Friday, July 27, 2012
Back from Hiatus
The blog is back after a misunderstanding regarding sources from this blog possibly being used in a recent publication. Chock this up to coincidence and bad timing more than anything. But looking ahead, the blog posts are back, but now completely out of their original order. Hopefully everyone can still find what they are looking for!
New Additions to my Fallout Shelter Sign Collection
Since my original post about my shelter sign collection almost a full year ago, I've added a few more to the collection wall. While I have not posted every sign I have (around 25), I wanted to post some of the nicer pieces. Enjoy!
World War II era
1950s
1960s
The reflective coating on the sign makes photographing it tricky. The little notches at the bottom and top are actually the pushpins I use to hold the sign to the wall as the original holes in the vinyl have yet to be punched out.
This "W" sign is actually Canadian. I'm guessing it dates to the 1960s, but this could easily date to the late 1950s.
World War II era
1950s
1960s
The reflective coating on the sign makes photographing it tricky. The little notches at the bottom and top are actually the pushpins I use to hold the sign to the wall as the original holes in the vinyl have yet to be punched out.
This "W" sign is actually Canadian. I'm guessing it dates to the 1960s, but this could easily date to the late 1950s.
The Schools and Civil Defense - NC State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1953
The publication The Schools and Civil Defense, first published in 1953 , represented North Carolina's guidance to K-12 educators in "meeting needs contemplated as possibilities during an emergency resulting from enemy attack, sabotage, or from natural causes." This guidance rested on a foundation of coordination between local schools and civil defense organizations to respond to emergencies and to instruct children regarding civil defense whenever and wherever possible. Regarding the latter point, the handbook states:
"Since it is generally agreed, following the organization of the local civil defense program, that the major contribution the schools can make to civil defense is to do a better job of these programs already planned for normal living [emphasis in original], a large part of this publication is devoted to suggestions in this area. It is the responsibility of the State Superintendent and his staff to encourage and assist the schools in this respect to the end that pupils will be better prepared for emergencies of all kinds."
So, what are some of these suggestions? The booklet offers potential activities and topics for grades 1-12 in the broad areas of health and physical education. The vast bulk of the booklet looks at civil defense instruction in health, subdivided into mental health, personal health and nutrition, home care of the sick, community health and sanitation, diseases, family life education, safety education, fire protection, and first aid and emergency care.
Educators are provided with suggested activities and topics divided up according to grade level. In the area of "Family Life Education," students in grades 1-3 have the suggested topic of relating protective activities in school to similar activities in the home. "For example, 'Duck and Cover' activities." Meanwhile, high school students can learn about "stockpiling of food supplies in home and care for them." Under the subtopic of "Personal Health Including Nutrition," suggested topics for high school students include learning about water treatment after atomic attack, and my personal favorite, "raising and storing of additional food supplies - gardens, chickens, hogs, etc. North Carolina can do a great deal in this type of activity."
A list of references includes a vast array of publications from the Federal Civil Defense Administration, American National Red Cross, and American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Also listed are films available for loan from the North Carolina Council of Civil Defense (pre-NC Civil Defense Agency). Some of these include:
- Survival Under Atomic Attack
- You Can Beat The A-Bomb Part I / Part II
- What You Should Know About Biological Warfare
- Duck and Cover
- Our Cities Must Fight
- A Tale of Two Cities
- The Atom Strikes
Below is this handbook in its entirety, including pictures of school children demonstrating the "Duck and Cover" drill. For those interested, these photos were taken at the then segregated Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Since it is generally agreed, following the organization of the local civil defense program, that the major contribution the schools can make to civil defense is to do a better job of these programs already planned for normal living [emphasis in original], a large part of this publication is devoted to suggestions in this area. It is the responsibility of the State Superintendent and his staff to encourage and assist the schools in this respect to the end that pupils will be better prepared for emergencies of all kinds."
So, what are some of these suggestions? The booklet offers potential activities and topics for grades 1-12 in the broad areas of health and physical education. The vast bulk of the booklet looks at civil defense instruction in health, subdivided into mental health, personal health and nutrition, home care of the sick, community health and sanitation, diseases, family life education, safety education, fire protection, and first aid and emergency care.
