NBC-Moniitor-June-19-1955-.mp3
Father's day came on the 19th in 1955. Aside from that, 1955 was another time and, for all intents and purposes another planet compared to the one we're on now. In keeping with my earlier post from last night featuring This Is Nora Drake and the atmosphere of Cold War and Red Scare paranoia sweeping over the country.
By 1955 it was only getting worse - this two hour extended excerpt from the 48 hour network program service from NBC Radio, Monitor begins with reports regarding Operation Alert, a nationwide Civil Defense drill that involved a series of fictionalized Atomic Bomb attacks on cities across America - reports of the drill went something like this:
"EMERGENCY PRESS HEADQUARTERS, Operation Alert,; June 16.—This make-believe "emergency" press headquarters turned out to be brilliantly—but accidentally—realistic. There were communications failures, contradictory announcements and snarling tempers. The Civil Defense Administration didn't plan it that way. Civil Defense set up this headquarters as a test for a news center which, in case of a real bombing attack, would handle; public announcements on a flash basis—and thus keep the American public informed. This news center, some distance from Washington, had direct communications with Civil Defense headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich.
Detailed reports on the mock air raids of Operation; Alert were supposed to flow instantly into the press headquarters. The first simulated bomb fell on Portland, Maine. But the press headquarters didn't learn about it until more than 10 hours later. In the meanwhile. Civil Defense gave varying reports on the number of cities theoretically bombed.
Some reports came through in a few minutes, but most took an hour or more. Many were garbled.
So while one part of the country was engaged in Civil Defense drills and make-believe Atomic attacks - the rest of the country was busy with Golf, Father's Day and finding out about the upcoming 10th anniversary of the founding of The United Nations.
And Monitor was there - true to their motto: Going Places - Doing Things.
All on Father's Day 1955.
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