Voices of Doomsday

[Geon]

Prelude Continued

Here is another small snippet. I may try for another update tomorrow.
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Throughout the United States people who had been preparing for bed and had been watching TV stayed glued to their TV sets, in some cases calling and waking others up to have them tune in to the 11 o’clock news to hear any further bulletins.

Just before the beginning of the local 11 o’clock news the BULLETIN sign once again appeared on TV screens and once again Cronkite appeared now wearing his suit and projecting an aura of calm which as he would say later to some of his aides “he was not feeling on the inside.”

“This is Walter Cronkite reporting once again on this developing situation. The White House has now confirmed that two U.S. freighters off of the coast of Florida have been sunk by Soviet submarines. While no details were given it is reported that both freighters were torpedoed approximately one to two hours ago. The Coast Guard is presently involved in rescue operations, searching for survivors.

“The Pentagon has also confirmed that U.S. naval task forces operating in the Caribbean and Atlantic theaters have been authorized to and I quote ‘Take whatever action is necessary to ensure the safety of U.S. sea lanes, unquote. All civilian sea traffic in the area of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the East Coast has been asked to dock at the nearest safe port until this emergency is passed.

“Further… [At this point Cronkite and other newscasters were interrupted as a sound in the background could be heard. That sound was the sound of air raid sirens being activated in several major cities throughout the country.] The sound you may be hearing behind me is that of an air raid siren on the roof of this building being activated. President Kennedy has asked all Civil Defense authorities to go on alert and we have been told that alert includes testing all Civil Defense air raid sirens. You may be hearing these in your own neighborhoods even as we speak. Civil Defense authorities wish to emphasize that at this time there is no evidence of any nuclear attack in progress against the U.S. I repeat, at this time Civil Defense authorities are emphasizing that there is no attack underway against the U.S. This is simply a test of alert sirens to ensure their readiness.

“In addition we have been asked by Civil Defense authorities to urge everyone to please not use your phones unless it is an emergency. Repeating, the Civil Defense authorities are asking everyone not to tie up the phone lines but to only use them in the event of an emergency.

“CBS News will stay on the air throughout the night and will bring you further updates as they become available. We now return you to your local news.”

TV screens flashed back to the local news where local news anchors mirrored what had just been said. There was no attack underway against the U.S. this was simply a test of the alert systems. Nevertheless many Americans who had the prudence to build fallout shelters in or near their homes began to check that their shelters were properly prepared. Others, particularly in the larger cities began to wonder if they should be preparing to leave for safe places. But if there was a nuclear war what would be considered a “safe place?”

 

[Geon]

Wallace and Lawford

Here is another section. Before I continue, given the content of this story I wish to state I have rights to none of the historical characters living or dead portrayed in this story and own rights to none of them. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
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At 12:15 A.M. (EST) telephones started ringing in homes throughout the U.S. The President had just decided to mobilize the National Guard. Thousands of young men received a call to report for duty immediately. For both them and their families there was an unspoken fear that this time their goodbyes to each other might be their last ones.

Although normally the local networks would have signed off around midnight or 1 a.m. tonight the national networks began all-night news coverage of the developing crisis after the midnight hour. Many would stay up into the wee hours watching the unfolding drama.

At 2:15 a.m. a rumpled Mike Wallace appeared on CBS.

“We have just received unconfirmed reports of shooting incidents having occurred in Berlin between Russian and American forces. Repeat these reports are unconfirmed at this time and we are awaiting further reports from the Pentagon regarding this. We are presently attempting to contact our reporters in the Berlin bureau but so far have been unable to raise them. We will bring you further information as it becomes….

“I have just been handed a statement from the White House declaring that the President will address the nation in ½ hour. To repeat the White House has issued a statement that President Kennedy will address the country by TV and radio at 2:45 a.m. One half hour from now.

“We are also receiving word from our reporters in Florida of reports of large numbers of U.S. Air Force jets taking off from bases in that state and heading south. It is not known if this is merely an exercise or the beginning of an operation of some type against Cuba. Hopefully we will learn more when the President speaks at 2:45 a.m.”

It was 12:30 a.m. in Las Vegas and 11:30 in Los Angeles when actor/comedian Peter Lawford received a late night phone call. He would later describe it in his book My Life as a Rat.

“Like most Americans I was sitting in front of my TV glued to what was happening when the phone rang. When I answered I heard a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in months. It was Frank. After the incident where Kennedy refused to stay at Frank’s home because of his supposed ties with Giancana I had been on Frank’s “blacklist” so it was a surprise to hear from him.

We talked and he asked how I was doing. I said well enough given the situation. Then he said, ‘Would you like to come out to Vegas? The rest of the guys miss you and would love to see you again. And it might be a lot healthier then Los Angeles in a day or two.’

“After a moment I said, ‘Would you have any problems with me coming out?’ ‘Hell no,’ he said. Right now I just think family should be together.'

“Then he asked if I had talked with my brother-in-law at all tonight. I told him that I hadn’t and given what was happening now I didn’t think I’d be able to get through to him for a while.

“I then added, ‘You know Frank, Vegas was until recently known for being a good place to observe atomic tests. You don’t think that makes the place a little vulnerable?’ It’s a whole lot safer than being in Los Angeles now Pete. All the Russians will be doing if they nuke Las Vegas will be getting rid of some second rate talent like you and me!’ I laughed with him and told him I’d try to drive out there as soon as possible. ‘We’ll be holding breakfast for you Pete’ he said.”

“That call marked the end of the feud between Frank and me, but I’m just sorry it took World War III to do it…”

(Excerpt from My Life as a Rat by Peter Lawford.)

 

[Geon]

Speech and Sunday

I have quoted verbatim from the speech Amerigo used in his TL. His speech appears in italics, however I got the impression he meant what he wrote to be excerpts of a larger speech. I have here "filled out" what Amerigo did, Amerigo if you read this I hope it meets with your approval.
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At 2:45 a.m. (EST) President Kennedy addressed the nation. Although there has never been an official count of how many were actually watching at this unusually early hour estimates place it at over 20 million.

“My fellow Americans:
With a heavy heart and in necessary fulfillment of my oath of office I have ordered…and the U.S. Air Force has now carried out military operations with conventional weapons only to remove a major nuclear weapons buildup from the soil of Cuba. I do not take this step lightly. Our military and civilian leaders reviewed several possible ways to end this growing crisis. Every other course of action involved risk of delay and further harm to our armed forces and Americans at home and abroad. We had hoped that a blockade of the island of Cuba would have dissuaded both that nation and the Soviet Union from further ill-considered actions. Our diplomats have made every effort to secure the withdrawal of all offensive nuclear weapons from Cuba. None of these efforts has met with success and in fact the Soviet Union, as many of you are aware has responded on the high seas attacking and destroying several ships belonging to the United States Navy in response to our blockade. We were therefore faced with a simple choice. Accept a worsening situation or deal firmly with the present threat. With no prospect of real progress in removing this communist threat into the Americas it became clear that if the leaders of the Soviet Union and Cuba were unwilling to remove these weapons and it would be the duty of the U.S. to deal with them in the only way possible. Our air force has just concluded strikes against all sites in Cuba where offensive nuclear weapons have been detected. We acted quickly and decisively. There are some who may condemn the nature of our “surprise attack.” However, prolonged delay would have meant enormously increased danger, and immediate warning would have greatly enlarged the loss of life on all sides. It became my duty to act and as commander of the armed forces of this nation I have done so in a way that hopefully will minimize loss of life.