Educators are provided with suggested activities and topics divided up according to grade level. In the area of "Family Life Education," students in grades 1-3 have the suggested topic of relating protective activities in school to similar activities in the home. "For example, 'Duck and Cover' activities." Meanwhile, high school students can learn about "stockpiling of food supplies in home and care for them." Under the subtopic of "Personal Health Including Nutrition," suggested topics for high school students include learning about water treatment after atomic attack, and my personal favorite, "raising and storing of additional food supplies - gardens, chickens, hogs, etc. North Carolina can do a great deal in this type of activity."
A list of references includes a vast array of publications from the Federal Civil Defense Administration, American National Red Cross, and American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Also listed are films available for loan from the North Carolina Council of Civil Defense (pre-NC Civil Defense Agency). Some of these include:
- Survival Under Atomic Attack
- You Can Beat The A-Bomb Part I / Part II
- What You Should Know About Biological Warfare
- Duck and Cover
- Our Cities Must Fight
- A Tale of Two Cities
- The Atom Strikes
Below is this handbook in its entirety, including pictures of school children demonstrating the "Duck and Cover" drill. For those interested, these photos were taken at the then segregated Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Civil Defense Chief Requests Schools Start Air Raid Alert Drills - 25 August 1954
Just in time for classes to begin in a few weeks, here is a press release from the North Carolina Civil Defense Agency advocating "that training of school children in safety procedure[s] during air raid alerts be started with the least possible delay after the opening of the fall school term." What did these drills entail? "Duck and Cover!" What better way to survive the thermonuclear age of multi-megaton weapons than huddling under a wooden desk or scrunched up in a hallway just like our friend Bert the Turtle.
The 1953 North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction handbook Civil Defense in Schools is mentioned as the guidebook for educators, and I will post up a copy of this by the end of the week. Suffice to say, it is a fascinating, at times highly amusing and overly optimistic (and ambitious) take on what educators and students could and should do in the event of atomic attack. Thankfully, such advice never had to be put into practice. Nevertheless, it should be noted that during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Civil Defense in Schools remained on the books as guidance for school administrators, albeit supplemented with information from local civil defense organizations, if applicable.
Hiroshima and The Atomic Cafe
On this sixty-fifth anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, I happened to find that the entire 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe is now on YouTube. The opening of this superb documentary of the early history of the U.S. and atomic weapons has a poignant portrayal of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the painful disconnect this country had between actions and consequences. The blending of the macabre and poignant film footage and period audio makes this a powerful documentary.
For more information about the film, see the Internet Movie Database's page about The Atomic Cafe.
65 years later, man who photographed Little Boy Vindicated
He Really Did Shoot A-Bomb Photos - News and Observer, 1 August 2010
Multimedia Artwork - "1945-1998" by Isao Hashimoto
Isao Hashimoto's "1945 - 1998" is a bird's eye view of the history by scaling down a month length of time into one second. No letter is used for equal messaging to all viewers without language barrier. The blinking light, sound and the numbers on the world map show when, where and how many experiments each country have conducted. I created this work for the means of an interface to the people who are yet to know of the extremely grave, but present problem of the world.
NCCD Emergency Feeding Manual - Late 1951, Early 1952
Just in time for your Fourth of July party comes 60 year old information on how to prepare nutritious meals to feed vast quantities of guests using mere garbage cans and a fire pit. The North Carolina Council of Civil Defense Nutrition Advisory Board led by Dr. Bertlyn Bosley published the State of North Carolina Civil Defense Emergency Feeding Manual in late 1951 (or early 1952 as the records are not too specific). North Carolina's commitment to creating an emergency mass feeding program for both survivors and rescue workers came in response to the Federal Civil Defense Administration's early planning recommendations. This information continued to be used by the NCCD well into the 1960s. I have yet to find any updated edition or changes to this manual or the mass feeding training manual since publication.
The complete manual is found below including simple recipes should you desire to experience the taste of being a survivor in a bread line following nuclear attack.
The complete manual is found below including simple recipes should you desire to experience the taste of being a survivor in a bread line following nuclear attack.
On Vacation
Just wanted to note that I am on hiatus this month but will be posting new stuff when July rolls around.
NCCD Director and D-Day Veteran: James W. Denning
On this anniversary of the D-Day invasion, 6 June 1944, a salute to D-Day veteran and former NCCD director James W. Denning is appropriate. On 17 July 1969, Governor Robert W. Scott announced the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Denning to the director position, with the formal appointment taking place on 10 September 1969. Denning had held the post of NCCD Operations Officer for the agency since August 1955, and was the first person in the agency to rise to the director’s position.
