Growing up in the shadow of the apocalypse

Ward-o-Matic has a great post on 1962 fallout shelters.

Like most boomers I'm old enough (yes I'm really that old) to remember the Cuban missile crisis and I think it may have warped me for life. I was certain that the commies were going to blow us all to kingdom come. "Duck and cover" drills at school, air raid siren tests and the construction of the Diefenbunker did nothing to dispel the fear of being annihilated by a thermonuclear blast. I was unhappy and insecure because we lived in an apartment and could not excavate a shelter for our own use in the event of a nuclear attack. I think this was when I realized for the first time that mum and dad could not protect me from all the bad stuff out there. I guess I felt the same way Americans felt about FEMAafter Katrina. That said, I wish I had this handbook.

Via Plep