I now appeal to both Fidel Castro and to Nikita Khrushchev to end their increasingly aggressive actions and to stand down their respective militaries. The United States is prepared to announce a cease-fire if both Cuba and the Soviet Union will declare the same and end further arming of that island nation.

However, we cannot simply hope that Cuba and the Soviet Union will see reason. We must be prepared for anything that may happen. Accordingly I have ordered our armed forces to go on alert and have ordered the National Guard mobilized to maintain order. I urge all Americans to stay in their homes and pray this Sunday for the peace of the world. May God be with us and guide us in this time of testing. Thank you, and good night.”

Commentators on all the major channels would spend the night analyzing the president’s speech, even as the situation worsened in Cuba and Europe.

By 8 a.m. on Sunday, October 28th those Americans that had managed to sleep through the night were awakening to the news of the U.S. air strike on the nuclear missile sites in Cuba as well as on SAM sites throughout the island. Unconfirmed reports of fighting in Berlin and along the East/West German border had been confirmed but correspondents in Berlin, once again back in touch with their respective headquarters were reporting that the fighting seemed to have flared and died down.

That Sunday many Americans took the president’s advice and stayed home but many more chose to attend church, even if many of them had not done so in years. Many churches reported record attendances throughout the country that day.

Throughout the country, in small country churches, and huge cathedrals, in store-front chapels and fashionable suburban churches people gathered to seek answers and comfort.

In Atlanta at the Ebenezer Baptist Church the pews were filled to capacity and beyond. People stood outside the church as loudspeakers were hastily set up so that all could hear. Inside the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his sermon in a calm voice.

“I believe we are going to face some difficult days ahead. There is no doubt that evil forces seek to push this nation to the brink of nuclear holocaust. But we are not going to be afraid. We are not going to be afraid because God is in our midst. As the psalmist says, ‘Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. (Psalm 46:2). We will not fear….(louder)…We Will Not Fear…(louder still)…WE WILL NOT FEAR! (cries of Amen reverberated in the background)

Elsewhere, in a church in North Carolina another pastor/evangelist was speaking to a packed congregation as Rev. Billy Graham preached the Sunday sermon.

“We stand at the brink of possibly the gravest crisis this nation has yet faced. Yet we do not stand there alone. For God in His mercy has not forgotten us. He is with us and has promised to be with us in the hard times as well as the good...

From well-known city minister to little known ministers in small country churches the message was consistent, pray, trust, and don’t be afraid. The last would prove the hardest advice to follow as the day unfolded.

 

[Geon]

The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier was completed in 1961 so it would have been ready by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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As the morning progressed in the Appalachian Mountains at an exclusive resort in West Virginia the staff of the Greenbrier resort was busy sending word to its few remaining guests - many had already checked out - that the hotel was closing for the duration of the national emergency. Even as they sent this word out other special guests were starting to arrive. Even though no official word had yet been given several Senators and members of the House of Representatives had made their way to the Greenbrier Resort where they were surreptitiously led by bellboys to a secret entrance to a vast underground bunker completed barely a year ago. By noon of the 28th there were 15 congressional representatives and 6 Senators at the Bunker. More would join them later. Those who gathered at the Greenbrier were informed by the bunker staff that within an hour there would be a joint meeting of Congress and that they would be able to follow and participate using the advanced communication system.

One of the early arrivals was Senator Barry Goldwater. He would write in his recollections later the following.

“I had never seen the congressional bunker before so I was astounded at how much room there was here. Of course, that was before I realized how few of us had yet arrived. However, there was a look on everyone’s faces I recognized. And, many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would admit to me a deep sense of guilt at coming here.

“Not the least of our concerns was the fate of our families. We had been told families would not be allowed in the shelter. I uttered a silent prayer for the safety of my wife and children whom I hoped were on their way to a safe place in Arizona, I also prayed for my constituency there and wondered what they would think of their Senator if they knew he had sought to seek shelter early. (From Witnesses to Destruction: Interviews with the Greenbrier Congressmen.)

Even as these congressmen were “settling in” at the Greenbrier, back in Washington, D.C. other preparations were being made. At the National Museum large numbers of trucks had pulled up to the rear of the building while within curators were carefully supervising the crating and preparation of the paintings, and other object d’art in the museum. If the order was given these precious items would be loaded on the trucks outside and taken to a special location in Southwest Virginia. Project Y was ready to go.

Around 1 p.m. families having returned home were settling down for Sunday dinner. In most cases this dinner was being eaten with a radio or TV on close by. At 1:05 p.m. the news anchors on each of the major networks received word that an important announcement was about to be made by the White House press secretary, Pierre Salinger.

At 1:15 p.m. Pierre Salinger appeared before the White House Press Corps.

“I will be making a statement and there will be no questions. As many of you know early this morning a decision was made by the President to bomb key sites in Cuba which were determined to be launch sites for nuclear missiles targeting the United States. While I am pleased to tell you that preliminary reports indicate these air strikes carried out by the U.S. Air Force were completely successful I must also report that since 4:15 a.m. this morning our forces at Guantanamo Bay have come under fire from the Cuban military in an apparent attempt to take the Guantanamo Bay naval base. Our forces on the ground have been responding to the Cuban attack and have repelled a number of attacks against the base. However, this action by Cuba has forced the President to ask Congress to declare that a state of war now exists between the United States and Cuba. Ten minutes ago in an extraordinary joint meeting of the Congress by telephone the members of the Congress voted unanimously to issue a declaration of war.

“Further, the President has sent word to the Soviet Union that it is still our desire to avoid conflict and asking the leadership of the Soviet Union to use its good offices to convince Cuba that is in its and the worlds’ best interest to discontinue these attacks against our assets in Cuba.

“That’s all I have to say.”

Pierre Salinger then raced out of the room ignoring any questions that were yelled in his direction.

Over the next two hours Americans were treated to interviews with some of the fliers who had been involved in the early morning attacks on the missile sites in Cuba as well as a rundown of the news of the escalating crisis. Throughout the country at tobacco stores owners were seen publically burning boxes of “Cuban cigars”, that had found their way into their stores by various means. In Little Miami, even though it was Sunday recruiting stations were opened as young men sought to sign up for enlistment to fight against Castro’s Cuba.

Even though a nuclear weapon had been fired in anger yesterday evening by the Soviet navy some of the newscasters were speculating this might have been an accident or a mistake. That perception would be proven wrong at 3:22 p.m. that afternoon.

 

[Geon]

Second Attack

Here is a small snippet for today.
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At 3:25 p.m. Walter Cronkite was manning the anchor desk at CBS News when a FLASH came over the teletype. Walter went to look at the teletype and for a brief moment it appeared as one staff member would say later “that the man had just had a heart attack. He looked like something had just taken all the breath from his body.” Then he signaled that he needed air time and the network broke away from an interview that was being conducted at the time with former President Harry Truman.