A graduate of
As NCCD director, Denning oversaw the continued surveying and establishing of fallout shelters in North Carolina and emphasized increased awareness of operational readiness to hurricanes and tornadoes in North Carolina. Early in his tenure, he and the state agency provided assistance to the Mississippi Civil Defense Council following the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Camille. In March 1972, the NCCD was combined with five other state departments, boards, and commissions to comprise the new Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (DMVA), as created by the 1971 General Assembly.
Guy Eaker, Sr. - B.A.S.S. Master, Former Fallout Shelter Owner
I just came across this article in the New York Times and had to share: True Fish Tale: Angler, 70, Still Casts With the BestI interviewed Mr. Eaker as part of my Masters thesis research back in February 2008. Not only is he a master bass fisherman and first-rate host and gentleman, but he is also was at one time a fallout shelter owner. Below is the text from pages 110-111 of my MA thesis with Mr. Eaker's story.
It is a small world indeed, enjoy!
In nearby Cherryville, Guy Eaker, Sr. and his family may have been the only residents with a fallout shelter. Eaker’s father decided to build the shelter after events in early 1961 convinced him that “something was going to happen.” Built over the course of a few weeks in April 1961 at a cost of $2,000, the Eakers built the shelter for twelve people to live comfortably. Measuring thirty by forty feet, built with cinder blocks reinforced with steel rebar and poured concrete, the entire shelter was buried inside a hill. Two vents, one with a handcrank, provided ventilation. The shelter featured a hand-dug well for a constant water supply and had a commode that emptied into a nearby creek. Oil lamps provided illumination.
Cherryville, situated near several large cities, could have received substantial fallout if North Carolina was attacked. When hearing of the missile crisis, Eaker recalled “it was scary…I sort of really had my doubts about it [building the shelter] when Dad was doing this and talking about it. But when all this happened, and they had the missiles and everything down there I said ‘this can be it any time.’ That really scared me.” Despite the initial fear, Eaker felt reassured his family had a shelter ready to use, and since living in a small town meant that fallout, not a direct attack, was the main threat. The family got together to give everyone a share of the equipment and food to bring to the shelter. “We had plenty of food, mostly canned food, plenty of water, had our own well, so I think we could have stayed down there a whole month if we had to,” recollected Eaker. Eaker think that his family shelter was the only fallout shelter in Cherryville during the missile crisis, and as a substantial rural shelter it stands as an exception to the rule.
Why other families in Cherryville, or elsewhere in North Carolina, did not band together to build fallout shelters is commonly attributed to apathy or disillusionment with civil defense. In Eaker’s opinion, the local news media did not inform or educate people properly about fallout and the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. If people had known the risks of fallout, “this would have made more people build bomb shelters if they [civil defense] had told them how serious it was,” stated Eaker. Money was tight for Eaker (having been married only a year) but pooling his money with his relatives made the shelter investment more financially feasible. Granted, Eaker kept his shelter secret. How many other people did the same will never be known.
It is a small world indeed, enjoy!
In nearby Cherryville, Guy Eaker, Sr. and his family may have been the only residents with a fallout shelter. Eaker’s father decided to build the shelter after events in early 1961 convinced him that “something was going to happen.” Built over the course of a few weeks in April 1961 at a cost of $2,000, the Eakers built the shelter for twelve people to live comfortably. Measuring thirty by forty feet, built with cinder blocks reinforced with steel rebar and poured concrete, the entire shelter was buried inside a hill. Two vents, one with a handcrank, provided ventilation. The shelter featured a hand-dug well for a constant water supply and had a commode that emptied into a nearby creek. Oil lamps provided illumination.
Cherryville, situated near several large cities, could have received substantial fallout if North Carolina was attacked. When hearing of the missile crisis, Eaker recalled “it was scary…I sort of really had my doubts about it [building the shelter] when Dad was doing this and talking about it. But when all this happened, and they had the missiles and everything down there I said ‘this can be it any time.’ That really scared me.” Despite the initial fear, Eaker felt reassured his family had a shelter ready to use, and since living in a small town meant that fallout, not a direct attack, was the main threat. The family got together to give everyone a share of the equipment and food to bring to the shelter. “We had plenty of food, mostly canned food, plenty of water, had our own well, so I think we could have stayed down there a whole month if we had to,” recollected Eaker. Eaker think that his family shelter was the only fallout shelter in Cherryville during the missile crisis, and as a substantial rural shelter it stands as an exception to the rule.
