Multilanguage DVD and BluRay campaign for documentary "First Orbit"

This is not so much a posting about civil defense, but rather an event in the Cold War. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and orbit the earth. Last year, filmmakers released a free documentary, First Orbit, on the anniversary of the flight that replicates Gagarin's flight path and gives people an idea of what he saw (Gagarin did not have a camera on his flight). Released on YouTube, the film was made by splicing together footage from the International Space Station when it tracked over Gagarin's flight path, together with the original radio transmissions of Gagarin and a rather moving soundtrack. It makes for a visually soothing and appealing film.

The producers of the documentary, First Orbit, are currently fundraising for a multi-language DVD and BluRay release in time for Yuri's Night 2012. I've donated to purchase a DVD and thought I would spread the word. You can donate from a dollar up to $15,000 for a sponsor credit on the film. In the spirit of sharing the truly international effort to explore the cosmos and the heavens beyond, I recommend you at least watch the film and help if you so desire to bring the film to an even wider audience.

Civilian Defense Awards - 8 May 1943

Civilian Defense Volunteers in World War II did not receive medals or accolades for their service. Fortunately, depending on the number of hours they devoted to the organization, they were eligible to receive ribbon bars to wear which represented the hundreds (or thousands) of hours of volunteer effort. On 8 May 1943 (two years before VE-Day) the federal Office of Civilian Defense established six ribbon awards, ranging from 500 hours of volunteer service to 5,000 hours. For reference, I have added an image of the actual ribbons found on a militaria collector website.

Operation Pastorius and Jonathan Daniels - 22 September 1942

This is part of an entry from Jonathan Daniels' wartime diary. Daniels served as editor of the News and Observer in Raleigh before becoming Assistant Director of the Office of Civilian Defense for Civilian Mobilization in 1942. This entry, dated almost two months after the a series of Nazi saboteurs were tried and executed for attempting to blow up various targets in the United States as part of Operation Pastorius, is interesting for the frankness of the language and the source, "J.E.H.", J. Edgar Hoover.

As a side note, one of the defense attorneys for the eight Nazi saboteurs was Kenneth C. Royall, who before the was was a practicing attorney in Raleigh and with Daniels a member of the North Carolina Council of National Defense, which oversaw the state Office of Civilian Defense.