Cronkite then seated himself, took a moment to compose himself and began to speak. He would be the first of the major newscasters to announce the latest disaster.

“We have just received word confirmed by the Pentagon and several live reports from the area nearby that a second nuclear attack has occurred at sea. According to a statement just released the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Essex and two of her support ships were attacked and sunk by a Soviet submarine at the blockade line. The fate of the Soviet submarine responsible remains unknown. At present the White House has no comment.”

Following the announcement, some of the staff said that Walter Cronkite quickly left the broadcast studio for the rest room, when he returned he was as one staff member again would tell later, “looking like a man who had looked into his own grave.”

In Las Vegas Peter Lawford was finishing up a late brunch with some friends he hadn’t seen in a while. After driving through the night with only a short rest in Barstow, California it was good to finally be back with the legendary “Rat Pack.” A television was on as the group of friends sat talking. When word of the Essex being sunk came on.

“The room got very quiet at that moment. For several moments after that everyone just stared down at their now empty plates. Frank, Sammy, Dean, and I all helped ourselves to another drink at the bar in total silence. After another minute Dean excused himself and said he was going to try to make another call to New York.

“When I asked Frank what that was all about he told me that when Dean had heard that Frank and I had made up he decided it was high time he did the same with Jerry. He had been trying for the past several hours to get through.

“I sighed and told Frank, ‘Hope he gets through soon, It’d be nice to have Jerry here, right now I think we could use all the laughs we can get.” (from My Life as a Rat by Peter Lawford.)

 

[Geon]

Embassy

Emperor Norton - thanks, that link was one of the inspirations for what I am doing here. This was originally meant to be a series of short stories taken from before and during the crisis. However, I thought I would string some of them together into a more coherent (hopefully) whole. That being said here is a little more from Washington.
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Throughout Sunday afternoon the streets of many American cities and towns were deserted. Most people took President Kennedy’s advice earlier and stayed home after returning from church.

There were exceptions. Throughout the country impromptu “peace groups” held vigils on college campuses asking both sides to step back from the brink. On many of these same campuses some of these vigils were interrupted by angry members of the local ROTC who took issue with people they considered nothing more than “communist agitators.” However, for the most part the protests and counter protests remained peaceful.

People stayed glued to the TV for the most part or the radio. Throughout the day however both the news and even the advertising got more and more ominous. More and more the networks substituted Civil Defense public service announcements for the standard advertising fare.

Even football, the great American pastime was effected. Many professional and college games were cancelled. Those that did take place played to almost empty stadiums. Bart Starr, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers said that there were so few people in the stadium where the Packers were playing that afternoon he could hear his voice echo in the near-empty stands.

Every half hour the network news would have a recap of events up to that moment. At 5:30 p.m. another such recap was well underway when suddenly it was interrupted.

On NBC Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were in the middle of recapping the day’s events and Brinkley was discussing the implications of the President’s speech when Huntley interrupted.

Chet Huntley: “Excuse me David, but I have to interrupt you. We are getting word of a developing situation at the Soviet Embassy in Washington. We take you now to Sander Vanocer at the Soviet Embassy”

[Cut to scene outside of Soviet Embassy showing a massive crowd pushing their way through the gates with many actually climbing the gates. Smoke was seen pouring from the front windows.]

Sander Vanocer: “Chet as you can see the situation here at the Soviet Embassy is clearly out of control. About 20 minutes ago a crowd started gathering here with signs demanding the Russian embassy be closed down. The crowd was clearly incensed by the news of the sinking of the Essex.”

[Cut to an interview where Sander was interviewing a man saying, “These bastards have just nuked two of our ships! I had a brother who was on board the Essex. If these [expletive deleted] think they can commit murder and get away with it they’ve got another think coming!]

Sander Vanocer: “Over the past 20 minutes the crowd’s mood grew more and more ugly. Finally, about 10 minutes ago they started surging forward and trying to climb the fence. After several minutes the crowd stormed past the guards in front of the embassy. We don’t know what happened to them. The crowd then entered the embassy proper. Since then you can see that the embassy has been set on fire.”

Chet Huntley: “Sander this is Chet, do you have any idea if Ambassador Dobrynin is still in the building?”

Sander Vanocer: “I’m sorry Chet but right now as far as we know the location of the ambassador is unknown. We’ve heard rumors he might be still in the building but others have told us he is not here. It is all very confusing…”

[At this point there was a shout from Sander’s camera man as two men who were clearly embassy personnel were seen being dragged out of the building and into the crowd. The crowd was seen converging on the two men and starting to punch and beat them.]

Sander Vanocer: “Chet, David, I am watching as two Soviet embassy personnel are apparently being beaten by members in the crowd. And now the crowd has closed around them so I can’t see what is going on.”

David Brinkley: “Sander where are the police are they showing any sign of intervening?”

Sander Vanocer: “David, if you look to my right [camera cuts to the right] you will see several police cars and police officers watching what is developing into a full scale riot but not getting involved."

[There was another shout from the camera man and the image briefly shifted to a tree near the embassy where a figure could be seen hanging from one of the branches. The image only lasted a moment before Sander yelled “cut back to the studio.]

Chet Huntley: “We apologize for having to cut away from Sander Vanocer. It appears that a violent demonstration has now erupted at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C. and that several Embassy personnel have been attacked. We will bring you further updates on this situation as they become available."

 

[Geon]

MLK

Here is a last bit for today as a noted civil rights leader has a bout with his conscience.
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It was now 6 p.m. and in his home in Atlanta Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in the midst of a debate with several of his friends. Rev. King would recall the conversation later in his book Memories of Fire.

“Many of my friends were trying to get me to leave Atlanta and seek the safety of a small town such as Athens, Georgia or some other smaller town until such time as the danger had passed. I was adamant at the time that I was not going to leave my congregation when many of them were scared and in need of some guidance. I recall after my Sunday morning service many came up to me asking for my prayers and asking if I thought things would work out. This was a time when I wished I could have given them better answers then a reassuring smile.

“After dinner Sunday night my wife and I along with our friends had listened to the news with greater and greater concern. I at times wondered if everything we had struggled for these past several years was about to be undone by the actions of some foolish men in the Kremlin. I knew our President to be a good man, but I also knew him to be a man right now with his back pushed to the wall, and I well knew that a fighter such as him would not long stay there.

“All of us discussed the situation throughout the evening as the news became worse and worse. Finally, I excused myself and went into the bedroom to be alone to pray. When I came out I told our gathered friends and colleagues that I would reluctantly accept their advice to move to a safer location.

“But, as we drove out of Atlanta that night I wondered if I was setting eyes on my home, my church, and my congregation for the last time. There was no peace in my heart as I drove through that chilly Georgia night”

 

[Geon]

Martin and Lewis

I hope everyone is enjoying this.