Why other families in Cherryville, or elsewhere in North Carolina, did not band together to build fallout shelters is commonly attributed to apathy or disillusionment with civil defense. In Eaker’s opinion, the local news media did not inform or educate people properly about fallout and the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. If people had known the risks of fallout, “this would have made more people build bomb shelters if they [civil defense] had told them how serious it was,” stated Eaker. Money was tight for Eaker (having been married only a year) but pooling his money with his relatives made the shelter investment more financially feasible. Granted, Eaker kept his shelter secret. How many other people did the same will never be known.
NCCD Newsletter - May 1960
This month has been a busy one to say the least, much to the detriment of posting on the blog. The May 1960 NCCD newsletter is reflective of the slow and somewhat directionless progress of the federal civil defense program at the time. For North Carolina, with the State Operational Survival Plan published, focus shifted to having counties creating and publishing survival plans of their own. All counties would eventually have these plans by the mid-1960s.
Also noted is Operation Alert 1960 (OPAL 60). I believe I have a copy of the CONELRAD script and will post it up. The script itself leaves the read with a strange sensation of the theatricality of it but also the reality that it could have been a real attack.
Also noted is Operation Alert 1960 (OPAL 60). I believe I have a copy of the CONELRAD script and will post it up. The script itself leaves the read with a strange sensation of the theatricality of it but also the reality that it could have been a real attack.
LA Times - Fallout Shelters for New Generation
The perfect getaway when you wish to avoid an unhealthy glow or terrorist attack:
Fallout Shelters for a New Generation
Fallout Shelters for a New Generation
Documentary/Op-Ed Film This Summer - Countdown to Zero
Official Trailer for Countdown to Zero
Synopsis: COUNTDOWN TO ZERO traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including President Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. It makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. The film was produced by Academy Award® winner and current nominee Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds, An Inconvenient Truth) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media, together with World Security Institute. Participant collaborated with Magnolia on last year’s Food, Inc., recently nominated for an Academy Award®, and the upcoming CASINO JACK and the United States of Money. Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Bruce Blair and Matt Brown are the film’s executive producers.
One Year Anniversary of NCCD History Blog
Just a quick message to say thanks to all the visitors over the past year. The blog managed 1,400 hits in its first year. Not bad for a relatively obscure topic! School is limiting the time I have for posts, but rest assured I still have a vast array of primary documents to post and and share...as time allows for me to read through them all, haha.
Handbook for Erosion Control - NC Hurricane Rehabilitation Program, 1956
As mentioned in a previous posting, the Handbook for Erosion Control is the one document I have in my possession related to Governor Hodges's Hurricane Rehabilitation Committee. Written by Outer Banks historian David Stick and illustrated by his father, artist Frank Stick, the handbook's information is as pertinent now as it was when published back in 1956.
Mr. Stick passed away on 24 May 2009. I interviewed him for my Masters research on 11 June 2008 and he told me the following about how he happened to write this little handbook:
I lived on the ocean front in Kill Devil Hills when I was a boy. I can remember the storm coming up. We had a newspaper report, maybe something on the radio about it hitting someplace else in the Caribbean and what would happen is the Sheriff’s Deputies would come by and tell us to “evacuate immediately.” Then the Coast Guard would come by and tell us “stay right where you are,” and then the Red Cross people would come by and say “evacuate immediately.” It was the most confusing thing you’d ever see in your life.
So that was hurricane planning at that time and that was our civil defense planning. I became actively involved in 1957 [Note, Mr. Stick stated 1957 here, but the storms he mentioned occurred in 1954-1955. My thought here is he is referring to events that took place in 1956] when we had a succession of three serious hurricanes, Connie, Diane, and Hazel that had struck North Carolina but not us. Each time we were afraid they would, and so I had an interesting situation. I had a couple of rental cottages up the beach, and I had a couple in them when those storms came up, I guess it was that series, and I urged them to evacuate to Ahoskie, North Carolina, stay at the Tomahawk Hotel. The hurricane missed us and hit Ahoskie. So they made a reservation for the same week in July for the next year. They showed up and a hurricane came up. Told them they better evacuate. Hurricane missed us, hit Ahoskie. So they were not dumb, they changed their reservation to August for the next year. We didn’t have any July hurricanes that year but we sure had one in August! I told them they should evacuate. They went to Ahoskie and the Tomahawk Hotel, and you know I never heard from those people after that. Haha. So that’s the way things were handled as late as the later 1950s.
