Duck And Cover Drill Essay

On October 6, 1961 President Kennedy went live on national television to urge all americans to build a bomb shelter. Starting again in the 1960’s schools conducted the “Duck and Cover” drill. Bomb shelters were at a all time high around America. Family’s were on edge not trusting anyone not even there neighbors. Hollywood produced nuclear war doomsday films and stores produced an enormous quantity of survivor supplies. The Cuban Missile Crisis had a major impact on all Americans causing fear and panic that was so traumatic that it is considered one of the most horrific and emotional events in American history.

The Duck and cover drill was born during the Cold war in 1949 but started again when the Cuban MIssile Crisis was starting to form.

This drill was used to prepare children in schools from a nuclear attack in which these children would be more protected if this was to occur. The Duck and Cover drill taught children to hide under their desk and cover their head when the fire drill went off in their school. By ducking and covering their head it protected them against the effects of a nuclear explosion. The drill was useful at conferring a degree of protection to people

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situated outside the radius of the nuclear fireball but still within sufficient range of the nuclear explosion that if standing up and uncovered would likely cause serious injury or death. Duck and
cover was an intended alternative to a more target/citywide emergency evacuation since you would not have that valuable time to evacuative, only a matter of seconds to minutes.

This drill

was taught in all schools around the country and children were shown a film by the United States Civil Defense showing exactly what to do. Children were also given comic books with cute animals showing what to do during this situation to get a child’s attention. The film did not sugar coat anything even children in Kindergarten had to view the film.

In 1962, a public opinion poll showed that 40 percent of Americans were seriously considering building a shelter. Bomb shelters were not cheap, costing from $100 to as much as $5,000 for an underground suite with a phone and toilet were selling like hotcakes, Wall Street investors predicted the Bomb Shelter business could be worth $20 billion. The housing market was at an all time high during the 1960’s and one reason for this was many people were buying houses with land in which they could build a bomb shelter. Trust was very scarce during the early 1960’s, parents built bomb shelters but would hide it from their neighbors and friends so that they could have enough supplies and room for their own family. People in the North and North East of the country produced the most bomb shelters because in a widespread nuclear attack that section of the country would have the most radioactivity. Major airlines, IBM, Detroit automakers, phone companys and

Wall Street planned employee shelters. The Federal Reserve designated banks for postwar check cashing. Other Public buildings with deep basements lined with thick underground concrete were designated as shelters in case of attack.
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The major reason why Americans acted as they did was because of the President during the time JFK.

On October 6, 1961 Kennedy recommended a plan of action to his fellow Americans. “A fallout shelter for everybody,” he said, “as rapidly as possible.” Kennedy then went on to promise every American citizen that he would let them know what steps he could take without delay to protect his family in case of attack.

Many businesses took this opportunity of fear to make money. Hollywood began producing nuclear war doomsday films, including “On The Beach,” “The Last Man On Earth,” “The Day the World Ended,” “Atomic Kid,” and “Dr. Strangelove.” In which all the characters were surviving in a doomsday situation. Even Television jumped on the wagon creating television series. In the classic series “The Twilight Zone,” a young astronaut returns home to Earth to discover that a nuclear war has destroyed his home planet Earth leaving him utterly alone. The media also decided to join in during the 13 horrific days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Newspaper headlines screamed warning of impending annihilation “Highest Urgency, Kennedy Reports,” “Invasion Possible, Air, Sea and Ground Forces ordered out for Maneuvers”.. Survival stores around the country sold filters, air blowers, flashlights fallout protection suits, water and first aid kits. Stores like General Foods and General Mills sold dry packaged meals as underground

rations.
In conclusion the topics i’ve expressed in detail show that yes there was PTSD after the Cuban Missile Crisis but nothing compared to the emotions while the crisis was happening. In just 13 days the entire American Public was on their toes. Adults buying as much survival supplies as they could carry. Schools teaching children procedures to help with survival. Shelters
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being built faster than could be sold and causing such panic and fear that neighbors turned against neighbors thinking the world was going to end. Some Americans didn’t want to die in a Nuclear war so they took their life into their own hands becoming so desperate that they committed suicide. Proving my thesis that the Cuban MIssile Crisis is considered one of the most horrifying and emotional events in American history.