Here is another brief snippet.
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Meantime…

At 8:30 p.m. In Tempe, Arizona actor/comedienne Jerry Lewis had just gotten off of the phone with his wife. Production had been postponed on the movie he had been filming, The Nutty Professor, due to the present crisis.

Now, in his hotel room, near the Arizona State University campus which had been the site of the filming Lewis settled down to listen to the news. He devoutly prayed his wife would take his advice and take the boys out of New York into the Catskills for a while. New York was definitely not a safe place to be right now.

Lewis settled down to watch the evening news when the phone rang. Walking over to it he picked up the phone. He would describe the conversation years later in an interview on Nightline.

“I answered the phone, said ‘Hello’ and then heard a voice I hadn’t heard in a while say, ‘Hey Jerry how are you?’

“I think you could have floored me with a pillow right then when I realized who it was. I said, ‘Fine, how are you?’

“Then we started talking, like two old friends who hadn’t talked with each other for a long while. During that talk we got a lot of things aired out so to speak. Dean and I both apologized for some really stupid things we both said and did that led to the break up. And we brought each other up to date on what we had been doing.

‘Then Dean asked me if I would like to come out to Vegas and spend some time with him. I told him I would be delighted but I was concerned for my family and needed to join them if I could though given the fact that flights around the country were being cancelled left and right or overbooked because of the crisis there didn’t seem any chance of that.

“Well, about that moment I discovered someone else was on the line as Frank interrupted our conversation. He said, ‘Jerry don’t worry about that. How would your family like to have an all-expense paid trip to Vegas?’

“I told him that I was sure Patty and the boys would love it. Then he told me he would take care of things. And when Frank tells you he’s going to take care of something well…you can bet it is going to be taken care of.

“Frank told me to be at the airport at 9 the next morning and a plane would be there to take me to Vegas. He would get in touch with my wife to make sure – with my permission – that they knew where to go and that another plane would fly them out of New York to Vegas.

“Then Dean got back on the phone and we talked for a little longer. I said finally, ‘If they do drop the bomb I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with when it hits then you.’ There was pause on the other end of the line then Dean quipped, ‘Gee kid, you say the nicest things.’

“After we hung up I turned back to the news just in time to learn that we had dropped a bomb on Guantanamo, Cuba. I wondered whether the quip I mentioned might not become reality soon.”

 

[Geon]

News

And now for the evening news!

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At 9:00 p.m. the news networks began their hourly updates of the Cuban Missile War as it was now being called. On CBS Mike Wallace was the anchor giving a rundown of the day’s events.

“Here is a brief summary of today’s events.

“At 2:45 a.m. this morning President Kennedy in a televised speech announced that he had authorized air strikes against the missile bases in Cuba. This was in response to yesterday’s attack on the U.S.S. Beale and U.S.S. Randolph by a Russian submarine using a nuclear weapon. Preliminary reports from the Pentagon indicate the strikes were in the words of the spokesman, ‘100 percent successful’. The Pentagon spokesman also indicated 6 Air Force fighters were lost in the attack. The fates of their crews are unknown at this time.

“Shortly after the attacks at 4:30 a.m., Radio Havana read an announcement from Fidel Castro that a state of war now existed between Cuba and the United States and calling all peace loving nations of the world to condemn the ‘air piracy of the Americans.’

“The declaration of war by Castro was followed by an announcement by the Pentagon barely a half hour later that Cuban forces were firing artillery rounds at the Guantanamo Naval Base and that the Marine contingent was presently repelling an attack by Cuban soldiers.

“In response, at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon the U.S. Congress formally and by a wide majority voted to declare war against the island nation of Cuba.

“At 3:30 word was received from sources in the Pentagon that the U.S.S. Essex had been attacked and sunk by a Soviet submarine using a nuclear weapon. CBS has obtained this picture taken from aboard one of the destroyers near the scene of the attack.

“As far as can be determined at this time the Essex and many of its support ships were lost in the resulting explosion.

“Reaction to the Soviet attack and the declaration of war on Cuba was quick in coming. Several demonstrations have been held in cities throughout the country, both pro and anti-war.

[Scenes appeared on screen of demonstrations in several cities in some instances with pro and anti-war demonstrators being kept apart by police.]

“For the most part these demonstrations were peaceful. However here in Washington, D.C. a protest turned violent outside the Soviet Embassy.

[Scenes appear showing the earlier attacks on the Soviet Embassy.]

“Reports indicate that at least 2 Soviet embassy employees were lynched by the angry mob and several more were injured and taken to local hospitals before Washington police broke up the demonstration arresting 8 people. Ambassador Andrey Dobrynin is reported to have been evacuated from the embassy earlier for his own safety to an undisclosed location.

“Moscow has so far been completely silent on today’s events. In fact, there has been no contact with any of our CBS personnel in Moscow since 6 a.m. this morning. Radio Moscow has also been quiet save for a brief announcement at 10 this morning that and I am quoting here, ‘The Soviet Union will stand behind its Cuban ally to fully repel this naked act of imperialist American aggression against the freedom loving Cuban peoples.’

“As of this moment there has been no further report of any attacks at sea. Most passenger and freight carriers have safely made port. And except for continued fighting at the Guantanamo Naval Base there is no word of further escalation. However, earlier the Pentagon issued a statement that there would be a ‘strong response’ to the attack on the Essex. The nature of that response is still unknown."

Unknown to Mike Wallace and most of the rest of the U.S. that “strong response” was in the process of being made by SAC.

 

[Geon]

A Little Twist

You'll all note a little twist at the end of this snippet. I hope everyone enjoys it.
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At 9:30 p.m. Dan Rather, a young correspondent becoming familiar to viewers of CBS News, was interviewing protestors in Little Havana, Cuba who were holding a very loud and boisterous demonstration against the Castro regime when the camera cut back to the studio where Mike Wallace was waiting.

“We have just received the following official statement from the White House. ‘At approximately 8:35 p.m. EST in response to the two unprovoked nuclear attacks by the Soviet Union and Cuba against our armed forces at sea and in light of the continuing aggression against our troops in the Guantanamo Naval base the President authorized a low yield nuclear strike against the city of Guantanamo, Cuba. The strike took place in conjunction with a conventional air strike against remaining air defense sites on the island of Cuba.’ President Kennedy goes on to say in the statement that the U.S. still desires a ‘peaceful negotiated settlement to the present crisis but will respond in kind if there are any further such strikes against U.S. armed forces or any U.S. territory. He calls on Premier Khrushchev to remove all remaining Soviet forces in Cuba and upon Premier Castro to in his words, ‘do what is in the best interests of the Cuban people.’

“In addition Radio Havana has just confirmed a few minutes ago that a nuclear explosion has occurred in the city of Guantanamo. Radio Havana calls up all Cubans to ‘stand fast against this imperialistic attack against the forces of socialism in mother Cuba.’”

“In other news Pope John XXIII speaking from the Vatican earlier has called upon Catholics around the world to observe a ‘vigil for peace’ starting tomorrow in Catholic churches throughout the world. In the same statement he calls upon leaders throughout the world to act responsibly remembering that we are all part of the human family.”

