Better Homes and Bunkers

Are any of you old enough to recall the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962? The world came close to a nuclear war and kids like me participated in nuclear attack drills in which we were instructed to hide under our desks at school. I still remember the sound of the air raid sirens. This was very scary stuff. Starting with the Cold War in the 1950s and the creation of the hydrogen bomb tens of thousands of Americans built fallout shelters to ensure survival after a nuclear attack.

In 1959, the government published and distributed millions of copies of a 32-page booklet called The Family Fallout Shelter. It included step-by-step instructions for building the Concrete Block Shelter, a cube constructed of concrete block and mortar.

Shelter mania continued until the early 1960s when people lost faith that a shelter could protect them from a nuclear holocaust.

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So what was wrong with someone trying protect their family even with such a remote chance of survival. Sure, it's an easy target for jokes, but remember there are still some very sophisticated shelters for people like our President, Congress, and some other "important" folks.

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My house has a bunker. Previous tenants had it built around that time. It's basically another half-basement about 50% lower than the actual basement. It makes for a great wine/root cellar. And if I have to use it as an actual bunker, I'll have an awesome time.

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I remember living in CA in 6th - 8th grade and having bomb drills. The sirens would go off and under the desks we'd go, covering our heads with our arms and our butts sticking up in the air. Yep, laminated particle board a foot over your head will protect you from The Bomb!

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Not sure I'd laugh at them, Larfin, given that there's likely a lot more bombs around now than when that leaflet was made.
But the tidy path is a nice touch - wouldn't want to damage the lawn when the apocalypse happens.