I went to Elementary School right next to "The Army Map Service" (Which now has a much cooler name I am sure) We did the Duck and Cover drill pretty regularly.
I grew up in the "blast zone" of Pantex, the place where America's nuclear warheads get their BOOM! We had tornado drills and D&C drills almost simultaneously.
I lived in Augusta GA and Dad worked at the Signal School out at Ft Gordon. I remember the "Duck and Cover" drills in school and the bomb shelter under the house with access through the basement.
started school in 56 graduated high school in 68..was 100 miles north of Houston and 150 south of Dallas...for some reason we never did em....overconfidence or fatalism...still not sure which....
The Army Map Service was merged into the Defense Mapping Agency, which in turn was merged into the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, which was finally renamed as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
Thanks Sean. I have not been by there in a while. Post 9/11 there is an armed Humvee at the gate, and loads of security. I don't want to look at the place hard enough to see what it is called...
A time of innocence and belief in the ability of the Gummit to save us. Why we thought a pre-fab ceiling and 1/4" of plywood desk top would protect us from a nuke strike beggars belief.
Dad was with the 3rd armored division in West Germany. The expectation was the Russians would pave the way through the Fulda Gap with tactical nukes. We did D & C drills there. All the rest of the bases I lived on didn't bother. We all knew we'd be a smoking crater with 15 minutes notice. Maybe. I think the decision was made not to bother to tell us.
Remember ducking under the desks and watching our Nun, Sister Mary, walk around the room telling us now was the time to say our Act of Contrition. Freaked us out.
I went to Elementary School right next to "The Army Map Service" (Which now has a much cooler name I am sure) We did the Duck and Cover drill pretty regularly.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the "blast zone" of Pantex, the place where America's nuclear warheads get their BOOM! We had tornado drills and D&C drills almost simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteWhen you see the flash.... duck and cover.... duck and cover.
ReplyDeleteI still remember the drills andthe jingle that went with the video.
Exile1981
I lived in Augusta GA and Dad worked at the Signal School out at Ft Gordon. I remember the "Duck and Cover" drills in school and the bomb shelter under the house with access through the basement.
ReplyDeletestarted school in 56 graduated high school in 68..was 100 miles north of Houston and 150 south of Dallas...for some reason we never did em....overconfidence or fatalism...still not sure which....
ReplyDeletevaquero viejo
The Army Map Service was merged into the Defense Mapping Agency, which in turn was merged into the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, which was finally renamed as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
ReplyDeleteWhen we got older we added "And kiss your ass goodbye" to the duck and cover.
ReplyDeleteI grew up 40 miles from Chicago. Just far enough away to survive the initial blast, and have to live through the aftermath....
I was taught "Duck and Cover" in school and "Ass to the Blast" by my father.
ReplyDeleteGrew up in primary target range and moved to 'only' second strike target areas after I was 21.
And now, between volcanos, terrorists and rogue nations, "Duck and Cover" is making a resurgence.
Whooo. Good times, good times.
Thanks Sean.
ReplyDeleteI have not been by there in a while. Post 9/11 there is an armed Humvee at the gate, and loads of security. I don't want to look at the place hard enough to see what it is called...
I grew up near a Pershing missile site. All the D&C drills in the world wouldn't have helped.
ReplyDeleteSame here. If Pantex blew, Potter and Randall counties would have been vaporized. My 6th grade science teacher explained it to us in great detail.
DeleteMy dad, when transferred to Vandenburg AFB, got a house in Santa Maria because the hills would block the 'bad' weather, as he told us kids.
ReplyDeleteBad weather indeed.
A time of innocence and belief in the ability of the Gummit to save us. Why we thought a pre-fab ceiling and 1/4" of plywood desk top would protect us from a nuke strike beggars belief.
ReplyDeleteDad was with the 3rd armored division in West Germany. The expectation was the Russians would pave the way through the Fulda Gap with tactical nukes. We did D & C drills there. All the rest of the bases I lived on didn't bother. We all knew we'd be a smoking crater with 15 minutes notice. Maybe. I think the decision was made not to bother to tell us.
ReplyDeletevaquero viejo, I grew up in a similar time in NE Arkansas. We didn't do the drills either; we weren't important enough for a nuke.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Not Potter AND Randall counties! The resulting blast would leave a featureless landscape. Oh, wait...
ReplyDeleteRemember ducking under the desks and watching our Nun, Sister Mary, walk around the room telling us now was the time to say our Act of Contrition. Freaked us out.
ReplyDelete