By now mayors in several major cities had declared dusk to dawn curfews. In some of these cities National Guard troops were now patrolling the streets along with the police. Yet even with the curfew there were still people who were out. In Cleveland, Ohio for instance a local TV personality doing double duty as a reporter in order to help out a stretched-to-the-limit news staff found an all-night bar filled with people. As he would relate in his live report which would be repeated twice throughout the night.

“Although there is a dusk to dawn curfew this bar is presently packed as you can see. Most of the people I have talked with here are people who either live alone or whose loved ones live outside the city. Many are clearly simply lonely and frightened and have come here seeking a little solace by being together. As you can see and hear, the mood here isn’t one of rowdiness or merriment. Instead it is one of – call it quiet reflection. People sit, drink, talk, and look at the TV from time to time to catch the news.

“About an hour ago a police officer and a few National Guardsmen came in and told these people they needed to go home or they would be stuck here for the duration of the night. But nobody apparently has left since they made that announcement. When I asked some of them why they were disobeying curfew one of the main answers I got was, ‘If I’m going to die, I’d rather not die at home alone.’ So, they sit here, they drink, they wait, and they wonder if they will live to see the morning…This is Tim Conway for WJW News.”

 

[Geon]

Hot at the Greenbrier

And at the Greenbrier Bunker:
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At the bunker underneath the Greenbrier, more and more congressmen were arriving. Officially no word had been given to congregate there yet. Unofficially many had already begun to arrive. Since no nuclear weapons had yet been detonated on U.S. soil there was no need for the elaborate decontamination showers yet. By now over ½ of the U.S. Congress of both houses had reached the hopeful safety of the Greenbrier.

Inside the bunker tempers were starting to fray for many already. The bunker had a strict no-smoking rule and many congressmen were already starting to undergo the early stages of nicotine-withdrawal. While the temperature was being kept at a comfortable 72 degrees by the bunker’s heating/cooling systems the temperature was close to the boiling point in the two meeting chambers built especially to house meetings of the two houses of Congress!

The attack on Guantanamo City had raised several issues. Among them how far was the U.S. prepared to go now to end the threat from nuclear weapons in Cuba permanently. Senator Hubert Humphrey would recall later the debates that raged in the Senate chamber.

“There were some on both side of the aisles who felt that the nuclear attack on Guantanamo just wasn’t enough. They wanted a full-fledged attack against Cuba, an invasion to unseat Castro. Those on the other side argued against this. They weren’t arguing for Castro. They were however concerned about ‘unforeseen consequences’ such as what if Russian soldiers or other personnel were killed, what if not all of the nuclear weapons in Cuba had been destroyed. These for the most part argued for a return to the original strategy of blockading the island until the Soviets and the Cubans finally agreed to remove all offensive nuclear weapons from Cuba, if any remained.

“The debate was often very severe in the Senate. It was equally bad in the House chamber. I suspect the fact that most of the congressmen who had arrived were concerned for their loved ones at home throughout the country added to the tension. It didn’t take long for conservatives and many moderates from both parties to come together and send a strong statement to the President by both teletype and radio/telephone that much stronger action was needed to end the present crisis. That was when we got word of the attacks on Guantanamo Naval Base.” (From Witnesses to Destruction: Interviews with the Greenbrier Congressmen)

 

[Geon]

Guantanamo Interview

Those of you who remember my TL "How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms," may know that I used fictional names to enhance the story. I will try to keep this to a minimum here. Where possible I will try to use real-life personalities for the era. The officer referred to here is an unnamed fictional character.
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At 10 p.m. on NBC David Brinkley was starting an at the time ground-breaking interview by radio with the Public Liaison Officer for the Marine contingent based in Guantanamo Naval Base. The commandant of the marine forces had graciously decided to allow a brief interview – with the emphasis on brief – only ten minutes allotted with the Officer. After asking the officer his name and where his family lived and if he was married (he was engaged), David starting asking about the situation on the ground there. The officer began to talk.

“As you know David we can’t talk about specific operations that are in progress. What I can tell you is that we have had several major firefights since 4:15 a.m. yesterday morning. Casualties have been moderate so far and we are holding the Cubans at a line along the perimeter of the base.”

David asked, “You said your casualties have been moderate. Can you give us any idea on actual numbers?’

The officer replied, “Not at this time David. I’d rather wait for our superiors to release that information. The situation here is extremely fluid and…”

Abruptly the officer stopped talking and there were sounds of various exclamations in the background followed by the officer exclaiming, “What the...” Then he came back on saying, “Excuse me David I think I’m going to have to cut this interview short. We just saw a bright light of some type off in the bay itself and there’s a loud sound like thunder coming in, the windows are...”

At that moment there was a shout over the radio then “Sun...Bright…can’t…Oh My God!!!” Then there were sounds of screams loud sounds of what sounded like thunder then static and silence.

At the other end of the connection David Brinkley stood completely stunned and unable to speak for a few minutes before he said the only thing he could say. “It appears we have had technical difficulties with our connection. We will attempt to regain the connection as soon as possible and ask everyone to please stand by.”

By 10:30 Brinkley and the rest of the country would learn by an official statement from the Pentagon and confirmed five minutes later by Radio Havana. Tactical nuclear weapons launched by short range missiles had apparently been used in Cuba against the Guantanamo naval base.

 

[Geon]

The Greenbrier Reaction

The congressmen at the Greenbrier aren't having much of a vacation!
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Word of the attacks on the Guantanamo Naval Base plunged the Representatives and Senators at the Greenbrier Bunker into silence for several minutes. Then word came that the President wanted to briefly speak to both houses of Congress. Soon by telephone linkup both Houses of Congress were listening as the President announce a fateful decision.

Given that the nuclear attacks on Guantanamo Naval Base had caused such severe damage, given the continuing refusal of either Castro or Khrushchev to deescalate this crisis and given that the marine contingent would not survive without reinforcement the President announced that he was implementing Operation Scabbards, a plan for the invasion of Cuba put together by the Joint Chiefs with the intention to neutralize once and for all any offensive weapons on that island. The first phase of that plan called for the nuclear bombing of Havana and was already under way. U.S. armed forces would leave within the hour for the ships which would take them to their invasion zones.

One of the Senators (Proxmire-D of Wisconsin) asked if there was any chance of a return to the negotiating table. Kennedy’s reply was somewhat ominous. “Senator, in order to negotiate first you need to have someone to negotiate with. Right now I haven’t heard a damn thing out of Moscow, and I assure you in less than an hour there won’t be a Castro to talk to. If Moscow wants to talk I’m still willing to listen, but right now there doesn’t seem any chance of that.”

There was a pause then the President spoke again. “Things are really getting damn hectic here. I may not be able to get back to speak with you for a while. Let’s hope and pray that what we’re doing here finally brings the Soviets to their senses.” With that the call was cut off. Senator Carl Albert would say later, “That was the last time we heard President Kennedy’s voice. Many of us wish now that we’d been a little easier in our own rhetoric in those final hours.” (From Witnesses to Destruction: Interviews with the Greenbrier Congressmen)

After the conference call several congressmen wandered the bunker seeking out some of the personnel who maintained it. They were wondering how safe the place was and whether or not it would stand a hit nearby by a Soviet warhead.

