and emergency vehicles in the 50's. There are two pages of them and other links to city maps of shelters, supplies, documents and vintage photos on the sidebar. Nice missiles.

http://www.michigancivildefense.com/vintagephotos2.html

[lpg]

Looks like Detroit had all the Civil Defense bells and whistles, including their own Nike Missiles. Here's a site that shows Detroit's fallout shelters and emergency vehicles in the 50's. There are two pages of them and other links to city maps of shelters, supplies, documents and vintage photos on the sidebar. Nice missiles.

http://www.michigancivildefense.com/vintagephotos2.html

I remember the Nike base in Riverview. The barracks were on the
corner of Fort St. and Pennsylvania Rd. The fire station and park sits on top of the silos. I read that the missiles were tipped with nuclear devices to blow the Russian bombers out the sky. I guess it was better they fell on the suburbs rather than Detroit.
Where did you see the article on the issuing of dog tags to the school kids ?

[old guy]

Where did you see the article on the issuing of dog tags to the school kids ?

There were references to them in these two articles.

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/far...s/life_04.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2078892/

[Mikeg]

Looks like Detroit had all the Civil Defense bells and whistles, including their own Nike Missiles. Here's a site that shows Detroit's fallout shelters and emergency vehicles in the 50's. There are two pages of them and other links to city maps of shelters, supplies, documents and vintage photos on the sidebar. Nice missiles.
http://www.michigancivildefense.com/vintagephotos2.html

That web site is the creation of fellow DY forum member M CD M.

[lpg]

There were references to them in these two articles.

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/far...s/life_04.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2078892/

Thanks for the information. Looking back a very strange time.

[maxx]

When Republicans talk about how awful gov. is, they hardly even mention the worst part of it, the military.
http://www.darkgovernment.com/humanexp.html

"...In the nuclear arms race, government doctors and scientists brainwashed the public into believing low dose radiation was not harmful. Some officials even tried to convince people that a little radiation is good for you..."