At about the same time, one relatively minor hurricane hit us, it might not even been a hurricane, it could have been a severe nor’easter, and several houses fell overboard. Some of us figured they would since they were built right on the brink of the ocean. I never have quite understood why in those days people would knock down a natural ocean front dune so they get a better view of the ocean and get right out there where the dune had been, so their house is the protective dune. Didn’t work very well. So there had been no planning on a state basis, or any, Federal, state, or local really and so all the business people got together down at the Arlington Hotel in Nags Head and it subsequently fell overboard a few years later. The question was this: “we’ve had quite a lot of damage. Should we ask Governor Hodges to declare this a disaster area?” There were those hotly against it, because the word would go that the Outer Banks area was subject to hurricanes and nobody would ever come here again. There were others who felt we better give this serious consideration because we don’t have any money here. It was one municipality and it was a new one, and anyway there were two I guess. So they named a committee. I got hooked as chairman of the committee and we met a number of times and prepared a report, the committee did back to the assemblage. Our recommendation was we should ask the Governor to declare a disaster area and he did, and the President did so we got as much help as you would get back in those days.
But nothing for hurricane planning as I remember and so I wrote a handbook then, a handbook on erosion control.
And the rest they say... is history.
Mr. Stick passed away on 24 May 2009. I interviewed him for my Masters research on 11 June 2008 and he told me the following about how he happened to write this little handbook:
I lived on the ocean front in Kill Devil Hills when I was a boy. I can remember the storm coming up. We had a newspaper report, maybe something on the radio about it hitting someplace else in the Caribbean and what would happen is the Sheriff’s Deputies would come by and tell us to “evacuate immediately.” Then the Coast Guard would come by and tell us “stay right where you are,” and then the Red Cross people would come by and say “evacuate immediately.” It was the most confusing thing you’d ever see in your life.
So that was hurricane planning at that time and that was our civil defense planning. I became actively involved in 1957 [Note, Mr. Stick stated 1957 here, but the storms he mentioned occurred in 1954-1955. My thought here is he is referring to events that took place in 1956] when we had a succession of three serious hurricanes, Connie, Diane, and Hazel that had struck North Carolina but not us. Each time we were afraid they would, and so I had an interesting situation. I had a couple of rental cottages up the beach, and I had a couple in them when those storms came up, I guess it was that series, and I urged them to evacuate to Ahoskie, North Carolina, stay at the Tomahawk Hotel. The hurricane missed us and hit Ahoskie. So they made a reservation for the same week in July for the next year. They showed up and a hurricane came up. Told them they better evacuate. Hurricane missed us, hit Ahoskie. So they were not dumb, they changed their reservation to August for the next year. We didn’t have any July hurricanes that year but we sure had one in August! I told them they should evacuate. They went to Ahoskie and the Tomahawk Hotel, and you know I never heard from those people after that. Haha. So that’s the way things were handled as late as the later 1950s.
At about the same time, one relatively minor hurricane hit us, it might not even been a hurricane, it could have been a severe nor’easter, and several houses fell overboard. Some of us figured they would since they were built right on the brink of the ocean. I never have quite understood why in those days people would knock down a natural ocean front dune so they get a better view of the ocean and get right out there where the dune had been, so their house is the protective dune. Didn’t work very well. So there had been no planning on a state basis, or any, Federal, state, or local really and so all the business people got together down at the Arlington Hotel in Nags Head and it subsequently fell overboard a few years later. The question was this: “we’ve had quite a lot of damage. Should we ask Governor Hodges to declare this a disaster area?” There were those hotly against it, because the word would go that the Outer Banks area was subject to hurricanes and nobody would ever come here again. There were others who felt we better give this serious consideration because we don’t have any money here. It was one municipality and it was a new one, and anyway there were two I guess. So they named a committee. I got hooked as chairman of the committee and we met a number of times and prepared a report, the committee did back to the assemblage. Our recommendation was we should ask the Governor to declare a disaster area and he did, and the President did so we got as much help as you would get back in those days.
But nothing for hurricane planning as I remember and so I wrote a handbook then, a handbook on erosion control.
And the rest they say... is history.
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