 

[Geon]

Rat Pack III

As some of you may have noticed I am trying to add "personal touches" here. One of the ideas I had before starting this story was a separate story about what was going on in Las Vegas during the crisis. I later decided it would make a good counter point to the rest of the story. What do the rest of you think?
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Meantime back in Las Vegas…

The Rat Pack sat gathered around a dinner table with their newest member Jerry Lewis now joining them. Jerry had been much relieved to learn earlier that his wife and children were now on a private plane leaving New York City and would be in Las Vegas by morning.

Off to one side Peter Lawford sat next to Frank. The last day had seen their friendship which had been wrecked by a political misunderstanding months ago restored. Peter was quietly watching TV, sipping a club soda, and considering the events of the past day.

“At 10:30 Frank asked Dean and me to drive out to the airport to collect Jerry when he arrived. All through the morning Frank had been calling everyone he knew trying to get them to come out to Vegas. If they could not make it for some reason Frank would find a way to get them here but Frank wanted the people we cared about to be taken care of.

“Driving through Las Vegas that Sunday morning was like driving through a ghost town. The streets were almost totally deserted and hardly anyone was on the sidewalks. Overnight most of the guests in the major hotels/casinos had checked out and headed back to their homes or tried to. Many flights were so overbooked some would have to wait days to leave. I learned the hotels were having to make alternate arrangements with passenger train and bus lines to get anxious people home.

“By Sunday morning those who were left in the hotels were either still trying to find a way to get home or had simply resigned themselves to staying and riding things out.

“At the airport there were still a lot of people there trying to book a flight back to their homes. Many were ‘camped out in the concourse waiting for flights that might or might not come. Airline schedules were becoming iffier in the present emergency we learned.

“At 11:05 a.m. a private plane set down and soon the pilot and a smiling Jerry Lewis appeared coming through the doors. I don’t think I ever saw Dean move as fast as I did when he set eyes on his friend and sprinted to meet him. I just watched as those two gave each other a bear hug and Jerry playfully hopped into Dean’s arms.

“After a few minutes of horseplay I came up and Jerry and I shook hands. It was good to see the guy again. I told him we were going to have lunch back at the Sands. I also told him that Frank had arranged to have a private plane fly his family out of LaGuardia Airport later this afternoon. If all went well they would be in Las Vegas early tomorrow morning at the very latest.

“Jerry was relieved. He told us he had spoken with his wife later in the evening after he Frank, and Den had talked but it had been 3 a.m. when he had finally been able to get through. She had wondered about going to a big city like Las Vegas until Jerry informed her as far as he knew the city was not on anyone’s target list. ‘I told her all the Russians would do if they bombed Las Vegas was melt some poker chips,’ Jerry said.

“We headed back to the Sands to the ‘war room’ as the suite of rooms Frank occupied had now become. There were now 3 TVs set up there each broadcasting one of the major channels as well as two phones which Frank was on constantly during the daylight and early evening hours.

“Frank was just as happy to see Jerry as I was. We all settled down and talked about old times and future plans. Although given what was happening in the world around us some of us wondered if we were going to have a future period.

“Frank had not been idle while we had been gone. He told us Shirley would be coming out to join us and possibly even Judy. That got everyone excited. Frank believed Las Vegas would ironically be the one safe place if things went to hell. I quietly hoped he was right.” (from My Life as a Rat by Peter Lawford.)

 

[Geon]

Little Havana

Things are heating up literally and figuratively in Cuba!
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In the area of Miami known as Little Havana it was almost midnight. Although the rest of the city was eerily quiet and calm Little Havana presented an odd counterpoint with its inhabitants dancing and celebrating long into the night. The people of the Little Havana area were all expatriates, survivors who had fled Castro’s Cuba not so many years ago. A year ago it seemed that there was hope that Castro could be removed when the Bay of Pigs invasion had occurred. But that invasion had been a disaster. Now, finally rumor was spreading that the President was planning an invasion of Cuba to end the nuclear threat there once and for all.

As a result of these rumors the people of Little Havana were actually celebrating in the midst of this crisis. For them it seemed like it would not be long until their fondest dreams were realized. Castro would be overthrown, democracy would finally be established in Cuba and the men and women of Little Havana could begin to plan returning home.

Even though it was Sunday three recruiting stations had opened in Little Havana to allow young men to enlist. Many had done so hoping they would get a chance to finally liberate their former home.

At one home in Little Havana crowds were gathered listening to the long-wave radio the owner had. Said owner had it presently tuned to Radio Havana. Speakers had been set up outside the home so everyone could listen in. Even though everyone knew that Radio Havana was spouting nothing but lies they hoped to catch a word or two that might hint that the invasion had finally started.

Near 11:30 p.m. the crowds were listening as Radio Havana kept up its diatribe against the United States. The announcer was calling upon “all able bodied Cubans to defend the motherland against this Yankee threat to our democratic socialist ideals.”

The announcer on Radio Havana then declared that Fidel Castro would deliver a brief address to the Cuban nation at midnight. He was in the midst of the announcement when abruptly everyone heard a sound like a loud scream then the sound of crashing and then static come over the radio. For several minutes everyone wondered what had happened as the owner of the radio tried to recover Radio Havana.

Several minutes later everyone heard a very low rumble of thunder off to the south. Many looked in that direction than at the clear sky. Most shrugged and went back to listening for further news. But others simply stood still looking southward with a growing sense of trepidation. It was 11:26 p.m. and a Hound Dog standoff ASM had just detonated a 1.1 megaton device over the city of Havana.

 

[Geon]

TV News

I want to thank Emperor Norton for the link he sent earlier on Civil Defense warnings. That plays a part in this next episode. And again there is supposed to be a familiar symbol here that did not transfer from my computer. Would someone mind showing said symbol (with the blue circle by the by)? And yes, the good general in said bunker would probably be watching with eager anticipation.
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The night wore on. By midnight all of the news networks would report that Radio Havana was off the air and an announcement from the Pentagon confirmed that a nuclear strike had been conducted against that city in retaliation for the attacks on the Guantanamo Naval Base. The Pentagon reported that “despite heavy losses our forces at Guantanamo continue to hold against continuing attacks by the Cuban armed forces.”

Very few Americans slept that night. Most stayed glued to their sets. According to every reliable estimate later more people had watched the events of the last 24 hours than any other televised event since the birth of television.

At 1:45 a.m. Edwin Newman was on the air on NBC while on screen a series of interviews conducted with people in the streets of Washington and New York earlier on their feelings on the present crisis was being shown. Abruptly the interviews cut off and Edwin Newman said, “We are now receiving some new information from our European Bureau so we take you now to London where it is almost 7 in the morning and to Joseph C. Harsch., our European correspondent, Joe are you there?

Harsch [appearing on screen]: “Yes Edwin. I have just received word that NATO has declared a full military alert due to ‘increasing activity by hostile air units of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. All civilian air traffic over Europe has been ordered to land immediately. In addition a spokesman for NATO has just informed us that the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Lauris Nordstrom just a short time ago left his headquarters in Paris for an ‘undisclosed location.’”

