1956 ... 'Operation Alert'




... 'Operation Alert:1956' was a nationwide Civil Defense drill. During the exercise President Eisenhower and other members of the government were evacuated from Washington DC to a remote tent city. Evacuation was a viable Civil Defense option during a 'crisis' situation when Nuclear War might seem imminent. In 1956, before ICBM missiles, Russian bombers would take more than eight hours to reach American cities.

http://www.conelrad.com/atomicsecrets/secrets.php?secrets=03

1 comment:

Sharon Day said...

Wow, nothing like a lot of gray-suited men to make you feel like things are getting handled. Fantastic era pics.