Blast from the Past: Instructional Pamphlet for Surviving an A-bomb Attack!

Good Day World!

In 1950 (the year I was born) the Commonwealth of Massachusetts put out an instructional pamphlet for surviving an A-bomb attack from the Soviet Union.

It was the dawn of a Cold War, the first of many in my lifetime. Looking at the instructions now they appear laughable.

People were instructed to fall down flat on their face should they see a sudden flash of light brighter than the sun!

They were instructed to stay like that, or if indoors to crawl behind or underneath something to protect themselves. As we know in this day and age, these instructions were absolutely worthless!

I love the warning, “Stay down until after the blast has passed…”

Wow! Think about that.

People were being told that if they just hunkered down not only would they survive an A-bomb attack, but would have a chance to get up afterwards and move around normally!

The so-called FACTS about the A-bomb is a study in propaganda.

To see more pages of this pamphlet go to The History Place.

I can remember attending elementary school during the Cold War in the 1950s and never questioning how effective “drop down and roll” was.

We practiced the maneuver throughout the school year. I firmly believe – now – that it was just a way of making us think things were really going to be okay – even though there was a real possibility civilization as we knew it could have ended.

Time for me to walk on down the road…