Edwin Newman: “Joseph has there been any comment from any of the heads of state in Europe to this development?”

Joseph Harsch: “Not at this time Edwin. We are expecting a statement from Prime Minister MacMillan within the hour but so far have heard nothing from any of the other NATO powers.

Edwin Newman: “Has there been any news from Moscow at all.”

Joseph Harsch: “Moscow has been silent. In fact, according to many Kremlin watchers here very ominously so. Except for broadcasts of classical music there has been no announcement of any kind from Radio Moscow for most of the day.”

Abruptly Joseph Harsch’s face vanished to be replaced by Edwin Newman. “Joseph I’m sorry to interrupt but we have just received word that the President has ordered the initiation of a full CONELRAD alert. I repeat the President of the United States has just ordered all Civil Defense authorities to initiate a full CONELRAD alert. In compliance with this order we now return you to your local stations.”

Moments later every TV set in the country registered nothing but static for a moment then a test pattern of their local stations as the carrier wave from the networks was terminated. Then the test pattern was replaced by a familiar looking symbol.

Across the country people heard the following announcement on their TVs as the last programming anyone would see for many months if not years had run its course.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in compliance with security and Civil Defense measures set forth by the United States government we are now activating the CONELRAD emergency alert system. This is an official CONELRAD radio emergency alert. This is NOT a test. In a few moments all television broadcasting on this station will cease for an indefinite period. If you are at home viewing this alert we urge you to remain in your home and if it can be helped at all do NOT venture outdoors. If you are out and about we strongly advise that you seek shelter where you can and keep a working portable radio nearby at all times to stay informed of any further developments. Civil Defense information will be broadcast at regular ten minute intervals in most areas at 640 kilohertz and 1240 kilohertz on your regular AM radio dial [The announcer at this point would then go on to detail which local areas would be able to tune into 640 and which to 1240 to get information.] Repeating, this is NOT a test. This is an official CONELRAD radio emergency alert. Normal broadcasting on this station will now be discontinued for an indefinite period. We advise you again to tune your radios to 640 kilohertz or 1240 kilohertz on your regular AM dial to remain apprised of any Civil Defense or other information. This television station will now cease all broadcasting.”

There followed a brief identification of the station and then the test pattern then static. Across the country people then began to hear a sound they had never hoped to hear. The rising sound of air raid sirens. It was not the warbling sound that indicated an imminent attack but the straight tone which indicated for everyone to tune in on their local radios-the attention signal.

Much later one person who was interviewed and asked how he felt when the alert was called said, “I felt like someone was just closing my coffin.”

 

[Geon]

Project Y and Greenbrier

One more brief addition for the day.
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Across the country families who had been fortunate enough to build fallout shelters in or near their homes began herding their loved ones into them. Others began to work on make-shift preparations in their cellars. Others, especially near the big cities began to wonder whether they should stay in their homes or go.

In Washington, D.C. the word was given at the National Museum. For the rest of the night workers loaded some of the most valuable works of art in the nation aboard a series of semi-trucks. The operation was carried out under the watchful eyes of a contingent of regular army and National Guard troops.

Within two hours the work was done. After securing the trucks the trucks were formed into a caravan with troops positioned in trucks and jeeps both forward and behind and with military MPs “riding shotgun” alongside each truck. The caravan set out and crossed the bridge over the Potomac into Arlington, Virginia and then began its trek southward. Meantime word had been sent to a small but exclusive woman’s college in Southwest Central Virginia to be ready to receive some special deliveries. Project Y was now fully underway.

At the Greenbrier hardly anyone was asleep. Like President Kennedy a few of the congressmen had gone to their bunks for quick “cat-naps” but most had stayed up watching TV until the alert had been called. Now many were seated in the respective meeting rooms receiving news of the beginning of a full-fledged offensive by air and ground units of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. At the same time many of the congressmen were being asked to go to a TV/radio studio in the bunker and record a message to their constituents to let them know they were safe. It was felt by the planners of the bunker that having the constituents hear from their respective congressmen that they were alive and well might aid national morale.

It was a sentiment not at all shared by Senator Hubert Humphrey who wrote later.

“It felt damned strange when I delivered that speech. I will fully admit that there are times I’ve had to swallow my pride and say something publically that I didn’t believe in my heart. This was one of them. Here I was telling my people in Minnesota that I was safe while they were anything but safe. I thought of cities like Minneapolis and wondered how my words would go over there in a city whose inhabitants might learn at any moment that they had only 20 or 30 minutes until they were incinerated.” (From Witnesses to Destruction: Interviews with the Greenbrier Congressmen)

 

[Geon]

SAC and Homefront

Michel - first thanks for the information! However if you don't mind I'll nix on playing the recording of those sirens! First, I have a problem with loud shrill noises. Second, I actually happened to be under one of those things which were on top of a building I happened to be next to when they were tested in the 1970's. I'm surprised I have any hearing left after that experience! Finally, I am, by the kind permission of my employers able to work on this in my "down time". I don't want to arouse their ire by scaring everyone in the building! In any case here is another update. By the way, the quote at the end is from a fictional author created by me.
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The Strategic Air Command’s motto was Peace is our Profession. Now those assigned to preserve that peace were preparing to wage war on a level never seen before by humanity.

In the Arctic skies B52 bombers now flew at their fail safe point. Their radars showed Soviet fighters now waiting for them. Hunter and prey were circling in the skies each awaiting the order to begin the hunt. Most of the crews on both sides prayed that saner heads would prevail.

Buried deep beneath the earth in silos hidden throughout the U.S. strategic missile crews stood at the ready to launch their missiles targeted at the heart of the Soviet Union. They had no doubt their Soviet counterparts were likewise prepared.

Under the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ballistic missile submarines armed with missiles capable of vaporizing the largest cities carried on a similar dance as that conducted by their cousins in the Arctic skies. Their dance however was with hunter killer subs sent to seek them out and destroy them. But like their brothers in the skies these submariners also were praying that a way might still be found to end the crisis.

The U.S. armed forces were now at Defcon 1, the highest step on the alert ladder. All of the forces were now ready to go at a single word from their respective commands.

Yet these were not soulless robots. These were men. These were men with one of the most unenviable tasks ever. Many of them had loved ones; friends or family and all wondered whether those loved ones were going to be safe.

One member of a Titan Missile launch team would sum up what all of them were feeling much later in an interview.

“After we sealed ourselves in the control center all we could do was keep alert and wait. I think for the next 72 hours we subsisted mostly on cigarettes, coffee, and the amphetamines that were provided to keep us alert.

“At first we chatted about personal stuff when we weren’t checking things and doing our duties. But then we both got quiet. There wasn’t very much else to say and both of us wanted to be alone with our thoughts. Both of us looked at pictures of our families that we had on our respective control panels/desks. We wondered how they were handling this and we prayed. We prayed they were safe. You’ve heard the old saying, ‘there are no atheists in foxholes?’ Let me tell you that saying is true to the 10th power if you are the crew of a missile silo.”

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Throughout the night in Las Vegas the men of the Rat Pack would continue to drift in and out of the “war room.” Peter Lawford recalled the tension of that night when CONELRAD was activated.

“By the time the TV went off the air Frank had set up two maps in the room so it really did look like a war room. One was a map of the United States, one was a map of Europe. When the TV went off Frank already had a portable short wave radio ready and a larger radio that needed to be plugged in ready. Throughout the night all of us caught ‘cat naps’ of about an hour or less and would come in sit at the table drink, smoke, occasionally someone would make a comment about the situation. But none of us felt very talkative. Funny. You know under normal circumstances most of the guys there you couldn’t get to shut up. Now all of us were simply at a loss for words. (From My Life as a Rat by Peter Lawford.)

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Over a year before the crisis, President Kennedy had urged Americans to be prepared in a personal letter included in the September, 15, 1961 issue of LIFE magazine. President Kennedy wrote:

“Nuclear weapons and the possibility of nuclear war are facts of life we cannot ignore today. I do not feel that war can solve any of the problems facing the world today, but the decision is not ours alone.”

Kennedy had gone on to detail plans the government had for protecting Americans in the event of a nuclear war, many of which were far from fully completed, and urging Americans to read the article in LIFE on preparing in the event of an attack. Many had heeded the President even before the article came out and built their own private fallout shelters. Now many were settling down in them to await events.

In the suburbs of Springfield, Illinois, in one of these home fallout shelters, a teenage boy aged 15 was settling down or trying to for the remainder of the night. He began to keep a journal of his time there and that journal would become a major bestseller years later.

Monday, October 29th - It seemed I had just gone to bed when my dad woke me up. He told me we needed to get into the shelter now. I had known things were bad when I went to bed but I didn’t know they were that bad. As I woke up I could see mom standing in the door holding Cynthia. She was still half asleep and mom evidently didn’t want to frighten her.

We headed outside with dad and me carrying some extra food and medical items we might need from the medicine cabinet. He opened the trapdoor that led down into the shelter and we went in with dad the last one coming in and locking the shelter door behind us.

I don’t know how to describe what I felt then – excited, scared, and bewildered. Is it possible to feel all of those things at one time? I tried to drift off in my bunk bed down there while mom and dad listened to the radio. Of all of us Cynthia seems to have been the most calm. She fell asleep right away! (From The Shelter Journals by Robert Hetrick.)

 

[Geon]

CONELRAD News

Here is another brief update.
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Throughout the rest of the very early morning hours of Monday, September 29th most Americans stayed glued to their radios for some news. But now that the major networks were off the air news came only in small bits and pieces. CONELRAD announcements never lasted more than a few minutes and the news they gave was simply a rehash of earlier events or giving advice on how to prepare for a nuclear attack especially if you didn’t have a shelter or weren’t near one.

Then at 7 a.m. the CONELRAD channels throughout the country came on with the usual signal tone followed by:

“This is your CONELRAD channel serving [here the announcer would name the area the station was serving]…with news and official information. Here is the 7 a.m. news. A statement just released by the Pentagon states that NATO forces in West Germany and Norway, have come under attack by ground and air units of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact since 2 a.m. this morning. Soviet and East German ground forces have also attacked the forces of France, Great Britain, and the United States in West Berlin. As of this time no nuclear weapons have been reported to be used….”

The news announcement was repeated and then concluded as the CONELRAD channel signed off with the now standard words.

“This concludes this broadcast of the CONELRAD system. We will return to the air in ten minutes with more news and official information. Please stand by.”

Then another tone sounded and there was silence. Many would come to call that tone, “the scariest, and loneliest sound they had ever heard.”

 

[Geon]

Trying to Act Normal and an Announcement

Okay this next part is a bit of Cold War lore I can neither confirm or deny. Several sources in older books on the subject indicated that President Eisenhower asked two noted radio/TV personalities to pre-record public service announcements to act as morale boosters in times of national crisis. One of them will be "played" here now (the text is my own creation since we at this time don't have an inkling of what the actual announcements would have said.). The other I will hold off on playing until later. If anyone has any further information on these please let me know. Also to repeat I am being creative here because as of this time there is no evidence as to whether such announcements were made or if they still exist.
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By the morning of the 29th even though the news from overseas was getting progressively worse and since no bombs had fallen on the U.S. – yet – people emerged from their shelters and basements to try to carry on with some sense of normality. Most school systems in the U.S. had cancelled classes indefinitely. Children played near their homes but as most would remember later were told to stay near their homes and not to go too far in case there was an emergency alarm.

At supermarkets all over the country many shoppers arrived as soon as the stores opened only to discover most of the perishables (milk, eggs, etc.) and many of the staples (bread, coffee, etc.) were either sold out or in low supply. Management in these stores tried to reassure shoppers that more shipments were on order and would be available the next day. But many Americans wondered if there would be a “next day.”

Many Americans took to the road early that morning. While this was not the huge exodus that would come later it would put a tax on the newly built interstate system. And many gas stations would put up signs declaring they were “out of gas” by the end of the day.

Following Pope John XXIII’s request many Catholic churches opened their doors for all day prayer vigils. These vigils would be joined by many non-Catholics throughout the day.

Throughout the country Americans tried to carry on with their normal daily Monday routines but as one person would later put it, “It was like we were going through the motions of a normal day, and always with one eye on the sky.”

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At 12 p.m. that day once more the CONELRAD signal sounded.

“This is your CONELRAD channel…with news and official information. At this time we are broadcasting a message from His Eminence, Bishop Fulton Sheen.

‘Hello my friends. This is Bishop Fulton Sheen. Many of you remember me from my old television program Life is Worth Living. I want to come to you today to briefly talk with you about the challenge we are now facing.

‘Right now many of you, most of you, are probably very frightened and wondering what is going to be the outcome of this present crisis. Many of you are people of faith, some of you are not. In this country we do not punish someone because he or she is of a faith different from our own or because they may not belong to any religion at all. That is what we call Freedom of Religion.

“Unfortunately this freedom which sadly too many of us take for granted is not one that is enjoyed throughout the world. In nations like the Soviet Union and China showing any expression of faith is looked upon at best with scorn and at worst may be punished with imprisonment. And other freedoms such as freedom of speech, assembly, freedom of the press are virtually unknown to the people who live behind the Iron Curtain.

“We are now involved in a struggle against these forces of tyranny. It is a struggle that will test our fiber as a nation to its very limits. Yet, I firmly believe that if we stand strong in our faith whether it is in God or in the common dignity of man we can and we shall prevail.

“As a priest I have always believed that our God is a God who answers prayer. I call upon all people of faith regardless of their religious affiliation to pray for our nation and for our president in the days and months ahead. From the Christian Bible over and over we hear the words ‘Do not fear.’ Those words were meant for such a time as this. Let us take heart from them. And may God richly bless the United States in the days ahead.

“Thank you all and God bless you.”

Bishop Sheen’s message had been recorded, at the request of President Eisenhower, several years ago to be played at a moment such as this. There was another popular personality who had also been asked by the former President to record a public service message. He would be heard from later on.